I drove to Jan and Mike’s home on Sunday morning. As I rounded the corner to their place, I caught a glimpse of the Narrows Bridge shrouded in clouds. I parked by Jan’s driveway and walked along the side of the house until I could frame the shot I wanted. Blue is a cool color and it coated the morning as cold as the steel girders and towers themselves. The warmth of friendship and Donn’s heater as he drove the four of us to breakfast made for a pleasant journey.
Jan chose Foley’s On the Green, the restaurant for Meadowpark Golf Course because the Tacoma Exchange Club met there on special occasions. It held a lot of memories for me as well. I learned golf on the Williams Nine, and Christmas House of Tacoma and Pierce County had a couple fundraising golf tournaments there as well as did the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8. I was co-founder of Christmas House and am a past president of the Rotary Club of Tacoma. I had warm memories, but they weren’t quite warm enough. We were the first customers and management had probably waited for paying customers before cranking up the heat. Some of the tree tops were lost in the fog, and at ground level it moved on and off the fairways.
Our bouncy little waitress, Jenny, took our orders. I asked for the Breakfast Steak (medium rare) with sourdough toast, hash browns burnt, burnt, burnt with an onion, and eggs over easy. When it was served I was a little worried that the steak looked over-cooked and my hash browns weren’t as dark as everyone else’s. The steak however was cooked perfectly. It was nice and pink and juicy. I took most of it home to Peg, who was still in bed while we all ate, along with Mike’s bacon. I held my tongue as my three friends all took the side that my hash browns were just as dark as their’s were. My toast was under toasted, but buttered. I was okay with that. The hash browns were good and the eggs were perfect with yolk to mix with my hash browns.
I’m not really sure what Mike ended up with. He wanted oatmeal, but Foley’s was out. I think he got the stuffed hash browns (which were darker than mine no matter what my friends say) and biscuits. His bacon would join the steak that pleased my wife, Peg when I returned home. I’m not sure what Jan had. It was probably healthy.
Donn, had hash browns, eggs over easy, a muffin, and three pancakes. The eggs were over-cooked, which meant the yolk was pretty much solid. He was not happy, but was thrilled with his pancakes, even though he ate them last and ran the risk of being tepid. The restaurant stayed fairly cold with more customers coming in accompanied by the cold wind.
The restaurant charges a 2.5% fee for using a credit card, so we all paid by cash. We kept waiting for our bill and in the end went up to the cash register and Jenny to pay. She was new on the job and was the only employee we saw in the restaurant. By the time we walked over to pay there were twenty plus people in the restaurant and she was serving us all. I saw her pouring vodka for one visitor, so she was the hostess, waitress, bartender, and cashier. It was obvious that she was not a newbie to the restaurant trade. She never got excited, but did a marvelous job. I doubt she is paid what she’s worth. Our little group left happy, satisfied, and just a little chilly. The food was good and the service was excellent considering all that Jenny had to do. We each left her a nice tip.
Foley’s is worth a try – https://www.foleysbarandgrill.com/
Don-
My name is Casey. “Jenny” is my wife. I would like to say thank you for your article. What you wrote means a lot to her and I. She is a very hard worker and has indeed been in the “service industry” for a long time. As I’m sure you experienced, she has a very outgoing personality and is warm and sociable to everyone she meets. Not every establishment she has been employed at has treated her with the value she has deserved. To hear your kind words and the recognition of her value truly means a lot to (especially) her and to me as well. She doesn’t get to hear these type of things enough. So, again thank you very much for your kind words and recognition.
Sincerely, Casey.
Casey,
Thanks for writing. Your comment brought a tear to my eye. I have long been one who admires his wife and speaks proudly of the work she does. It’s nice to see others that do the same. We don’t all get the recognition we deserve, so when I see someone who just goes about doing their job, remaining calm, making things work for everyone else involved I have to mention it. Thank you for sharing your response. Couples that praise and appreciate each other are a rarity.
My husband and I, along with our son, daughter-in-law and 1 yr old granddaughter recently had breakfast at Foley’s. It was the first time for all of us. I must say, it was quite delightful and the meal was very tasty! I always enjoy a quaint atmosphere, and Foley’s provided just that. The view was exceptionally relaxing, providing an extra calm to our morning. We will definitely be returning, as we live in Lakewood (and have for over 30 years!) This was a new ‘find’ for us, if you can believe it! We tend to get stuck in our normal routines, but Foley’s will now be incorporated into our dining out experiences! ???
Sharon,
Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad I could introduce you to a nice family restaurant. Pass along the good word to others.
Thanks for sharing.
Don
Hooray for Casey and “Jenny.” Husbands sometimes come through with admirable comments and so does Don Doman. Thank you both, but Jenny even more.
Dennis,
So what did you do for your wife and her birthday, yesterday? Charity and survival starts at home . . .
Casey’s comments brought a tear to my eye . . . and it was my “good” eye. Jenny made breakfast pleasant. She did her job and the job of one or two others as well. She deserved a pat on the back. That her husband knew she appreciated it and more was simply outstanding.
Don