There’s no shame in dropping the fork. It’s OK to admit, after all the foot stomping and protests to hurry it up, that you simply weren’t starving, after all.
Admit defeat — that’s fine, as well.
Or you could order with a friend, contented to share. Rebecka Walters of Judy’s Junction explains that a number of guests split the Junction Jackpot.
Simply put, it’s not easy to work your way through the mound of scrambled eggs — three of them — sausage, ham, bacon, onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, gravy and cheese in mountainous form, all on a bed of hash browns.
“It’s our biggest breakfast,” Walters said. “And we have a lot of big breakfasts.”
While it stands as the Upper Lake diner’s most popular order, there is no finesse to the Junction Jackpot. There’s no really attention to the art of plating, setting out a pretty dish. Yet one could easily defend the genius of emptying out the fridge, freezer and pantry to create this item.
Each bite is unique. One dominated by sausage pierces through the creamy calm of the gravy. Another, carrying bits of bacon and green bell pepper, offers a soothing smoky streak over the pleasant vegetal snap. Ham and surprisingly feathery eggs always find favor. And the crackle of potatoes, browned to a crisp at the edges, provides a welcome textural exclamation.
It’s the sort of dish you hope to find at an unpretentious roadside joint.
Oh, there was a time when shiny quick service restaurant chains crowded out the diner. For a spell people took to dismissing “greasy spoons,” forgetting the evolutionary in dining they had caused. The diner spread America’s most popular sandwiches including the hamburger. The blackened grills turned humble hash browns into a national staple. On their Formica counters the milkshake gained fame.
Fortunately, we’re a nostalgic culture. “Greasy spoon” is now more often used as a compliment, referring to a place where short order cooks turn out the very plates we return to, over and over — biscuits and gravy, pancakes and bacon, eggs scrambled or turned as omelets. All piled to please the appetite more than the eye.
There’s comfort in every moment, especially in the Junction Jackpot.
“It’s not fancy, just down home cooking,” Walters observed. “It’s not too expensive and you get everything you want.”
Indeed. You just may be forced to wave the white paper napkin before you finish.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
