Meat loaf and egg salad: A craving from the past
Do you ever get a craving for something that you know you can’t have? (OK,
let’s keep it clean, folks.)
I’ve been having a craving lately for a sandwich from Donut Land. Where’s Donut Land, you ask? In Mountain Home’s past; a mom-and-pop bakery that was located in the Ozark Plaza.
It was a nice little place with a diner counter and those red vinyl and chrome stools. Both the counter and the stools were lower than at your typical diner or soda fountain. Glass cases filled with bakery goodies lined the counter. There were doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, those cream-filled pastries, cookies and such.
What I really liked about Donut Land was the sandwiches. They made really, really good sandwiches with fresh-baked bread. Nothing fancy, just good. I loved their meat loaf sandwiches. It wasn’t like a cafe that had meat loaf left over from the previous day’s special so they made sandwiches. No, it was meat loaf made specifically for sandwiches.
I remember they used two slices of a pale yellow, buttery bread, a swipe of mayo and a thick piece of meatloaf. It was the kind that had the ketchup coating over the top of the meat; I think it was a ketchup and brown sugar mixture, like Mom made. If I recall correctly, I think it may have had a lettuce leaf, too. Mmmmm, talk about good.
It wasn’t a small sandwich, but neither was it so huge that you couldn’t finish it and had to save half for later. Their meat loaf sandwiches were just the right size. Have a bag of chips and coffee, or a soda, on the side, and you had a lunch that was not to be beat. If you were particularly hungry, you still had room for one of their delicious pastries.
Another favorite of mine was their egg salad. For some folks, egg salad is an acquired taste; after all, its chopped boiled eggs, mayo, relish, maybe a touch of mustard. But it’s good. Donut Land’s egg salad sandwiches used the same bread and piled on the egg salad. Sometimes a little of the salad would fall out of the sandwich onto the plate (or, in my case, the front of my shirt). It didn’t matter, though.
They had more sandwiches. Tuna salad and barbecue were popular, so was the BLT and grilled cheese. Even though doughnuts and baked goods were their primary products, Donut Land’s sandwiches brought in a regular lunch crowd to its counter.
As with so many businesses, time passed and eventually there was no one to take it over, so Donut Land closed its doors. While other local, mom-and-pop eateries have come along, I still miss their sandwiches. I’m not sure if anyone has meat loaf or egg salad sandwiches any more.
And does anyone remember the Cottage Cafe in a little green house out Highway 5 South? It was one of those places that had a daily, home-style blue plate special — smothered steak, pork roast, pot roast, chicken, meat loaf — with two or three vegetables and a roll, or cornbread. But when they ran out, that was it for the day. It didn’t matter if it was 2 in the afternoon, when so many local eateries close, or noon, when the food was gone, that was it. Regulars knew to get there early, and everyone from working stiffs to bankers and lawyers to retirees were regulars.
With all the fast-food corporate-owned food places these days, sometimes we forget about the little local spots. I know I’m guilty, although I try to go eat local for lunch or supper. I do like going by The Blackbird Cafe for their sandwiches, and there are local cafes that put out some good food (although I wish some of them stayed open for supper sometimes).
There’s nothing wrong with the fast-food places, I enjoy some of their offerings, but there’s just something different about local, independent cafes with their own unique looks and offerings. When I first arrived in Mountain Home, almost all of the eating spots were independent restaurants, drive-ins and bakeries. That was a long time ago, and things have changed.
Still, I could go for one more meat loaf sandwich from Donut Land. Or an egg salad sandwich, I’m not too picky. Alas, that’s one of those cravings that will just have to go unfulfilled.
I’ve been having a craving lately for a sandwich from Donut Land. Where’s Donut Land, you ask? In Mountain Home’s past; a mom-and-pop bakery that was located in the Ozark Plaza.
It was a nice little place with a diner counter and those red vinyl and chrome stools. Both the counter and the stools were lower than at your typical diner or soda fountain. Glass cases filled with bakery goodies lined the counter. There were doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, those cream-filled pastries, cookies and such.
What I really liked about Donut Land was the sandwiches. They made really, really good sandwiches with fresh-baked bread. Nothing fancy, just good. I loved their meat loaf sandwiches. It wasn’t like a cafe that had meat loaf left over from the previous day’s special so they made sandwiches. No, it was meat loaf made specifically for sandwiches.
I remember they used two slices of a pale yellow, buttery bread, a swipe of mayo and a thick piece of meatloaf. It was the kind that had the ketchup coating over the top of the meat; I think it was a ketchup and brown sugar mixture, like Mom made. If I recall correctly, I think it may have had a lettuce leaf, too. Mmmmm, talk about good.
It wasn’t a small sandwich, but neither was it so huge that you couldn’t finish it and had to save half for later. Their meat loaf sandwiches were just the right size. Have a bag of chips and coffee, or a soda, on the side, and you had a lunch that was not to be beat. If you were particularly hungry, you still had room for one of their delicious pastries.
Another favorite of mine was their egg salad. For some folks, egg salad is an acquired taste; after all, its chopped boiled eggs, mayo, relish, maybe a touch of mustard. But it’s good. Donut Land’s egg salad sandwiches used the same bread and piled on the egg salad. Sometimes a little of the salad would fall out of the sandwich onto the plate (or, in my case, the front of my shirt). It didn’t matter, though.
They had more sandwiches. Tuna salad and barbecue were popular, so was the BLT and grilled cheese. Even though doughnuts and baked goods were their primary products, Donut Land’s sandwiches brought in a regular lunch crowd to its counter.
As with so many businesses, time passed and eventually there was no one to take it over, so Donut Land closed its doors. While other local, mom-and-pop eateries have come along, I still miss their sandwiches. I’m not sure if anyone has meat loaf or egg salad sandwiches any more.
And does anyone remember the Cottage Cafe in a little green house out Highway 5 South? It was one of those places that had a daily, home-style blue plate special — smothered steak, pork roast, pot roast, chicken, meat loaf — with two or three vegetables and a roll, or cornbread. But when they ran out, that was it for the day. It didn’t matter if it was 2 in the afternoon, when so many local eateries close, or noon, when the food was gone, that was it. Regulars knew to get there early, and everyone from working stiffs to bankers and lawyers to retirees were regulars.
With all the fast-food corporate-owned food places these days, sometimes we forget about the little local spots. I know I’m guilty, although I try to go eat local for lunch or supper. I do like going by The Blackbird Cafe for their sandwiches, and there are local cafes that put out some good food (although I wish some of them stayed open for supper sometimes).
There’s nothing wrong with the fast-food places, I enjoy some of their offerings, but there’s just something different about local, independent cafes with their own unique looks and offerings. When I first arrived in Mountain Home, almost all of the eating spots were independent restaurants, drive-ins and bakeries. That was a long time ago, and things have changed.
Still, I could go for one more meat loaf sandwich from Donut Land. Or an egg salad sandwich, I’m not too picky. Alas, that’s one of those cravings that will just have to go unfulfilled.
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