Britling Cafeteria seems to come up a lot in my "Ask Vance" columns. Of course, since I'm the fellow writing those columns (it's true, I tell you!) I guess I have something to do with that. And just a month ago I posted an old photo of the Britling on Union Avenue.
But readers keep that topic (and memories of the restaurant) alive, too, by sending me things from time to time. In this case, my pal Woody Savage has turned up a really interesting menu from Britling (shown here, front and back).
Now I know you can read, or you wouldn't be reading this, but I just want to point out a few things that really caught my attention. First of all, I admire the invitation to "Meet me at the Britling for lunch." (Did you notice: the Britling.) And why go there? Well, "Their lounge is such a convenient place to eat and the food is always marvelous."
And my goodness, look at the prices: chicken patties are only 12 cents, a cottage fried steak is 14 cents, and a dessert of Boston cream pie is only a nickel. Why, even the Lauderdales might have ventured out more for lunch and dinner with prices like that.
The back of this daily menu (I assumed you noticed that the front was introducing selections available the next day) told me a few things I didn't know. I knew that the chain was started by a fellow named Johnson (not Britling) and I knew that he opened other restaurants in other cities. But I did not know they he ventured as far west as Oklahoma, and as far north as Cleveland. What's more, I didn't know (until now) that the restaurants in those places were called Blue Boar Cafeterias.
I wonder where he came up with that name. Paul Bunyan had a giant blue ox, but a ... boar?
Finally, I like the polite admonition about tipping: "Please Do Not Tip Our Employees. You Are Our Guest."
Just the place for the Lauderdales!
