Dinnertime: a descriptive essay

Breakfast at AJ's

It has become a weekly tradition, a chance to gather our family right before church. AJ's is one of those places we assume will be around forever.

We pile in through the door and we're first hit by the smell of strong coffee. AJ's is bustling with cash register noises, orders screamed to the kitchen, and the clattering of knives and forks.

It is still early, and we are lucky to find a booth. My family scoots into position. Michael, my fiance, sits next to me. The girls, Dawn and Carolyn, sit across from us. Carolyn is seven, and is predictably complaining that there is not enough room for her doll "Jillian." She thinks the doll is real, so out of respect I ask what she is ordering for breakfast.

The waitress walks past us and is skillfully balancing three plates down her left arm to her hand. Managing a coffee pot and two more plates, they all pass by us at nose-level. At least two of us let an "oooooh" escape, as we compare visual samples with the menu.

Carolyn orders hot chocolate for Jillian, and fruit pancakes for herself. They give her a side of fresh raspberries and I can't resist sampling a bite. I don't know where they found these, but the berries are tart, sweet, and perfect. Tangy and juicy, these berries are delectable with the light pancakes and warm, sticky syrup. Her side of bacon is a wonderful balance of sweet, smoky meat, half-crunchy and half-tender.

Dawn has very thoughtfully ordered eggs benedict. They arrive without an inch of white space left on her plate. I tell her "you know you have to share all of that, right?" She looks sad and pouts a little, until I tell her I am kidding. The waitress asks if she wants ketchup for her eggs, and all Dawn can do is make a face. "Why mess with perfection," she says. Ready to dig in, she has to use a knife to cut through the layers of hollandaise, poached egg, sweet Canadian bacon, until she hits the crunch of the warm toasted English muffin.

Michael has ordered a kitchen sink omelet. It literally has everything they can find to put in it. He offers me a bite and cuts a section that is guaranteed to have all flavors in it. Does he know how much I love his thoughtfulness? The egg is light and brown, mixed with juicy sweet onions, bell peppers, sausage with sage, and earthy fresh mushrooms. Sharp cheddar is melted through this omelet, which is a taste of heaven.

I woke up starving, and ordered biscuits and gravy with ham and hash browns. The biscuits are fresh from the oven and steaming through the gravy, which is delightfully seasoned with bits of sausage. My hash browns are brown and crispy, just the way I like. My fork makes them jump to the side as I crunch through them to cut a bite. The dish was made perfect with a slice of juicy honey-baked ham and bits of sweet pineapple to the side. I wash this bite down with fresh orange juice. I had forgotten how amazing they taste together.