a sure sign of spring

One of the unique features of our small town is that we still have walk-up/drive-up eateries that close for the winter. Kind of charming. So a sure sign of spring is when they begin to re-open for the season. Had lunch today from one of the faves -- West Pier Drive-In. They have excellent (and very large) burgers and great onion rings. I haven't been training to eat that much so only got the bacon cheese burger (which I always split with a special person). Later in the season, when we've worked up to it, we'll get a burger and onion rings.

Following the reasoning of the previous post, West Pier Drive-In makes the west pier a multi-purpose destination. Watch the boats approach the locks and get a nice burger. And across town there's Clyde's Drive-In. That's a real multipurpose destination for spring, summer and fall since it's at the Sugar Island Ferry Dock at Rotary Park. Watch the boats, eat at Clyde's, play at Rotary Park, go fishing, enjoy paddle sports in-between the islands.

Speaking of non-chain restaurants, our town has several food entrepreneurs. In fact, other than fast food, there's only one national chain of casual dining. The rest are locally owned, some of which buy local foods as available. For example, Clyde's and Frank's Place sell bison burgers from Circle K, a local bison operation. Go entrepreneurs!