Today I went to TJ Elliott's for a business lunch. I arrived first, a bit before noon, to a quiet restaurant and was quickly seated by a friendly woman who could have been my mother. As if she had seated me in her living room, she offered to get me a drink since it was at least 100 humid degrees outside. I glanced out the big front windows and saw that my business associate had not yet arrived. I glanced at the menu.

The main menu was a tri-folded binder with menu items listed on 5 pages. So I appreciated the speedier lunch specials laminated sheet that was separate from the menu. When I'm in a rush, I don't want to have to study through an extensive menu. The lunch menu even had a Healthier Fare section. Right away the Bare Burger caught my eye. I was hungry and the description made my stomach growl.

The air conditioning and lemony iced tea refreshed me after driving the the scorching August heat. I took a moment to scan the dining room. The unclothed tables were neatly awaiting their first guests. There were three men at the bar, laughing and chatting amiably with the pretty young barmaid. The tv was tuned to sports updates. The bar area was decorated with sports memorabilia, but not in an overpowering way. The long wall in the dining room had framed black and white photos of local sights and what I'm assuming are family photos. I would like to take a moment and look at them all, but my lunch date had arrived.