Plates and Palates

So I was eating a Plates and Palates today....again.  This is my neighborhood salad joint where like Norm in "Cheers" everyone knows my name. Well not everyone, but I go there often enough that the owners, Justin and Jared and some of the regular employees do.
I love this salad joint because well I love salads.  I don't make salads for myself at home though. I will put together a delicious turkey avocado sandwich, tuna and pickle or PB and J on white bread.  I will make veggie soup, or cauliflower cheese, or a turkey chile at the drop of a bean, but salad with all of the good stuff is not in my wheelhouse. So I love Plates and Palates to get my salad fix.
I know it's a good salad if I need a good flossing session at the end.  Pear and Pecan or a Waldorf with all  of the sugared nuts, seeds, fruit with multiple lettuces and sweet lemon or  poppy seed dressings are a success if I have stuff stuck in my aging teeth.
I could go to Plates every week-- a couple of times, and in fact some months I do just that. It's close and it's delicious, plus I get a crusty roll with real butter with each of my salad lunches too.

I've celebrated numerous girl friend birthdays here, and some family birthdays as well.  When I lunch with my sisters it's always at Plates and Palates. The two years that dad was here without mom, we wold take him to P and P for lunch-- no stairs and easy access from car to door to table.   I've cried there and been the shoulder to cry on.  I've laughed with and buoyed friends up there.  It was where I first said to groups of people, My son is gay. My mom has cancer.  My child is rebelling. My sister is dying.  Some weeks having a P and P lunch date on my calendar is my one bright spot.

Almost every time I go there, there is some customer I know and can greet.   Last week I ran into my cousin's son who was visiting from South Carolina...what are the chances?  It was crazy, and as I'm oohing and ahing over him, my sweet relief society president and older VT person were at the table next to us.

When Plates first opened it was a few tables for food and half of the space was taken up with kitchen utensils and baking paraphernalia for sale.  I also thought it might be an exercise studio and kept calling it "plates and pilates."  I soon learned the error of my ways.  I'm glad they got rid of the retail part and just focused on what they do best- soups, salads, sandwiches and a place where everyone knows your name.
P and P is really the best.