EVERETT – My bowling ball is a turquoise-grape swirl from K-Mart. My white bowling shoes sport turquoise laces shot with silver. I bought them when my bowling score broke 100.
Back when Mamie Eisenhower was first lady, bowling alleys had restaurants that served what I call “honest food”: meatloaf, fried pork chops with mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese.
Then, somewhere along the way, the bowling alleys I infrequently visited switched to “nachos” – stale chips slathered with semi-liquid processed cheese – and reheated frozen pizza coated with grease pools from sitting under the heat lamps.
My friend said his group of buddies used to frequent the restaurant attached to a bowling alley near Paine Field, but it became too smoke-filled for them. With the smoking ban in force since December 2005, I suggested we see what the restaurant was like now.
When we arrived at the restaurant inside Glacier Lanes, we spotted almost two dozen of my friend’s pilot buddies enjoying a meal before their Saturday morning fly-out. That answered our question about the smoke. But how was the food, after all these years?
A server cleaning one of the booths in the main dining room told us we could order anything from the menu at any time, and led us to a booth in the rear dining area. This dining room resembles an A-frame ski cabin with its spacious windows and diagonal wood paneling. We enjoyed the early fall sunshine beaming into the room.
My friend’s buddies were enjoying an early lunch and we decided on a late breakfast. The menu doesn’t include meatloaf or pork chops, but there’s an extensive selection of eggs and pancakes, burgers and sandwiches, plus fish and chips or a grilled chicken breast.
I decided to have the Bowler’s Breakfast French toast ($5.75) and my breakfast buddy ordered the Bowler’s Breakfast Pancakes ($5.50). My order came with two slices of whole wheat toast laced with cinnamon and grilled to a golden brown. I asked for my eggs scrambled because scrambled eggs get tough if they’re overcooked, and so are a good test of the cook’s skill. Mine weren’t tough.
My friend made two substitutions to his order. He added blueberries ($1.95) and a second egg ($1.10) and our server never muttered a discouraging word about additional charges. His pancakes were filled with large Oregon blueberries, his eggs were cooked to his specifications, and he described his sausage links as “just perfect.”
It’s estimated there are about 40 million bowlers in the U.S. Fortunately, you don’t have to bowl to enjoy the food at Glacier Lanes.
Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.
Contact Anna Poole at features@heraldnet.com.
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