Grange Serves Pancakes, Smiles

Something about “All you can eat” sounds good on a Sunday morning.

And when you know farm women will be doing the cooking, it seems perfectly reasonable to find yourself out in the Spokane Valley at 7:30 a.m., at the Central Grange, for the public-invited Pancake Breakfast.

“How’re you doing,” said the friendly old guy taking money with a hand that seemed big as an outfielder’s mitt. “Sit wherever you’d like. Want some coffee?”

Four rows of tables covered with red and white plastic tablecloths beckoned. And though the five-hour feed was just beginning and the cooks were still getting organized, the inside of the white hall smelled like serious breakfast.

Not brunch. Not a snack. Not something from a blender. Breakfast.

Ham or sausage, eggs any style, hash browns, coffee, milk, juice and all the pancakes you wanted for $3.

Fliers declared that proceeds would go to “Victims of violent crimes.”

But the conversations Sunday morning focused on other subjects: rain, the need to go feed the horses, Bob’s wife’s arthritis, the Sacramento airport, the new Peter Falk movie, the mess made by nitwits who appeared to have hurled numerous newspapers out of a car window all along Bigelow Gulch Road, and a granddaughter’s upcoming wedding.

In the kitchen, open to the dining area, eggs crackled on the grill. There was relaxed laughter. And the desire to provide generous portions was weighed against each plate’s loadbearing capacity. “Connie, remember,” said a woman in an apron, “we have to leave room for the pancakes.”

Most of the early arrivals were familiar faces to the women in the kitchen and the casually dressed men sitting at the tables eating pancakes. Greetings were exchanged in that shared-reference shorthand.

“Missed you yesterday.”

Still, there were no funny looks for strangers. Just a question: “Ready for some more?”

It’s probably crazy for a city person to go looking for a perfect “Prairie Home Companion” rural experience and think it can be had for $3. Real life isn’t that scripted.

But if you see a sign for a Grange hall breakfast, you might want to pull over. The pancakes are excellent.

“Thanks for coming,” said the guy by the money box. “Come on back. We’ll be glad to see you.”