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It's so out of character, but I went about my daily tasks and completely forgot to eat. By
10 a.m., I was ravished. I happened to be in the southern end of the county, so I stopped at Mason Dixon Family Restaurant in the Market Square Shopping Center off of Main Street in Shrewsbury.
I went in and sat myself at a booth near the window. The waitress dropped off a menu and asked if I wanted coffee. She read my mind.
I had the appetite for lunch, but they were still serving breakfast. I browsed the menu and contemplated the feta and tomato omelet or the pancakes and eggs. I finally settled on the No. 6 - a Western omelet with home fries, toast and coffee ($5.95).
As I waited for the food, I read the vintage-like signs nearly covering the walls that advertised
The omelet was the size of a reporter's notebook with layers like pages. There must have been three or four layers and each included ham, onion and green pepper.
Two pieces of toast flanked the omelet, as well as a dose of home fries. My earlier starvation was satiated within five hearty bites, but I ate about 15 total. I picked out my favorite - the crisp pieces of home fries - but finally could eat no more.
Completely stuffed, there was enough left on my plate for another meal. I felt wasteful, but eggs aren't as good the second time around. I drank a little more coffee, finished my glass of water, left a $2 tip on the table and went to the front counter to pay my $6.10 bill.
Later that week, I called the restaurant and talked to co-owner Gus Georgakopoulos. He said the restaurant has been there for years and people have come to enjoy the menu's variety and the great service.
“It would be impossible not to find something on the menu you like,” he said.
He owns and operates the restaurant with his cousin, Nick Georgakopoulos. We got to talking about the meals, and he faxed me a sample of their dinner specials.
It was torture. I sat at my desk and I skimmed the Jack Daniel's filet mignon with three fried shrimp and two vegetables for $17.25 or the stuffed portobello mushroom imperial with two vegetables for $12.95. I immediately wanted dinner.
The featured desserts were pumpkin cheesecake, crème brulée cheesecake, pumpkin pie and coconut cake. To top it all off, they make fresh soups and bread daily.
My breakfast experience was simple dining at its finest. I enjoyed a quick, large meal for a reasonable price. I would have to go back at least 100 times to try it all. Hey, that's an idea.
Cheap Eats is a biweekly column on local restaurants' meals under $10. Suggestions are welcome. Reach Nicki Lefever at 771-2101 or nlefever@ydr.com.
Mason Dixon Family Restaurant
LOCATION: 3 Old Farm Lane, Shrewsbury
CUISINE: Family restaurant with everything from steak and seafood to Italian and Greek
NICKI'S PICK: (No. 6) Western omelet with home fries, toast and coffee ($5.95)
PARKING: Ample available in the lot
HOURS: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to
8 p.m. Sunday
PRICE RANGE: Breakfast meals range from $3.25 to $10.95; lunch averages about $6.50 and dinners cost about $5.95 to $18.95
SMOKING: Smoking and nonsmoking sections
ACCEPTS: Cash and major credit cards
TAKEOUT: Available
KID'S MENU: Menu varies from macaroni and cheese bites to personal pan pizza or chicken fingers, and cost is $3.95 to $5.50
DETAILS: 235-6471
