Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Remember the Old Lunch Counter

John Joshiah Newberry opened his first five-and-dime store in 1911. From the 1930’s to the 1960’s, the Newberry chain was among America’s retail powerhouses. Many of us older Corbinites have fond memories of shopping at the one on Main Street in Corbin, wandering the aisles in search of a spool of thread, festive Christmas decorations, a goldfish or parakeet, a handful of hot roasted cashews, or a bottle of Evening in Paris perfume.
And then there was the long lunch counter where busy shoppers, store clerks and owners, and hungry customers paused to have a coke or a meal or a grilled cheese sandwich. Or a friendly chat with the girls behind the counter. Seeing them day to day, every day, we felt our customers were like one big family
It was the busiest place in the store. I was one of five or six girls who were stationed behind the lunch counter and I enjoyed being a part of the group immensely. Our customers were a microcosm of the town, we knew them all by their first names, and came to know their private secrets, peculiarities, and idiosyncrasies. It was a course in Psychology 101.
There was the man who was manager of a department store a few doors up the street we could set our clocks by. At ten o’clock every morning he would seat himself on the same stool, newspaper in hand, and order a cup of coffee, always adding “make sure it’s piping hot.” Then he would add several ice cubes to the coffee to cool it down.
Every day we had the same argument with the lady who ran the beauty shop next door. She tried to convince us that frying her eggs well done would lessen the risk of “hardening of the arteries.” We tried our best to tell her she was wrong, but her mind was set in stone and we got nowhere with our argument to the contrary.
Each of us girls behind the counter were assigned certain stations during the crowded lunch hour; one serving drinks, one washing dishes, one dishing up salads and filling in when someone got behind, and one filling the plates which usually consisted of one meat and two vegetables, 35 cents, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas.
Many times, it was my good fortune (?) to wait on the same lady who, always, as soon as she gave me her order, told me she couldn’t eat kraut, cole slaw, or cabbage. “I’ve got this ulcerated stomach I have to watch out for,” she would say for the sake of all within hearing distance, assuming they could care one way or the other.
After hearing this week after week, I came to the conclusion that cabbage didn’t agree with her. Along with becoming an expert on ulcerated stomachs.
When things settled down after a busy lunch hour, we could relax and take things a little easier. The fountain was a busy place just before the opening of the Hippodrome Theater across the street, where folks usually waited for the theater to open, spending time catching up on the news of the town, who was sick, had anybody met the new preacher and what was he like, the latest marriage…or divorce. If you wanted to hear the latest, you could hear it at Newberry’s fountain.
I loved working at Newberry’s. Those years are among my happiest memories, especially the people I was privileged to serve across the counter. They taught me a lot about human nature, some of it weird, some of it funny, but mostly how fascinating people can be. And they still are. All you need to do is look around you.

German Style Ham & Cabbage Casserole

3 cups diced ham OR 14 ounce package Tofurkey Beer Brats
12 ounce package whole grain egg noodles
1/2 head cabbage, chopped well
1 cup sauerkraut
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
5 slices Swiss cheese, broken into squares

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 inch casserole or other similar sized dish. Cook noodles according to package directions in salted water. Strain out water and dress with a small amount of oil to keep noodles from sticking together.
Meanwhile, chop the ham in a food processor until it looks like hamburger. Or cook the Tofurkey Brats in the Microwave for 1 minute. Break into pieces into a food processor and pulse until it looks like hamburger. If you don’t have a food processor just chop up either option very well.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until foam subsides. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in milk, salt, pepper and caraway seeds. Stir frequently until the sauce thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Mix the meat or meat substitute, cabbage, sauerkraut and sauce in with the noodles. Pour mixture into the casserole dish. Top with squares of Swiss. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.