Anthony 's Cafe

Not long ago I did a post about customer service. I said it was a rare thing and I stand by that. When I listed places that provide it, however, I missed one spot. I kind of feel like a jerk about it, but hey. I'm fixing it now.
Maybe I missed Anthony's due to some subconscious need to set it apart from the other spots I've mentioned, it's pretty special to me.
I've known Kim and John the owner/operators of Anthony's for nearly 10 years. They know food. They know good food. They serve great food from scratch. This is food I've never worried would trip my food sensitivity switch and give me a migraine. Food I can count on.
Food I can count on is a special thing.
Anthony's is a special spot.
But I, admittedly am biased.
Anthony's was named after John and Kim's great nephew. Anthony died Jan 2011. He was 11.
I had known Anthony since he was about 4. He was born with Cerbral Palsey and spent his life in a wheelchair. He did not walk, he did not talk, he did not feed himself.
What he did do was affect the lives of those around him in profound ways. Ways that go all the way to the bone.
He was always excited to see me. He would yell and flail his little arms until I came over to his chair and gave him a kiss. Sometimes he would yell and stick his tongue out until I licked his face. Don't ask, it was an Anthony and Aunt Jen thing.
He thought it was an absolute riot when I showed up in a bathing suit one day to help his mother shower him. He laughed so long and so hard he ended up with shower water in his mouth.
His brother was his best friend. They would curl up together in his big bed and watch movies for hours.     He loved the Flintstones.
The day he died was the worst day of my life. The rest of that week wasn't any hell either.
But as with any horrible rotten no good very bad thing, we can learn lessons if we choose to. I learned what shapes family can take. I learned that I'm stronger than I ever thought I was, because I can still get up and get dressed and function if my heart is shredded. I leaned some things matter but many more do not. Not really.
I've learned that the grief and confusion of a child who lost his best friend is the most horrible thing on earth.

I'm not sure how I started writing about good food and ended up writing about a little boy who was lost too early except to say they're tied together for me. Kim and John named their cafe Anthony's to honour the memory of a little guy whom they loved and love still. They pour that same attention into feeding people. If you go to Anthony's, and I think you should, get the hamburger. And say hello to Anthony.