The County Seat

"Well I was born in a small town

And I live in a small town

Prob'ly die in a small town

Oh, those small communities"

-John Cougar Mellencamp

Every time I come home, there is one stop I must make. Before I sit down at my own dinner table, I slide into the a cozy booth at the County Seat Restaurant. The small town diner might as well be home with its familiar wallpaper and the family of waitresses that know my name. There are no pretensions at "The Seat." People come as they are, stay as long as they please, and are guaranteed plenty of food and an endless river of coffee.

Small town pride is what the The County Seat is serving up every day. Pride in the simple things; a little lamentated menu, filled with familiar dishes, all served with speed and a smile. The name of the restaurant itself holds the history of the little town of Clarion which was the county seat of the neighboring counties. The menu gives an ode to Clarion's past with sandwiches titled "The Bailiff", and "The Sherif."

County Seat- n.

A town or city that is the administrative center of its county.

The seat is more than just a local favorite. It is a ritual for friends, and a good luck meal for local teams. During high school I would wake up an extra hour early just to share a game-day breakfast my volleyball team. The Seat boasts "The breakfast of Champions," whenever the local teams get a win, and even when they don't, the teams still find their favorite fuel at the seat. I'll never forget the one fall morning when 15 or so hungry volleyball girls piled into The Seat, arranging the tables to accommodate our rowdy team. Mountains of pancakes, dozens of eggs, and plates and plates of toast were devoured over laughter and excitement of the upcoming game. When we were finished and went up to pay our check, the waitress informed us that an elderly man had picked up our tab. The Seat's food is affordable, but when multiplied, the bill must have been over 50$. The man said he simply enjoyed having us at the restaurant in the morning, and that he wanted to treat us to breakfast. We never got the chance to thank the nice stranger, but his act of kindness was paid forward in our over 50$ tip.

Oh and another thing... No matter what time of day you go, you will see at least 5 people you know.

At The Seat it is acceptable to order a single M&M pancake, oatmeal with blueberry syrup and peanut butter along side a chicken salad loaded with fries and a homemade monster roll. Need I explain why I love this place? You can have your pancake and eat it too!

I have eaten all over the world, but the only food I really MADLY crave comes from the seat.

Namely:

The Chicken Sizzler Salad

There are no organic greens, no aged balsmaic mango-tango-herbacious dressing, or delicate filets of the freshest protein. Nope.

Chicken, lettuce, croutons, and "guts"- hard-boiled egg, green peppers, tomatoes, carrots. With full fat ranch dressing please.

But somehow.

It is,

PERFECTION.

Home, the spot of earth supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.
~Robert Montgomery