Elmira Eats

I'd heard about the hamburgers and shakes at the Elmira Store for quite some time. Even bugged Bill several times about driving up there and sampling for ourselves. Elmira is about 18 miles north of Sandpoint on HWY 95. It's the place that has the neat old school house and smaller matching cottage on the hill to the left.

Elmira also gained some press for a realtor a couple of weeks ago, when the company decided to advertise the original townsite, off the highway to the east, for sale. The realtor has listed the 4.3 acre piece for a mere $675,000. The write-up sounded tantalizing. Nevertheless, I'd say from driving by it after dinner last night, the so-so plot of trees and dirt doesn't quite match the reputation for the yummy burgers and shakes to be found at the store less than a mile away.

After spending the afternoon fixing a cross fence on our current back-side beautification project, we cleaned up and headed out in the pickup for a drive and dinner. When Bill turned north on HWY 95, I had a feeling we'd be stopping at Elmira. My intuition was correct. Lots of cars were parked outside the store, and all but one table was full when we walked in. I spotted two former students working behind the counter, and we sat at a table across from another.

Keely Poss was there with her mother Bette. They live in Elmira and raise commercial trees. They've also dealt with their share of grief. Keely's brother Ryan died a few years ago from muscular dystrophy. Her dad, and Bette's soul mate Randy, died suddenly from a heart attack last year. Both women seem to be dealing well in spite of their losses.

We enjoyed visiting with them while Audra, the affable stand-in waitress gracefully danced around her co-workers dropping orders and running plates filled with deep-fried goodies to waiting patrons.

"If you're looking for anything healthy here, you're not gonna find it on the menu," Bette told us.

"Do we look like we're looking for health food?" I yelled back over the roaring fan and sizzling deep fryer. "We came for calories and cholesterol."

And that's precisely what we got. We enjoyed every swallow of our huge chocolate milkshakes, complete with frozen bits of ice cream. While waiting for my burger and Bill's fish and chips, we watched the action as Audra deftly juggled a dozen duties and kept a running commentary of self-deprecating one liners with virtually every customer in the restaurant.

It was truly amazing and heart-warming to learn later that she had agreed to take on the volunteer assignment while her dad treated the other waitresses to a fancy meal, he'd prepared himself, at the picnic tables outside.

"You gals don't get paid enough," he said as they thanked him for his thoughtfulness. It's easy to see a sense of community at the Elmira store---not only with this man's generous gesture honoring the hard-working waitresses but also with the banter that goes on among the patrons who flood in from the nooks and crannies surrounding this highway watering hole.

Besides that, the calory-filled and delicious cuisine we sampled last night from the Elmira Store's grill and deep fryer makes me wonder why we haven't driven out there more often.

Now, as far as spending our wad on the old townsite, I think I won't be bugging Bill about that idea.