Geraldine’s Counter

The Caesar salad is good but very garlicky, so beware. Also, they’ve added fish and chips which makes me very happy, and soups that are vegetarian, and, really, they have the best mac ’n cheese in town, a big plus with the kids.

The absolute best place to tuck away with a cup of chammomile tea on a rainy day. The staff is incredible, the tables always have a little bouquet of fresh daisies waiting for you, and there is no substitute for their mac and cheese.

I visited a friend south of Columbia City on Saturday and he finally took me to Geraldine’s Counter — which has been on my list for a while. A great local restaurant that has all the makings of a longterm neighborhood hang. The food was spectacular. Upscale diner/comfort food. Geraldine’s is run by Stacy and Gary, who also own and run El Greco. The food is similar, but not the same.

One nut I can’t crack is why more people don’t go to El Greco. I think it’s by far one of the best restaurants on Broadway. It’s consistent, well decorated and maintained, great staff, excellent food … but people don’t frequent it. 12 out of 12 people think it’s “worth visiting”. I think it may be Broadway that is the issue here — there’s something about the mixture of store and restaurants that hasn’t grabbed hold.

The good news is that Geraldine’s is thriving and hopefully we’ll all remember to go to El Greco as it always delivers in the most delicious way.

Finally made it to Geraldine’s for breakfast on Saturday. It was really busy at 8:30 but worth waiting for a table. The kids devoured their French toast and pancakes. I had the Havarti and herbs scramble with hash browns and toast. Pretty good coffee. Lots of neighborhood folks, many with kids. Fun place.

Geraldine’s has great service and food geared for breakfast. The sandwiches are made on bread from the bakery across the street and the food is fresh. Figure on $10/person tab. Service is WOWing.