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Dining Divas: Lucas Park Grille Proves to be Comfortable Breakfast Stop
Downtown Hot Spot Proves to be Comfortable Breakfast Stop for Divas
By Lisa Kampeter
Sundays can be lazy, especially in the winter. Lying by the fire while watching quality reality television (yes, that does include football and any “Real Housewives”) makes for the perfect afternoon. So when the Dining Divas made their annual Sunday brunch outing, we made sure the setting was relaxing.
We picked Lucas Park Grille in downtown. Hesitantly, the Boring Diva agreed to the spot as flashbacks from years ago haunted her. Lucas Park turns into a weekend hot spot and place for many twentysomethings to throw back several drinks. The calm, relaxing atmosphere she hoped for didn’t seem possible as she could only recall an overly-crowded thump-thumping environment that she gave up years ago. But Lucas Park Grille surprised us.
We lounged. Okay, maybe we didn’t lounge, but we could have as there were several couches and cushiony chairs. And we did get comfortable at our table that was right in front of a fireplace.
We enjoyed quality reality television. Okay, maybe we didn’t watch television although there were TV monitors showing football throughout the restaurant. But we did talk about our own quality reality, and that’s just as dramatic as any “Real Housewives.” We enjoyed ourselves.
The newest Grandma Diva proudly displayed photos of their addition to the family. We debated over the pronunciation of her grandson’s name. Whatever happened to Tom, Bob, or Matt? You never had to debate their pronunciations.
We shared New Year’s Eve stories, and we’re shocked to hear the Ornery Diva behaved herself all night. For the first time in years, she woke up on New Year’s Day without a hangover. She must have been ill.
We laughed about the Scheduled Diva’s trek to the Lake over New Year’s weekend. Unbeknownst to many, this Diva always has an itinerary in her head. Those closest to her realize that when things get off schedule, it throws her off.
On the drive to the Lake, there was an unplanned delay that normally would have destroyed her excited mood. Not to mention the fact that the “scheduled” departure time of 10 a.m. was delayed for an hour. But something actually changed inside her when the vehicle she was riding in decided it wasn’t up for a trip to the Lake. Rather than letting the situation get her down or getting angry at the driver (what could he have done, except for possibly not ignore the “check engine soon” light for the past month), she took the opportunity to relax.
There, with the car broken down sitting on the side of the road, she got comfortable and pulled out a book to read as the sun’s rays kept her warm and made her forget that it was freezing outside. Even better, she was able to forget about that stupid schedule in her head. Here’s to the new Spontaneous Diva!
Lucas Park Grille doesn’t serve a typical brunch, and many of us were excited about that. No temptations to overindulge at a buffet. No overspending on food we don’t really want or like. Just breakfast.
The LPG Country Style breakfast, named for “Lucas Park Grille”, was fondly ordered as the LPGA breakfast for the Golfing Divas. It’s your standard eggs, bacon or sausage, and hash browns. But they didn’t just serve bacon. They served Applewood bacon…which it our world means delicious bacon.
First time around, the Risky Diva didn’t appreciate the sausage that came with her meal. It was raw. But, hey, that happens. The kitchen staff was probably catching up on some quality reality television and not paying attention. Her second serving of sausage was much better.
The Greek Diva enjoyed an extremely light and flaky bacon, eggs, and cheese croissant. The Guest Diva was the envy of the group as she tried out the frittata of the day which included eggs, turkey, spinach, and mushrooms. We wished someone had ordered the buttermilk pancakes as our neighboring loungers had. We weren’t quite comfortable enough to ask for a bite.
Thankfully, the restaurant wasn’t crowded, and we weren’t in a hurry because it did take a lengthy amount of time to get our breakfasts. Then again, there was a photo shoot going on in the restaurant. Perhaps the kitchen staff had dual responsibilities that day. Cook and model. Probably not. More than likely they were enjoying some “Real Housewives.”
