Waffle & Steak

So, the concept of the fine breakfast restaurants was being discussed today during my plan bell (becuase it's at the end of the day and I'm rarely in the mood to accomplish things). And eventually we reached the age-old question of what's the distinction between the Waffle & Steak and Waffle House.

As a person who grew up in Southern Indiana, this was truly a connundrum for me. I would drive around and see the Waffle & Steak restaurants along the roadside as well as the mecca that is and was Waffle House and not be able to tell the difference by anything other than signage. What, then, was the difference?

In truth, I never knew until just today when I saw the wikipedia article explaining that "In Indiana the chain is known as Waffle & Steak due to another chain owning the rights to the name Waffle House in that state." Apparently, for no one other than Indiana folks was this a pressing quandry. No wonder then that when I mentioned the Waffle & Steak, my student helpers didn't understand the distinction or the mystery. To me, however, this was one of the long-unanswered questions. Chicken or egg? Ginger or Mary Ann? Over easy or sunny side up? Waffle & Steak or Waffle House?

To me there truly is no other late-night alternative - particularly after about ten o'clock. The IHOP stinks now. Perkins and Denny's are pretty much the same thing. The Huddle House greeting just scares me. Bob Evans is too kountry (with a K, of course).

Clearly, the Waffle House is king of them all. Admittedly, however, not every Waffle House is up to snuff. Some are older, dingier, a little dirtier perhaps, while others are nice and new.

Either way, though, I'm a scattered, covered, peppered man myself.