Essay 1- Food Narrative Tim howard, Chicken Fingers and Turnip Greens

We all have certain foods at certain restaurants that we just have to get. But you don’t go there just any time. You go to this place for those s special occasions like on your birthday or your parent’s anniversary. That place to me is a place called Top of the River. Top of the River always serves great food and you always leave with some more to take home with you. The one thing though that Top of the River is most famous for are there mouth watering delicious turnip greens.
I remember the very first time I went to Top of the River. I was about five years old and we went to go visit my grandparents who lived near Top of the River. It was always a very long drive to get to my grandparents house so we would normally leave about midday so that we could get there before the crowd of people who came on a regular basis got there. It was my grandmother’s birthday and I could not wait to give her the gift I had made her. My Grandmothers birthday was in November and so I had drawn a hand turkey and at the top I wrote Happy Birthday. When I meant I wrote I meant my parents but it was the best I could do for her and I wanted her to like my gift to her.
As we traveled up to my grandparent’s house I did like any other kid would do to there parent’s. “Are we there yet?” I would say and of course there reply was “No, not yet!” I could not wait to give my Grandmother my gift to her and I wanted to know that she liked it because I had worked so hard on it in my preschool class the day before. Finally we got to my grandparents house and there as always stood my grandfather at the door. I ran to him and he gave me a great big hug. Always after my grandfather there was my grandmother right behind him. She always had a smile on her face and she loved me to death. She would always give me hugs and kisses and always said how tall I had grown since she had last seen me even though it would had only been two to three weeks since I had last seen her.
After my parent’s and grandparent’s would talk for a little while and play cards we would finally head to the best country style eating place, Top of the River. Whenever we got there I was amazed at how big it was and that it was right by the lake. It had at the time a look of a steamboat that was on the river, but in reality it was just a building on the river. Nevertheless, I always thought I was going into this gigantic steamboat when I was little. Once we went inside there were pictures all over the wall of many different boats on the river and many other amazing pictures. While we waited to be seated I would look at these pictures. Many of them were pictures of men who had great large fish. I always wanted to go outside and see if I could catch one the size of those fish.
That night we gone we had gotten there later than usual, so my Grandfather, Dad, and I went to the back of the building to go and feed the fish. We went through the eating area and went to the door were they had a dock that went by the water. As my Dad went to get the food for the fish I looked down at the water waiting to see the fish pop up and grab the food that other people were throwing into the water. Finally my Dad came and gave me some fish food and he said “Just throw it into the water and they come and get the food.” So I did as he said and not even five seconds later this humungous brown colored fish jumped out of the water to get it. It was the most fun I had with my Grandfather and Dad.
We then heard our names called over the intercom outside and we came into eat with my Mother and Grandmother. They put us in this wooden booth that could hold three on each side. I went and sat with my parents across from my Grandparent’s. The waiter finally came and we ordered our food. When asked what I wanted I told them “I don’t want the fish cause I saw what they have had to eat” referring to the fish outside. My family all started laughing and finally my mother said “Honey, those are not the fish that they cook.” Still being stubborn I decided just too get the chicken fingers instead. Chicken fingers have always been one of my favorite foods to eat so I thought this can’t go wrong. My Grandmother also asked for turnip greens. I asked my grandmother “what is that?” She said “It’s a green vegetable that very good for you Tim. You should try it.” I had never heard of this thing she called turnip greens, but because it was her birthday I said “I want some also.”
Awhile later, are food had finally came out and there they were, turnip greens. I looked at my grandmother and said “That’s turnip greens?” My Grandmother said “Yes Tim, try it! It’s a lot better than it looks.” I looked at the turnip greens. They were very mushy, green, and had a very strong smell. I said to myself how could anything that gross looking be good? If it wasn’t for my Grandmother though I would not have tried one of my favorite vegetables that I have ever ate to this day. I told her that it was amazing and she just nodded at me. My Grandmother knew that I would like turnip greens she just had to find the place and time to get me to eat it.
After the meal was over all the waiters’ came and sang happy birthday to my grandmother. They also brought her out a slice of white cake. At this point I was ready to give her my gift. I had been waiting all night for this moment to show my Grandmother all the hard work I had done making her card for her. My Mother said to her, “Tim has a gift for you. Go ahead Tim give her you gift. I walked over to the other side of the booth to sit by my Grandmother to give her my gift. She read and it and had a look on her face. I asked her “Do you like it?” She started smiling “Tim and don’t only like it, I love it.”
After she ate her cake and my parents and Grandparents payed for the food they had bought, we all went our separate ways and said goodbye. It would not be long after until my Grandmother would find out she had Lou Gehrig’s disease. That night we went out to eat at the Top of the River was one of the last times I got to hear my Grandmother speak. It was not but a couple of years later until she had died from the disease. My Grandmother was a very inspirational person in my life because even though she had the disease and she could not talk I always remember her smiling when I was around her. That is why every time I go to the Top of the River it a special time to remember her. It is to remember how she was so important to me in my life and until this day when the waiter ask me what I want to order I tell him “Chicken fingers and turnip greens.”