Published: October 14, 2008 10:29 pm         

Flying high

Airport restaurant does brisk lunch business, catering

You don’t have to be planning to board a plane in order to enjoy a good meal at the Raleigh County Memorial Airport restaurant.

Manager Beth Brewster, dessert specialist Traci Williams and server Drema McBride will be on hand to provide just about everything your appetite desires.

Whether it’s meatloaf, made with more meat than filler, real mashed potatoes smothered in gravy, green beans and a roll or a fajita, hot dog or hamburger, meals start with fresh ingredients prepared by cooks who know their stuff.

“I taught myself to cook,” Brewster said. “I was 15 when I got married, and I tried to act like I knew what I was doing. I burned a lot of food back then.”

Four sons and years of experience later, Brewster will tackle anything from homemade buttermilk biscuits to yeast rolls.

Williams applies her expertise to the blackberry cobbler served daily or her own unique recipe for strawberry shortcake.

“I love coming to work. We all get along so well, and it’s a nice place to work. I love to make desserts, and it’s nice to be able to do what you like to do,” she said.

McBride enjoys meeting people who are either stopping in between flights or regulars from the nearby industrial park.

“It’s interesting to talk to people who are traveling, but it’s also nice to get to know people who stop in all the time,” she said.

Ironically, many people still don’t know the restaurant is open to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The restaurant can be rented for parties, receptions, reunions or meetings. The restaurant staff can cater the food for the event, if the client wishes them to do so.

Tom Cochran, airport manager, said his desire has always been to provide good food at reasonable prices. Many of the items on the diverse menu are under $5.

Among the top favorites are pinto beans and homemade cornbread, available daily, chili or soup, spaghetti, baby back ribs, corned beef and cabbage, salmon patties and a variety of seasonal favorites such as the fried green tomato sandwich.

“We use four slices of tomatoes, two slices of cheese and bacon,” Brewster said. “The sandwich is so high I can’t cut it.”

There are also daily specials.

Folks can call ahead, and their meal will be ready to eat on site or as a take-out, Brewster said.

“We know people only have a limited amount of time for lunch, so we try to get their food to them quickly,” Brewster said.

Lora Clemens, office manager, said diners often comment about the great view of the runways and the comfortable cafe-type atmosphere.

“The restaurant is big enough to seat 60 people downstairs comfortably, but it’s small enough to have that family-type dining feel to it,” Clemens said.

For diners who fill up so fast on entrees and side dishes, there are baskets of homemade brownies or fudge for later.

“Some people don’t have room for dessert, so we have these they can buy and take with them,” Clemens said.

Here are two of the recipes that seem to be the best crowd pleasers.

Meatloaf

Strawberry shortcake