This is my last night on the West Coast before hitting the highway for the next four days. My friend Rachael’s wedding went off without a hitch — literally, as she and her husband forgot to have the predetermined witnesses sign her marriage certificate — but it required a lot of legwork on the part of her out-of-town friends to get the ceremony and the reception together. The days before the marriage consisted of a never-ending string of necessary errands that had somehow gone unperformed — like getting a wedding cake and pastries for the at-home reception, cleaning and decorating and ordering a bridal bouquet. Little things like that. Rachael has never really been much for planning. Needless to say, by the time everyone was enjoying their petit fours and toasting the bride and groom with Veuve Cliquot, I was passed out in a spare bedroom, exhausted.
Though it was an honor and a pleasure to see my friend so happy on her wedding day, the whole ordeal was extremely draining. I found myself wishing for a vacation from my vacation. I was missing the comforts of home and, more specifically, the comfort foods. Thus, after returning home, unpacking, and settling in, I’ll be making the 45-minute trip to Marcus Dairy Bar in Danbury, Conn., as a reward for a job well done.
Marcus Dairy is visible from the short I-84 exit 3 overpass that heads toward the Danbury Fair Mall. When I was in high school, my mother would take us there on our annual back-to-school shopping trip because of the expanded selection of stores and the fact that the great state of Connecticut had no tax on clothes. They now tax to the tune of 6 percent; however, they also have a Sephora. Trade-offs. Regardless of the nearby shopping perks, Marcus Dairy is a worthwhile destination unto itself, $3-a-gallon gas notwithstanding.
Like Pete’s Hot Dogs in Newburgh, Marcus Dairy Bar remains an ageless oasis in a desert of bigger, louder and faster. Inside, it is decorated in all shades of brown. Stools and booths line two connected U-shaped bars, forming lanes for waitresses to walk alongside tables without ever emerging from behind the counter. Rolling silver stacks of trays hold piles of Wonder bread and Thomas’ English muffins; fresh creamy Stewart’s root beer flows freely from an old-fashioned dispenser. BLTs appear in minutes from line cooks hidden behind boards boasting specials of the day. You can watch as waitresses lovingly ladle hot chocolate onto perfectly constructed sundaes. It embodies every kind connotation of “cafeteria.” It is familiar, friendly and fast — but unhurried. It is authentic all-American food presented in an atmosphere devoid of gimmickry. (You won’t find any glitzy jukeboxes playing hits of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, for instance, and the company is so old-school that you can actually arrange to have someone bring milk and other goodies directly to your domicile.)
Lactose intolerant? Stop reading now
First things first: You can never go wrong with anything that has milk, cheese, butter, sour cream, whipped cream or ice cream in it. Marcus is a fully functional dairy that ships its products all over the Northeast; their dairy’s bounty is the key ingredients that raise the Dairy Bar fare from commonplace to transcendental. Chili with bread and butter (cup $2.95/ bowl $4.75) is my favorite starter due to the equal success of both components. The chili, with ground beef and beans, is almost thick enough to stand a spoon in and greasy in a good way; the whipped creamy butter is spread thick on plain white Wonder bread, and you can feel it lingering on the roof of your mouth while you chew. Its decadence reminds me of childhood, when I didn’t have to worry about fat, cholesterol or maintaining my girlish figure.
Due to the fact that I don’t eat like this often, I have no qualms with following up a cup of chili with a 5 oz. Deluxe Super Cheeseburger ($6.60), which comes with French fries, cole slaw, lettuce and tomato on a soft white bun. The patty is modest compared to the mammoth burgers we’ve come to expect from chains such as Red Robin or Applebee’s, but I think the portion is perfect. If you’re sharing with a friend, an order of onion rings ($3.05) is an excellent investment. They’re thin and crisp and heaped on an oval plate. The surprisingly comprehensive four-page menu also has a long list of sandwiches ranging from fried egg ($1.90) to hot pastrami Reubens ($5.75), including hot open-faced sandwiches and triple-decker clubs.
Though I’ve never been for breakfast, Marcus Dairy has the classics covered. I’ve seen their two eggs with toast and home fries ($3.05/$4.60 with ham, sausage or bacon), a full plate of chow for an appropriate price. No matter what time of day, the favorite of children seated near me always seems to be the fluffy and colossal chocolate chip pancakes ($4.25/$3.95 for a short stack), that the young ones smother in syrup, much to their parents’ consternation. One of the very few things in life that manages to tempt to both the adventurous and the traditionalist, a tall cool glass of buttermilk ($1.45 lg./$1.15/sm.) complements any breakfast.
And of course, there’s the ice cream — smooth, thick and sweet and better than any brand you can buy at the store. Flavors range from the traditional Neapolitan flavors to maple walnut, banana and “white thunder,” a vanilla ice cream with white chocolate chunks and a berry ribbon throughout. My favorite is coconut almond fudge, which is especially delicious when smothered in hot fudge with dairy-made whipped cream and a cherry on top ($4.35 two-scoop/$3.25 sundae jr.); other types of sundaes include: chocolate, coffee, pineapple, butterscotch, strawberry, marshmallow and raspberry. There’s also the Marcus Diary Famous Gung-Ho Sundae ($10.95). Packing seven scoops of ice cream and topped with hot fudge, banana, fruit topping and “more,” if you dare, it’s enough to feed a platoon of Marines. They’ll make any ice cream into a thick milkshake ($4.35) if a syrup can be found to match; usually vanilla or chocolate syrups sweeten (!) the milkshakes, and some berry syrups are available, but for something exotic like a maple walnut shake, maple syrup may be used (Marcus Dairy’s staff will try anything to please the customer, said my cashier, though he may discourage concoctions that may not work in practice.).
Between the straightforward menu items and daily specials, you can’t go wrong. So, if you do find yourself in Danbury, for shopping or otherwise, there’s really no reason for tired fast food or the mall food court. I’m already looking forward to my next trip there, though I’ve got miles to go before I eat …
Megan Labrise
(Orig. pub. date: May 9, 2007)
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