“This is our season!” said Countryside Café owner Marlene Geren.
Indeed, the holiday season is the café’s time to shine. Between its seasonal selections and its bulk to-go orders for Turkey day, Countryside’s list of offerings is so long it cannot fit into one room – but that won’t stop Marlene from trying.
I arrived to Countryside on a crisp fall morning to find all its servers dressed in pink flannel. The lot of them crowded into the dining hall, each holding a whole casserole, cake or pie. It smelled like Thanksgiving had come early – and for the kitchen staff at Countryside, it has.
Countryside is now accepting holiday to-go orders. Available meats include whole or sliced turkey, boneless pit ham, and chicken and dressing. Casseroles include sweet potato, broccoli, hash brown, pineapple and corn pudding. There are trays of yeast rolls and different dressings, including homemade cranberry relish.
And don’t forget the desserts: the restaurant offers dozens of pie options and whole cakes or cobblers, such as its best-selling banana pudding. Orders may be picked up until Nov. 23, the day before Thanksgiving.
In the meantime, be sure to stop by the café to sample its new soup-and-sandwich lunch special. Or, those who need to grab lunch in a hurry may sample the prepared-fast vegetable plate or hamburger combo.
And now, there is more incentive than ever to make that drive to Countryside. From now until mid-November, guests may enter their names into a raffle once per visit. Then, on Nov. 19, a drawing will be held to give away a $175 gift card to Countryside, which, Marlene said, covers a Thanksgiving feast for a family of eight.
The winner may keep it for his or herself, or spread the goodwill and give it away to a family in need. This may be the season of Countryside Café, but the whole of the Tennessee Valley stands to gain.
Address: 8223 Mahan Gap Road
Hours: Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Phone: 423-344-8646