Cooler Near the Lake Part II

So, here I am at Sir Bennie's.  The locals call it Sir Ben's, but we always called it Sir Bennie's so there you are.  This is a must-visit place if you are ever in Duluth.  This place and The Lake are the two reasons I consider it worthwhile to drive 5+ hours each way for a one-night stay.

I have been coming to this place for nearly thirty years.  Yes, you read that right.  It has only been open for thirty, so I'm an old-timer here even though I only visit once a year.  Anyhoo...menu has not changed substantially which says a lot for this place.  It is still current and tasty and cheap.  I order an avocado and bacon sandwich with all the fixin's, a cup of soup, and settle in.  The sandwich is so good...the bacon is thick-cut and crumbled, not strips, so it is chewy and man, so tasty.  The place is now owned by an Italian family, so they also offer Italian specialties.  Next time I may try those, but with only one dinner out this trip, I go with the sentimental sandwich.  (They have a great sandwich called the Sir Melt, which is open-faced with a huge pile of fresh veggies, cheese on top and broiled...really tasty)  http://sirbens.com/

I sit at the same table each time...the one set up against the trophy case full of t-shirts.  Of course, since this is me, people feel the need to come up and talk to me.  This is OK with me, and part of the whole deal.   My table has four chairs, and as the musicians start to trickle in, chairs become scarce.  An older fellow named Mike sat with me for a long while, talking about the musicians in the group.  Mike is a regular attendee on the folk music scene in Duluth, and kept encouraging me to stop in for Chick Jam, Old-time Country Jam, etc.  I kept reminding him that I live 5+ hours away but he was undeterred.  Then skinny Tom, the bodhran player, regaled me with his pretty-good fake Irish accent, asking me to use my computer to book him a flight to Cork.  We visited off and on throughout the evening.

Mike headed out, and a lovely lady named Fran came to sit with me.  She was perhaps in her 50s, with the complexion and attitude of a young girl.  She was delightful, and we talked about music, life, and many things.  One of the gems we find when we open ourselves up to receiving them.

After about four hours of visiting and listening to music, it was time to head back to the cottage.  I forget how dark night really is...I live in a small town but there is still ambient light from nearby cities.  The road to my place was startlingly dark...black as black.  A lone freighter floated in the distance, its lights standing out in the darkness.  Yes...again, this is why I come here.