The lure of lunch is strong

It started for me with a rumor. Word circulated at my flight school that a restaurant at another airport well to our south had an amazing menu.

This was intriguing news. My peers and I were deep into the time-building portion of our training — which is another way of saying we were engaged in the process of gaining experience.

It’s probably worth noting that “gaining experience” is another way of saying, “living through periods of achievement and failure.” Thankfully, our achievements outweighed our failures. Make no mistake, however. Failures happened. That’s the unavoidable way of things.

One cannot learn to run with grace without stumbling and skinning a knee along the way.

My neighbor Jerry was a good guy. Deeply southern, witty, fun to be around, and always up for an adventure. We booked a Cessna 152 with the intention of testing out the veracity of this gastronomic tale making the rounds.

Our flight was scheduled to depart in the late afternoon, returning in the evening. Our route was simple. Depart Orlando Sanford International Airport (KSFB), then head west to avoid the heavy traffic headed into and out of Orlando International just south of us.

This was before Class B airspace existed in the U.S. It was never wise to mix it up with big Boeing transports though, so west we went. Then south to track the Lakeland VOR to our destination.

Tony’s Airside was famous in a very small, specific circle of people. Pilots mostly. Located in the main FBO building at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (KLAL) (now International Airport), Tony’s was comfortable but not particularly ornate. The menu included a good mix of the classics, some with a twist.

I had the Touchdown Burger, which was pretty much a standard cheeseburger with all the fixin’s – but it was doused in blue cheese. That was a fairly uptown choice by my palate. Well worth the flight. There was nothing like the Touchdown Burger or Tony’s Airside in Sanford.

So was born my affection for flying off into the distance to experience a new restaurant in some far-off town. Now, 35 years later, I have no regrets. Some of those restaurants are gone today. Tony’s Airside is certainly. But the memories remain and the discoveries were well worth the trips.

Friendships were strengthened, new faces came to be known, and the experience of flying into unfamiliar airports has served me well, all things considered.

Was tasty food served in uniquely aeronautical settings a major driver of my quest to fly? No, it wasn’t even a consideration when I first got started in this business.

But those mom and pop restaurants scattered from central Florida, to South Texas, to New England surely did provide a welcome perk that made all the studying, testing, and medical exams worth the trouble.

The Country Kitchen in Lake City, Florida, sits directly across US Highway 90 from the FBO building at Lake City Gateway Airport (KLCQ). There is no crosswalk there. But the traffic on the highway includes large gaps between vehicles. I hoofed it across the four-lane divided highway and the extra turn lane that leads into the airport. It had been a long morning with no breakfast, so lunch was very much on my mind.

The Country Kitchen is a commercial operation but might as well be an expanded version of my Grannies kitchen circa 1963. Southern delicacies abound. There’s nothing fancy about this place, but I sure felt right at home as soon as I walked through the door. It’s hard to beat a fried chicken platter that includes cornbread and enough cholesterol raising treats to make my personal physician wince. Mmmm, mmmmm, good, I tell ya.

The Pyper Kub restaurant in Williston, Florida, is not quite on the airport. It’s outside the airport fence. The walk is short, however. The epitome of quaint, this cozy place features walls festooned with aeronautical photos that would be right at home in any small town airport setting. Dave and Carol run the place. The menu is basic, the food is excellent, and if you have never experienced southern hospitality from the old school I would highly recommend you make it a point to find your way to Williston one day.

You won’t be sorry.

There are probably a number of restaurants in America known as the Runway Café. The only one I’ve ever been to is located at Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport (KLBX) in Angleton, Texas. I’d go again, too.

My buddy Pat Brown let me tag along in his Cirrus SR22 for a jaunt south from Houston. Lunch with friends was the whole point of the journey and I’m glad I was included in that bunch.

Beside the ramp is a wide shady porch with plenty of seating. Just inside in the air-conditioning lunch was served. A boisterous group of us gathered, taking up both sides of a long table pieced together using smaller tables. Some made themselves happy with a salad. Others went for steak, or fish, or the classic burger (with jalapeños of course) and an iced tea.

I can’t speak highly enough of Blue Heaven in Key West, Florida. It’s not at the airport, but the whole island is so small it’s no more than a quick bicycle ride from the ramp to the table where shrimp and grits make my day a whole lot better. Besides, it’s Key West. What could go wrong?

No, I didn’t learn to fly because I was hungry. But it sure didn’t hurt that food and cheerful socializing was such an easy-to-access part of the adventure.

Thousands of miles later, decades down the road, and several pounds heavier I can’t think of a more appealing way to visit new places, meet new people, and build my skillset than by seeking out a new eatery located on or very near an airport. I’m thinking you’ve probably made a connection at some airport diner along the way, too.

Tell the story. The human element of our aerial adventures is always worth sharing.