The Yearling Restaurant

Lunch in Old Florida

The Yearling is a good book and a good movie and a  good restaurant.

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The Yearling Restaurant, also had a pretty good sign.

Hard to Find!
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​We almost gave up finding this place on East County Road in Cross Creek, Florida. The old restaurant and bar have been serving up "lunch and supper" since 1952, just down the road from the home of author, Marjorie K. Rawlings. 

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The cozy building with its metal awnings and screened porch, fit perfectly in the setting. Monster trees, swaying moss... and stormy skies brewing above!

​Yearling Decor
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​The inside was even cozier, with plenty of antiques and Yearling-related memorabilia, tucked into numerous rooms.  

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Seeing this picture on the wall brought me back to the first time I watched The Yearling on TV, when I was about 10.  I remember scenes of the boy romping in his bare feet with "Flag", through the jungle of palms and oaks and Spanish moss. I remember this sad scene in the movie. Sadder than Bambi.

Old Florida Cooking
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The restaurant is no longer allowed to serve cooter (soft shell turtle) but there were a number of alligator options. However, our server recommended the stuffed grouper. She was kind enough to encourage us to share the meal so we'd have room for dessert! 

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First she brought the salad in 2 bowls, which was a meal in itself with nuts and cheese. The grouper with homemade hushpuppies and creamy tartar sauce, was delicious.  The sour orange pie was rich and tangy.  Think key lime pie, meets creamsicle!

​People Encounter
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​Don and I had the restaurant mostly to ourselves, until a man in a white button down shirt, (clutching a book) sat in the booth next to ours. I had noticed him earlier, when we toured the Rawlings house down the road.  For that reason, I figured the book was not the bible. I asked him if he was an expert on Rawlings. 

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He was indeed reading Rawlings'  Cross Creek and we spoke for while about her books until he and Don got off on a discussion about road trips. I will always remember this soft spoken character. He made me stop to wonder what it would be like to travel alone... reading... chatting, when strangers strike up a conversation.

​Someone I Wish We'd Met

​In the clutter of oddball stuff, I noticed a tiny space that could be considered a stage. I spotted an organ, a music stand, a tip jar and 3 old chairs.  

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I had read somewhere, that a man named Willie Green often stops by to perform a little blues guitar. He gets paid in tips. I was sorry we missed him. Next time.

​One More Person to Remember
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​We met Harold while we finished our lunch.  First we heard him chuckling to himself as he cleared a nearby table. He teased our waitress about a lousy tip. Then we heard him holler "Coming through!" in a playful way, as he carried an armful of dirty dishes through a swinging door to the kitchen.

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He came over to our table a few times to chat. He just shook his head and laughed to hear we'd come all the way from Houston! One time, he apologized for the clicking noise of his dentures. "The glue bothers my  stomach." He explained.  He offered to give us a tour of the nearby cabins that we could rent. He admitted prices were negotiable. I think business has been slow.

Supper!

I love a place that calls the evening meal "supper". 

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Good Food. Good Memory. Hope to come back!