It’s a common bond shared by children all across the United States: lining up for lunch at the school cafeteria.
Our own fond memories of these meals are few and far between, particularly when we think of the institutional food on the menu. We had better luck with lunches packed from home — in part because we could show off our TV-themed lunchboxes — but for many schoolchildren, then and now, this isn’t always an option.
Enter the lunch lady: a nostalgic, nurturing figure who presides over the cafeteria, and who ensures that the children get what they need.
This is Dria Atencio’s adopted persona at Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette, in Ridgewood — someone, she explains, who’s “taking care of you in a simple, basic way.” Even nowadays, when we sit down to lunch, there's little that’s simpler or more satisfying than a good sandwich and a nice dessert. Read more on Culinary Backstreets.
