Grilled cheese sandwiches are a good choice to order at the Blue Bird Cafe in Arlington.
It’s been under the same ownership for 50 years and the menu seldom varies. It was my family’s hangout 25 years ago when my oldest son took tumbling lessons across the street.
Ron did handstands while the rest of us chowed down at the Blue Bird.
It was delicious and affordable for a young family.
It’s still a family place, said Shirley Parris. Her parents, Merle and Florence Peper, bought the restaurant in 1958.
(Shirley notes that she went from Peper with one “P” to Parris with a double “R.”)
She runs the place now that her folks are retired, does the books for both the cafe and her husband Wayne’s logging truck business, and cares for her housebound parents at their Arlington home.
She arrives at the Blue Bird at 3 a.m. most days, loading the oven with turkey on Sunday mornings and roast beef on Fridays.
“Everything is homemade,” Parris said. “We make the desserts, like bread pudding.”
That’s a good thing, because she said change, or newfangled recipes, isn’t what regulars want to order. For instance, customers’ favorite breakfast is blueberry pancakes.
“They don’t like change,” she said. “If we do change something, the customers don’t know what do to with themselves.”
“We don’t go off the beaten path,” she said.
And she doesn’t try to compete with the Italian restaurant or the two Mexican spots in town.
The 50th anniversary is low key, except they will give away a gorgeous Thomas Kincade print. Go eat, and your table will get a free ticket to put in a bucket for a drawing in May.
Some things did change over half a century. Notice new wallpaper, booths and carpets.
Juggling two coffee pots, Dee Dietrich said she has worked at the Blue Bird for 21 years.
“The people we work with are like family,” Dietrich said. “The boss is really nice. I worked for her mother before her.”
Cheri Graham, 21, has been at the restaurant for eight years. Youngsters can start there washing dishes, running the till and busing tables.
While waiting for your order, read the Bus Plus route schedule book from Community Transit or the Little Nickel.
“We stay steady,” Parris said. “We have a loyal clientele.”
It was fun visiting the Blue Bird after 25 years. When we lived on Camano Island, there weren’t many children’s activities on the island or in Stanwood. My son enjoyed his tumbling days in Arlington, especially because he was the only boy in the class.
And we loved reliable, grilled cheese sandwiches across the street.
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.
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