Editing Diners of Amber (section)

==='''Phil's Diner'''===

[[File:Pphildiner.jpg]]

Next on the travelogue of the Diners of Amber is the mellow nightspot called Phil's Diner.

This place is best described as a good place to get a decent cup of coffee any time of the night or day. It is a workingman's cafe and is usually pretty quiet. Sit at the bar and nurse your miseries over a cup of Phil's fine java.

The neighborhood is a reasonably safe one despite the shadow being lodged in an epoch of rum-runners, bathtub gin, speakeasies, illegal casinos, corrupt politicians, and gangland slayings. Fair enough excitement to be found if you take the time to look for it.

I must admit I have visited this shadow often enough to have bought a townhouse a block from Phil's. Phil works the midnight shift himself, and will gladly tell you about his 30 years as a military cook. He served in the Spanish American War, World War I, and even did some time in India under the British Raj.

He likes to talk military stuff while he cooks for the next day. The place smells of baked apples all night as he makes the two dozen apple, peach, prune, pumpkin and lemon marange pies he needs for the next day. He has a cute little service he provides the locals. They drop off their lunch pails after work. Then in the morning they come by, have breakfast for 1 buck, usually 2 eggs, 2 sausage, 1/2 a potato, toast and coffee. Then they pay a $1.75 for breakfast and a full lunch pail. The pail lunch contains a meat sandwich, an orange or an apple, a biscuit with a slice of cheese, and thermos of lemonade in the summer or cocoa in the winter, and a slice of fresh baked pie. They usually flip him 2 bucks, giving him a tip. That is until a day or two before payday when they are counting their nickels and dimes. Phil understands.

As we travel shadow we find absolutes. Phil absolutely makes shadow's best cheesecake and this is the ultimate reason Random wanted a trump of this place. Know your monarch, love him, praise him, and feed him cheesecake.

So if you show up of an evening don't be surprised to find yourself slathering mustard on wheat bread and slapping down bologna to feed some factory worker the next day. The fringe benefits are great coffee, friendly conversation, and a slice of fresh apple pie. Or, if you are lucky, a slice of his cheesecake on the house.

Don't let Phil fool you though. It might surprise you, as it did me, and would certainly surprise the factory men, but Phil has not only cooked for Blackjack Pershing, Teddy Roosevelt and Eddie Rickenbacker but for Benedict of Amber. Yep, he served Ben for 22 years as his chief logistical adviser for provender. Mainly a shadow role in Avalon, he none the less is a shadow wise wearer of a broken pattern imprint and a sorcerer of some ability.

He is enjoying his retirement though and sees no reason to return to active duty. I respect him when he says the greatest power being a shadow-walker has given him is the power to find someplace to be happy. May the Unicorn so bless us all one day.


((GM-Notes: Many individuals are sources of information for the PCs.  Braldig, Mama Agalvar, and Phil.  Phil is a cook.  Never know when a good menu I needed.