Luke's Diner; Tuesday [04/25].

[chef_chocobro]

Asparagus was apparently in season, and they had a lot of it at Luke's that Tuesday, it would seem, which suited Ignis just fine. He appreciated the chance to work with ingredients at their absolute peak, and he liked coming in and having a challenge to come up with some specials focused entirely on that fact. So when he came in, after musing over it a little bit with some coffee to spark his inspiration, he got to work.

If only more days could be this simple, straight-forward, and focused, really...

Today's Specials
Bratwurst Asparagus Sliders with Fries
Artichoke and Asparagus Risotto
Asparagus and Ricotta Panna Cotta

Luke's is open!

Comments

[pocketpretzels]

Was it a slightly grumpy-looking Watts that made his way into the diner for lunch? It was a slightly grumpy-looking Watts that made his way into the diner for lunch.

That is, if one were able to discern a difference between slightly grumpy looking and his usual habitual scowl.

Or if they happened to notice that there was something of an audible flop to the way he took a seat today.

“Afternoon, Mr. Scientia.”

[chef_chocobro]

Yes, well, even on his best days, Ignis was not one to notice a difference in how Watts looked at all, be it subtle or obvious, but he did notice flops and he could measure tone, and he rather liked to think himself rather attuned to energies as well, although that was a bit more difficult to really quantity.

But there was enough of it there to lift Ignis' brow slightly as his attention shifted toward that slightly grumpy flop.

"Detective Watts," he greeted back. "Afternoon, indeed. But is it a good one, I wonder?"

He asked just as much out of interesr and curiosity as he did to simply confirm or deny his suspicions.

[pocketpretzels]

“I suppose we’ll have to wait to confirm that,” Watts said. “I’ve certainly had better mornings.”

[chef_chocobro]

"Well," Ignis offered, "I've always found that a good meal does help to set things on the right path to improvement. And luckily for you, I may have an idea of just where one might acquire such a thing."

He gave Watts a very faint smile.

"An unprecedented amount of minor annoyances coalesced over the course of the day thus far?" he wondered. "Or perhaps something a bit more substantial?"

[pocketpretzels]

“That first thing,” Watts admitted. “And yes, it is my hope that a pleasant meal will start to mend things. Perhaps even some decent conversation to accompany it.”

[hasaknightjob]

Marc came in around lunch time. He clocked the specials but didn't linger on them too much. No point when he already knew what he was in the mood for.

He grabbed a seat and, when Ignis seemed to be in hearing range, said "Hey. How's it going?"

[hasaknightjob]

Marc came in after Watts so he didn't see the flop. But his overall demeanor was easy to clock. Marc shot Watts a questioning look to see if he needed anything or was hoping to be left alone.

[chef_chocobro]

Ignis acknowledged the greeting with a nod before giving his answer after a moment to consider. "Overall," he decided, "middling with a lean toward the positive." There was a faint grin in there somewhere, though. "Yourself?"

[chef_chocobro]

"I can certainly guarantee the first part," Ignis allowed, his nod confident on that, at least, "but I suppose we'll have to see on the second one. But at least you seem to never have any shortage of opportunities in that regard."

Since he had noticed, of course, that his two current regulars tended to join forced while enjoying their meal.

"First things first, then," he said. "What shall we be having today, Detective?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Middling, huh?" Marc said. It wasn't a word he'd use but it certainly applied to him often enough. "Same. Not complaining. Enjoying the quiet."

Marc was clearly a man who didn't care about jinxing things.

[chef_chocobro]

And the slightly derisive, thoughtful hum that escaped Ignis seemed to take note of that, as well. "While it lasts, anyway," he felt compelled to add, but, as he did, he poured for Marc the presumed coffee. "But, before we go too far into praising the island's occasion lulls and respites, what are we thinking having today?"

[pocketpretzels]

Watts eyed the specials board. “I’ll give the risotto a try. And a sarsaparilla if you’ve got any.”

[pocketpretzels]

It wasn’t anything especially dire, just a series of small annoyances making up his day so far.

Marc, however, did not count as an annoyance. Hence Watts replying to the look with a wan smile and “Marc.”

[hasaknightjob]

Marc nodded in agreement before remembering Ignis couldn't see that. "Fair point. Though we just had a thing. Aren't we done for a while? And pastrami on rye with fries."

[hasaknightjob]

"Watts," Marc replied. "Everything okay?"

[chef_chocobro]

There was a nod, and Ignis got for Watts his beverage before going to tend to the rest of the order, reappearing in due time with a sizable portion of the risotto accompanied a good slice of sourdough.

"An excellent choice," he assured him, carefully setting it down. "You may have noticed, the asparagus is quite exceptional at the moment."

[chef_chocobro]

And look at that, you practically got a chuckle out of Ignis, with that one. Half a chuckle, perhaps.

"With graduation just around the corner?" he asked. "Quite the optimist, aren't we?"

Yes, he had a feeling that irony was doing some heavy lifting, there.

"Give me a moment, then," a nod, and his attention ever on the matter at hand, "while I fetch your order."

[hasaknightjob]

"Is it?" Marc asked. He didn't pay attention to those things. Though, think about it, he realized, "Oh right. They had prom."

[pocketpretzels]

“In season?” Watts guessed. He paid far more attention to fruits than vegetables, but still had a vague idea of how those things went. “I didn’t think growing seasons mattered much anymore, in this time.”

[pocketpretzels]

“In the larger scheme of things? Yes. In my small corner of the universe, this morning? Events seem determined to play out in a manner that vexes me.”

Well. Lunch so far had been all right, so long as he didn’t end up discovering something gross nestled in his risotto.

[chef_chocobro]

"At the peak of in season," Ignis confirmed with a nod, "and I assure you, growing seasons do matter when it comes to quality and freshness. One could get asparagus shipped from California any time of year, true, but it would struggle to even compare to what can be had when picked locally at the height of its growth. Might as well be entirely different vegetables, really."

One might make the case that having gone so long without much by the way of fresh produce had colored Ignis' opinion on such matter, but, no...no. He had definitely always been like that.

[chef_chocobro]

"And graduation is this very weekend, if I'm not mistaken," Ignis noted. "So I'm sure we can expect...something to happen, though the level of what we'll have to deal with is still quite to be determined."

[pocketpretzels]

“Fascinating,” Watts said. “I had no idea.”

[chef_chocobro]

"Well, it just stands to reason, now, doesn't it?" Ignis continued, with a musing tone and not at all latching onto having this conversation with someone who had not already heard it a million times before and was most definitely rolling their eyes for it being delved into yet again. "Just as we find ourselves rather drawn and drain and wilted after a long journey, one can expect the same from our food. Besides, having gone so long without much, I've come to appreciate a rich local harvest even more now than I ever have. Quite frankly, if I ever see a canned vegetable again anywhere outside of one of Summer's classes, it would certain be too soon."

[pocketpretzels]

“Mmm,” Watts hummed in agreement. “While I appreciate the idea of convenience offered by tinned products, one of the events which put me on the path of a Pythagorean diet was a case involving cans of tainted meat. So I can, on some level, empathize with that feeling of yours.”