Operation: Iowa III (Part 2)

If you're ever in Davenport, Iowa, along Interstate 80, exit 292, do yourself a favor and stop at Iowa Machine Shed. Especially if you're there between 6:00 and 10:00 in the morning (Central Time). The breakfasts are excellent. To wit, this piece of art I encountered at the earliest stages of my return east, circa 6:45 am, April 21.

The ingredients: One ham steak (large), four strips of bacon, two sausage links (large), hash browns, two pieces of toast (white, with grape preserves), three eggs (over-easy), three fluffy pancakes with maple syrup & farm-fresh butter, tall glass of OJ, tall glass of water, bottomless cup of coffee.

Unfortunately, there was no "If you can eat all this you get it free" challenge. But I ate it all anyway. And didn't eat again for about two days.

Okay, that's not true. But you can't find a better breakfast for $9.

(For the record, that's now the third time I've eaten there. Once in July 1996, again in October 1997, and now last month. Just in case you were wondering.)