An American Cafe: Reflections from the Grill Review

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(More customer reviews)Peter Gianakura has written a book. Imagine. No, don't imagine. It was inevitable. This little book has always been waiting to be written. Reviews elsewhere have suggested Peter yearned to do a great many things with his life. It wasn't his choice to work long hours as a short order cook in his father's American Cafe, "Serving The Soo Since 1902." It's almost like the firstborn son of royalty is destined to be King. Peter, the firstborn of five children, was destined to follow in the footsteps of his dad, Chris Gianakura. Many might disappoint and follow a dream. Peter did not. He was the dutiful son. Peter never, ever gave any hint or suggestion his life was less than fulfilling.
How do I know this? I knew Peter's life firsthand. You see, my family lived next door to the Gianakura family from before I was born until after I moved away. Peter was more than a restaurateur; he was the older neighbor who proved mentor and friend. He possessed a wisdom that drew me to him time and again. Once, to encourage my own desire to write, he filled a small, soft cardboard box with neatly folded pieces of paper. Each slip of paper contained a single word. I was to take out one sheet at a time and, with the secret word, begin writing. It was amazing that one ordinary word could propel me to fill pages with stories. Today, over 50 years later, that box is still with me; not all the sheets have been unfolded. I will not unfold a sheet unless I am determined that I am going to sit down and create a story. It doesn't matter if it will be published; it matters if I make the attempt. Peter would expect no less.
Peter, in making little notes on sheets of paper himself, apparently kept them and they became the catalyst for his universally appealing story of the characters inhabiting a small town cafe. I was a youthful regular myself. In my day, i always ordered a grilled cheese sandwich for 35 cents and a malted milk. I tried to pick times when the rush crowd would be gone and Peter might be able to visit for a bit. Maybe you can't experience Peter Gianakura in the flesh, as I did in the halcyon days of life in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the "famous" Locks city. You can get to know him, his wisdom, his gentleness and his indefatigable kindness in this sweet, nostalgic look at an America that still exists in small towns from coast to cost.

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This collection of essays is an autobiography of a northern Michigan small town cafe owner who reluctantly assumed the family business from his immigrant father and the people who brought life to the cafe from 1902 to 1989. Each essay tells a story about the cafe's history, community, customers, relationships, challenges, remorse, regret and the circle of life. It weaves a tapestry that blankets a community rich in color and texture. It is the story of lives interwoven over coffee, dinner and time.

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