Chocolate Pudding Brings Back Memories

This will certainly date me. Does anyone remember MCL Cafeteria? There once were several in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Often they were located inside shopping malls. I think there are still a few around today.

There was an MCL in the mall in the Ohio town I lived in as a young child. Extra money was in short supply, and going out to eat was a luxury back then. Once in awhile, for a special treat, my parents and I would go eat there. I don’t remember, but I’m guessing it was cheap.

I think I usually got something called the Jack Benny Special. How fun it was to walk down the buffet line and choose from all the steaming, delicious dishes. The ladies behind the counter always seemed so kind and motherly dressed in their flowery, ruffled aprons. If I was lucky I’d get to choose a dish of red Jello or chocolate pudding topped with a plume of whipped cream for desert. Oh, how yummy every bite of that special “restaurant” pudding was.

I was reminded of MCL and the cream topped delights tonight. My son and I shared some chocolate pudding finished off with Cool Whip for desert after our dinner of leftover pizza. It wasn’t quite as exciting as those meals out at MCL, but from the looks of things, I’d say my son enjoyed it just as much. And now I have another memory just as sweet as the pudding at MCL.