There’s a breakfast spot in Enumclaw, Washington called the Krain that I’ve got a serious hankering for. My go-to order: the Krain Favorite omelet with biscuits and gravy, plus gravy over the top of hashbrowns, washed down with a root beer. Back in the day, my family, extended family, and friends’ families would all meet there in the back room where we could fit everyone, and the waitress didn’t even need to take my order. Right before our cross-country move—maybe a week or two before—I texted my dad, asking if he and Paula wanted to meet there to eat. They did, and if after 23 years, that cubed ham and Swiss and cheddar omelet doesn’t taste exactly the same.
Years ago, my obsession led me to ask the secret behind their gravy. As a connoisseur of breakfast gravy, the Krain and Liberty Café in Liberty, Washington, are at the top of my list. Both serve sausage gravies so light on the sausage that you almost wonder if there’s any in there at all. Determined to make it myself, I asked a waitress how they did it. In a hushed tone, she borderline guiltily confessed, “It’s from a packet.”
Being home during the pandemic led to a surge of kitchen creativity, so I scoured the internet for restaurant-style gravy mixes. I eventually found one that seemed like a match, which led to buying a box of packets big enough to feed the entire Super Bowl crowd. But after several meals hoping I’d nailed it, I let the remaining packets sit on the shelf, sad and uneaten.
This week, I bought a small gravy packet at Kroger that I’m convinced will get close, will soothe my burning yearn—but it won’t be it. And the search will continue.
After I post this, I’ll likely dive back into the internet for unique white gravy mixes when what I should do is email the Krain, tell them I’ve moved across the country, and beg for the recipe. It’s worth a shot.
Love, Jaclynn.
Going On 40 