 The Huffmans opened their restaurant in 2002, but at that
time Brian Huffman was far from being a novice in the restaurant
business.Huffman is the great-grandson of the infamous, if not
notorious, Blossom Huffman, who with her husband owned and operated
The Mill restaurant on Old Route 66.
Blossom is credited for the schnitzel recipe that today is served
at Hallie's, and around the community is often considered to be the
original version from which all other local recipes have been
modeled.
To commemorate the day, Blossom herself was on hand to help her
great-grandson celebrate. Debra Senger of Timeless Presentations
played the role, greeting and visiting with guests as they came in
for the extra-special $5 schnitzel.
When Blossom is present, talk naturally turns to The Mill, where
she gained her fame. Geoff Ladd of the Abraham Lincoln Tourism
Bureau of Logan County also stopped in and brought a collection of
photos and news clippings he has of The Mill in its prime.
For quite a while, Blossom, Huffman and Ladd talked about The
Mill and Blossom. Blossom also carried around with her a small
dessert bowl, asking folks if they knew what it was and what
significance it held for her.
The bowl is a piece of original 1940s Stetson china, easily
recognized by its pure white background with brightly colored,
hand-painted floral designs in the center and high-gloss finish.
Blossom said it was significant because her first job had been in
the Stetson China Factory in Lincoln. She bought the restaurant much
later.
Blossom and Huffman also talked about the last time they had seen
each other, which was three years ago at a Mill celebration. She
clearly remembered being in the bar area, talking about the
restaurant, when Huffman slipped in through the back door.
Saturday, Huffman said that having Senger, aka Blossom, as part
of his 10th anniversary celebration was somewhat "surreal."
Huffman said his family heritage has been a motivator for him. He
remembers being at The Mill as a child and teenager with his
great-grandmother.
But, Huffman was only 14 when Blossom died, and he said on
Saturday that more than anyone, it was probably his grandfather,
Blossom's son George, who made an impression on him and whom he
wishes he'd had more time with. George is also deceased and never
got the chance to see the Huffmans open Hallie's.
Huffman said Saturday: "Blossom made the restaurant well known,
but it was my grandfather George who really built the business. He
knew how to run it, and I wish I'd had just a little more time with
him to really learn from him."
When LDN featured Hallie's as a "business of the week" in
November of 2010, Huffman was working to pull the business through a
rough stretch and a deflating economy.
This week he said it has been a struggle, but things are going
well for the little restaurant.
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"One of the things we have noticed the most since 2008," Huffman
said, "is that we used to be able to know what days would be our
biggest business days."
Huffman said that since 2008 that has come less predictable. "And
some things have changed," he noted. "We used to know that Monday
would be our slow day. Now, sometimes it is our busiest day. It's
just different than it was before."
Inside the restaurant, things appear to be much the same. The
walls are still covered with movie posters and vinyl albums, which
speak of Huffman's love for good movies, good music and, coupled
with the menu, good food.
Huffman said that part of the décor will more than likely never
change, but other things are changing constantly. He said he and his
family are always working to improve what they have. He also noted
something else that is changing: how people eat their schnitzel.
"The schnitzel horseshoe is coming close to being our number one
seller," he said.
The traditional schnitzel sandwich is a nice piece of pork
tenderloin pounded down to near paper thinness, coated with a
special batter and fried to perfection. When it comes out of the
kitchen, it escapes the borders of a 9-inch dinner plate all the way
around. It is served on an extra-large bun, but even that can't
cover the circumference of the meat, along with lettuce, pickle,
onion and a cup of Huffman's special recipe hot sauce.
The horseshoe comes out of the kitchen with that same schnitzel
cut into strips, accompanied with a heaping mound of french fries
smothered in Huffman's own cheese sauce recipe and served with
bread.
Huffman chuckled and said, "I don't know how people eat it all,
but they do."
Saturday when asked about the next 10 years, Huffman was
optimistic about the future. He said he hopes to keep the little
business much as it is.
"We have talked about trying to make the restaurant larger, but
we don't want to lose that small-town, small-business atmosphere we
have now."
Huffman said the restaurant is a favorite of the locals just the
way it is, and he doesn't want the business to become too
commercial. His goal is to keep it small and friendly, just as it
has been for the last 10 years.
[By NILA SMITH]
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