(Editor’s note: The following piece is part of Arlington resident Frederick Kalil’s “Eatington” feature.)
And so it came to pass that he found himself in queue joining the procession of walkers and couples joined arm in arm making their way toward the entrance of Jimmy’s Steer House on a Friday afternoon. “Est. 1973” the menu proudly states, but it feels as if Jimmy’s has been around forever. Everyone is familiar with this type of establishment. Offhandedly referred to as beloved institutions, such places remain essentially unchanged over what seems like a millennium. Having lately observed the parking lot filled at 1:30 p.m., I determined to revisit this local attraction to check in and gauge how it’s weathered the decades since my last visit.
Being led by our host into the honeycomb of wainscoted booths abuzz with diurnal inhabitants awakened recall of long-ago visits. The main dining area had already begun filling to near capacity as we settled in for our midday dinner with townfolk, evidently a weekday practice of long standing…