JILL’S CAFÉ – THE AMERICAN WAY

            Okay, so Americans are not known for their culinary refinement… I think we are blamed with inventing Junk Food…so, nobody’s perfect!  Once in a while, like a gastronomical version of E.T. Call Home, a phenomenon stirs our internal “stars and stripes”, and we just gotta have a BURGER!  Whatcha gonna do? Git on down to Jill’s Café!  I resisted a long time, but finally the call was too great.  Luc finds burgers a crazy idea.  Why would anyone try to jam an entire meal into your mouth all at once? And American breakfast: way too heavy.  The only American food of any worth is French Fries, which were actually stolen from the Belgians anyway! 

            Lunchtime, and the place was jumping!  The usual pace as we later learned. Twelve or thirteen years in the same location (near the Post Office, banks, and tourist shops), Jill’s is an American institution.  Jenny, a “friend helping out when needed” confided that some people eat here every day! In back, is a covered patio area with colorful picnic tables. I noticed a lot of people wearing Groucho Marx mustaches and glasses trying to disguise themselves as Americans, but I knew there weren’t THAT many in this town!

 Jill unashamedly offers Hotcakes, sausage, eggs and Hash brown potatoes, Cheeseburgers, Chili-dogs, Grilled Cheese sandwiches, BLTs (bacon/lettuce/tomato sandwich), and thick, thick milkshakes, Root Beer Floats, Banana Splits, gooey Brownies, and Chocolate Chip cookies.  Deciding to “go for it”, Luc ordered a Pacific Burger (a whole 1/3 lb of beef) with the “works” (including egg and pineapple!), large basket of fries, and a giant glass of fresh squeezed lemonade.  For me, large Cranberry Juice and huge Chicken Fajita Burrito wrapped in a homemade flour tortilla from the Mexican Menu.  It was a 10-napkin meal, at least!  Jill’s Sundaes are made with ice cream made locally in Vanuatu.  Luc downed a Mocha Madness.  Since seeing it on the menu, I knew I had to have a Root Beer Float. Mmmm, so sweet and refreshing on a hot day!

With meals running between 425 to 900vt, Ice Cream and goodies 175-650vt, Lemonade and juices 120-200vt for generous glasses, you can see why the place is popular with the lunch crowd who don’t want to spend time or money for a fancy “sit-down” lunch.  Breakfast is served all day, and coffee comes with refill.  The most expensive menu item is “The San Diego Zoo” (1800vt), a menagerie of so many ice creams and toppings, it’s served in a pig’s trough, and you win a prize if you can finish it by yourself. (You win another one?)  The bakery case is filled with Jill’s family favorite recipes, and on the counter, you may find Tootsie Rolls and Snicker Bar candies, or Corn Nuts snacks.  She does Birthday Cakes and kid parties and baked-goods to order.  Open M-F, 7am-5:30pm, Sat. 7am-1:30pm.  Jill also does every single item on the menu for take-away, for all you closet American-Food Junkies!  Jill’s, it’s, like, TOTALLY awesome, Man!  Phone: 25125.