The 270 Chronicles tells stories within Bowling Green’s 270 area code, 270 words at a time, featuring niche events, organizations and people that make up our local community.
In the early morning, it’s as if life is slowly unfolding like a flower. It’s quiet, serene and still, but when I walked into Lisa’s 5th Street Diner at 5:05 a.m., it was full of life.
The room was bright and the air was spiked with coffee, bacon and butter on biscuits. The walls were painted with corvettes and cave-side cabins. There were six men scattered across the dining room. Their conversation about trucks, neighborhoods, and football bounced around the room like a game of hot potato.
Sarah Duff, a 14-year veteran of Lisa’s 5th Street Diner and self-described “server/manager/prep cook,” floated around the room with the kindness of a school teacher checking on students, jumping in and out of conversations and keeping coffees topped off. She treated no one like a stranger.
I ordered the 5th Street Classic that was, “bound to please everybody,” as quoted on the menu.
The eggs were cooked perfectly to order. The sausage had a nice spice and rosemary blend, and the hash browns were beautiful and buttery. The tasty food along with the homey atmosphere was topped with incredible hospitality. I don’t doubt the claim that Lisa’s is the best diner in Bowling Green.
Not lost on me was the fact that this crowd of regulars consisted of all men and Duff, our breakfast fairy godmother.
As I left, two men were recounting losing both their mothers saying, “Ain’t nobody like mama.” It may be true that there’s no replacing a mother’s love, but at least we have Lisa’s 5th Street Diner if you find yourself missing yours.
