A traveler passing through downtown Washington during its cool season might presume they had fallen upon a ghost town. When skies are gray, shop windows are dim and pedestrians scarce.

    From November to March, most Beaufort County citizens enter a sort of hibernation phase, causing downtown businesses to keep even more limited hours than usual and downtown organizations to stop hosting their many attractive festivals.

    When spring arrives and the stir-crazy people of Beaufort County emerge from their homes and venture out to boat, fish or just admire the Pamlico River, the adjacent downtown business district really perks up.

    Ten springs ago, I had the pleasure of experiencing the height of downtown Washington's active season, as a waitress accommodating lunch rushes at Anne Martin's long-surviving café, The Meeting Place.

It's hard to tell that The Meeting Place is located in what used to be an old automobile showroom, thanks to owner Anne Martin's stylish decor and commissioned artist Whiting Toler's beautiful wall paintings.

    Back then, The Meeting Place opened extra early for lunch, around 10:30 a.m., probably to accommodate the many elderly diners, no-doubt awake since 5 a.m., who frequented the eatery.

    Anne's homemade soups and quiches were served on a first-come, first-served basis, and they went fast. Those who couldn't take their lunch break until 1 p.m. might be relegated to the everyday, but still fabulous, sandwich and salad menu. On days The Meeting Place catered to the "Lunch Bunch," an adorable group of chatty, white-haired quiche and decaffeinated coffee lovers, it was almost an act of God if anyone else could order a slice.

    For my shift meals, I got used to eating wraps and paninis; but I always eyed the ever-popular quiche as I delivered it to those lucky early birds.

    The most delicious of The Meeting Place quiches, in my opinion, looked to be the Three Cheese Quiche or either the Roasted Red Pepper Quiche. When the weather warms up and the trees bloom, I can't bare the thought of eating much meat or heavy, rich foods. Then again, if I try to get by on salads, alone, I'll stay hungry; so cheesy, vegetarian quiche is the perfect compromise.

    Since I was rarely able to enjoy a slice of these elusive pies, to satisfy my appetite I devised an easy quiche recipe that I could make and enjoy at home whenever I desired. My knockoff recipe is a hybrid of the Three Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper quiches. I'm not sure how close it is to Anne's Signature Quiche recipe, but it's definitely suited to my liking.

    If it's the cool season and you're hungry, or the warm season and you're feeling lucky, The Meeting Place is located at 225 West Main Street in Washington. You can try calling their number, 252-975-6370, the morning before your visit to reserve your portion of quiche or soup.

The Meeting Place Quiche-Knockoff

Yield: 2 quiches, about 16 servings

Ingredients

1 c. swiss
1 c. cheddar
1 c. mozzarella
3 T. finely diced onion
½ t. salt
6 eggs, beaten
1 c. half & half
¾ c. milk
1 T. flour
12-16 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, cut bite-sized
2, 9 in. pie crusts

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Prep ingredients.
Set crusts on cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
Whisk ingredients together.
Pour in baked crusts.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.
Let cool a little before cutting into slices.



    This article provided courtesy of our sister site: Beaufort County Now