Take cafe's signature sandwiches to Great American Picnic

By Kathy Crown-Weber
Contributing writer

When Steve and Mimi Arnold Becker took over the Toy Box at 314 Main St. in Danville from Paul and KayArnold in 1999, they knew that they had a tough act to follow.

"Mom and Dad retired after 19 years with the restaurant. People will call and say `I want to have sticky buns like your dad makes.' She may not have had those sticky buns for years, but she remembers how they used to be and expects them to be the same when we make them," explained Mimi Becker. "It's hard to follow in their footsteps."

Said Steve Becker, "We meant to keep the name Toy Box. We did a lot of research on what we wanted to do with the name and with the restauarnt. We added the Café to the name to let people know that some things would be different. We added all of the children's names to the sign, which is done in blocks. Paul (age 15) and Katherine (13) both work here. They are really very good workers. Laura (age 10) is starting to help on small things."

The Toy Box Café is open for lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and is available for catering for breakfast, lunch and supper.

"We are an all-around caterer," noted Steve Becker. "We did three breakfasts this morning, and we have a dinner here tonight. We do a lot of things locally, and travel within about a 90-mile radius of Danville."

Added his wife, "We do a lot of jobs in Somerset, and a few now and then in Louisville. We lived in Louisville for a few years before moving back down here, and even did some catering back then."

Steve and Mimi are pleased to have inherited at least one element of the original Toy Box - Richard Wethington.

"Richard has been an associate of the Toy Box for 13 years," laughed Mimi Becker. "He went to work at AdMart for awhile, but he still helped with catering. Now he's is back full time.

The Toy Box Café is one of the sponsors of the balloon race portion of the Great American Brass Band Festival.

"We feed all of the balloon crews before the race. They are really so nice. Paul gets to go up in one of the balloons this year," explained Mimi Becker. "The band festival is one of our favorite times of the year. We will be open during the festival."

For the Saturday evening picnic, the Beckers suggest one of their signature club sandwiches, with broccoli salad and a brownie for dessert.

"We don't give out the recipe for the sandwiches, though," said both Beckers with twinkling eyes.

Swiss Oregano Spread

14 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
3 tablespoons thinly sliced onions
1 tablespoon oregano
Mayonnaise

Mix cheese, onions and oregano. Add mayonnaise to desired consistency. Serve with crackers.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad

1/2 cup cranraisins (one half)
2 pounds broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
3 1/4 cups thinly sliced onions (three and one quarter)
1 pound cauliflower, cut in small pieces
1 yellow squash, cut in small pieces
1/2 cup sugar (one half)
1/4 cup vinegar (one quarter)

Combine vegetables. Mix sugar with vinegar in separate bowl. Toss dressing with vegetables. Cover and chill overnight. Toss again before serving.

Brownies

1/2 cup butter or margarine (one half)
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (three quarters)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick margarine
1 pound confectionerâs sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup cocoa (One third)
1 tablespoon chocolate ice cream topping
Chopped nuts (optional)

Melt margarine and chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat lightly by hand until just combined. Stir in flour. Spread into 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool. Combine remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Spread frosting over brownies. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.