"There goes Andy"

Blueberry pancakes and sausage have brought me often to Hank's Place in Chadds Ford, Pa. But another part of the appeal was the chance to catch a glimpse of artist Andrew Wyeth, who died earlier this morning.

Locals, who knew him, always referred to the most well-known artist of the 20th century, simply as Andy.

Wyeth was also a regular at Jimmy John's Pipin' Hot Sandwiches - "the place with trains" as it's known, near Concordville, Pa.

He stopped by in November 2007 for his favorite sandwich, the Jimmy John's cheeseburger, the day after President Bush presented the artist with the National Medal of Arts and Humanities at the White House.

"Andy joked 'I went from the White House to Jimmy John's,' " owner Roger Steward told me in December 2007.

In memory of Wyeth, here's my review of Hank's Place from March 2006:

Don't bother asking the staff if he's there - you'll immediately be pegged as an outsider. And if you do spot him, act blase and let him eat his meal in peace.

Andrew Wyeth, arguably the most famous living artist in the United States, is a longtime patron of Hank's Place, off U.S. 1 and Pa. 100.

While the good folks at the casual Chadds Ford, Pa., diner don't make a big fuss over him, they are very protective of Andy, as he's known to friends.

When the low-key, press-shy Wyeth grabs one of the 44 seats at Hank's for breakfast or lunch, he is often accompanied by Helga Testorf, the German-born nurse and subject of Wyeth's famed "Helga Pictures" that caused a national sensation in the late 1980s.

Both Wyeth and Testorf live near the landmark eatery. Don't ask where. No one is likely to tell you.

"Helga and Andy are wonderful," says owner Voula Skiadas (in photo above), who respects the privacy of her customers, both famous and not. "We buffer them."

Interest in Wyeth is especially high this month. The Brandywine River Museum, Delaware Art Museum and Somerville Manning Gallery are running major Wyeth exhibits, and a retrospective of the 88-year-old artist's works will run for four months, beginning Wednesday, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

It's no surprise why Wyeth feels at home at Hank's. In the winter, the quaint, weathered building that serves not too fancy yet deceptively simple cuisine is kind of like one of his paintings.

In the spring and summer, hanging baskets of flowers prettily decorate the outside of the slate-blue restaurant trimmed in a cranberry hue.

"Where hungry people eat and friendly people meet," has long been Hank's motto.
Initially a fruit stand, the site was converted to an enclosed 14-seat hot dog stand, known as Hot Dog George's, not long before it was purchased in 1960 by Virginia and Hank Shupe. According to News Journal archives, the building, which abutted Brandywine Creek, was damaged in a 1977 flood right down to its foundation. The original structure was bulldozed.

The Shupes rebuilt the roadside eatery on higher ground, and it's now the place where many Chadds Ford residents start their day. Skiadas and her husband, Peter, took over the business in 1991, but kept the Hank's name.

The tiny eatery fills up early and often, especially on weekends for breakfast. Tables are close together in two rows, and newspaper-reading customers occupying the dozen seats at the counter contest for space among the various cake stands filled with such baked delights as gooey cherry pies and homemade pumpkin bread. Wood-paneled walls are hung with prints by artists schooled in the Brandywine tradition.

Newcomers to Hank's should know there's a system to the seating. Stand at the door - but don't hold it open - and wait, politely please, until someone points you to an available seat. Pay for your meal at the counter - cash only - before you leave.

Hank's has a large menu - you can get such things as portobello burgers, omelets and "exotic mushroom" quiches. (Kennett Square, the mushroom capital of the world, is, after all, only a few miles away.) But I've always liked the old-fashioned, country-style specials offered at lunch and dinner. Scan the board behind the counter and see what's featured that day. It's always interesting, nostalgic and wide-ranging.

During a recent visit, items (usually $8 to $13) included pork and sauerkraut "the old fashioned Dutch way" with mashed potatoes, gravy and applesauce; slices of spanakopita, the savory Greek cheese and spinach pie; macaroni and cheese with stewed tomatoes; Dutch-style chicken pot pie; and homemade meatloaf.

The Skiadases always make sure there are several seafood offerings during Lent; this day it was fresh, broiled grouper and homemade salmon cakes.

We chose the comforting baked bean special - two baked hotdogs over a casserole dish of sweet beans dotted with onions and served with a very good side of coleslaw. Another favorite was the hearty chunks of tender pork nested in a bed of sauerkraut. The grilled cheese sandwich was nicely toasted and buttery. Dessert was an ample bowl of chocolate ice cream and a large slice of homemade banana cream pie.

A Wyeth sighting at Hank's isn't a guarantee, though the legendary artist was apparently there once when I was eating breakfast.

I didn't realize it until, halfway through my meal, I overheard another customer whisper, "There goes Andy."

Quickly swiveling my head - a very uncool move, I know - I caught a quick glimpse of a white-haired gentleman exiting the front door. Was it really Wyeth? I couldn't say for certain. What I saw was as quick and fleeting and fuzzy as the elusive cougar that's supposedly been stalking New Castle County neighborhoods for years.

Since Hank's is a don't-ask, don't-tell kind of place, I simply shifted my attention back to a scrumptious plate of blueberry pancakes and asked for a coffee refill.

Just like the regulars do.