Pudge LaPlump is the head cook and chief dishwasher of this wonderful little cafe. He can whip you up a skillet of fried greens or a deep dish parsnip pie in the flash of an eye.
A simple warning is in order here: His pies are as good as they get; peach, persimmon, or pecan, but if he tries to serve you parsnip pie with his secret river sauce, simply be polite and don't order it! The pie is bitter even with the butter batter and the secret sauce tastes like dirt, which everyone truly believes is the secret ingredient in the secret sauce.
By the by, Pudge is a weasel, and about as skinny as a rail. Story has it that on windy days, Pudge carries a rock so he won't blow away.