There’s something about a good home-cooked meal that can bring people through the door, and at the Superior Senior Citizens Center, head cook Jessica Williams seems to have figured out the recipe.

Williams has been cooking at the center for about eight years, with a one-year break in the middle. In that time, she has watched the Wednesday evening crowd grow from about 20 or 30 diners to as many as 85 people. And these days, she’s feeding roughly 100 customers a week between Wednesday dinners and Friday morning breakfasts.

Her mother, Julie Huntington of Cheyenne, Wyoming, has a front-row seat to the magic. Huntington makes a loop twice a year to visit her children and always finds time to lend a hand in her daughter’s kitchen. 

“The people around her absolutely love her,” Huntington said of Jessica. “It’s because she makes a connection, and she makes really good food.” With a million-dollar smile that mirrors her daughter’s, Huntington added, “I feel I taught her the kitchen basics and then she just took off from there.”

Williams admits that taking off took some time. 

“When I started, we were serving about 20, maybe 30 people,” she said. “It gave me that learning time as we slowly picked up more people who were coming to eat.” 

That gradual growth turned out to be a blessing for someone with no previous commercial-kitchen experience. 

“It gave me the chance to figure it out in baby steps, because if I would have started at 80, I would have been a mess,” she laughed. 

Today, Williams’ Wednesday meals regularly serve between 60 and 85 people, making the kitchen a considerably busier place than when she first arrived. 

Her favorite part of being the executive chef at the center? 

“Being there for the people," she said. "Being a part of this wonderful community and feeding all of the people.”

The center added Friday morning breakfasts in January, and it didn’t take long for a loyal following to develop. Served from 8 to 11 a.m., the breakfasts offer a different kind of challenge for Williams than the Wednesday evening meals. 

“Gosh, that’s a tough question,” she said when asked which she prefers. “Wednesday, I have a set menu with a serving line. But they’re both fun, don’t get me wrong. This is more exhausting because you’re doing five million different things at once,” she said with a laugh. 

Unlike the Wednesday dinner, Friday breakfast is a line-cook, order-as-you-go operation.

Williams comes in on Thursday for a full day of cleanup from Wednesday’s meal and to prepare for Friday. She rearranges the kitchen and lobby into a different setup designed for breakfast service. 

“I turn it into a line kitchen as opposed to a dinner meal workspace,” she explained. She may make bread pudding, cinnamon rolls or other items ahead of time, depending on the next morning’s menu. Susan Yarbrough volunteers to help Williams in the kitchen on Fridays, something Williams deeply appreciates. “The pancake platter, the omelets and the burritos are definitely the big hitters,” Williams said. “Probably the pancake platter, as I think about it.” 

Friday breakfasts typically bring in 20 to 40 customers, adding another steady stream of diners to the center each week.

Wednesday dinners begin at 4:30 p.m., with a suggested donation of $7 to $8, depending on age and whether the meal is eaten at the center or taken to go. After dinner, the center holds a couple of bingo games, complete with a prize table. But the games serve a purpose beyond winning a prize as they give diners a reason to stick around and visit one another. 

The center does encourage people to stay and socialize, although takeout became much more common during the pandemic. Williams said that change has continued. 

“They want you to come in and congregate, stay and visit, but after doing takeout for a couple of years, people got used to it and that is the majority of our Wednesday meals now,” she said.

For those who do want to come to the center but don't have transportation, the organization works with the Mineral County Pioneer Council to provide rides within a 5-mile radius for the midweek meal. Customers are picked up around 4 p.m. and taken home after the bingo games, free of charge. The service is especially popular during the winter months, when darkness comes earlier and road conditions can make driving more difficult. Anyone needing a ride should call 406-552-7003 by noon Wednesday.

Williams has her favorites when it comes to cooking, but there’s one Wednesday meal that stands out. 

“Making meatloaf is my favorite midweek meal because it’s so popular,” she said. “I have one fella who comes in and buys all of the leftover ones to take home,” Williams said. 

For Williams, though, the growing crowds aren't simply a reflection of a popular menu. They are a reflection of the people behind the senior center. 

“This place is amazing and the TLC in the food is the key,” she said. “That’s what’s grown it and keeps people coming back. We’ve got all of these amazing women on the board (of directors) and people know that we care.” 

And judging by the number of people who keep coming back, Jessica Williams has discovered that sometimes the best way to build a community is simply to put good food on the table.

Oct. 7: Chicken enchiladas, Mexi-corn and fresas con crema (strawberries and cream).

Oct.14: Lasagna, chopped Italian salad, garlic bread sticks and lemon bars.

Oct. 21: Loaded nacho bar with chicken or chorizo, lettuce, tomatoes, olives and more; refried beans and tres leches cake.

Oct. 28: Beef stew, dinner roll, peaches with cottage cheese and zucchini bread.

For Wednesday meal takeout orders, call the SSCC at 406-822-3334.