Short and sweet will describe three parts of my review this week. My dining companion, the length of this week’s column and the wait and enjoyment of our trip for lunch at Chaney’s Dairy Barn.

My dining companion is not short by design, but by age. She’s almost 9 and now that school’s out for summer we decided to take a trip to Chaney’s for lunch, ice cream and more.

Chaney’s has now added a menu of food and fun on its family farm just five miles outside Bowling Green.

Of course you can’t miss the big red barn and, once you pull in, the huge tube-like slides in the back for fun after or before lunch – but what you may not know is inside are two stories of a quaint, picnic-in or picnic-out style dining, and a friendly staff that was as personable and wholesome as the ice cream.

Chaney’s has a variety of traditional sandwiches, including egg salad, chicken salad, ham, pimento and pulled pork, as well as soups, hot dogs, chicken strips and a kids menu. I ordered a half of two different sandwiches so I could try as many tastes as possible and my dining companion opted for the – very mature for her age – grilled chicken salad that was on the specials menu.

To order, we filled out a card for each order so we could have anything to our liking. While the menu may not be extensive at Chaney’s, this fact alone expands choices ten-fold! We had not filled out everything correctly, so our waiter patiently and kindly came to our table and went through everything to make sure we got what we wanted – and we did.

The salad was tossed, fresh mixed greens with cucumbers, tomatoes, grated carrots, cheese, croutons and a choice of grilled or fried chicken. The grilled chicken was warm and appetizing and the rest of ingredients balanced well.

Much to my surprise, my sandwiches were made with a flavorful homemade, very fresh, thick, squared, crustless and soft, whole wheat bread. I’d never seen or tasted anything like it and it was delicious. I chose to try the chicken salad, which was an understated delight. Just shredded chicken with a balance of mayo and a little sweetness. I also had a smoked turkey sandwich with thick slices of fresh-cut – with the grain – turkey, for a burst of turkey flavor in every bite.

Chaney’s serves its “lunch” menu all day.

After lunch we meandered over to the ice cream counter and after looking over all the different types of wonderfully complicated ingredients, this time the choice was sweet and simple. We shared a scoop of toasted coconut ice cream. It’s an uncomplicated, straightforward taste of fresh creme and natural coconut. Yum.

I said I’d be short this week. I want to leave a few surprises so you too can enjoy a summer trip to Chaney’s. Bring a child or just your childlike spirit and enjoy! Chaney’s has all kinds of summer events you can find at its Web site, www.chaneysdairybarn.com.

— Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

CHANEY’S DAIRY BARN

9191 Nashville Road

• 843-5567

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-

Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday

Cuisine: American

Price range: $2.75 to $5.99

Specialties: Ice cream

Libation situation: None

Smoking: No