Went to a restaurant that my friends and I have been going to for years. I have a lot of good memories there but the place has been on a long downward slide.
Felt like the customers ran the place because it was a lively group and it has an absentee owner. The food was pretty good and the atmosphere was a lot of fun. The cook, however, was never the type to glad-hand with the clientele and he never seemed too interested in being there anyway. He eventually changed the menu pretty drastically and then left shortly thereafter. Not sure if he quit or was fired. My friends and I joke that maybe he intentionally made a bad menu just to stick it to his boss on his way out the door.
Anyway, we still hang out there. Not really sure why. My family and friends have gotten me way too many gift certifcates at this place and a man's got to eat I suppose. Don't know how much longer I'll be hanging around after I burn thru those. Pretty quiet usually and, frankly, it's like a ghost town on most days. The place is cavernous now (about 10,000 square feet) as they were perpetually expanding the place when times were good. Times changed though and there are now a couple vacant places on both sides.
We were talking the other day that if the restaurant took over both spaces and blew out the walls, my ten friends and I could each have our on window seat. Jim, my high school buddy whose is usually pretty quiet, took a sip of coffee and said, "Really? The only reason I come here is to hang out with you clowns. What fun is it to sit by yourself...especially eating this slop." Jim went back to eating---or really, poking at, his breakfast. My friends looked at each other and sat in silence. I looked around and realized the place was empty---and really quiet.
I was killing some time before we left and I looked outside the window. People were passing by. Running, walking their dogs, pushing toddlers in strollers. A whole world outside. My friends and I sat some more in silence. We paid the bill and left.
4/10/2012 4:34 PM (edited)