I have been thinking about classic diners in Florida after recently discovering a good one in High Springs. Since I could only think of two more, I will also recommend a nearby non-diner for each.

But first a recap of High Springs' Fleetwood Diner, 615 NW Santa Fe Boulevard. As I noted before, Fleetwood (formerly Floyd's) offers classic diner favorites, homestyle dinners and breakfast anytime they are open. The meatloaf dinner with mashed potatoes and corn and the patty melt with fries are both excellent.

Within walking distance of the boardwalk, pier and typical Daytona Beach junk shops is the Starlite Diner, 401 North Atlantic Avenue. Featuring a medium-sized menu with breakfast, burgers, sandwiches and homestyle dinners, the Starlite sits in the shadow of modern condominium skyrises but maintains its charm with stainless steel and neon. I recommend the patty melt sandwich with fries, but also enjoyed the breakfast plate with ham steak, eggs, homefries and toast.

A few blocks south is Hog Heaven Bar-B-Q, 37 North Atlantic Avenue. Like the Starlite Diner, Hog Heaven does a swift lunch business due in part to the nearby hotels with meeting spaces. The service was prompt and professional regardless. The menu includes BBQ favorites like beef, chicken, ribs and pork. I enjoyed the pulled pork lunch plate with fries, cole slaw and garlic bread. The indoor dining area is nice enough, but I recommend a table in the covered outdoor area.

Two-hundred fifty miles to the south and not far from Fort Lauderdale beach is Lester's Diner, 250 West State Road 84. From their large menu of classic dishes, I took a chance on and was pleasantly surprised with the open-faced roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and corn. This diner classic is often fatty and drowning in gravy, but this version was great. The building was looking a little worn at the time and the waitress was grumpy, but good roast beef goes a long way.

Down the street is the must-visit Old Heidelberg German Restaurant, 900 State Road 84. Featuring a comprehensive menu of old world favorites and import beer, Old Heidelberg is quaint, dimly lit and heavily decorated with art and beer steins. I still have dreams about the Oktoberfest combo: bratwurst, thüringer, knockwurst, smoked pork chop, meatball and kielbasa with red cabbage, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. The waiter was polite and attentive, plus the live accordion player was a nice touch. If you really enjoy your meal, walk next door and pick-up some sausages and meat from the Old Heidelberg Deli, which features the products served in the restaurant and much more.

Please note it has been around five years since I last visited the Starlite Diner, Hog Heaven Bar-B-Q, Lester's Diner and Old Heidelberg. If you have more recent experiences, please share them.

It had been raining lightly for several hours when 0830 EST rolled around and Claire arrived for our trip to Florida Caverns State Park, 3345 Caverns Road, Marianna, Florida. The drive on Interstate 10 was uneventful though there were a few spots of heavy rain. Taking Exit 142, we had a chance to see quaint downtown Marianna before arriving at the park.

Like most Florida State Parks there is an entrance fee ($5.00) that allows unlimited entry and exit for the day. Since I had forgotten to take the time zone change into consideration, we were parked and walking up to the visitor center gift shop to purchase cave tour tickets only minutes after 0900 CST.

The rain was steady but light enough to walk around and enjoy the nearby wooded area. A sign described this area as a former Native American village, the caves providing clay for pottery and shelter against weather and attack. We purchased our tickets ($8.00), browsed the gift shop and wandered around outside a bit before Park Ranger Frank was along to begin our tour through the cave at 0930 CST.

Due to our accidentally perfect timing, Claire and I were the only visitors on the first tour which made for a particularly excellent experience for us. Instead of the typical 45 minute walk-through with twenty-five other people, Frank was able to leisurely take us through the various sections, highlighting formations and providing historical as well as scientific context throughout. Lasting over 60 minutes, the tour was relaxingly paced, thorough and fulfilling. Frank even showed us some of the best places from which to photograph certain formations.

The original 494 acres of park land was purchased by Dr. J.C. Patterson in 1935. He had hoped to develop the area into a state park when the discovery of the caves was made. Florida Caverns was established as Florida's seventh state park on 11 October 1935. Since the Great Depression was taking a toll on the local economy, Patterson envisioned a Luray Caverns style attraction to boost the area and in 1938 development of the Tour Cave and park amenities began. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp SP-12 worked for four years as the "gopher gang" on this New Deal era project constructing visitor paths, adding the entrance and exit stairways, installing electric lighting, cutting additional passageways and building the visitor center. The park opened to the public in 1942.

The tour's route can vary due to the rising and falling water table. Claire and I were surprised to learn just how high the water levels can get inside certain cavern rooms, but we were fortunate that the main paths were all clear today. Signs of the past days rain were visible in the drops flowing down stalactites onto stalagmites and in pools forming throughout.

After walking back to the visitor center and thanking Frank for the great tour, we took his suggestion and went upstairs to look at the exhibits and watch a few short films about the park's history and ecosystem. Although we were also interested in wandering around the rest of the park, we decided to come back in a few months when it is not cold and raining. On that trip we will hike the trails, check out the river and other activities, not to mention take the cave tour again for fun—and hopefully improved pictures.

Ready for lunch, we drove around the section of Marianna we had not yet seen but found no restaurants of interest. Having seen it earlier on the drive in, we decided to check out San Marcos Mexican Grill, 4867 West Side Plaza. It was a nice lunch for a reasonable price. I ate the chile relleno, enchilada, beans and rice ($7.85) and Claire had something similar sans chile relleno. We enjoyed our food and then got back on the road, this time taking local roads instead of the interstate.

I had planned to drive US 90 all the way east to Tallahassee, but later realized we were on CR 71 heading south. The route we ended up on took us through Altha, then Ocheesee Landing via CR 274, which turned into CR 286 and eventually deposited us at I-10. At that point it seemed silly to try to find US 90, so we decided to simply head back. Besides, we will have the opportunity to take US 90 when we return to Florida Caverns in a few months.

While driving to visit friends last night, I noticed a new restaurant had opened at the recently shuddered Nino's. Carl's On The Parkway at 6497 Apalachee Parkway opened two weeks ago and offers a moderately priced menu of steaks, prime rib, seafood and house specialties. It is no coincidence this eatery started-up at a time when many are closing for financial reasons. Owner Carl Bengston says this is probably the best time to open a restaurant, hoping to build a clientele and later thrive when conditions improve.

Besides Nino's, another recent closure was the Silver Slipper, 531 Silver Slipper Lane, a Tallahassee institution since 1938. Well known as the place where government officials and lobbyists brushed elbows to meet and dine in secluded booths, Silver Slipper owners cite the 2005 gift ban legislation prohibiting public officials from accepting gifts as a reason for closing in April 2009. It will be interesting to see what the Kalfas' bring to the next iteration of their family tradition, a restaurant slated to open in 2010.

Returning to their roots on Apalachee Parkway (see old advertisement, right), Marie Livingston's Steakhouse is currently remodeling the former location of Durango Steakhouse, 2705 Apalachee Parkway, for a planned autumn opening. I have been a fan of the 2714 Graves Road Days Inn location since before I moved here in 2005, but Marie's opening on the Parkway will herald the return of the steak lunch option to those of us working on the east side. The folks at UrbanTallahassee are posting the latest news and information, plus excellent photographs of the site spanning the past year.

The last time I headed to ItZa Pizza, 3551 Blairstone Road Suite 124, for lunch I found it closed. Having dined at the Italian eatery for over three years, I was disappointed to lose yet another lunch staple. Fortunately, their website says they moved to 2714 Apalachee Parkway in the Corners at Cross Creek strip plaza across the street from the brand new Super Suds Express carwash. The Steak Bomb, Chicken Bomb and Grilled Chicken sandwich are all absent from the temporary menu posted online, so I hope to find them available when I stop by soon. I also wonder if they replaced the decent Peruvian/Cuban Las Brasas Restaurant or moved in next door.

All this talk of restaurants opening and closing has me thinking about The Tales of Stories Past III, my January 2008 article on the same topic. Just under a year and a half have passed, what a perfect opportunity to post updates on the locations discussed then. So here they are, ordered by their appearance in the original article.

Updated 15 August 2010

The Past…	…and Present
B. Merrell's 1433 East Lafayette Street	The Hour Glass
Southern Fixin's 2840 Apalachee Parkway	IHOP
Back Yard Burgers 2014 Apalachee Parkway	Verizon Wireless
Durango Steakhouse 2705 Apalachee Parkway	Marie Livingston's Steakhouse
The Original Italian Pie 1140 Capital Circle Southeast	Pepper's Mexican Grill and Cantina
Philly Connection 1490 Apalachee Parkway	Nail Salon
Uncle Ed's Subs & Salads 3551 Blairstone Road #132	Vacant
The Main Ingredient 1710 West Tharpe Street	Monk's/Wells Brothers Bar and Grill
Five Guys Burgers and Fries No Locations	1872 Thomasville Road, Suite B
Jersey Mike's Subs No Locations	Opening Soon! 1801 West Tennessee Street 32304
El Chico 2225 North Monroe Street	IHOP

The last time I went to B. Merrell's for lunch, I did not even make it inside. As a piece of paper taped to the glass door came into focus, it quickly became clear I would not be met that day by a delicious meal and great service from Jim or Patrick. As I got closer I could read the handwritten message, "Closed. Thank you for 15 great years. Barry Merrell."

Later in the afternoon of 31 May 2007, the message sign out front was being modified by a man using a long pole with a suction cup on the end to hang the letters. The reverse side was already complete. It read simply, "Thank you for 15 great years."

It was one in a series of Tallahassee restaurant closings, ranging in severity of misfortune. In the case of B. Merrell's, I found the closure most unfortunate. Offering a wide range of lunch and dinner entrees, B. Merrell's became my default destination, frequently visited if another restaurant did not attract my attention.

According to an article in the Tallahassee Democrat by Will Brown published 08 June 2007, Barry Merrell closed the 1433 East Lafayette Street eatery to focus on another location in Columbus, Georgia. A desire to stop driving the seven and some hour roundtrip between the two locations was cited as a reason for leaving the area. Local sources claim medical reasons pushed the decision as well. In any event, I hope to some day visit the Columbus location for a trip down lunch break memory lane.

Update: 14 June 2009 — Read a follow-up to this article in The Movable Feasts, where we see what has become of these restaurants of the past.

Another lunchtime regular to shutter was Southern Fixin's at 2840 Apalachee Parkway. Formerly the Florida Grill and then Capri Italian Restaurant, Southern Fixin's got off to a rocky start. At first the place just needed to improve service and get organized, not exactly surprising from a restaurant getting started. After some time and once a regular staff was aboard, things improved dramatically.

The food was good from day one, however. Their full menu included all the classic favorites including meatloaf, fried chicken, pork chops, fish, vegetables and all the sides. It was like a local version of Cracker Barrel—without the nostalgia and store—and soon made a great, reliable addition to my lunch rotation.

One day I stopped in for my usual meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans and could not help but notice the recent installation of a buffet. It was a new all you can eat option for around $10, plus a takeaway option billed per pound. I initially ignored the buffet and continued to order from the menu as I have no need to consume such massive quantities, particularly for lunch.

Before long I was told the menu was eliminated and the buffet established as the sole option. It contained most, if not all or more of the items from the former menu and was good, but by making the buffet the only option they lost my regular business. I do not know if it was a similar sentiment or other factors, but the buffet-only Southern Fixin's was soon closed for business, another eastside restaurant down the tubes¹.

One closure that made no sense to me was that of Back Yard Burgers. I was familiar with the chain's one hundred percent Black Angus burgers charbroiled over an open flame, chicken sandwiches and waffle fries from their location in Altamonte Springs. Upon moving to Tallahassee, I was surprised to find two locations, one near the FSU campus at 1410 West Tennessee Street and the other near my office at 2014 Apalachee Parkway. While the central Florida location is drive-thru and walk-up only, the Tallahassee locations featured full dining rooms with self-service beverage fountains. For a fast food chain, the food was delicious and the service exceptional.

The Tennessee Street location was the first to go, but since I never dined there I could not tell if the students simply did not take to the place—a hard scenario to imagine—or if poor service and management were to blame. I can, however, attest to the quality and efficiency of the Parkway location where lunches were often busy but always fast and fresh. So it came as quite a surprise when I saw that location eventually gone as well.

27 January would have marked the third anniversary of the Parkway location, but regardless of their closure Back Yard Burgers is up for a 2007 Tally Award in the Best Hamburgers category, an accolade bestowed on the restaurant last year. The latest winners will be announced 25 January.

Other lunch casualties include Durango Steakhouse at 2705 Apalachee Parkway, The Original Italian Pie at 1140 Capital Circle Southeast, Philly Connection at 1490 Apalachee Parkway and Uncle Ed's Subs & Salads at 3551 Blairstone Road, Suite 132.

The most recent closing was not a lunchtime haunt at all, but rather a nice place to have dinner. The Main Ingredient at 1710 West Tharpe Street is well-known in town for their appetizing mix and match menu and daily specials. The meals were not cheap, but they were amazing.

It was a shock to many locals when near the end of November 2007 the restaurant closed without notice. Several business close or reduce hours when college is not in session and even more over the holidays, so there was a bit of lingering hope the doors would reopen in the new year. That never happened and the word on the street is financial trouble plus the failure to secure a backing deal forced the closure.

No doubt, restaurants are a tough make it or break it business with complex logistical operations, high costs and frequent employee turnover. Smart franchisers need to approach Tallahassee without visions of grandeur and focus on the essentials in order to succeed.

I specifically invite Five Guys "Famous Burgers and Fries" and Jersey Mike's Subs, a growing franchise started as a stand-alone in 1956, to give our capital market a spin. Both former Back Yard Burgers locations need new occupants anyway.

¹ "Down the tubes—hear that one a lot. People say, 'Ah, the country is going down the tubes.' What tubes? Have you seen any tubes? Where are these tubes? And where do they go? And how come there's more than one tube? It would seem to me, one country, one tube. But does every state all of a sudden have to have its own tube now? One tube is all you need. But a tube that big? Somebody would have seen it by now." — George Carlin