Exterior sign for The Trident illuminated on the side of the building near decorative lighting.

558 Bridgeway, Sausalito, California: 29 January 2013

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As mentioned previously, my birthday in the bay area was planned to be a relaxing and fun day of nature, trails and photography.

We got an early start on Tuesday, 29 January and began at Muir Woods National Park. After lunch, we continued to Mount Tamalpais State Park and enjoyed amazing views of the entire region from the East Peak at 2,571 feet.

The next destination was dinner and we were ready for it. I had set out to pick the perfect location on 30 December 2012 so that I could make a reservation a month in advance, not to mention cross this off on the trip preparation checklist.

View the entire The Trident photograph set in SFO2013 on Flickr

There were a few characteristics that I was looking for in potential restaurants, which I thought might make this difficult. First, since we were spending the day in Marin County, it seemed only logical to dine in Sausalito. With that in mind, I focused on places along the waterfront featuring scenic views.

Numerous options were eliminated rather quickly. Menus not in English or featuring unrecognizable food items were easy to dismiss (think fancy French and Italian eateries). Other places with acceptable menus and price ranges unfortunately also required fancier dress.

We were going to be outside all day, walking through the woods, hiking trails and other non-suit situations. I did not fancy the idea of bringing a change of clothes; plus, who wants to suit up after a day of hiking without a shower? That was when I found and read more about The Trident at 558 Bridgeway.

Located in the original San Francisco Yacht Club building (1898), The Trident has a rich history from its beginnings as a jazz club called Yacht Dock in 1960. Later in 1966 as the hippie movement took over, Yacht Dock was renamed The Trident and underwent a "major groovification." Notable patrons of the time included regular Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Joan Baez, Clint Eastwood and Bill Cosby.

Despite closing in 1980 and being replaced by Horizons restaurant, The Trident was given new life and reopened in November 2012. The building was renovated to include a second-level deck but "most of the custom built wooden interior and the 1960s ceiling mural painted by artist David Richards" remain intact. A menu from the still groovy early 1970s now hangs framed in the hallway as you enter the restaurant.

My strict criteria notwithstanding, I was able to find the perfect location in The Trident. Their menu is one of an upper-end restaurant with prices and service quality to match, but have a casual dress code. The tables along the windows, including our Table 82, have seats on one side only. It was a little chilly this night, but next time I will sit outside on the bay-facing deck.

We arrived early but were seated immediately and quickly tended to by a nice waiter. We started with Fried Calamari served with cocktail and tartar sauce ($14) and glasses of 2010 Highway 12 Cabernet Sauvignon ($11). Delicious loaves of bread with butter were also delivered and replenished several times.

For dinner, Marc ordered the Golden Gate All Natural Burger ($14) with mushrooms ($2) while I went with the Mahi-Mahi catch of the day special served with potatoes and vegetables ($29). Everything was delicious. The waiter even commented on our extremely clean plates afterward.

I usually end birthday dinners with a cocktail such as whiskey on the rocks, but instead went with a Yacht Club Stella Artois ($7.75) since I was driving. When making the reservation via OpenTable, I noted that this was to be my birthday celebration. As such, we were surprised with a Flourless Lava Cake dessert served with fresh fruits and vanilla ice cream ($8) on the house.

After settling up and but before heading to our final stops in the Marin Headlands, we went to the deck to enjoy the view outside and shoot photos.

The evening at The Trident was perfect and at about $100 for two before gratuity, perfectly reasonable considering how much food we had consumed. I will definitely return some time, preferably before sunset on a warm clear day.

Possibly the biggest hit of Omar and Pam's gathering last night was the incredibly delicious Black Bean Chili Dip they served. I enjoyed it with pita, crisps and by itself.

After Pam sent out her recipe earlier, no doubt due to popular demand, I realized that in ten and a half years I have never featured a recipe on this site. That ends today.
 

Black Bean Chili Dip
by Pamela Moyer

Ingredients

1. 15 ounce can black beans: rinsed, drained and partially mashed
2. 1/2 cup drained whole kernel corn or fiesta corn with diced peppers
3. 1/3 cup thick and chunky medium spiced salsa — I used a little more
4. 1/4 cup water — I used a little less
5. 3 teaspoons chili powder
6. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper — optional
7. 1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8. 3 tablespoons canned diced green chilies
9. cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine black beans, corn, salsa, water, chili powder and cayenne.
3. Pour into a small casserole dish. I used an 8-inch round; smaller is better.
4. Sprinkle with cheese and chilies.
5. Cover and bake for 20–30 minutes; until dip is bubbly, cheese is melted.
6. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.

 
In my haste to devour the deliciousness, I failed to take a photograph of yesterday's dish. If you make it, please send me a photo of your results!

Recently Claire and I decided it was finally time for another day trip adventure. Our past four outings had been a success but we put things on hiatus for her second pregnancy. In early January, she suggested the Pebble Hill Plantation, 1251 US Highway 319 South in nearby Thomasville, Georgia. That sounded good to me, so on Saturday, 12 February at around 0945 we were on our way, cinnamon scones in hand, to the 3,000-acre facility.

We arrived shortly after they opened and I could tell that the sunlight and temperature would be perfect for walking around and taking pictures. The main drive from the highway is a cozy, canopy road that winds around the structures to a parking lot at the Stable Complex (1928) and visitor center. Upon our arrival inside, the gentleman working the register greeted us and explained the fees. We each paid the basic $5 grounds access fee and added the main house tour for $10.

After looking at some of the historical artifacts on display, we were ushered into an adjoining room to watch a short film about the plantation and the people who operated it during its 153 year history (1825–1978) before opening as a museum in October 1983. This room contained a vintage American Sterilizer Co. (AMSCO) of Erie, Pennsylvania safe-sized walk-in sterilizer, something that I had never seen before. After the film, it was time to meet the docent for our tour of the main house (1914/1936).

Unfortunately, photography is prohibited on the house tour so I do not have any images from inside (see PHP Photo Galleries). The tour itself was interesting and covered the history of the building and the legacy of strong female mistresses who obviously ran the show back in the day. The house contains an absolute plethora of objects from the 19th and early 20th century including various equine artworks and awards, 33 John James Audubon lithographs and a photograph of President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the property during one of several visits here with his wife.

At the end of the hour-long tour, we exited the main house and were now free to roam the grounds at our leisure and take photographs. We wandered from the trellis to Carriage Circle and explored the Tennis Court, Family Cemetery (1827) and Family Cemetery addition (1932). Moving south, we saw the Swimming Pool (1920), Bath House (1922), Arbor Tunnel and Maze. Moving around the house from the east wing to the front porch and eventually the west wing guest entrance, we next went to some of the other structures on the property.

The oldest building at Pebble Hill is the Log Cabin School (1901), which has on its roof a neat statue of a cat sitting watch. Inside the schoolroom and playroom are the furniture and toys of the various children who lived here. It also contains a vintage Fire-Gun No. 1 fire extinguisher by American-LaFrance Foamite Corporation of Elmira, New York. Moving on, we saw the Overflow Cottage (1916/17), Kitchen Garden and Shed (1917) and The Waldorf (1929).

The main floor of The Waldorf, built as the plantation laundry complete with living quarters, kitchen and dining room, houses some additional vintage equipment of interest. I enjoyed the "Wheel to Fire" mobile firefighting apparatus by O.J. Childs Co. of Utica, New York, the Tip Top Value cast iron stove and range (~1905–1920) by Southern Stove Works, Inc. of Richmond, Virginia and The Great Majestic cast iron stove and range (~1920) by Majestic Manufacturing Co. of St. Louis, Missouri.

The Dog Hospital (1929) felt eerie and abandoned in the way things were arranged. It was almost as if a dog was going to appear and run up to us. Incidentally, I managed to capture one of my favorite pictures from the trip here. Next door, we passed the Firehouse (1929) and Nurse's Station (1929) before walking the main road around the horse paddock and Stable Complex.

Twelve horses and mules live on the plantation today and several of them came up to us once we got closer. After visiting with a few of the curious horses, we walked inside through the Stable Complex to see the horse and cow barns, Tack Room, Dairy and Carriage Room. Already at the courtyard near the exit and having spent two hours wandering around, we decided that it was time for lunch and that the other buildings on-site could wait for another time.

We left the plantation and continued north on US 319 into downtown Thomasville. After parking on the street, we walked up and down Broad Street looking for a good place to eat, finally settling on Jonah's Fish & Grits, 109 East Jackson Street. The restaurant contains a bit of religious artwork and some text on the menu about their namesake, but it was not intrusive. Claire ordered the Shrimp and Grits ($7.50) and I got the Fish and Chips ($7.80) with a cup of Grouper Chowder ($3.80), all of which were quite delicious.

We returned to Claire's house where her three-year-old Elliot wanted to spend some time with me. After a thorough review of his favorite Transformers and Toy Story action figures, Elliot decided it was time to color. Armed with some of his Sesame Street coloring books, we sat at the dining room table and colored together for twenty or thirty minutes. It was an interesting experience for me, not being particularly comfortable with children, but one I think we both enjoyed.

Day Trips with Claire Smith

The Georgia Plantation | The Florida Caverns Trip
The Big Bend Photo Trip

Photographs  Pebble Hill Plantation | Florida Caverns State Park
Tallahassee Antiques Museum | Big Bend Photo Trip | October Day Out

This year for Thanksgiving my family and I decided to do something different. On Wednesday, I met up with Mom and Ross at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, close to Destin and Seaside. Before its eventual purchase by the state in 1992, the park and its 1,640 acres of woodlands, trails, undeveloped beaches and three dune lakes was the focus of much controversy including a savings and loan fraud scandal.

We set up camp in Site 3 on Pampas Loop in the park's Gregory E. Moore RV Resort, a pleasant but modern facility which operated as the privately-owned Emerald Coast RV & Golf Resort from 1986 to 1998. There are no in-ground fire rings or grills present so we brought our own portable fire bowl. While other parks in the state offer larger campsites with more privacy, the atmosphere here was very enjoyable even during the busy holiday weekend.

On Thursday, we walked from the campground to the beach along Tram Road—a park operated transport ferries guests the 0.7 miles to and from the beach but we had no interest in not walking—and photographed the hilly dunes, pristine white sand beach and some of the hundreds of Portuguese Man o' War (Physalia physalis) siphonophores that had washed ashore. Afterward, Mom and Ross prepared a delicious Thanksgiving meal of ham steak, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, red cabbage and apple pie, quite a feat considering the limited kitchen resources of their camper and the size of the meal.

The next day we set out to wander around Seagrove Beach and Seaside, the planned beach community I last visited in June 2007. Going on memory from that trip, I led us on a path which took us to various sites such as the Natchez Street Beach Pavilion, The Truman House and Central Square. After stopping for lunch, cocktails and a view at Bud and Alley's Waterfront Restaurant and Rooftop Bar, we enjoyed the flowers of Cerulean Park in the nearby WaterColor community.

In the evening, we drove to Destin and roamed the HarborWalk Marina and Village which has expanded significantly since my last visit. It was cool and breezy but that did not stop us from enjoying frozen beverages from Jester Daiquiris. On our drive back to Topsail we stopped and had dinner at The Whale's Tail Beach Bar & Grill, a beach side restaurant that would normally offer excellent outdoor seating but on this night it was too cold.

In lieu of our planned outdoor breakfast on Saturday morning, we went to The Donut Hole Cafe & Bakery. Obviously frequented by locals and visitors alike, the Donut Hole offers a wide variety of fresh, homemade sandwiches, breakfasts and baked goods with professional and friendly service. Back at Topsail, we hiked the Turpentine Trail and visited Campbell Lake before heading north. Moving along the Bear Track Trail, we encountered the northern boundary of the park and actually spotted the Donut Hole through the woods.

We next took the opportunity to drive through and assess the campground site options at Grayton Beach and Henderson Beach State Parks for potential future visits. Wanting to catch a sunset and revisit the HarborWalk Marina during better light, we headed back toward Destin stopping first at The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House for lunch. Once we arrived at the marina, we found it to be the perfect chance to spend some time taking pictures of the boats, lights and wildlife with few people around.

Hoping to find some nightlife, we stopped at AJ's Seafood & Oyster Bar and The Lucky Snapper Grill & Bar for drinks and food. Unfortunately, since it was off season there was not much going on around town. Given the weather conditions, the clear starry night was begging to be observed and so I drove us to Seaside, Grayton Beach and the Point Washington State Forest to find isolated darkness. It was more difficult than I anticipated but we did see several shooting stars and the Milky Way before returning to Topsail and turning in for the night.

Sunday morning, we started packing up camp and prepared to go our separate ways after a successful five-day visit. We returned to the Donut Hole for lunch and had another great meal. Our timing was perfect since it was the last day they would be open before closing for three weeks for their off-season vacation. I took one last walk around the park near our campsite and said goodbye to Mom and Ross, knowing that we would see each other again soon for Christmas.

The roads were quite busy as expected, although my journey to Tallahassee was uneventful. Mom and Ross had quite a different experience unfortunately, as they were stuck in heavy traffic on I-10 and I-75 for several hours. They ultimately got back to Orlando far later than they should have, which made me feel bad since they had already endured the hardship of traveling 64% more than me in addition to preparing the camper, supplies and paying for everything. In all, it was a successful trip and I am thankful to have been able to spend quality time with my family.

The Thanksgiving Weekend
The Conterminous Emulator | The Ardea Herodias
The Physalia Physalis

Photographs  Topsail Hill Preserve State Park | Destin
Seaside & Seagrove Beach | WaterColor

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.

Day Trips with Claire Smith

The Georgia Plantation | The Florida Caverns Trip
The Big Bend Photo Trip

Photographs  Pebble Hill Plantation | Florida Caverns State Park
Tallahassee Antiques Museum | Big Bend Photo Trip | October Day Out

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 08 November 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	Now Open! 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