The Loss of a Restaurant - A Piece of the City's Soul

This week our town lost a great, classy eatery to fire.

The cause remains unknown and possibly suspicious, persons of interest are being sought, no one knows what to do next.

The neighborhood hung out there on Fridays - I didn't go very often but it was enjoyable to go. To hang out with what a co-worker calls "the beautiful people", eat some really great food and enjoy some wonderful wine.

The Bistro was a symbol. A symbol of investment in the downtown of an old, tired city. It showed what one could do with an old building and some loving care. The exposed brick, the old glass, the 100+ year old bar... this was a place with character to spare.

It was a gathering place, a place you brought out-of-town guests to, where you wined and dined prospective clients, where you stopped for some dessert and coffee after a show at the Civic Center or dinner before the symphony. It added class to Main Street.

The people were warm and wonderful too, chatting with the folks behind the bar, the wait staff... everyone who worked there. Maybe the service wasn't always swift but it was always pleasant.

The place had spirit, class and gave this tired city some of its soul back.

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