Musing on the Smokin’ Gun. Why am I always the last to know?
This is how I found her.
Crumpled on the kitchen floor.
My daughter’s a tad dramatic.
This is what she did when she heard her favorite restaurant, the Smokin’ Gun, was shutting its doors for good after lunch today.
So we headed out there for one more meal.
Now, I must admit that I had never been there — but she and my son have been there lots with their grandparents.
I think this is the place.
Every time they go she has pulled chicken with Brunswick stew.
She talks about the Brunswick stew all the time. I guess that’s why she collapsed when she heard the bad news. Brunswick stew withdrawal.
Now, it’s not all bad. They are going to keep cooking — catering for parties, showing up at festivals — but it won’t be possible to get a daily fix after today.
Sure enough. They were closing. 🙁
We saw familiar faces.
The newlyweds. Carol and Jim Jones.
By the time we left, these tables were filled.
I ordered a pulled-pork sandwich and fries. (I couldn’t help myself with the fries — they were the crinkle kind right out of the fryer.)
Joe had his usual two corn dogs.
Hannah had her usual as well.
She looks sad. Maybe because she's already missing the stew.
It was truly delicious. I’m not just saying that because I want to be kind.
It was really, really good.
With food this good, why were they closing?
I guess for the same reason this was my first time visiting.
Their establishment was on the way out of town, the way I never go out of town.
If they had been on the way to Athens, the interstate, some better traveled way —
Oh well.
I’m a firm believer in that adage when the Lord closes a door, He always opens a window.
Some good news. They took our number and promised to call whenever they were making the Brunswick stew. 🙂 My children are already scouting locations for a reopening of another Smokin’ Gun sometime down the road.
Have you lost a great place to the downturn in things lately?
I so feel her pain. I have strange eating habits. I get stuck on one thing and I can eat it for every meal, months at a time. In the past, it has included peanut butter and jelly. Poptarts. Buffalo chicken pizza.
I have had certain dishes which I obsess about, wiped off of menu’s before, but not a whole restaurant, though one is on the brink. Up in the Northeast, we have Friendlies. It’s been around forever. To this day, it has one of my favorite dishes of all the many places to eat out. Or did until they removed it. Go figure. But now they have filed bankruptcy and are strategically closing locations. If they disappear forever, it will be like loosing a part of New England culture.
Please pass on my condolences to your daughter.
I’ve seen Friendlies. They have such a cheery logo. Makes me think of Big Boy restaurants. You never see them anymore either. I hope Friendlies makes it out okay. Car companies and airlines have survived bankruptcy maybe cheeseburger spots can too. .