The English Rose in Chattanooga, TN. An English tea shop transplanted to Tennessee - the real thing. Not only do they know my name (every single member of the staff), they know about the kids and the grandkids and the cats and the dog.

I do love that place - all in all I am happy in NC, but I miss the Rose. My Mom was British - the whole tea thing is SOOO comforting to me.

Mere, this is a small town and DH is a people loving person who had 9 brothers and sisters born here....everywhere we go, everyone knows our name. Come to think of it, it's not just here - he can run into someone he knows, or someone who knows someone he knows in just about any city, any airport we've ever been to. Clearly he 'knows' no strangers :) (and yeah, we're total opposites)

Our old hangout (long closed) was just torn down this week. Superb chef....if we went on weekends I'd have boullabaise or garlic prawns in butter, Wednesday night was Sam's special - prime rib, salad and roll. And there would always be friends there to eat with. The chef has since opened a restaurant near Seattle not far from my sisters but we haven't had a chance to look him up, always too much family stuff going on when we're there.

But our fav place to eat is a Mexican restaurant over the bridge in our neighboring town.

Kind of a cool story behind it....The young couple who runs it were working for another restaurant (and not being treated fairly), renting a house from old friends of ours. The friends were so impressed at their honesty, child rearing skills when they were barely more than children themselves, work ethic, they bought them a restaurant to run and pay for when able - clearly friends in a position to pass it forward and give someone else a good start.

It's been a great success; they are on their way to buying the first restaurant and have opened a second. The food is just the best! We try to go - and I overeat - at least once a week. Last weekend was the annual oyster feed at the beach that we go to (pan fried, deep fried, steamed with dipping butter, stew), I missed Mex food and am hungry for it.

Or come to think of it, maybe I'm just hungry. DH was out of town last night and I had cereal for dinner :(

one ot 2 places on the corner where DH and I go frequently - they know our faces, not our names. One is a seafood place, the other is Applebee's. I have to say that one of our favorite places is the Greek place downtown - site of our first date and unchanged since I went there mummblemumble years ago at the age of 16 - great food, but they are in the heart of the tourist area and staff tournover is high, so name-knowing. Heck, most of our neighbors don't know our names, so I guess we are really private sorts. I know DH doesn't like people to know he is a cop - he never drives the cruiser or mentions or shows it when we are out and about.

I was born raised and went to school in the same small town. Same with my kids. Everybody knows me, or one of my siblings or one of my kids. Sometimes it feels a little claustrophobic, but mostly if feels nice and cozy. We go about twice a month to a wonderful Mexican place. It has great food and the waitresses all know us, but not by name. One thing I like about it....the service is wonderful and you get your food before you even finish your chips and salsa.
Kathy

I thought they ate at home, Aunt Bea's cooking. Or cookin', I guess, it being The South. After they went fishin'.

LOL, Hoov. 'Tis true. In fact, I live near Mayberry and people do indeed go fishin' :)

The famous Siamese Twins also married and lived out their life there, which I would've loved to have seen on Andy Griffith!

Jody, I'd miss it, too! That's so cool that you 'do' Tea. We had a British best friend of the family, and hers in the only Tea I've had.

morz8, your post makes me hungry, too, lol. You know, I didn't think of evrybody knowing everybody! That's true for a lot of folks, I guess. I'm sorry your hangout closed - that's the worst... and the food sounds delicious. That's so cool about your friends!

Pagan, ummmm a seafood place. That would be my first pick, to be honest, but there aren't that many here. "On the corner" I love. My "ex" and I lived in a loft apartment with great restaurants "on the corner" and I LOVED walking to them. Unfortunately, that's the gory-story apartment and we moved, lol.

You dated your husband at 16?? How cool is that?!

Our cops hang out here, seriously... they know BeeBee from the Deli up the street, lol... and they think [guard-dog] Istvan is the greatest thing since sliced bread [he saved me from dude[s] breaking in, and the cops investigated]. These are the cops 'in my neighborhood,' which is very small-town, not Winston where they are busier!

I'm with hoovb... LOL... "Aint Bea" did all the cookin. I don't have a regular eatin spot here yet... I guess I'm the "aint bea" around here... make that "Aint Nay Nay".

Not a restaurant.

But, all the guards at the county jail chorus "HARRY" each time I am escorted in.

LOL, Harry.... uh, Otis!

Nay, is that pronounced "ay-nt" like my mom did, lol? Rhymes with "cay-nt" and has nearly 2 syllables :) :) I think she had the exact accent as Andy Griffith, as a matter of fact.