New Restaurant

Summer before last, Cheezy Jim McMaster keeled over with a massive heart attack at his pizzeria and that was the end of one of Seymour's best restaurants. Gary and I missed Jim and his great sandwiches we ordered once a week.

Jim's widow, Susan, sold the place this summer and we all wondered what would show up there next.  By the end of July the word was out, we would have a Chinese restaurant. I love Chinese food and began to dream of all my favorites.

Whenever I walked to the library, I made a point of peeking in the door to see what was going on.  The new owners gutted the entire interior.  They put in a brand new stainless steel kitchen.  When the light board with the take out menu went into place at the beginning of October, I began to get excited, and I wasn't the only one. Almost every one in town loved Chinese food, I found.

Whenever I saw one of the workers, I asked, "When?" and they answered with what was apparently the only word in English they knew:  "Soon".  That's what the sign hanging out front said as well.

One day when I was at city hall, I asked the clerk what she knew.  She said they were supposed to open up on November 1.   It didn't happen.  

I ran across the woman who will be managing the place and she explained that the county inspector decided the place needed a new furnace.  It was ordered the same day but it meant another long, long wait. The "opening soon" sign began to fade.

I kept walking by, peering in the window.  Beautiful Chinese lanterns were installed.  There were new tables and wall hangings.  When, oh when would we be dining on chicken and cashews, or moo goo gai pan, or dozens of other favorites?

At the pool, the lifeguards kept asking me about it because they knew I was keeping an eye out.  We talked about our favorite foods and we drooled into the chlorinated water.

Then this morning on my morning walk, I spotted the Chinese owner going into the BP station.  I went in, too, and there she was, giving the manager a menu.  She recognized me and said, "We open on Friday!"

I read the menu through and found all my favorites there.  Oh, what joy!

So forget Thanksgiving!  Oh, Gary and I will have a special little meal and all, but all the while I will be planning on what we'll eat the next day when we help open The China Garden.