It was a red building with a tin roof. There was a living tree growing inside one of the rooms. The interior was decorated with antiques, like old neon signs, old wagons, a lobster trap, and boat motors. My favorite decoration was a model biplane made out of tin cans. The tables were decorated with old advertisements. The walls were lined with booths and tables were scattered in the center. Slow turning fans hung from the ceiling. Near the entrance was a model of the building, built by a third-grader for a social studies project. It was really a comfortable room to eat my favorite dinner.
They served the best catfish in central Texas. I had gone there many times, and I always ordered the medium catfish dinner. I received a plate with four perfectly fried fillets. Next to it was a pile of salted french fries and fried okra. I washed it all down with a glass of cold lemonade. My idea of the perfect dinner.
That place was Springhill Restaurant. It no longer exists. It was bulldozed last year, along with the model I had built. The tree that once grew through the roof is now firewood.. In its place is Bee Cave’s 13th bank. Is that supposed the be progress?
I’m still looking for an acceptable replacement.
Brian, that was so powerful. I felt a sense of loss after reading it. The use of the word “bulldozed” seemed like a punch to the gut. How sad! I loved how you revealed that you had made the model as a younger child. Well done!