I recently attended a funeral in West Knoxville, not far from the house I grew up in, and before I drove back to the office I decided to have something West Knoxvillian for lunch. I first decided to go to the Smoky Mountain Market on Northshore Drive for a Rooster, a chicken sandwich that fueled my teenage years. To my disappointment, there were chains on the doors of the Smoky Mountain Market. To my knowledge it was the only place in town that still sold Roosters. Sadness.
I got back in my car and decided to go to Colonel's, a reliable sub sandwich shop at 4809 Newcom Avenue. I first experienced Colonel's in junior high school when my friend Jonathan, who lived within walking distance of it, took me there. I had heard that the couple who operated the restaurant had retired and that the new owners were calling it Colonel's Cafe and serving breakfast, but I figured everything else would be as it was. Again, I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong. I had a delicious gyro, complemented by a generous serving of fresh hot fries, and they kept my iced tea filled. I highly recommend the new establishment, but the old Colonel's is no more. Again, sadness.
