My favorite memories are of the Silver Grill up in Higbee's. When we would go downtown with my Mom and grandmother to do shopping, we'd always have lunch at the Silver Grill. How elegant it was. And they had a special lunch for kids, they'd bring out a small "buffett" and you would set your own table from it. I remember everyone being "dressed" Dresses, hats, white gloves. Tinkling of glassware and china, white table cloths. Real cloth napkins. It always felt so special.

Occasionally lunch was at Sterling Linder Davis - way upstairs and each floor of the store had an opening where you could look all the way down to the lobby. At Christmas they had a huge tree all decorated (per Wikipedia one of largest in the US) and if you had lunch there you ate looking out that the top of the tree. That was cool, but the Silver Grill is the one that pops back into my mind from time to time.

We are so casual now days and have lost that "specialness", that elegance in life. Learning which fork went with what course. Sitting up straight, no elbows on the table. Respect for others. Yeah, it was a hassle, yeah things are much more comfortable and easy now days, but I do miss that lifestyle from time to time.