Parkway, Highway 441, is the main street through Pigeon Forge, the home of Dollywood. For miles the highway is lined with glitz - there are games and amusements galore, many dinner shows, pizza parlors and fast food restaurants of every description. It is the tourist Mecca in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, just a few miles from Tennessee Tuxedo’s favorite big city of Gatlinburg.
We drove down the busy, tourist thronged steet looking for a place to have breakfast out. We selected the Hearthside because it stood out by not garishly standing out. Of dark wood and brick, the folksy building blended with the hills and the trees. It didn’t have chrome and stainless steel, flourescent plastic and yards of neon tubing. It would have been more at home a few miles down the road in a more rustic setting. The building has window walls on three sides. It made for a light and airy interior. A English-cottage ceiling with suspended lights in hurricane chimneys lent a rustic charm. The tables and chairs were wood with Colonial chairs, all befitting a pastoral Tennessee.
We were quickly seated although the restaurant was near capacity, a busy place. Looking around, one could see the furnishings and decor were of age but clean and well maintained. The first item on the menu caught my eye. The Today’s Special, a country buffet breakfast that featurd a long list; scrambled eggs, buttermilk pancakes, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, grits, has browns, cooked apples, French toast sticks, doughnuts and a fresh fruit bar. Being more trencherman than gourmet, I opted for the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet.
The food at the buffet was cafeteria style. In steam trays and iced bowls, it was basic food, what you would expect from a cafeteria offering, but it was well prepared and with small containers, kept fresh with frequent refills. I filled my plate and headed back to the table. On the way I noticed that the buffet seemed to be the most popular choice. Of those dishes noted ordered from the menu, the presentation was good, the food looked wholesome and appetizing and I suspect prepared with care.
The food I chose was tasty and I was happy with my selection. The waitress kept the coffee cups filled and offered clean plates for a refill run at the buffet. She gave quick and courteous service even though she was ever busy with a constant stream of new diners. So, to recap, pleasant surrounding, good basic food, courteous service at reasonable prices. That rates a thumbs up from me anytime.
It wasn’t until I went to the cashier to pay the bill that I found there was even more to the story - something not apparent until you were told. I asked for a take-home menu as I usually do to remind me of prices and selections. The cashier told me they didn’t have any but offered one of the service menus instead. I offered to pay for the menu but she said that wouldn’t be necessary. You see, today was the Hearthside’s last day. After 20 years in business, the restaurant was closing. New owners were coming and would someday open a store but that was quite a bi in the future. I asked about the employees. She said that they would all be unemployed at the end of the business day. I thanked he for our pleasant meal and wished he and the others well. Clutching my souvenir menu as I left, I reflected on what amazed me more. Here was a restaurant full of soon to be unemployed workers. They were without the usual incentives, a continuing job, chance for advancement or pay increase. But they were there doing their jobs in a courteous and professional manner. It made our breakfast an even more satisfying meal. The Hearthside employees demonstrated a great deal of personal integrity. I have great respect for those people and surely wish them well. To the new owners of the Hearthside, if an applicant lists previous employment with Hearthside, consider it a hearty and well deserved recommendation.
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