Rush Street Restaurant Memory

 The closing and sale of a longtime Kingsport landmark restaurant reminded me of one of my favorite anecdotes:

When I first moved to the area in the 1980's, I was single and newly divorced.  I happened to meet a pharmaceutical sales rep in an airport lounge in Atlanta, while we both waited hours for a fog-delayed flight to the Tri-Cities Airport.  We struck up a long-distance relationship and would see each other whenever he came here on business, which was frequently.  He was from Chicago, and was used to going to expensive, fancy restaurants.

One time he was in town and said he wanted to go to "the best restaurant in town."  He also liked to have a cocktail with dinner, so that meant that the only restaurant available that had both decent food and cocktails was the Chicago Dough Company, which is what Rush Street was formerly called.  Kingsport had just passed liquor by the drink, and no other restaurant in town had gotten a liquor license yet.  Bill thought it was great that the best restaurant in town was the "Chicago" Dough Company.

As we were eating our nice meal and having our drinks, a huge commotion started in the bar area of the restaurant, which was right next to where we were sitting.  Suddenly, it sounded like a bar brawl from the old west.  Tables were turned over, glassware and beer bottles were thrown and  shattered.  Shouting, screaming, and fighting.

A few minutes later, two bouncers/bartenders came by, each with a cursing, squirming, bloody man in a headlock, dragging them out of the restaurant.

Bill's eyes got huge, and he said, "THIS is the best restaurant in town?"