Brogan: Farewell to a Friend!!

For many in Concord it seemed as though the Corner View Restaurant had been a part of our community forever. Certainly the spot on which it sat had a lengthy history of eateries that had kept the locals very satisfied for many decades. As a child I remember a seafood market and restaurant on the location. Back then "we Catholics" had to abstain from fish on Friday, so visiting the locale was a part of our regular schedule. Later the Landmark Restaurant sat on the spot and thrived for many years prior to Corner View becoming a local staple.

What made the Corner View special wasn't necessarily the food, although it was always reliably good and in some instances extremely good. It wasn't even the prices although they were more than reasonable and you never came away feeling as though you had a take out a second mortgage to pay for the meal.

What really made the Corner View stand out was the feeling that you were a part of a neighborhood - removed from the ever increasingly frantic pace that we all seem to be caught up in today. You could take a breather, relax, and feel as though your presence there was valued. The staff would quickly come to know you by name and would often ask how your life was going. They would confide to you what specials were particularly good that day as they got to know what you liked and didn't like. Art, the owner, routinely went from table to table greeting guests as though they were visiting his home and actually listening to suggestions, comments and even complaints when they surfaced.

The wait staff knew their stuff and how could they not. For many it had been a lifetime of honing their people skills. For those like Mickey Russo, a staple in our city after years of working at Weeks and almost as many years at the Corner View, she provided lightning fast service but you never felt hurried because she cared about each and every person who came into the restaurant. There is an innate skill to making patrons feel that their overall experience is truly satisfying and Mickey could have taught a class in how to do it right.

More than anything, however, I always noticed when visiting the Corner View that upon being seated, patrons did not immediately pull out cell phones or other electronic devices and begin checking messages. The vast majority of customers actually engaged in conversation with one another and over the years I have heard some great discussions about virtually every topic. It didn't matter what age the diner might be, they seemed to all get caught up in the positive energy that was a hallmark of the Corner View.

Many politicians visiting Concord during what now seems like an unending political season, often made a beeline to the Corner View. They knew they'd not only get a good meal but would have the chance to connect with the "real people" that make up Concord.

In June of 2007 I brought Carol Channing to Concord to perform and raise money and awareness about HIV/AIDS.

She and her late husband Harry had barely settled into their lovely rooms at The Centennial Inn when she announced that she was starving after their long flight from California, and would love to go out and eat someplace local.

It was early evening and I asked her what she had in mind and she replied in that inimitable Channing voice, "Someplace where I can get a taste of what Concord and its people are like!"

Selecting the Corner View was an easy response and we all headed there for a wonderful meal topped by their famous Tapioca. It brought out my "ham side" and forced me to launch into a chorus of "The Tapioca" from the film "Thoroughly Modern Millie" for which Miss Channing had won a Golden Globe Award.

Carol delighted the patrons dining at the restaurant and made a new friend of the owner, Art, who happily attended her performance the next evening at the Capitol Center for the Arts.

The Corner View was the perfect spot to experience a part of Concord that is quickly vanishing and to watch people of all ages find a common ground. There will never be anything quite like it but for countless thousands, it will always evoke a smile and warm feeling for its place in our history.

Fortunately the location will continue to be home to a restaurant. Tuckers is due to open its Concord location in a couple of months. Advance word is good and those who have dined at their other locations speak highly of their quality and value. Choosing the spot they've chosen in Concord can only, we hope, be an omen that 80 South Street will continue being an integral part of Concord.