The sawdust on the floors, the Chinese food, the bikers, the hippies, the yuppies and the local hillbillies would congregate and tolerate each other to have a beer. It was where I had my first (legal) drink on my 21st birthday. I remember the Fabulous Blue Flames would play on Saturday night with the sax player walking down the bar, dancing spilling over into the street. It was in continuous operation for 106 years with the same family: an institution, history, a piece of americana with substance and grit. It's gone and will be replaced by a clean, generic brew pub. Just what the world needs now is another rubber stamped place for yuppies and tourists to drink, just like we need another strip mall or a hole in the head.

I came back to visit my family in the foothills for T-day and to my complete shock it was closed down. I'm devastated. It's almost like losing a family member. This kind of establishment just can't be replaced.