Let me tell you about the restaurant

 Some folks from Saint Louis with questionable business sense decided it made sense to build a large upscale restaurant in a rural town of less than 400 residents. Buildings were razed and this very nice building went up in their place on the main drag in town. The restaurant (called the Fireside) featured a bar with tables in that area plus a large room with probably thirty tables with tablecloths, fancy cloth napkins, and pricing to match. Remember this is in one of the most impoverished areas of the state of Iowa.

 Fran and I stopped there a couple years ago and we were the only patrons. The food was good but anyone could see this was never going to make it.
 Last week we stopped there again at Fran's insistence. It had changed hands over a year ago and is now called the "Back Forty." That signifies forty acres of land for you non farmers. It was interesting to say the least. We were the only patrons... again! although four more people arrived by the time we left. When we went to the table we were told on Wednesdays they only serve fried foods. We were given a list of about ten items including only two "baskets," fish or chicken strips. I ordered the fish and asked what came in the basket. "FRIES!" he said. What kind of fish. "Darned if I know, I will check." He went to the kitchen and returned, proudly saying "COD."
 The baskets came with a chunk of fish that wouldn't fit in the baskets. Thin and probably fourteen inches long. We broke the pieces of fish and put them on a supplied plate. It really wasn't bad but then the check came. A little over $26.00 plus tip. We did share one order of onion rings but only water to drink. If and when we visit the area again I don't see us eating there.
 The next evening we are in another town at a place called RUMORS. Their motto is "If you heard it here it probably isn't true!" Fran and a hamburger that had to be at least a half pound and I had a pork tenderloin that was over twice the size of the large bun. We were stuffed. The check? A little under ten dollars. Guess where we will eat next time???????
Ken