"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance..."

We ate last night for our last time at The Globe restaurant in old downtown Northport. Why? Because after 17 years of delighting the citizens of Tuscaloosa and surrounding areas with his culinary genius, Chef Jeff Wilson has decided that he must close his doors. Thus, another example of how the economy is affecting us all.

Jeff Wilson has always been a fan of the works of William Shakespeare. That is why he named his restaraunt The Globe, after the Globe Theatre. The walls inside were covered with Shakespearian artwork and framed quotes from Shakepeare's plays. The theatrical theme continued onto his menu, with dishes such as Twelth Night Trout, the Oberon, and my personal favorite, a lobster stuffed filet mignon known as the Prince Hal.

Heather and I are sad to see The Globe close. We have shared many great memories there. It was there that we had our first date. It was there that we ate when we got engaged. It was there where we have celebrated our anniversary every year. And it was there that we have enjoyed ourselves over and over too many times to count. I have shared many a meal with many wonderful friends, some who are no longer with us, and The Globe was my absolute, number one, favorite place to eat.

So we heard through the grapevine that it was closing, and knew that we had to have one more dinner before saying goodbye. Last night I had a filet, and Heather had the shrimp tortellini. The place was packed, just like it used to be before times got hard for so many people. We had to wait a little while, but everything was excellent, as always.

I asked our waiter at one point what they were doing with the artwork and quotations on the wall. He said some were being sold. So when we were done with our dinner, I walked around the entire restaurant trying to find the perfect piece. I thought I had found a couple of things that were close, but just wasn't sure. Then when we were about to leave, hanging beside the door was just what I wanted. It's a quote from Hamlet and was spoken by Ophelia. It was the perfect piece to remember such a great old place.

"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember."

I bought it. Chef Jeff even signed the back for me. And Heather kept a menu that we will add to the back. And we'll always have a piece of the Globe, and we will always remember.