New arrivals to Tyler often talk about this city as a small town with little to do except eat, drink and go to the movies. As a young adult growing up here I was inclined to agree and often took advantage of all three of those options. One favorite location my friends and I discovered for two of the three activities above, was a fine dining establishment called Bernard’s. My friends and I passed many late hours there enjoying adult beverages, fine tobacco, and philosophical conversation. We would generally show up around closing time and sit around until all hours of the morning talking with the owner. Of course we were nowhere near as cool as we thought we were. And the fact is we really couldn’t afford the lifestyle we were living. It was only thanks to our gracious host that we were able to experience a higher level of food, drink and conversation. Incidentally we must have been at least halfway decent conversationalists for him to tolerate our presence so regularly.
Well, I’m not a twenty something anymore and Tyler has actually changed a lot since those days. Fortunately Bernard’s Mediterranean is still here. I recently took my wife to the fine dining establishment for her birthday. It was the first time I’d visited in around fifteen years. The food was as good as ever, the atmosphere comfortable and of course the company was even better. I had the tender veal with mushrooms and she had pasta with salmon and caviar. Bernard’s has got to be one of the best restaurants in town. It hits all of my most important criteria. It’s locally owned, not a chain or franchise and the food is amazing. Thankfully, this is one great area eatery that’s not in danger of closing due to lack of local interest.
As we left the restaurant I found Bernard himself taking a break on the patio outside. I discovered that he still remembered our late night symposiums and we talked lightly of the friends with whom we’d spent those hours and where their lives had taken them. It will certainly not be another fifteen years before I return to Bernard’s, but I certainly hope it’s still in business after that time.