Perched high above the sidewalk on the corner of one of Washington Avenue's busiest intersections, the Bridgewater Grill is actually a restaurant inside The Golden Hotel. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrap the Bridgewater Grille's dining room and provide a panoramic corner view of the street.

When I arrived at Bridgewater Grille, the skies were turning grey, and by the time I sat down, the snow had started to fall heavily. The restaurant was almost completely empty. I could hear a few voices chatting in the bar/ smoking dining room, and a group

of senior citizens was just ending a friendly luncheon when I was seated nearby. My waiter greeted me with some sort of Middle European accent and told me that today was his first day on the job.

I debated between pancakes and French toast, and unfortunately, my greenhorn waiter could not tell me which tasted better or which was more popular with the customers. I blindly picked the French toast.

As I sat waiting for my food, I turned around and saw that the town's activity was