It appears my favorite sushi place has gone into that big patch of white fluffy clouds where the chosen people munch to their hearts content. "Ben Sushi" is now hanging out alongside "Scotty's Donuts," "Naturally Yogurt," "that awesome sundae shop on E68th Street," "The Norseman," "La Fonda 4," "Fantasy Popcorn," "Tommy's Cafe," and "Chicago Dogs."

I know that restaurants turn over quickly, especially in a tenuous financial climate. After all, part of Ben Sushi's (or was it Sushi Ben?) appeal was its price. It was much lower than the closest neighborhood joint, which was packed this evening. Yup, we were going to stay pretty local tonight, but decided to head for our new-old buddy Ben because Husband and I figured we had enough time to make the trek; besides, why wait in line for more expensive sushi?

But instead of cheap and yummy sushi, we discovered a nearly empty Indian Restaurant. We drove around for awhile and selected an entirely different sort of cuisine, thankfully a place that I remember fondly from nearly 30 years ago. Aha, many restaurants do have longevity, even if they aren't chains.

Ironically enough - this morning I saw a navy blue Jeep Cherokee parked across the street. My heart swooned just for a second as I recalled my own formerly-beloved navy blue Jeep Cherokee... who I had dubbed Ben.