Abilene Christian College - Prickly Pear Yearbook (Abilene, TX)

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courtyard softly lighted by small lamps on each table. Another favorite for many college students, mainly because of its unique atmosphere (complete with waitresses who balance plates of onion rings and nachos on their heads) and its all-night hours (for studying, of course) is The Little Red Barn, located on Highway 80. Or, perhaps, we should say was a favorite. The Barn was closed in the spring, for unspecified reasons. But no matter what the reason, one of the highlights of many ACU students’ college careers went by the wayside with the closing of the Barn. The Barn still stands on Highway 80, reminding students of all those nights of studying, laughter and Texo Burgers. (Being Mr tsp All of Abilene’s culture isn’t wrapped up in its food, however. The city offers something in the “arts” field, too, and it wouldn’t be com- plete without some of that good ol’ country and western music. One of the best places for the Opry, former home of the well- known Paramount Theater, a part of Abilene’s heritage. During the fall of 1979 when it looked as if the classic theater was going to be closed, three local men began renovations to make it the “Entertainment Capitol of the Big Country.” Much of the original building, which was constructed in 1930, and its decor, which is reminiscent of the grand old music halls of the past, were left as they had been — in- cluding everyone’s favorite, the clouds and stars that moved across the blue-domed ceiling. The “new” Opry opened in January with Johnny Duncan and Fiddlin’ Frenchie Burke, and later featured such stars as Michael Murphey, Hank Thompson, the Miller Riley Band, Bobby Bare and even ACU’s own Jazmine. Moving from the country sound, Abilene also offers a variety of what many would consider the more cultured music, such as the Thovenal String Quartet which performed as part of the ACU Fine Arts Series, and the Abilene Philhar- monic Orchestra and the Abilene Community Band, which perform regularly in the city. Other offerings in the Key City include opera, sponsored by the

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lawyers, businessmen and blue- collar workers. The menu isn’t large but the of- ferings are delicious, ranging from a smoked beef-on-bun for $1.50 to a plate of beef, ham, sausage and or ribs mixed to the customer’s pleasing for $3.25. Also available is the beef, sausage or ham plate with beans, potato salad or cole slaw, hush puppies and onion. This establishment also is family- owned. Tobe, Harold’s father started the barbecue house 22 years ago, with his wife making her special hush puppies. Most of the culture at Harold’s is provided by Tobe’s family, all working together behind the counter. They take a great deal of pride in the family barbecue, telling of shipping orders to far-away places such as New York and England. Admittedly, these places have class but not the kind of class for that special “night on the town” with all the elegance of the “big city.” Abilene has something to offer in this area too — the Kiva Inn’s Library and Sidewalk Cafe. The Library is the more elegant of the two and also provides the bigger tab, although reports are that the meal and atmosphere are worth the money. The menu, which would do justice to a fine New York or New Orleans restaurant, has an in- ternational flare with several of- ferings seldom seen in this West Texas city. Among these items are marinated herring and gravad lax, a cold Swedish appetizer of cured, fresh salmon in a sweet dill sauce. Both are $3.25. A $3 appetizer of escargot bourguignonne (French snails simmered in wine with herbs and garlic) also is available. The soup section of the menu includes casserole of onion au gratin, a favorite in many fine restaurants. Entrees of fish, fowl, veal, lamb and beef are available at the Library. Cornish game hen stuffed with wild rice dressing, for example, is $7.75. The steak-eaters aren’t forgotten at the Library, either. Steaks range from filet mignon for $8.50 to roast prime rib for $9.25 or $10.50 depending on the cut preferred. The Sidewalk Cafe is designed for people with smaller pocketbooks. With its bright red and green chairs and red-stripped awnings the at- mosphere is pleasant and the menu is more modestly priced than that of the Library. The ever-standard hamburger is offered in 12 varities, ranging from $2.25 to $3.80. Among the most popular of the different varieties are the Monterrey with guacamole and Monterrey Jack cheese for $3.10 and the Kiva containing jalapeno pep- pers and Cheddar cheese for $2.80. Also available for sidewalk dining are 11 kinds of omelettes, ranging from $1.90 to $2.95, fried chicken for $3.25 and a seafood platter for $5.95. The restaurant is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. For international culture in Abilene the place to go is Guiseppi’s Italian Station, 4109 S. Danville. Atmosphere is one of the restaurant’s finest features, with its small tables, covered in red tablecloths, in a simulated Italian

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Cultural Affairs Council, and ballet, performed by the Abilene Metropolitan Ballet and the Abilene Civic Ballet. Turning to the art scene, Abilene has its fair share of culture here also. Regular exhibits covering the arts of all periods and peoples ap- pear at such places as the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Center and the Abilene Fine Arts Museum. And, with three in- stitutions of higher education, a always open to the public. sfiop SlrounJj Some people look for their culture in things other than food, music and art, however, and for these folks the Key City features a number of shopping places — everything from the Mall of Abilene to St. Vincent’s. Opening in March 1978, the Mall was Abilene’s latest shopping area, sitting on 54.8 acres at the in- tersection of the Winters Freeway and Buffalo Gap Road. Among the larger stores operating in the Mall are J.C. Penney’s, Dillard’s, Wilson’s, Grissom’s and Sears, the only two-story section of the shopping area. The Mall features everything from clothing stores to fast-food facilities to sporting goods suppliers and a pet store. The Mall is more than a place to shop, though, as evidenced by the big celebrations scheduled at such times as Easter, when the Easter bunny made a lengthy appearance; Halloween, with a contest to find the jf July. In addition to special celebrations, the Mall also sched- ules, at various times throughout the year, art, car and antique shows. Vincent de Paul Salvage Store at . any par- ticular church) that uses mainly volunteer workers in the store, this little shop has clothes (in all s: descriptions) to d i to ixraks