Ed eats lunch every day at the Subway down the street from his office. Once a week or so I join him. It's like a family in that place. Actually, much of it IS family. Doris owns the restaurant. Her mother, brother and sister work with her. On weekends her husband Tom comes in to help. And all the young employees become like members of their family, Kyle being one of them. The same customers come in at the same times every day. My Ed at 1:45 p.m., Sam the FedEx deliveryman at 2 p.m., Bill the landscape guy between 1:30 and 2. Even Edsel of the Ford auto family gets subways to go on the weekends. During the week it's filled with students during the two lunch periods at the high school across the street.

Subways may be a franchise but this one, at least, is like a friendly Mom & Pop diner. A neighborhood treasure.