A Fine Place To Eat

The Black Cat Cafe-Rochelle, IL, originally uploaded by William 74.

Old signs that advertise products no longer made, or businesses no longer extant, are called "ghost signs". They pop up in the strangest places, from the big cities to the smallest towns-I've discovered that walking down alleys is a good way to discover hidden gems.

This is a fairly well known ghost sign in Rochelle, Illinois (we've visited Rochelle's restored early Standard station). It used to advertise some sort of food product, probably a soda or beer-the sign says "served and sold at" the Black Cat Cafe. Sadly, the top half of the sign is too deteriorated to read, and the Black Cat is no more, so I can't even go ask.