The locale was different. Assuredly different.
The crowd was smaller. Assuredly smaller.
But heading into a Memorial Day weekend the memories of seeing Beau, Daniel and the rest of the crew that brought us the Chattanooga staple that was Porker's were undeniable Friday.
"Does it taste the way you remember?" Daniel asked.
Yes. Yes, it does.
The name has changed - it's 2503 Station Grill now - and walking from TVA or the TFP is no longer an option. Friday was an informal trial run with plenty of the old favorites - the wings were stellar, the pulled pork, the stuffed potatoes - on a limited menu. On Tuesday, there will be a grand opening (or reopening for some) at the barbecue joint located about 500 yards or so off I-24 up Fourth Avenue.
There also will be some new offerings, like the buffalo chicken dip, which did not disappoint Friday.
Either way, as Chattanooga continues to embrace the craft breweries and exotic specialty eateries, something feels right about one of our longtime favorites - operated by some of our longtime favorites - back to business.
Telling silence
No matter where you look, listen or watch, Donald Trump is a newsmaker. That may be the only thing on which his supporters and detractors can agree.
There was plenty of hand-wringing over North Korea and NFL protests.
But is it not fair to wonder why Trump did not get more attention for posthumously pardoning Jack Johnson earlier this week?
Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion, was found guilty of violating the Mann Act, an awful law used to curb interracial relationships and premarital interaction.
Johnson was a groundbreaking hero in the black community. He was a transcendental hero, a trendsetter, and in a lot of ways, Jackie Robinson before Jackie Robinson.
And Trump granted his pardon.
"Jack Johnson no question was convicted unfairly," Eric Holder told WPIX in New York in 2016. "That might be a historical injustice that might need to be rethought."
Holder, you may remember, was the attorney general for Barack Obama from 2009-2015.
But it was not Carter or Clinton or Obama or any of the previous presidents who pardoned Johnson. It was Donald Trump. And it was met with the sounds of crickets.
Wonder why?
Out and back at it
Hamilton County Schools' academic year ended this week. Hooray.
But Thursday evening, as kids were getting report cards and sprinting for the door, Hamilton County Schools' leadership stayed stuck on the same tired treadmill:
The latest is the plan to try to raise private funds for an outside consultant to advise the board and a newly appointed task force on equity.
Forget the politics and posturing. And dismiss the "This will all cost us nothing" chatter.
Above all of the emotional hyperbole, know this:
Everything, whether paid for by private donors or taxpayer - costs a governing body something.
If that's the case, then before we pass the hat to pay for some advisory group, let's pass the hat to make sure there are school resource officers in every Hamilton County school.
Because if we are going to make strides toward equity across the district, what better place to start than making sure all students are equally safe at school?
Saturday's star
We frequently mention military folks here. And ahead of Memorial Day, that would be appropriate.
The great Memorial Day traditions at our Chattanooga National Cemetery will continue today.
Here's a quick recap:
This morning at 8, volunteers will put flags on the more than 44,000 graves.
On Monday at 11 a.m., there will be a ceremony recognizing the 100th anniversary of World War I with guest speaker Louis Varnell, a military historian who will highlight the contributions of Tennesseans and Georgians in the first Great War. This will be the first of three events celebrating World War I that include a guided tour at 4 p.m. and a torchlight walk starting at 8:45 p.m.
And Tuesday, of course, there is the annual collection of the flags. If you have never been, I could not endorse the experience more thoroughly.
For more information, go to https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/chattanooga.asp.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343.