WHEN GOVERNMENT SMELLS WORSE THAN THE WASTE WATER: EATING OUT IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

There's not yet a restaurant on every corner, but there are plenty of eating establishments to choose from in Cape Girardeau. And new ones are opening about as rapidly as patrons are rushing through the doors of the more than 100 restaurants in the city that serve up all types of food.

From fine dining to fast-food restaurants and specialty diners, Cape Girardeau is gaining a reputation of being a city with good places to eat.

Restaurants thrive here not only because Cape Girardeau is a regional center that attracts thousands of people daily who must eat out, but because Cape Girardeans have become fond of eating out. Times have changed since families routinely ate at home, going out to eat on only special occasions; now, eating out is a common family practice. Eating out, particularly in the evening, has become a way to unwind at the end of the day, and that too accounts for the numbers of people flocking to the city's restaurants.

It looks as if Cape Girardeau's restaurant boon will continue. That's good news not only to those who enjoy eating out, but to the city's economy as well.