The closing of the Aberdeen Cafe is sad news for everyone who cherishes the Norman Rockwell atmosphere of Moore County's small towns.

The cafe, which faces the railroad tracks on North Sycamore Street, has been through a number of ownership incarnations over the years. In most of those phases, the quaint and unassuming little home-style restaurant has enjoyed the same kind of wide cult following as another popular downtown Aberdeen eatery, La Poblanita.

Some of the cafe's lunchtime patrons were so loyal -- people like Aberdeen Town Manager Bill Zell -- that you could count on seeing them at a table there on just about any weekday they were in town. Wholesome traditional fare such as ribs and chicken and fresh tomatoes and fried okra and a variety of other veggies kept 'em coming back, though the menu -- with specials written on chalkboards -- also included items like quiche to appeal to more modern tastes.

Fast-food stands and chain restaurants have their place. For sheer comfort level, though, they can hardly compete with homespun places like the cafe, where the dining experience takes on the nature of a little trip to a slower-paced and more neighborly past.

Crystal Taylor is the cafe's latest owner. Her decision to close, which she describes as a tough one, has come because she had other irons in the fire and felt overwhelmed trying to keep up with the place after a partner opted out.

That's understandable. But here's hoping another person or persons will come forward and give the place yet another lease on life. If the formerly welcoming door of the Aberdeen Cafe should stay closed forever, southern Moore County will mourn the loss of an irreplaceable little piece of Americana.