
DATE: Sunday, September 14, 1997            TAG: 9709120236

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 08   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: ON THE TOWN 

TYPE: RESTAURANT REVIEW 

SOURCE: Sam Martinette 

DATELINE: SMITHFIELD                        LENGTH:   75 lines

TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN FOOD REIGNS AT SMITHFIELD'S `TWINS'

To say that Smithfield natives Martha Raye and Alice Faye Whitley stick together is an understatement. The identical twin sisters who were born 45-minutes apart - Martha was first - started their restaurant careers at the old Carrie's Diner, graduated from high school together in 1964, and opened their first restaurant, The Twins Cafe, in 1967.

A few years later the sisters moved a door or so over on Main Street and opened The Twins Old Towne Inn, a 45-seat eatery that serves traditional Southern food to locals and tourists alike.

``Most of our customers are local, but we get tourists all year long too,'' Alice Faye said. As for the locals, ``I know all of them by name, and I can tell you who's going to be sitting out front when I get here in the morning, can tell you what they're going to order, and even what they're going to have in their coffee every day.''

Alice Faye said she can even tell the time of day by which customers are in the restaurant during the morning hours. ``We have a 6 o'clock bunch that comes in regular, some are retired, and we have a 7 o'clock bunch that stays till 8 or so, they're working and some are retired, then another bunch comes in between 9:30 and 10,'' she said. ``Then the lunchtime crowd is people who work up and down the block.''

``We get all ages,'' added Martha Raye. ``They come from Surrey, Isle of Wight County, from all over.''

The twins are on hand when the restaurant opens weekdays at 6 a.m. ``Martha does most of the cooking,'' her sister said, ``and I work out front, although I cook some too.''

Their sister, Dean Greer, has worked for them for three decades, and their mother, Charlotte Whitley, also worked with her daughters until retiring a few years back.

The breakfast menu includes ham, bacon, or sausage and two eggs ($4.75, or $4.25 with one egg); a ham and egg omelet ($4.25); and French toast or hot cakes ($3.75). Breakfast sandwiches include an egg biscuit with ham or cheese ($2); egg sandwich with sausage or bacon ($3.25), and other combinations.

Lunch and dinner, served after 10:30 a.m., includes sandwiches such as a hot roast beef or hamburger steak and gravy ($4.25), chicken or tuna salad ($3.25), cold roast beef ($3.75), barbecue ($3.50), and of course, Smithfield ham ($4).

Dinners include two vegetables, such as fries, slaw, mashed potatoes, applesauce or whatever is prepared daily. Smithfield ham ($6.25) tops the list, followed by fried chicken ($5.50), chopped barbecue ($5.75), pork chops ($6.25), veal cutlet ($5.25), and fried oysters ($5.75) to name a few.

The Twins offers daily specials as well, starting with fresh crab cakes on Monday and Tuesday ($6.25), ham croquettes on Wednesday ($5.25), chicken and dumplings with black-eyed peas and baked tomatoes ($5.50), and Friday's country-fried steak ($5.25). All are served with choice of two vegetables, except for Thursday's chicken and dumplings.

``We've had the same menu for 30 years, so most people know what they want,'' she said.

As for working with a twin, Alice said, ``I know what she's going to do, and she knows what I'm going to do, every time. But it's worked for 30 years, so something clicks.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SAM MARTINETTE

Twins Martha Raye Whitley, left, and Alice Faye Whitley operate The

Twins Old Towne Inn in Smithfield.

Graphic

THE TWINS OLD TOWNE INN

WHERE: 220 Main Street, Smithfield

TELEPHONE: (757) 357-3031.

FOOD: breakfast, sandwiches, traditional Southern cuisine;

homemade cakes and pies; no ABC.

PRICES: lunch sandwiches $1.75-$4.50; dinners mostly $5-$6 range;

no charge cards.

HOURS: 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.; breakfast on Saturday from 6

to 10 a.m.