Lily Tomlin ate here. So did Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang, and a number of other actors, musicians, and assorted famous personages.

But for Fred Ward, general manager of the tony Earle Uptown, which sadly closes its doors on Aug. 29, a less-well-known face stands out in his memory: “This is where I met my wife,” he said. “She was a server, then bartender, then the pastry chef - —she really did a little of everything.”

The restaurant, which opened on the ground floor of the Bell Tower Hotel, 300 S. Thayer St., in 2003, is the latest casualty of a sputtering economy.

“Our lease was up, we looked at the economy, and we saw the financial numbers just didn’t work anymore,” said owner Dennis Webster. “The economy just isn’t providing that opportunity.”

On some nights—such as before and after nearby University Musical Society performances—you couldn’t find a seat, but on others, business could be quite sparse.

“We’ve always been more of a destination place,” said Ward. “Engagements, graduations, bar mitzvahs, birthdays, anniversaries—that’s when people looked to us.”

And no wonder: The Earle Uptown is just one of nine restaurants in Michigan to receive a AAA four-diamond rating, and the only one in Ann Arbor to do so. It’s also where your humble correspondent took his girlfriend on our first date—a date so profound and memorable that decorum prevents describing it here.

I will always treasure our times at the Earle Uptown. Fred took good care of us and always remembered who we were, no matter how long it had been between our visits. When we came for our first anniversary (pictured left, with Fred), he even, unprompted by us, reserved the exact spots at the bar where we first sat and had our same drinks waiting.

The downtown Earle, 121 W. Washington St., will continue to operate, dishing out its famous happy hour mussels and drink discounts and offering one of the state’s greatest wine selections.

“Chef Shelley, who has served at both locations, will be coming back downtown,” said Webster. “We have a high-quality staff uptown and certainly want to retain as many of them as we can.”

The Bell Tower plans to replace the Earle Uptown (if that were possible), but it’s not yet known (at least to me) who is taking over the space.

“I’ll definitely miss the place and the people,” said Ward. “It’s been an honor to be part of so many memories.”

Ditto, my friend.

Want to say goodbye properly? Reservations can still be made at 734-994-0222.

David Bardallis is a freelance writer and editor, blogger, bon vivant, and man about town. Visit his Web site, DavidBardallis.com, to engage his services or read his latest ramblings.