Old Lyme - Sichanh Patana was only 2 years old when his family escaped from Laos during a Communist uprising, fleeing along the Mekong River in inner tubes one moonlit night to wind up in a Thai refugee camp.

Patana believes the Communists would have killed his father - and perhaps the whole family - had they been caught. That's because his father worked as an auto mechanic for the U.S. Agency for International Development, and was suspected of being a CIA spy.

"At the refugee camp, we were basically starving," adds Patana's brother Pon, a year older than Sichanh. "They would give us a dozen eggs and a bag of rice, and that was supposed to last for a week."

Now, 30 years later, Patana doesn't remember much about those days. But he knows he has a lot to be thankful for, not the least of which is the success of his new restaurant, The Morning Glory Cafe, which opened six months ago on Halls Road and is drawing a growing clientele for its mix of American and Asian cuisine.

Pon manages the restaurant, Patana does much of the cooking and the whole family regularly pitches in.

"We're very grateful to be here," Patana says. "In Laos, I'd probably be in the army or working in the rice fields."

Patana, who has shortened his last name from the original Phathananourath, arrived in town with his six brothers and parents, Peng and Bousay, in January 1980, sponsored by four churches in Lyme and Old Lyme. They initially lived in a two-bedroom house on Bailey Road before moving to a bigger place on Grassy Hill Road, where Patana's parents still reside, next door to Patana's home.

The family's strong connection to an Old Lyme couple, the late Louis and Cathy Connick, made their stay in town possible.

Lou Connick, an admitted lover of all things Asian and veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima, had befriended Patana's father in Laos and arranged to bring his family here shortly before he became director of the state's refugee assistance program in June 1980. That was a time when the United States faced a tidal wave of refugees from Asia and Cuba.

"As we learned English, made friends and pursued our education and careers, we gained an appreciation of many aspects of life in America," Patana writes in a note to restaurant patrons. "We also treasured the traditions and foods of the country we no longer called home. The blending of these two worlds defines who I am."

Patana graduated from Lyme-Old Lyme High School, having been part of a soccer team that went all the way to the state finals. But it was food that became his calling - and Connick, the man he calls his godfather, pushed him to attend a culinary school in Cromwell, which eventually begot a stint as sous chef at the local Hideaway Restaurant as well as at a Thai eatery in Danielson.

Patana also recalls that Connick encouraged him to start his own business someday, so when the opportunity arose, he grabbed it. He spent a year and a half renovating the 1,500 square feet of former office space.

The distinctive yellow restaurant right near the southbound exit of Interstate 95 includes a beautiful stone patio overlooking the nearby Lieutenant River. It seats a maximum of about 55.

"This town needed it," says Teri Lewis, seated with a group of more than half a dozen women, enjoying a weekly ritual.

"We need to have a local place where we can come and enjoy people's company," adds Katie Balocca.

Patana explains that Old Lyme has several established breakfast places, but few restaurants where early birds can sit and eat. But while Morning Glory may have targeted breakfast eaters, the lunch crowd is actually bigger, Patana says, perhaps lured by his mom's spring rolls - the only dish she insists on doing.

But mom won't be involved in the restaurant during Thanksgiving vacation, having flown over to Laos with her husband, three sons and other family members to attend the funeral of Patana's grandmother. Patana said Thanksgiving was going to be a bit different this year, but he planned to enjoy himself along with his two other brothers and friends as they all took in a steady feast of football games, food and libations.

The restaurant, normally open seven days a week, was closed for Thanksgiving.

While Patana returned to Laos with his family 13 years ago, he has no great desire to go back. He was surprised at the poverty he found.

"I didn't know they had it like that," he said. "I decided then that, whatever happened, I was not taking anything for granted."

l.howard@theday.com