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February 29, 2008
Glutton for punishment
Status Quo / Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon, originally uploaded by bradleyloos.
There's this restaurant by my office in the Loop, and on Fridays I usually get sent out to file documents at the courthouse. On a bad day, I can spend 90 minutes running around the Loop filing lawsuits, doing Freedom of Information Act Requests, and other mundane law office stuff. Every now and then I'll stop into this restaurant after finishing my tasks and sit down for some lunch and a little relaxation. I don't know why I keep doing this.
The waitresses are crabby. They aren't crabby in the sort-of charming way waitress can be crabby. They're just sour. Every time I go there, the waitresses are crabby. She called me 'sweetie' today, but it was more out of habit than any real affection.
The owners are unpleasant. They never let me sit in a big booth, by the window. They put me in tiny two-person booths, where there isn't enough room for my food and my newspaper to fit comfortably. They do this even when the restaurant is nearly empty, as if a sudden onrush of people seeking lunch at 1:30 pm will necessitate the use of the four person booth.
The food is so-so. Today I ordered fish and chips, but it was more like Gorton's fish sticks and french fries. They have a decent chicken parm, but the chef always burns it. My water glass is small, and refills are slow and inconsistent.
Why do I keep coming back? I think I secretly hope that one day, they will recognize me as the guy who keeps coming back. They will give me that booth by the window. The waitress will smile at me, and stop to give me my food instead of dropping it on the table as she walks by. But mostly I think I just don't want to go to McDonald's.
entry no. 1092
Posted at February 29, 2008 03:25 PM
Comments
That photo reminds me of a fictional character my daughter, wife and I created. She's named Bettina, and she's a craggy, bitter, chain-smoking, bullhorn-voiced waitress at a greasy spoon cafe. She's divorced, childless and lives alone with her poodle in a two-bedroom ranch that she inherited from her mother, where she drinks too much Scotch while watching VHS tapes of soap operas that she recorded during the day while away at work. She also drives a maroon '78 Olds Delta 88. (At least all of that is my interpretation - each one of us has different ideas about what Bettina is like.)
Posted by: Pete at March 1, 2008 11:36 AM