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image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakehall
I can’t take the credit for this week’s topic, but I’ll try. Credit here goes to a buddy of mine, Paverick. So kudos Pav.
Now to the item at hand: A Matter of the Utmost Importance. Let’s say you’re starving. Downright famished. OR for that matter you’re full up to the gills, couldn’t eat a bite more. That doesn’t really matter. Eating is important. Critical to life I’ve heard. Read a textbook. So anyways, you’re wandering through your pop culture life, just hankering for a bit of food. And you search and search until you find the PERFECT place to eat. And then before you beams the sign of your favorite pop culture restaurant…what sign are you looking at? Where would you get your pop culture meal of a lifetime? Things to consider: food, clientele, ambiance, and service.
The illustrious panel for today is: Me, Patrick 1, Sherman, Chase, Steve, Patrick 2, Josh, and Karla
Me: I’ll of course kick start things with Joe’s Diner from the 2007 flick, Waitress. “What!?” was probably your reaction there. But yes, I choose this out-of-the-way local mom and pop operation over any other restaurant in pop culture history. Here’s why: charm, Keri Russell (cute!) is my waitress, down-home cooking, and pie to melt your face, it’s so good. This one really reaches back to the fact that I think some of the best meals you can ever get are made by people serving small-scale homestyle cooking in their own tiny shacks on the side of the road. I love the feeling of going on a road trip and finding a little hole-in-the-wall diner or restaurant that absolutely blows me away. I feel like Joe’s Diner totally recreates that vibe. And again, Keri Russell!
Patrick 1: I’d love to grab a bite to eat at the Crashdown Café from Roswell. They have fun alien-themed dishes — think Saturn Rings instead ofonion rings or an E.T. B.L.T. — and it’s kind of a dive owned and operated locally. There always seemed to be some strange teen angst going on among the menus and if you eat there often enough, you might even get embroiled in some alien mystery hijinks or have a mortal injury healed by a hot alien.
Sherman: I’d say the diner from True Blood. It’s full of hot chicks that get naked, and, more importantly, any one of us would easily be the smartest person that ever stepped foot in the entire place and could solve the mystery within five minutes. Seriously, people on that show are stupid. Also, the dialogue would improve roughly 1,000%.
Chase: Ok, this list needs coffee and crullers stat! I would have to choose Stan Mitika’s Donuts from Wayne’s World. This place never gets old, it is located in thethriving metropolis of Aurora, Illinois; it has a deranged manager who will provide endless entertainment with his homicidal monologues; and is frequented by local cable access celebrities and chicks that are so hot, if elected they would be called Baberhamlincoln. In terms of the food, well its donuts and coffee and they never get old.
Food- Probably crap
Clientele- Wookies, Han Solo, Seedy aliens, and you.
Ambiance- Again; the seedy characters would suggest and intergalactic biker bar feel. Adding to the feel, the music is a bold mix of new wave, jazz clarinet quartet, and a broken See n’ Say. The cow says MOOOOs Eisley Cantina!
Service- Han Solo serves up some fresh laser beam.
This Cantina definitely has it’s place in pop culture history. I would love to sit and have a happy hour beer, or whatever they drink in the future (God, I hope it’s still beer) to forget a long day hauling space junk to the other side of Saturn to offset the carbon emmissions of the Death Star (man that thing is pure evil). The puppets and costumes in the Cantina are awesome and more impressive than some of the digital monsters in today’s movies. Also the really seedy nature of the Cantina would almost guarantee you see some action, if not become a participant yourself. In closing, hot alien species, Han Solo, and an undeniable pop relevance make this my choice in which to grab an appetizer and a brew.
Sherman: Mos Eisley for the win! Never was there a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. Also there would be beer, since it was a long, long time ago.
