Wednesday, December 27, 2006

A little weird a little sad

Tonight the hubster and I went on a "date". Basically we wanted to have dinner without four six tongues and noses trying to steal our food. So we went to one of our favorite places. Andy's Garage. It's a little diner that serves your basic burgers and malts. Among other great diner food. We have two special places in the cities and this is one of them. It's fun, the food is great, and it's pretty reasonable.

So we ordered our meals as well as a chocolate malt to share. About half way through our malt the waitress came to our table:

Waitress: "I have a dilemma to talk to you about."
Hubster: "Ok, what's up?"
Waitress: "Well, our cook just walked out. We don't know why but we have no one to work the grill. We have someone coming in to cover but I would guess you don't want to wait close to an hour for your dinner so would you like to just pay for your malt and leave?"
Newt: (thinking to myself) Ok, this is odd, this is more like something that would happen to Tink
Hubster: "That's fine, we'll just take our check and go."
Waitress: "Ok, I'm really sorry about this."

So we finished our malts and went to the front counter.

I was looking back toward the diner and as soon as we walked away from our table a man went up to it and photographed our now empty table with the malt glasses.

Now I'm really wondering what the hell is going on. Seriously, weird stuff like this only happens to Tink.

And then, came the moment that almost had me in tears. On the counter was a stack of papers that had the following message.

"It is with great sadness that we will be closing Andy's Garage on Saturday December 30th, 2006 for good. We thank you for all your patronage these past 7 years."

My last meal at the greatest diner in the cities and it never happened. The meal that wasn't. The farewell without being able to say Good-bye.

Well, I've heard your taste changes every 7 years. I guess it's time for us to start a new tradition. It will be fun to go out and explore new places to eat. To try to find a new place to have our little "dates"

7 comments:

Jay said...

That really is weird and sad. I hate it when my favorite places close or change hands. It's like breaking up or losing a family friend.

steve said...

Noooo! This is just the kind of place I really dig, and now I learn about it after it's gone.

What is your other favorite place?

Newt said...

Our other favorite; and the place we got engaged at, is Mama Maria's in Hudson Wi. Best Italian food in the cities!

We have gone to Annie's parlor in the past for burgers and malts but our last trip was not so good. Then there was the Malt Shop off 94 but that was closed and torn down. Dang. What do the cities have against good burger joints???

Anonymous said...

That sucks!

Scott
www.sardonic-bomb.com

Tink said...

I'm starting to rub off on you!! ;)

Maybe your empty malt glasses looked like art to him... You're an artist Newt, and you didn't even know it.

My favorite restaurant here burned down two years ago, on the night I had planned on eating there. I think that was the final straw for making me want to move. That and the coffee shop that now charges admission.

J-Funk said...

Dang! What a crazy thing! My favorite restaurant in my college/hometown also burned down, and when they built a new one they TOOK MY FAVORITE DISH OFF THE MENU. I was so mad I never went there again (although I also moved right after that) and I think everybody else was mad too because it eventually closed.

Our favorite burger/malt joint in the twin cities was the Lake Street Garage. It's on Lake and 44th Ave (take the Cretin/Vandalia exit off of 94, turn right on Lake Street, and it's right around 44th Ave). It's also locally owned, decently priced, and happened to be near our neighborhood (Seward). If you get over to that area, you can also try the Birchwood (on 25th St and I think 33rd Ave) for good hippie organic neighborhood food, and El Nortino also on Lake (near the White Castle) for the best Mexican we ever found in the Twin Cities. Both of those last two make a Mexican hot chocolate to die for, and you can buy the stuff to make your own Mexican hot chocolate at El Nortino.

Mmmm I miss the twin cities and all the good restaurants we eventually found there...

graymama said...

No worries, no worries!

Have you eaten at The Malt Shop Restaurant? It was one of our favorites, and the food is SPECTACULAR! Don't forget to have the Crisscuts :-)