| Michael Jackson dines with Brooke Shields, 1991 |
But that's what happens when a celebrity visits a restaurant. This isn't New York or Los Angeles; when a serious celeb stops at a local restaurant -- and we're not talking local "stars" like Gary Lezak or Rochelle from Carpet Corners -- it can upset the entire dynamic of a dining room.
Back in 1987, I was working in a midtown restaurant when Sting -- then at the height of his recording fame -- brought in his band and staff after his concert at Kemper Arena. They'd made a reservation, so the restaurant had prepared for the group's late arrival. I didn't wait on them but was fascinated by the way diners reacted to the star. Most of them pretended not to notice that there was a celebrity in the room while making semi-audible comments about the performer: "He's much uglier in real life" and "Are you sure that's him? He's so scrawny!"
I witnessed the flip side in the 1990s, when I was dining in a now-defunct Italian restaurant on 39th Street and the place was buzzing about a pretty blonde sitting in the center of the room with two friends. Our server, practically shaking with excitement, whispered to my table, "It's Tori Spelling!" I don't know which Tori Spelling this chick was pretending to be, but I can assure you that it wasn't the actress then starring in Beverly Hills 90210. But everyone else bought the story hook, line and sinker. Since I was working as an entertainment reporter at the time, I called Miss Spelling's management office in Los Angeles the next day to find out whether the young star had been in Kansas City that night. The answer was an emphantic no.
But I was working the night that Davey Jones and Mickey Dolenz -- those iconic stars of The Monkees -- ate at the Athena on Broadway before some performance and a middle-aged woman ran over to their table and gushed something to the effect that her "teenage fantasy was to have sex with both of you." Davey and Mickey laughed and laughed. The woman's husband was considerably less amused.
(Image via Flickr: thorne_ryne)
Showing 1-11 of 11
Grinders is a good place to have a good beer and a shitty meal. Drink enough Belgian beer and that hamburger might be edible.
Ditto the comments on Grinders West. How can they provide good service there and not next door?
FUCK GRINDERS.
Awful service, mediocre food...
Stretch seems like a decent dude but holy shit that place is a trainwreck.
Cute place, greasy food. Once was enough. Having a celebrity around would make the wait a living hell. But I think the "hipness" factor is what makes people go there regardless of the waits and the fatty food. Or maybe because of it?
I wonder what George Clinton and P-Funk thought of the food? Didn't Guy Fieri dig it? It must have been before fruit fly season....
I don't understand the love for Grinders food. The music venue is nice, but the last time I went there (and it will be the LAST), it took 45 minutes to get a philly and there were fruit flies all over the place -- including around the food. No thank you.
Don't go to a concert at Crossroads and expect meatless pizza. Waited 10 minutes in line to find out they were out of cheese pizza.
We haven't been to Grinder's since Grinder's West opened. You can order from either menu at GW, and there's a much lower noise level AND much faster service.
like
dislike
