September 23, 2007
The Week of Eating Dangerously: Madge Versus Kylie
This week there will be much eating with reckless abandon once a day, starting with dinner at Vynl where American comfort foods and Asian-fusion dominate the menu.
So tonight, we have fried food: Butternut squash in green spinach dough wrappers; tofu with a sweet chili sauce on the side; thick, soft chow mein noodles in peanut sauce. I eat at the bar and remember the restaurant term for someone dining alone there is "bar loser."
I order a beer.
Men in couples, groups and with their women friends saunter and sashay in and out. A trio take the stools next to me and we talk about the food. We also get lessons in gay vocabulary.
I notice later that the name "Nelly" hangs outside the door of one of the kitschy themed unisex bathrooms, trussed up to look like movie star dressing rooms. Now I'm in on the joke.
A steady stream of Madonna's hits from the '80s and onward play alongside Kylie Minogue's hits from the '90s and onward. It's an interesting scene, but only if you know who you are.