My memories of places often center on restaurants. The food, the people I went with, and the waiters.
A cute waiter can make the most miserable meal appealing, and haute cuisine loses something when served by a waitress.
And sometimes the waiters do more than flirt.
Rock Island
1.
Harris Pizza.
Harris Pizza, no question, the best in the universe. We ordered several times a year when I was growing up, and I always insisted on getting it when I returned for a visit. Once I tried to pick up the college boy who worked at the counter, but my friend Dick did instead. They've been together ever since.
2.
The Hasty Tasty Shop,
a pancake house where I had my wild night of debauchery in fifth grade. Before the night was over, I got to give a massage to a high school boy and felt a wiener.
3.
Sandy's,
a fast-food chain where the waiters all wore cute Scotch tartan kilts, I assume with nothing on underneath.
Bloomington.
4.
Bob's Burgers
(no relation to the TV show). Viju and I used to go there after an unsuccessful night of cruising at Bullwinkle's, and sometimes with out hookups after a successful night. You could get a hamburger with a fried egg on top. The waiters were paid extra to get enthusiastic over the food. And they never gave us weird looks for being two (or four) men together.
Texas
5.
I didn't go to Houston very often, but when I did, it was to Baba Yaga, for wall to wall gay men and couples. I took my clueless friend Bruce there when he was visiting, and he still didn't figure it out.
West Hollywood.
6.
The French Quarter,
our go-to place for brunch, lunch, and an occasional dinner. Remarkable for their 8" long fried zucchini sticks. And for their cute waiters who flirted for tips. If you sat at the little tables outside, sooner or later everyone you knew would pass by.
I never hooked up with one of the waiters, but my on-off boyfriend Raul did -- a buffed but rather feminine Afro-Cuban guy. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to share.
7.
La Azteca,
a Mexican restaurant beyond the boundaries of West Hollywood. Lee and I only went there once, but we managed to start a three-way romance with Mauricio, our waiter.
8.
Hamburger Hamlet.
Burgers and fries rivaling anyplace in the world. Marshall the Virgin and I used to go there after working out.
San Francisco.
9.
Orphan Andy's,
ith a diner atmosphere, cute waiters, and even cuter clientele at the beginning of Castro Street. It was also cruisy -- my friend David hooked up with a lot of guys there. I didn't.
New York
10.
Thai Palace.
There were about 10 Thai restaurants in a 10 block radius of my apartment, but I always went to a little Thai restaurant near the Flatiron Building that's not there anymore. Stuffed, deep-fried chicken wings with a sweet sauce! Never found them anywhere else. I brought Yuri there every time he visited me in Manhattan.
Paris.
11.
Suam Thai.
Speaking of Thai restaurants, during my summer in Paris I went to Suam Thai almost every night, and I tried to go back whenever I visited later. No Angel wings, but good pad thai to go. I managed to hook up with Prasert, the chef -- while he was still working.
Florida.
12.
The Courtyard Cafe,
Wilton Manors' answer to the French Quarter, with a huge patio where dozens of gay men gathered for brunch every Saturday. Lunch was OK, too. My friend hooked up with a waiter here, and dated him for six months.
13. Thai Sushi.
I'm not a fan of sushi, but I am a fan of cute waiters, and it was near The Club, the bath house of Wilton Manors. Sometimes the guy at the next table ended up at The Club a moment later.
Amsterdam.
14.
Indrapura,
an Indonesian restaurant notable for its chicken and beef satay, was on Rembrandtplein, just across the street from the guest house I always stayed in, and less than a mile from the Horseman's Club. I never hooked up with any waiters, but I did get a date with a regular.
Dayton.
15.
Lone Star Barbecue.
We always went to the Lone Star Barbecue for breakfast. Pancakes, "cowboy potatoes," and brisket-omelettes. Plus Josh a long-haired hipster waiter with a ripped chest and huge biceps. I saw him naked at the gym, too.
16.
The Dragon Palace,
my go-to place for Chinese food. Usually I got it delivered. I tried to hookup with the delivery guy, Bobby Chan, but ended up with his Anglo friend instead.
Upstate New York
17.
Morey's.
A small hole in the wall decorated with cutesy dollhouses. Plain food, not great, although I did like their veggie melts and sweet potato fries. Clientele consisted of elderly women -- and gay men.
18.
The Neptune Diner,
one of those old-fashioned glass and steel diners that advertises "steaks and chops," whatever those are, but has a menu 30 pages long. I liked the gyros, the moussaka, the pancakes, and the chicken. Chad, the housemate of the Satyr , who I dated in the fall of 2008, was a waiter there.
19.
Applebee's.
Yes, the chain. Troy always wanted to go to the one in the mall for lunch Saturday, because the bartender/waiter was his type: older, muscular, hairy. Unfortunately, he wore an apron that kept his bulge hidden.
The Plains
20.
Rainbow Coffee.
There are no gay bars or restaurants in town, but there's a gay-friendly, lesbian-run vegan coffee house where you can meet lots of bohemian artistic gay-friendly types, like the cute English major Warren from the fundamentalist college on the hill. I haven't actually seen him like this yet, but he's just a sophomore, so there's plenty of time.
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