Saturday Strip

We have a little Saturday morning ritual around here.  We meet at Cosmo's Cafe for breakfast.  It's only about 5-8 minutes away if the lights are right.  It's about as close to a down-home Midwest country cafe you can find except it is run by barely English speaking Hispanics.  They are friendly and indulge Norah's fondness for Mickey Mouse by providing Mickey shaped pancakes with dollops of whipped cream, M & M's and strawberries.  Of course she never touches the pancake part but it makes her happy. 

It is part of a rundown strip mall area that has seen better days.  It is an eclectic mix of shops - and I thought you might be interested.     

From right to left we have what may be the last remaining outside phone in America.   Next time I'm there I'll see if it even works.

Next we have the Dharma Lounge.  It is a hookah establishment and I don't even know if it is still in operation or not, since I don't walk around here when the sun goes down.  I'm really not into hookah but they tell me it is a place where you communally smoke exotic tobaccos.  

Next is Cosmo's Cafe.  The cook is Carlos and the waitress is Monica.  Nice place and good food.  By this time we are regulars and if we miss a Saturday we hear about it next week.  They also have a vigorous delivery business.

Right next to Cosmo's is the Bosnian American Humanitarian Society.  I actually walked into this place once because I was curious.  There is a bar in there, and lots of tables.  I walked over to the bat and chatted with the accented bartender. He told me there are about 200 members and that I was welcome anytime.  In the Bosnian War these guys lost about 60,000 people and were the clear losers until the Serbs lost momentum and sued for peace.  

This end of the strip area is a gay bar called Quench.  Don't know much else about it.  The dark hallway adds to the mystery.  

And perhaps the most fascinating area is the martial art shop.  They have classes on Saturday mornings and after breakfast we wander down to watch them in action.  The head guy has a most dignified and striking visage.  I'd love to get his picture becasue he is the quintessential looking sensai/samurai.  

That's it.  There's a windows and flooring shop on down, but those are so conventional compared to the rest that they don't merit much consideration.  This place (the City) continues to fascinate me.