Tin Fork
“Poet, musician,” reads the little plaque. It’s about my good-time buddy Frankie — Cisco — and I couldn’t put it better myself. He died early last year. We all chipped in the $1400 — sisters, …
“Danger: Sheer Unstable Cliffs. Stay Back." The sign has been hammered into the sand a couple of yards from the edge. No fence. Big slab of rock down in the ocean looks like a fossilized …
Slap, slap, slap. Joanna’s whipping those dough balls into tortillas. “Busy day today,” she says. She’s working right here with her tables and pans, out on the Astroturf entrance to Don Diego’s, a red, orange, …
Serendipity? This is how it happens: “No, no! Not one step further! You want 40 bucks down the drain?” Carla has planted her feet on the sidewalk. The palm trees are whipping around her. It’s …
Ain’t it funny how things happen in strings? Maybe that’s what string theory’s all about. But one week after chew-chewing gourmet burgers downtown at Neighborhood, I’m being tempted by another hip joint (heh-heh) that sells …
“Life’s too short to drink crappy beers,” says Todd. He’s sipping on his Allagash Black, a dangerous-looking high-octane brew from Maine. But most of the 27 microbrewskis on tap behind the bar we’re sitting at …
Blue skies, smiling at me/ Nothing but blue skies do I see… It’s an oldie but goodie, and Irving and I launched into it when he mentioned that the guy who wrote it had the …
Is there life on Broadway, east of the I–5? I’ve got a couple of answers to that. Feta 1, Turkey 2. No, we’re not talking World Cup soccer scores. Just the two sandwiches you gotta …
"Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?” Or was it, “Why don’t you come up sometime’n see me?” Either way, Mae West, right? In She Done Him Wrong, 1933, propositioning Cary Grant. Turner …
‘Where are you?” says Carla. “You don’t want to know,” I say. “Oh no. Not…?” “Yes, I’m afraid so.” “Not Mc…aaargh! Say the name.” “Mc…Mc…McD-d-d-d…” “McDonald’s. Say it!” It feels better when I finally blurt …
“Real pizza?” says Jeremiah. “The first five years I was out here, I had it flown in from New York.” Good Lord. Some guy in South Park is having his pizzas flown in from the …
“Look at my boys!” says David Dadon. His son Barry is busy at the cash register. Jacob’s in the kitchen. “Barry’s the business genius,” David says. “Jacob’s the chef. He graduated at the top of …
I feel this warmth in the palm of my hand. Oh, great. It-Bit “Washtub” Boots McGee has just peed into my hand. He’s a couple of months old, max. Golden Lab pup. Looks like a …
Here’s one for the military. Looks like IB’s loss could be North Island’s gain. My favorite BBQ trailer is heading thataway, for Navy eyes only. And that’s one giant pity for the rest of mankind. …
“This is what, again?” asks Carla. Her fingers rustle suspiciously through the pile of fried smelt sitting stiff, gold, and cold next to the crispy, deep-fried chicken skins and the pot of vinegar. “These,” I …
I was shocked — shocked, as Claude Rains said to Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca — to see Funky Garcia’s sign being put up above the Sun Cafe’s a few months back. Actually, I did go …