Places Where Lindy Hoppers Like to Dine (especially during an event):
1. Ethnic Food
As if doing a “vintage street dance” wasn’t culturally enlightened enough, Lindy Hoppers prefer to frequent exotic Ethnic food places before the main dance. Extra points for Indian, Korean, or Thai food, but remember, French, Mexican, and Italian cuisine does not count. Similarly, “Vegan” or “Vegetarian” places also qualify as unique ethnic experiences, especially if they have options for one of your fellow dancers who is experimenting with a “Microbiotic” diet.
2. Micro Breweries
Beer. Not just good ole Natty Ice or Pabst Blue Ribbon. Second only to their swing outs, Lindy Hoppers love to be snobby about their beer. What better place to do that than Small-town Brewery X where you can buy the taster and give your unwanted opinion about how you would have used Nottingham Ale Yeast for the Brown Ale, or how additional hops would have made X beer better? The food’s generally ok (standard American fare, i.e. not Ethnic, although sometimes German, which is a plus) but that’s not why you went there, was it?
3. All-Night Diners
At last. We come to the Silver Diners, the IHOPs, and the local all-night haunts. Even if you don’t do it anymore, you used to swing out in the aisles between booths whenever they played something vaguely swing-like, such as “Rock Around the Clock” or “See You Later, Alligator.” Surprisingly, dancers, after bikers and drunken frat boys, make up the third largest group of paying customers at such places.
And there you have it, folks. These eatery choices embody our infatuation with things that are different, things we can be snobby about, and our affinity to keep odd hours.
Mmmm. This is making me hungry for some Pad Thai and a Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA…I guess I’ll just have to settle for the “All Star Breakfast,” with extra bacon.
–DS
Posted by Vintage 