Aargh, I can't sleep. So I will do one of my late-night specials on a random topic. Tonight's topic is the Bendix.
The Bendix was a much-loved diner on 8th and 21st. They had a weird mural on the wall featuring people with purple hair, etc. Our favorite dishes there were the Thai salad with peanut dressing and soft tofu, and the pad see euw with tofu. Pad see euw consists of broad rice noodles, big chunks of deep-fried tofu and broccoli, all drenched in some kind of greasy, delicious sauce. (We were both a little heavier back then.) We would finish off this cholesto-fest with a large brownie sundae. Let's break it down: a huge, luscious chocolate brownie with walnuts, big scoops of vanilla ice cream, a cherry on top, and mounds of whipped cream. God. I don't know whether to be repulsed or excited when I remember it. At least we shared it.
When I had mono in 2001, the Bendix was there. They delivered their greasy delights in a brown paper bag. I'm sure the grease soaked through sometimes. Another of their yummy offerings was an "Oriental grilled cheese," which they made with thick slices of challah bread, melted cheese, bok choy, tofu and bean sprouts. Their motto, printed out in the front window, was GET FAT! Everyone loved to go there.
Then, sadly, their lease ran out. Bloomie's Nail Salon moved in. The neighborhood will never be the same.
D and I discovered another Bendix, on the East Side. Our loyalty was such that we dragged our butts across town to go there. They had a huge plastic bridge with a plastic Godzilla on the top. We got all our usual dishes. A friendly California surfer-type waiter frequently waited on us. We had the sundae. My college roommate, who lives in D.C., visited us and got the grilled cheese sandwich.
Then they, too, closed. Without even a good-bye letter posted on the glass front of the restaurant (at the West Side Bendix, the manager put up a letter explaining that the lease had run out). My college roommate was looking forward to her next grilled cheese sandwich, but we had to tell her they had closed. Soon, the space was taken by a Japanese restaurant.
Bendix, we miss you. We may be able to wear smaller sizes in your absence, and our waistlines may be grateful, but one day, maybe in heaven, we'd like another thick slab of brownie sundae and pile of pad see euw noodles.
The Bendix was a much-loved diner on 8th and 21st. They had a weird mural on the wall featuring people with purple hair, etc. Our favorite dishes there were the Thai salad with peanut dressing and soft tofu, and the pad see euw with tofu. Pad see euw consists of broad rice noodles, big chunks of deep-fried tofu and broccoli, all drenched in some kind of greasy, delicious sauce. (We were both a little heavier back then.) We would finish off this cholesto-fest with a large brownie sundae. Let's break it down: a huge, luscious chocolate brownie with walnuts, big scoops of vanilla ice cream, a cherry on top, and mounds of whipped cream. God. I don't know whether to be repulsed or excited when I remember it. At least we shared it.
When I had mono in 2001, the Bendix was there. They delivered their greasy delights in a brown paper bag. I'm sure the grease soaked through sometimes. Another of their yummy offerings was an "Oriental grilled cheese," which they made with thick slices of challah bread, melted cheese, bok choy, tofu and bean sprouts. Their motto, printed out in the front window, was GET FAT! Everyone loved to go there.
Then, sadly, their lease ran out. Bloomie's Nail Salon moved in. The neighborhood will never be the same.
D and I discovered another Bendix, on the East Side. Our loyalty was such that we dragged our butts across town to go there. They had a huge plastic bridge with a plastic Godzilla on the top. We got all our usual dishes. A friendly California surfer-type waiter frequently waited on us. We had the sundae. My college roommate, who lives in D.C., visited us and got the grilled cheese sandwich.
Then they, too, closed. Without even a good-bye letter posted on the glass front of the restaurant (at the West Side Bendix, the manager put up a letter explaining that the lease had run out). My college roommate was looking forward to her next grilled cheese sandwich, but we had to tell her they had closed. Soon, the space was taken by a Japanese restaurant.
Bendix, we miss you. We may be able to wear smaller sizes in your absence, and our waistlines may be grateful, but one day, maybe in heaven, we'd like another thick slab of brownie sundae and pile of pad see euw noodles.
Comments
I hate when good restaurants close. There was a good, authentic Mexican place in Pensacola that closed sometime after my husband and I moved away. We went back to visit, and alas, it was gone. We were crushed.
http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/food/reviews/restaurant/9333/
Looks very, very fancy...but sadly, not very vegetarian :(