The Renovation Restaurant

Hello,

Yesterday, in between cutting in the last coat of paint around the top of the front room, filling in the holes in the pantry molding with white wood filler, and mudding some of the holes on the living room walls, I remembered that the gas tank on my car was reading empty when I drove over in the morning.

I slipped up to the Coop to get gas -- at which time I found out I was at the 16th Ave and 64th Street Coop, one doesn't have a gas bar -- as opposed to the 24th Ave and 52nd Street one that does. How am I supposed to know that? I am new to the Penbrooke neighbourhood.

I had seen a mom and pop Latin American restaurant on the way to the gas station, advertising empenadas, and wondered if Trell would like those. I was past the intersection where I should have turned by the time all of that went through my mind.

I continued up to the Coop where, since I couldn't fill up with gas, I got their Hot and Spicy Thai Chicken Wings to go, which Trell and I shared for lunch.

Two wooden chairs, an industrial garbage can by our side into which we tossed the bones, and the food laid out on a 3 riser step-ladder between us. Trell was reminiscing about the past and while he acknowledged that there wasn't much money, he wanted to remark that there was plenty of food, more than he saw on the table at his friend's houses.

Then Trell said, "And you always had the table set. Set well."

That might mean that we all had a napkin, a plate, a glass, a knife and a fork.

The bar isn't quite as high now, though Trell and I did each have a bowl on our laps, which only means there still is a bar ... a low bar.

The lunch conversation was still equally enjoyable.

Fit for the table of a queen.

We just didn't have her table deckers working for us.

A