Yesterday morning I was picking up a few things at the newly refurbished bodega at North 8th & Bedford. When I got to the counter, the cashier was talking to an obviously inebriated customer, asking him what was happening with the laundromat/shoe repair place that's closing across the street.
"Dawk restaurant," he cackled.
She looked at him quizzically. "Dark? Dark restaurant?"
"No!" he laughed. "DOG! Dog restaurant—woof woof!"
She asked me if I spoke Polish so we could get to the bottom of this. I don't. "It's going to be a dog restaurant?" she asked.
The dude was cracking himself up, but threw in a couple more barks as he staggered out of the store. So there you have it—scuttlebutt on the street is that a dog restaurant is opening up on N. 8th and Bedford. I would have found this concept completely ridiculous had I not seen a flyer advertising "reiki for dogs" just a week earlier.
UPDATE: Another—presumably sober—tipster just wrote me, saying he'd heard it was going to be a "doggie spa." Oh. Well, that's much better.
Judy, to hell with this writing racket: the pay's zip! You and I need to open a dog acupuncture place--it won't matter that we don't know what we're doing--can the dogs complain? We can do this!
Posted by: Poking puppies | May 19, 2008 at 01:38 PM
Is sticking other people's dogs with needles really an easier way to earn a living than writing? Dogs are better at complaining than almost anything except looking hungry.
Dog restaurant idea beyond appalling, but Bedford Ave already looks like the franchise strip near some kind of liberal arts college that only admits emos & where you can major in shopping & getting tattoos.
Posted by: Travis | May 19, 2008 at 06:02 PM
Any city with dog bakeries or dog restaurants is proof that Americans have way too much money.
Disgusting.
Posted by: Val | May 19, 2008 at 09:41 PM
That building had a bldg dept violation for having the shoe store in there.
Wonder if there are proper permits for the new construction?? hmm.
Typical billyburg run amuck. What A MESS.
Posted by: dude | May 20, 2008 at 07:12 PM