Restaurant:  Rick’s Diner & Catering
Cuisine:  Diner
Location:  Hope Valley Square, Durham
Beginning:  Summer 2010
More Info

Rick’s Diner is relocating from University Drive to a larger 3200 sf space in Hope Valley Square.

Delicious-Emilys Holiday Season (119 MB download)
Deck the halls with love and joy in Delicious: Emily’s Holiday Season, a wonderful time management sequel to warm up your holidays! It’s winter in Snuggford and Emily is preparing for her family’s holiday party at a cozy little lodge. Soon, romance fills the air as two suitors vie for Emily’s attention. Can Emily carefully balance her duties and build a relationship? Whom will she choose? Join Emily in this romantic new adventure through a winter wonderland! Meet her family and catch up with friends. Help and serve guests delicious holiday treats. Take part in jolly activities. Find out who the lucky guy will be! Brighten up your holidays with heartwarming fun!

Coconut Queen (103 MB download)
Soak up the sun while building your very own paradise empire! As the island’s much-awaited Coconut Queen, you must make the island of Lui Lui a popular tourist destination or risk its demise. With the help of brawny native gents, build and customize your tropical resort to earn your title as queen.

Hotel Dash – Suite Success (35 MB download)
When Quinn’s new travel business hits a snag, she needs Flo’s patented elbow grease to help renovate and run hotels all over DinerTown! As Flo, you will deliver guest’s luggage, drop off room service and provide extra towels, blankets and anything else they may need to stay happy and leave big tips! Along the way you will use your tips to decorate and restore each hotel back to its original charm. Watch out for the mysterious mishaps and accidents that threaten your progress! Do you have what it takes to keep everyone happy, or will the mysterious shadow halt your success?

I had a nice afternoon, today.

Okay, it didn’t start out so nice, but it ended well.

It started with  my visit to the ENT where she numbed my sinuses and then poked a scope with a videocamera on it up into my nostril until I felt it in the back of my throat. 

Twice.

Then, she stuck a foot long Q-tip up my nose until I could practically feel it behind my eye so she could send it to a lab.

Twice.

(Twice…you know, since I have two nostrils and all.)

Anyway, that lab will come back on Monday.  In the meantime, despite the fact that I just finished up 28 days of antibiotics on Monday, I’m now on a new antibiotic for the next three weeks, at the end of which I will have a CAT scan to see what’s going on with my sinuses.

Good times.  Good times.

However, after my appointment, I picked up my Monkey Girl and we went to the eyeglass store to pick up my new glasses.

I like ‘em.  They are brown, tortoise-shell out the outside and pink on the inside. 

I feel fancy in them.

Anyway, after getting the glasses, Monkey Girl and I were walking down the sidewalk, which happens to pass the local diner and I said, “Hey…you wanna go in and share a plate of french fries?” (No comments, please, on the whole diabetics shouldn’t eat potatoes thing, please…I was bonding with my girl.)

You would have thought I told her she won the lottery.

We went inside, shared a plate of fries and just had some Mommy/Monkey girl talk.

It was just a nice treat for Monkey Girl and an extra nice treat for me. 

I love that girl so much…I don’t think she’ll ever understand how much.

Hotel Dash – Suite Success (35 MB download)
When Quinn’s new travel business hits a snag, she needs Flo’s patented elbow grease to help renovate and run hotels all over DinerTown! As Flo, you will deliver guest’s luggage, drop off room service and provide extra towels, blankets and anything else they may need to stay happy and leave big tips! Along the way you will use your tips to decorate and restore each hotel back to its original charm. Watch out for the mysterious mishaps and accidents that threaten your progress! Do you have what it takes to keep everyone happy, or will the mysterious shadow halt your success?

Delicious-Emilys Holiday Season (119 MB download)
Deck the halls with love and joy in Delicious: Emily’s Holiday Season, a wonderful time management sequel to warm up your holidays! It’s winter in Snuggford and Emily is preparing for her family’s holiday party at a cozy little lodge. Soon, romance fills the air as two suitors vie for Emily’s attention. Can Emily carefully balance her duties and build a relationship? Whom will she choose? Join Emily in this romantic new adventure through a winter wonderland! Meet her family and catch up with friends. Help and serve guests delicious holiday treats. Take part in jolly activities. Find out who the lucky guy will be! Brighten up your holidays with heartwarming fun!

Coconut Queen (103 MB download)
Soak up the sun while building your very own paradise empire! As the island’s much-awaited Coconut Queen, you must make the island of Lui Lui a popular tourist destination or risk its demise. With the help of brawny native gents, build and customize your tropical resort to earn your title as queen.

Fishdom Frosty Splash (46 MB download)
Use your imagination to recreate the chilly fun atmosphere of winter in your tank. Earn money as you complete colorful match 3 levels and use it to buy festive fish and winter-themed decorations. Take a frosty splash in this sparkling sequel to Fishdom !

No matter what brand of politics float your boat, you’d probably agree that California is “progressive.”  This is where the hippies, potheads, vegans, homosexuals, Scientologists, surfers, health nuts, and out of work actors roost.  Californians can’t wait to plug their cars in, or even trade them in for bamboo beach cruisers that they valet at the Farmers Market. Right?

NOT in Palm Springs.

There are a lot of gay men here…but other than that I feel like I’m anywhere BUT California.

Smoking–Rat Pack style

One example is smoking.  California is famous for leading the country with it’s tough public & workplace smoking bans.

I grew up in San Luis Obispo–one of the very first places to go smoke-free.  I remember as a kid all the restaurant and bar owners bitching about it, and wondering just how the hell they were going to stay in business if people couldn’t smoke in their establishments.  Go to San Luis Obispo today and you will find one of the nation’s few thriving economies, a beautiful downtown packed with pubs and bars that Cal Poly students frequent, and lots of people eating out in some great locally owned restaurants.

Because of the smoking legislation, California is a different place today.  Less people smoke, and people who do, smoke less. Except here in Palm Springs.

Go to the downtown PS Starbucks, grab a frappucino and find a seat outside on the patio. Now start coughing.  Spastic coughing fits perhaps.  I can’t tell you how long it had been since I’d seen an ASHTRAY on a patio table in California.  Cigarette butts overflowing from the trash can top onto the ground almost everywhere I go…

Palm Springs seems to be emulating Euro-style around the clock smoke-athons. Maybe that’s not shocking where you live, but for me it was like  finding out the place I just moved to doesn’t have running water.

When I go to a house party, or am getting smashed with friends in Vegas, I really don’t care that people around me are smoking.  It truly is their prerogative.  Get me drunk enough, I might even ask for a puff or two.

One of my favorite things about hanging out in Tijuana is this famous little cigar shop on the main drag.  My buddy and I always start our day there (usually around 2pm) with some fresh espresso and a cigar chosen by one of the pretty and friendly shop girls.  But when I’m at a frickin’ Starbucks in GD California? Doesn’t make any sense.

Palm Springs is REALLY hurting financially.  This is a seasonal place that makes oodles of moolah IF the rest of the country (and Canada) is raking it in.  Business owners here are lamenting the lackluster tourist turnout so far this year (Palm Springs “High-Season” is roughly Halloween through April).  And the visitors who are making the trip are spending very little.  Pure speculation here–and YES I know there are other factors–but I can’t help wonder how this place would be different if they started promoting Palm Springs (a place that used to be a SPA destination) as a healthy vacation Mecca…

Hate bikes and people who ride them?

Then move to Palm Springs!  I’m exaggerating a tad, but compared to the the rest of SoCal, the Central Coast, and practically ALL of NorCal; Palm Springs is ass backwards when it comes to bikes.

There is a “bike trail” here that is supposed to loop bikers around town.  It’s 100% RECREATIONAL and it’s mostly on sidewalks.  That’s not biking.  Trying to ride my bike to Farmers Market this morning was a logistical mess.  The official “bike routes” don’t lead to anywhere I’m trying to get to (Sad considering the Farmers Market is in the MALL’S parking lot).

Routing bikes onto sidewalk routes is dangerous. Sidewalks and bikes just don’t mix.  Not only is it unsafe and unnerving for other pedestrians, the cyclist is in danger every time the sidewalk intersects with driveways and the road.  Any concept that bikes have the right of way is lost and instead bikes on sidewalks reinforces the idea that bicycles are marginal and even maligned transportation.

I’ve been in Palm Springs for a little over three months now and I have only seen one die-hard bike commuter.  She rides a bright pink 10-speed all over the place and even does so during the SUMMER!  Good on you whoever you are.

The newer and very popular ACE hotel in Palm Springs is one of the first signs of possible renaissance here.  They turned the old Denny’s into a hip organic gourmet diner, Wealthy Orange County Dad’s bring their families to hang out for a weekend, and young L.A. hipsters wear skinny jeans even by the pool.

And ACE bless their hearts thought it would be cool to offer groovy beach cruisers for their guests to ride around Palm Springs on.  I’m literally embarrassed when I see these poor tourist trying to make their way from the hotel to the downtown area.  You can see the terror in their eyes as they are forced onto sidewalks, almost run over by weaving snowbirds, and buffaloed by impatient locals.  It could be such a neat addition to this beautiful place where you can ride around in shorts on Christmas day. But instead it’s a joke and definitely not cool.

Like inferior produce?

You’re a match for Palm Springs!

Until I found the Farmers Market I was literally aghast at how bad the produce is here.  This is CALIFORNIA dammit.  A place overflowing with great food.  Order a salad in most Palm Springs eateries and prepare yourself for lackluster greens, tossed with inferior oily dressings, and topped with nearly translucent cherry tomatoes.  A travesty.

Vintage Los Angeles Farmer's Market...Very Sexy!

Walk into the grocery stores and find not ripe for another month citrus, sad little (or non-existent) organic sections with even less ripe avocados and fruit [it's like the store manager says "if we're gonna order this here expensive organic shit we best get it green as hell so it lasts till we sells it].  There is no Whole Foods in the entire extended area. My local health food store carries almost no produce, and when they do it’s only for 1/2 the year!  Even though the store OPERATES a cafe & juice bar requiring fresh organic produce–INSANITY.

And the worst part?  So much healthy-beautiful-delicious produce is grown right here and in the surrounding communities!

What Palm Springs needs

I’ve thought about this almost every day since moving here.  Writing about the negatives of Palm Springs isn’t meant to detract from what makes this place so cool.  But, it’s light years behind the rest of California, and I think I know why…

Palm Springs needs more young people.

Sinatra's Palm Springs House Which You Can Rent! See The Piano Shaped Pool!

The old rat pack crowd living here is awesome.  I find them endlessly fascinating.

The gay men who have turned Palm Springs into their own Mecca have done a lot to bolster Palm Springs economy and make it a better place to live.  The working class who live here (that’s me) are the glue for the whole thing.  Almost everyone I’ve met here is friendly, personable, and fun.  They are also attracted to this PLACE and want to be here. But…

There are VERY FEW young people.  The average age here is forty four.

A lot goes into making a place that attracts young artists and thinker types (jobs/venues/etc.), I know that.  But simple things like getting this place healthier, more progressive, and accessible would go a long way.

The best case scenario I could see for Palm Springs would be adding a University (UCR has an extension campus in Palm Desert and there is a sad dilapidated but very popular community college there as well–but Palm Desert is another world away from Palm Springs even though they are so close) .  Even a small college would really balance out Palm Springs culture and business.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians own much of the Palm Springs area and operate profitable gaming establishments including a large casino smack in the middle of downtown.  It would be interesting to see them invest in the community (which they do in other ways) by investing in a totally new kind of University.  Think of the possibilities for tribal promotion, grants, scholarships, etc.

The Coachella Valley is loaded with the very rich.  It’s hard to convey how much wealth is hidden away in the canyons and country clubs here.  And a lot of those individuals would be eager to have some campus buildings named after them I’m sure.

Thanks for reading my unsubstantiated, pulled from my ass, and probably way too long rant about my new home town!  If you live in the Palm Springs area, or have visited, please share your take!

Tomorrow I’m going to share with you some new ideas I’m having about the best way for me to continue eating raw after I finish my 60 day 100% raw-food challenge.

I think it may be very helpful for a lot of other people too, who are trying to figure out a simple way to have more raw foods in their life, and maybe even eat mostly raw…

Youda Farmer (33 MB download)
Experience the country life like never before! Run your farm, grow your crops, and provide all the shops in the village with the supplies they need! Use your time management skills to pick up the right products and deliver them in time. Harvest your crops, raise chickens, pigs and more, and purchase machines to get everything running faster and faster. Don’t forget to party it up during the big harvest parties too! Pull out your truck and get started farming in this addictive game now!

Delicious-Emilys Holiday Season (119 MB download)
Deck the halls with love and joy in Delicious: Emily’s Holiday Season, a wonderful time management sequel to warm up your holidays! It’s winter in Snuggford and Emily is preparing for her family’s holiday party at a cozy little lodge. Soon, romance fills the air as two suitors vie for Emily’s attention. Can Emily carefully balance her duties and build a relationship? Whom will she choose? Join Emily in this romantic new adventure through a winter wonderland! Meet her family and catch up with friends. Help and serve guests delicious holiday treats. Take part in jolly activities. Find out who the lucky guy will be! Brighten up your holidays with heartwarming fun!

Hotel Dash – Suite Success (35 MB download)
When Quinn’s new travel business hits a snag, she needs Flo’s patented elbow grease to help renovate and run hotels all over DinerTown! As Flo, you will deliver guest’s luggage, drop off room service and provide extra towels, blankets and anything else they may need to stay happy and leave big tips! Along the way you will use your tips to decorate and restore each hotel back to its original charm. Watch out for the mysterious mishaps and accidents that threaten your progress! Do you have what it takes to keep everyone happy, or will the mysterious shadow halt your success?

Fishdom Frosty Splash (46 MB download)
Use your imagination to recreate the chilly fun atmosphere of winter in your tank. Earn money as you complete colorful match 3 levels and use it to buy festive fish and winter-themed decorations. Take a frosty splash in this sparkling sequel to Fishdom !

Party Down (31 MB download)
Inspired by the Starz TV series, take over a Party Down catering team as you help the Hollywood elite celebrate in style! Keep the music playing, the food coming, and the conversations going as you schmooze with the stars. Work your way through 8 unique parties at huge yachts, extravagant balls, and exclusive nightclubs. Keep your cool, show them what you got, and maybe you can become the next big thing!

Hotel Dash – Suite Success (35 MB download)
When Quinn’s new travel business hits a snag, she needs Flo’s patented elbow grease to help renovate and run hotels all over DinerTown! As Flo, you will deliver guest’s luggage, drop off room service and provide extra towels, blankets and anything else they may need to stay happy and leave big tips! Along the way you will use your tips to decorate and restore each hotel back to its original charm. Watch out for the mysterious mishaps and accidents that threaten your progress! Do you have what it takes to keep everyone happy, or will the mysterious shadow halt your success?

Coconut Queen (103 MB download)
Soak up the sun while building your very own paradise empire! As the island’s much-awaited Coconut Queen, you must make the island of Lui Lui a popular tourist destination or risk its demise. With the help of brawny native gents, build and customize your tropical resort to earn your title as queen.

London

The Knotty Pine restaurant is located on Wellington Road, London, Ontario. The hotel we were staying in was close by. Feeling peckish one mid-November day around lunchtime we decided to try it out.
The seating area is quite large but a section was closed and of course I happened to stray into it which was rather naughty of me [geddit?]. OK, that’s enough of these kinds of corny jokes. The lady serving told me that the area was only used in very busy times and I was ushered into the main eating area. This was laid out in typical North American economy diner style with the utilitarian, vinyl, upholstered units that can take four adults. I expect much of the trade to the Knotty Pine came from passing truck drivers. We ordered some soup of the day, a beef barley broth, which was quite filling.
Cultural difference no. 1: In Canada, like the U.S., soup is served with crackers. In the U.K soup is invariably served with bread. I found crackers with soup a little odd but quite pleasant. I took advantage of a soup and sandwich deal which was bumper value. The sandwich was a chicken salad.
Cultural difference no. 2: Canadians by default will serve such a sandwich with some dressing – typically some vinaigrette mixture like caesar dressing. In Scotland and the U.K. the default would be a salad sandwich without dressing. I got kind of irritated with this Canadian presumptuousness on occasion. Despite that the sandwich was good.
Cultural difference no. 3: Instead of a sandwich my partner ordered a salad. In Canada and the U.S. they nibble like rabbits on a salad before having their main course. I can’t get my head round this odd habit! In Scotland and the U.K. we would have a salad with our main course hence the name – side-salad. I mean a side salad adds contrast and variety to a main dish: that is the whole point! Instead of being a herbivore and then a carnivore you must be an omnivore, all at once!!
The lady who served us was great. She worked very hard and yet again I was genuinely impressed with Canadian restaurant service. The bill was very reasonable. I put some notes on the plate and was waiting for change but it never appeared within a reasonable amount of time so I assumed it had been taken to be a tip. We were not bothered in the least having had a very good value for money lunch.

Check out my review of The Knotty Pine Restaurant – I am grian1954 – on Qype

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

Saved the best for second-to-last, guys.

Your magnificent Miss November 2001 was the lovely and talented and unremittently marvelous, in this shiksa’s opinion, Lindsey Vuolo. Ms Vuolo’s interview with Playboy touched on her recent trip to Israel, included a picture from her bat mitzvah, and set off a shitstorm of reactionary crossfire about pornography, sex, and religion in the conservative Jewish community, from which she valiantly refused to back down. Preach it, garrl!

Photographed by Arny Freytag – for some reason in this picture she looks like Raquel Welch, which is nothing to sneeze at, but she is a beauty in her own right and the resemblance is not present in the other pictures.

Lindsey’s Italian father converted to Judaism to marry her Russian mother. “I traveled to Israel as part of an exchange program and it was an amazing trip,” she says. “Being in Jerusalem was so emotional for me — I broke down and cried.” (“Lindsey,” Playboy, November 2001)

Holy shit, if that did not apparently ruffle feathers for her to be naked emotionally as well as physically by describing what being Jewish meant to her in terms of her personal identity and emotions. (You can bare your breasts, and you can bare your bajango*, but you can’t bare those with your soul and be religious!)

*thank you, Tina Fey, for the term “bajango.” I’ll get to the Playboy interview where she first dropped that term for ladyparts another day.

What happened next was, this guy Rabbi Shmuley Boteach caught wind of her appearance –especially her emphasis on her religion and what it meant to her identity– and publicly took Lindsey to task for posing for Playboy (though he had himself appeared in the magazine promoting his book, Kosher Sex).

Feminists and porn-purveyors alike took Lindsey’s side, and soon everyone from rabbis to radical social theorists was weighing in with their opinions on faith and sex. These are two topics that everyone has touch them in some personal way, so I’m not surprised that people felt personally authorized to comment on the issue. I remember noting in college classes that the discussions during lecture in which everyone was the most engaged usually involved universal human issues like religion, sex, or love. Everyone experiences these things, so everyone has an opinion!

Taking advantage of the publicity which resulted from the itty-bitty-titty holy war, Boteach enticed her to come to a recorded and Extremely Accusatory “discussion” with him of the issue of pornography and Judaism vis-a-vis what the religion’s teachings were and how pornography impacts marriage, traditional ideals of femininity, and sexuality. She had the balls to show up, and not only that, defend herself. Reading the interview, I felt ashamed. I could have never made it through to the end the way she does. I’m easily humiliated by disapproving men. Not so Ms. Vuolo. She has an admirable self-awareness and a respectful but strong spine of steel. Check some of these excerpts, which I’ve thoughtfully and even thought-provokingly interwoven with the quotes from the “interview”:

Shmuley Boteach: So tell me what you think about the following ideas, okay? Number one: Pornography or Playboy ultimately, far from being sexy and titillating, is actually boring and monotonous because the moment you see someone’s body in its entirety, the first few minutes, sure, it’s very exciting but after that nothing is left to the imagination. It loses its erotic allure. I mean, all studies show that when women go to bed with guys too early, it almost always destroys the relationship because the thrill of the chase is gone, the mystery is gone. The human body requires mystique in order to retain its attractiveness. There also has to be the involvement of the mind in order for there to be fantasy, and nudity and sexual over-explicitness actually hinders fantasy.

For example, as a marriage counselor, I always say to wives, don’t ever walk around the bedroom naked unless it’s time for sex and he has to earn the right to see your body naked because–


Lindsey Vuolo: I disagree with that.


SB: You disagree with that?


LV: Yeah. Because you know, my husband–well, I don’t have a husband but if I had a husband, and we share everything together and I’m his, I’ll run around naked for him. That’s for him, I mean, then he doesn’t need to see anyone else naked.

SB: I wish what you were saying was true but according to the Hite report the fact that 75% of husbands are unfaithful and the fact that half of marriages end in divorce shows that unfortunately men need variety when they feel they get bored. Many men who cheat on their wives claim to love their wives. They do it only because they need something new. So clearly, it is very possible to get bored of your wife’s body, no matter how much she runs around for you.


LV: Well, I think for all time men will always look at women whether it’s their wives or someone else. And I don’t think that they get bored, you know, they look–


RS: No, no, we know they look at women’s bodies. The question is, will they look at the same woman’s body. You’re Miss November. They’re not going to make you Miss December under any circumstances. The reason is the guys have seen you and they’ve just seen you. They want someone new now. Doesn’t that alone prove to you that pornography gets boring?

Playboy has used you and you’ll never be a playmate again.


LV: I posed for this for me. So if I’m degrading anyone, I’m just degrading myself. What other women do–


SB: But the biggest sins in life are where we hurt ourselves even more than other people.


LV: But I don’t feel like I’m hurting myself.

Holy fuckballs, what a passel of ice-cold punches to the gut. If you have sex or display yourself as sexual, you have used up your ace in the hole, blown your wad of feminine mystique, as it were, and will forever forth be undervalued. Um … is this so? I don’t even know! I just want to go shower and cry! Bitch magazine, help a Catholic girl with deep-seated Daddy Issues out:

Unwilling to cow to the rabbi, (who, it should be noted, promoted his own book in Playboy) Lindsey stood her ground, explaining that she had done nothing wrong. According to Lindsey, Playboy doesn’t even count as pornography because to her the word conjures up images of “penetration, urination, and things like that.” (“My Meidel is a Centerfold,” Bitch Magazine, Deborah Kolben, May 2002.)

Okay, well, at least I know other women will give me a hug and a “it’s okay, honey,” whether or not we are any of us sure about anything after the tirade about how men will grow tired of us and we must not be naked in front of even our husbands.

So. Quick word about this shoot: okay, obviously I have a majah girl-brain-crush on Lindsey Vuolo, but, strictly from an unbiased perspective, from the artistic standpoint, I strongly believe that this photoshoot stands head and shoulders above most of the others from the 2000’s.

It has a clear unity of vision: the story is, this super-super-cute, vintage-lingerie-loving, wholesome, upbeat gal works at an old-fashioned pie-and-coffee kind of diner as a pastry chef or baker of some kind, and it's after-hours.

If this does not melt your heart with its brain-asplodin’ cuteness, you are made of STONE and we have nothing to offer each other.

First she’s with you in the dinette, then she’s showing you around at home. It’s cut and dry and adorable as shit. Love it. Okay! Back to the hot button side of the story. Final thought, for clarification and prompting of to-be-determined further discussion:

Some have incorrectly claimed that Vuolo is the first Jewish Playmate. Vuolo herself has agreed it is more likely that she merely is the first openly Jewish Playmate. (the wiki)

This has been certainly a long enough entry already, all apologies, so perhaps we ought to save the important and striking issue of why a beautiful woman looking to be famous in America might consider her Judaism a liability rather than an asset and choose to downplay this important aspect of her heritage and womanhood (*cough, cough* Holly Madison) for another day.

But Don’t Think I’m Forgetting. I got a memory like Babar — but a figure like Bettie Page. Ow! Call me!

Zulu’s Zoo (138 MB download)
Help Zulu’s Zoo win a million dollar grant by making sure the zoo is absolutely the best operated zoo in the country! Find and feed the animals, clean up the habitats by collecting trash, and explore a wide range of Hidden Object scenes to succeed. Play fun and exciting mini-games, take challenging Zoo Tests, and collect stars as you earn your way from lowly Novice to an expert Zoo Director! Make Zulu’s Zoo the best and win the prize!

I spent the last week in the Bay Area, eating in spots from downtown San Francisco to San Jose’s Japantown (yes, San Jose has one too). I saw an incredible supermarket in Cupertino, an enormous flea market in San Jose, and I have pictures of much of this. So over this week (perhaps next) there will be a lot of articles about Bay Area eating and shopping.

In the meantime. we arrived late enough to need a 24 hour eatery, and one of the best diners near Snellville is the Metro Cafe in Stone Mountain.  We had two specials, a grilled lamb shank and grilled tilapia there, and we also had hot wings.

The hot wings fared best in our hands, large, dry and spicy.

The tilapia serving was enormous, and accompanied by a decent set of steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, and a ton of rice. The tilapia was good, but lacking in spices. Tossing some black pepper on the tilapia cured a lot of the lack of taste.

My daughter ordered the lamb shank, which she originally thought was good and then later decided was just ordinary. I had a taste. Yes, not much flavor from a chunk of meat that should have been flavorful almost by default. It was very tender though.