Arts ©Entertainment
Friday, April 26, 1996 Page 14
Fun events
welcome
all majors
We here at TGIF are dedicated to
keeping students focused on their
studies during the last weekend before
Finals Week. So here we offer all of
you some options for music, film stud
ies and theater students. Everyone else
might want to consider going, too.
At Knickerbocker’s, 901 O St., the
science of rock ‘n’ roll will be ex
plored by Evel Paisley and Fragile
Porcelain Mice tonight. On Saturday
night, the studies will continue with
Fugitive Kino and Thread. Both shows
start at 10:30 and have a $3 cover
charge.
At the Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St.,
Indigenous will rock the house tonight
and Saturday. Everyone in Great
Plains Studies will be happy to know
that Indigenous is a 100 percent
Lakota Sioux band that plays Texas
style blues. Both shows start at 9 p.m.
and have a $4 cover charge.
Hey, business majors! Nebraska
Wesleyan University’s production of
“Other People’s Money” will continue
its run at McDonald Theatre, 51 st and
Huntington streets. It shows tonight
and Saturday at 8, Sunday at 2 p.m.
For ticket information, call the
McDonald Theatre box office at 465
2303.
But everyone needs a study break
now and then. If you feel that need,
stop on over at the Mueller Plan
etarium tonight or Saturday to check
out the Laser Fantasies production of
“Pink Floyd: The Wall.” The show will
run at 7 p.m., 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. both
nights. Admission is $5 for all seats.
We realize this gross violation of your
dedication to studying might make
you feel guilty, but it is Pink Floyd,
after all.
Why read about history when you
can go watch a movie about it? A
plethora of cinematic spectacles await
in theaters everywhere.
The romantic-comedy “The Truth
About Cats and Dogs” opens today,
starring Uma Thurman and Janeane
Garofalo in a heartwarming tale in
volving veterinarians, radio talk shows
and mistaken identities.
An all-star cast makes “Mulholland
Falls” into a powerhouse on paper.
Nick Nolte, John Malkovich and
Chazz Palmentiri star in a ’50s gang
ster-style film, looking at a group of
men who take the law into their own
hands.
Oh goody. Jean-Claude Van
Damme — who can’t act — is now a
director with “The Quest,” a story
about a man who must find honor by
entering and winning a brutal tourna
ment.
At the Mary Riepma Ross Film
Theatre, “Persuasion” continues its
run. Based on the Jane Austen novel,
“Persuasion” follows love and wealth
over a span of eight years.
Returning movies include “Bed of
Roses,” “Black Sheep” and “All Dogs
Go To Heaven 2” to the StarShip 9,
and “Grumpier Old Men” starts its
two-week run at the Joyo Theater.
Have something to contribute to TGIF?
Seud Information to “TGIF,” c/o Dally Ne
braskan Arts and Entertainment, 34 Ne
braska Union, 1400 R St, Lincoln, Neb.
68580, or fax ns at 472-1761. TGIF Is com
piled by tbe arts and entertainment statf.
| ScrumpdiUy
Tanna Kinnaman/DN
Tom Cook, chief cook and bottle washer at Cook’s Kitchen, 33rd and A streets, adds chips to a lunch order Thursday.
Home-style, food keeps city cafes cooking
By Gerry Beltz _
Senior Reporter
It’s almost like a secret society. Nobody but a
precious few know about their existence.
They arc cafes.
Most cafes around Lincoln do little or no ad
vertising whatsoever, yet have been around for
years.
“It’s word-of-mouth,” said Michael Dixon, co
owner of Dixon’s Cafe, 704 L St. “I’ve been down
there for around 25 years, and we’re holding in
pretty good.”
Tom Cook, owner of Cook’s Kitchen, 1379 S.
33rd, said he also relied on less formal advertis
ing.
“We do some advertising with Rent-A-Sign”
Cook said, “but 95 percent is from word-of
mouth.” * v*
In the restaurant business, the key to bringing
“That's what people want —
good service with quality food
at a reasonable price. ”
TOM COOK
in customers and keeping them is the simplest
reason there is—good cooking, said Sue Mueller,
manager of Tina’s Cafe, 616 South St.
“Everything here is real,” Mueller said, “Real
potatoes, real gravy, we bread the food ourselves;
it’s just home-cooked food.”
Cook also credited his staff with bringing in
and maintaining a steady flow of customers.
“My waitresses, first of all, are really nice and
that helps bring people in,” he said. “That’s what
people want — good service with quality food at
a reasonable price.
“Most of the smaller places are run by indi
viduals or husband-wife teams: people who have
been cooking all of their lives.”
For Dixon, business is definitely a family mat
ter. He and his two sisters, Rachel and Frances,
took on the business after their parents retired six
years ago.
“We all pitch in,” Dixon said, “My brothers
come in and help paint; It’s just sort of a friends
and family type thing.”
The clientele of the cafes ranges as widely as
the menu selections.
“We get doctors, lawyers, blue-collar work
ers,” Cook said, “every type of customer you can
think of.”
See CAFES on 17
Greasy spoons serve up ‘slice of heaven
By Gerry Beltz
Senior Reporter
In today’s health-conscious and cholesterol
counting society, a “greasy spoon” often conjures
images of holes in the wall and food you wouldn’t
feed to a dying goat.
To me, a “greasy spoon” is a slice of heaven
with homemade gravy on top.
It has been my experience that these small ca
fes always out-cook, out-service, out-price and
out-class any of the bigger, national chain restau
rants, hands down.
Around Lincoln, these are some of my favor
ites, and some of the dishes I recommend. If your
favorite cafe isn’t listed here, my apologies. Af
ter all, I’m only human. (A human with gravy for
blood, but I’m still human.)
Dixon's Cafe (704 L St.) — Nice place. I’d
have to recommend the basic cggs-and-bacon
breakfast (add some GREAT sausage gravy for
the hash browns) or for lunch, get the country
fried steak (Fridays only).
Virginia's Cafe (38th and Cornhusker) —
I’ve only been here once, but the hot beef sand
wich was delicious. The chili is decent as well.
Tina’s Cafe (7th and South) — Definitely
the BEST cheeseburger in this entire city (get it
deluxe), and a damn fine bowl of chili as well.
Mar-Shel’s Cafe (27th and O) — Another
tasty hot beef sandwich (VERY tender beef) and
the German sausage breakfast was rather scrump
tious too.
Cook’s Kitchen (33rd and A) — I simply
MUST recommend theT.C. Special, a thick, half
pound burger with ALL of the trimmings, plus
mushrooms and a thick slice of ham, and fries on
the side. For breakfast, whatever else you order,
get the home-fried potatoes and add sausage
gravy. Yummy!!
HONORABLE MENTION: In my opinion,
after years of travels all over the map, the BEST
hot beef sandwich in existence today awaits at...
the O.K. Cafe in Hastings. The beef is piled high
and is oh-so-tender, the gravy is just peppery
enough, and it comes with a HUGE mound of
mashed taters. Gotta love it!
James MehsHng/DN