The best kind of Greasy Spoon for me has been the kind where the waitress knows your name and automatically brings (what she remembers as) your "fave" to the table before you ask. The Good Bite on Yonge St. here in Toronto was like that. The Greek ladies would say "Halllo Ricky, one pea soup coming up". Damn, that's a sense of "family" and it always made me feel good.

The worst kind always seemed to be on the road, when you venture in after the gig and you just KNOW that one of the local punks is gonna say "Hey you with the guitar, play us some Zeppelin"! (with the implied message: "or we'll kill you"!)

The VERY WORST scenario? You're on the road in some small town, you've made acquaintance with a local young lady and you go into one of these establishments WITH her. The local guys see this and are NOT impressed! Can be dangerous.

I was in a play a few years ago with a mixed race cast (black and white). We were touring through Northern Ontario. Watching three black and three white actors coming through the door almost caused the staff and customers of various greasy spoons to faint dead away. And this was in the EIGHTIES.

Rick