As it turns out, the myth of the part-time conversationalist is quite true.
My friend Lisa showed up at Table Steaks the other night wearing a shirt that read “Couture Sets You Free” and saying with concern, “Oh, I wonder how my Pistons are doing.”
The two – couture clothing and the Detroit Pistons – didn’t go together, but I ran with it. And it wasn’t five minutes before Lisa was up and asking the bartender at Table Steaks (101 W. Floyd Ave., 303-789-0643) to turn the many TVs to Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
“I’m a huge basketball fan,” admitted my friend of 10 years. It was the first time I’ve ever heard her talk about any specific sport. “And the Pistons are my team!”
And so it was understood that if the Pistons-Spurs game was on the TV over my shoulder, that’s where Lisa’s attention would be – over my shoulder and nowhere near the conversation among the rest of us, who were grabbing pre-show eats and drinks before heading over to the Gothic to see Spoon.
While I talked with my cousin Addison about his current Spoon infatuation, Lisa was in a faraway land, sometimes raising her hands in silent celebration. Yelling at Hoyt for his lack of a cellphone, and showing off Jose-David’s new Motorola Razor, Lisa was in la-la land, occasionally checking in on us and her grilled-cheese sandwich during commercial breaks.
It allowed me to look aimlessly over her shoulder at the curious surroundings of Table Steaks, a billiards chain that Jose-David correctly nailed as Vegas-esque. The carpet, the awkward dining area, the lights, the flashy bar – all Vegas. Or at least Blackhawk. The video game area even resembled a bank of slot machines, what with the flashing lights and obnoxious sounds coming from that side of the room.
The bottled beers strangely sat behind the bar in 7-Eleven-styled display coolers, and servers meandered the expansive restaurant in inexplicable patterns. But surprisingly, the service was always on-point and attentive.
The girl named Lisa sitting across from me, though, she wasn’t all that attentive – even if her Pistons were that night.
Funky: The Mexican food is surprisingly good – and if pizza’s your game, they’re also armed with an Abo’s.
Skunky: If I want Black Hawk, I’ll go to Black Hawk.
