Tonight was the opening of THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP at Falcon Theater. My friend Danny & I both auditioned for the show but were not cast. We decided to attend the show together to revel in the lack of work we had to do to see it mounted, and decided to have dinner together beforehand.

We met at PEPPER POD, a restaurant just up the street from the theater. PEPPER POD is described as “no-frills family-style dining” in this review. I might argue that it is ‘family-style’ because the restaurant permits smoking inside (and boy do the patrons smoke!), but that’s nit-picking.

The food is hearty and reasonably tasty. I got a salsbury steak dinner with mashed potatoes and cottage cheese — food right out of my latchkey childhood, and Danny enjoyed his Ham & Cheese Omlette very much. You leave the restaurant smelling of smoke, but satisfied and with some change in your pocket.

This evening’s dinner was a delicious “Beach Club” from the local Jimmy John’s sandwich shop since I was near work for tonight’s rehearsal. The sandwich is turkey breast, provolone cheese, avocado spread, sprouts, lettuce tomato, and mayo. It comes with sliced cucumbers, but I usually order it without because in my opinion they dilute the flavor.

Combine that with a bag of chips (I usually grab the Salt & Vinegar variety) and an oatmeal raisin cookie, and you’ve got a nice, quick meal.