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Page 2-The Michigan Daily-Weekend etc. - October 29,1992

Call the Blues Busters!

,TralI an it to NIOQwhe

b~hWo~rt Iht

Admit it. For one date or another,
we've all been to those look-alike,
sound-alike, taste-alike national fun-
type restaurant cum bars, i.e., Chili's,
TGIF's, Ruby Tuesday's, Max and
Erma's, etc. High school was the prime

time to take whoever you were "going
out with" to those places before hit-
ting the 9 o'clock showing of "Pretty
Woman." Even debaters and Latin
club members were known to fre-
quent the aforementioned restaurants.
This past weekend I needed some
"blues busting" so I checked into the
grandaddy of 'em all: Bennigan's.
Bennigan's is always crowded, so
I expected the 20-minute wait. A lot
of pseudo-90210 couples waiting in
line were way too happy giving fla-
grant displays of hand holding.
Afterwork party animals of the "Work-
ing Girl" / "Secret of My Success"
persuasion made up the remainder of
the patrons. Classic Phil Collins
("She's an easy lover") blasted
through the numerous speakers, and
entertainment was provided by the
buffoons boozing up at the bar, or
"tavern," in the middle of the restau-
rant. Friendly advice to one Friday
night bar-goer: ditch the "Murray's
Discount Auto Store" satin jacket if
you want to get lucky.
At first I thought they announced
"Bennigan's welcomes Patrick Kim"
over the PA so that everyone would
know the Food King had arrived. Then
I realized they were announcing
everyone's name on the waiting list as
their turn came up. The staff is really
enthusiastic. Blond hair/black rooted
waiters and Hero cologne-scented
waitresses scurry around constantly
asking if everything's OK and/or if
they can get you a refill. A lotof them
are university students in disguise (hey
Bobo).
Once seated, I spent some time
soaking in the ambience. Half Hard
Rock Cafe, half Banana Republic,

Bennigan's is as genuinely Irish as
House of Pain. The restaurant's pre-
fab origins become apparent on close
inspection. Therearejustone too many
Charlie Chaplin pictures, pool cues,
and antique "books" glued to the walls.
Furthermore, the omnipresent forest
green color could annoy Helen Keller.
The food is simply a gussied up
version of Denny's / Big Boy fare -
don't get fooled by the names. For
example, "Sundae Sensation" isjusta
plain ole sundae. Bennigan's menu,
however, includes an array of foods
from several exotic ethnicities like
Italian, Mexican, Oriental, and
"Philly." Stick to generic standards
like burgers and steaks, and make
sure to avoid culturally confused items
like the "Italian Chicken Philly."N.B.:
the non-P.C. "Oriental" left me a little
perplexed; personally, "Oriental
Chicken Salad" has never been a
mainstay at the Kim household. Un-
fortunately, corporate sponisorship
also rears its opportunistic head in the
menu: the first page alone mentions
Heinz, Uncle Ben's, and Jello; they
also "suggest" Grey Poupon for your
Benny burgers.
Leaving the restaurant, I was origi-
nally a bit disappointed. Not young
enough to overlook the flaws and not
old enough to stake out a fruitful place
at the bar, Bennigan's eclectic mix of
food, fun, and acid wash justreminded
me that I was no longer young and not
quite adult yet. Nonetheless, if you're
of the "college is just an extension of
high school" mentality, fire up the
IROC-Z and get out there. For trips
down memory lane or after working
at everymall's "All American
Burger," you can't slam Bennigan's -
Jump Around!
Bennigan's
575 Briarwood Circle
996-0996
What to wear: Clothes that change
color / Shoes that pump up.
What to say: "It's my birthday" -
(free cake).
Number of Camaros in parking lot:
Too many.
Faux Pas Phrase: "I'll have the Lite
Burger."
Moustache / Hairtail: Not required
but definitely a "plus."

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EDITOR
Jessie Halladay
ARTS EDITORS
Alan J. Hogg, Jr.
Michael John Wilson
CONTRIBUTORS
Jon Altshul
Melissa Bernardo
Jason Carroll
Rich Choi
Yael Citro
Steve Culver
Rachel Glauberman
Aaron Hamburger
Sherry Holmberg
Nima Hodaei
Roger Hsia
Bryce Kass
Joshua Keidan
Patrick Kim
Alison Levy
Evan Petrie
Michelle Phillip
John R. Rybok
Dave Skelly
Chris Slovey
Scott Sterling
Molly Stevens
Michael Thompson
Kirk Wetters
Josh Worth

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BACKYARD INFINITY.
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by Dave Skelly
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