0 t , t + -. - -- i i The Michigan Daily Weekend Magazine - Thursday, February 27, 1997 - - The Michigan Daily Weekend Magazine - Thursday, February 27, 1997 W3 Cover Story It's 2:30 a.m. and you're hungry Where can students go for late-night, hangout fun? A weekly where, what James Wilson For The Daily The scenarios are few and familiar: The party is over, offizzling to a slow death (which means, if you happen to be on or near Hill Street, that the keg has run dry), and all that remains is the treacherous walk home, over miles of mid-Michigan perma-frost. Or perhaps the Basement Arts, State Theater or Michigan Theater late show has just gotten out, and, again, the only option seems to be tarrying forth, passed endless neon streams of "Closed" signs, until you stumble tiredly into your blue-lit living room. At this point, your housemate and his occasional, romantic house guest, who have settled in for a quiet viewing of "Ghostbusters II," greet you with a frigid, dumbfounded, "What's up?" before you stumble, embarrassed, off to bed. Such is how many nights needlessly end for University students, because they have failed to consider the plump selection of late-night hang- outs where they can put off the return home for a few hours. Ann Arbor offers several locales, of various quality and atmosphere, to which the hun- gry, displaced or insomniac student can sojourn. The perennial favorite is Denny's. Just a few miles up Washtenaw Avenue from central campus, its yel- low, illuminated sign promises that patrons are wel- come at any time, any day of the week. As with most Denny's restaurants in this hemisphere, the Ann Arbor one is decorated in simulated wood grain and plush, patterned booths. In the last few years, the traditional decor has been modernized by a neon green light along the ceiling and an extensive dessert counter. First there is the optior of smoking or non-smoking. Unlike most franchised restaurants, Denny's has bucked the trend1 of banning all smoking, much to the happiness of; many tobacco afficionados. Only in this one facet has Denny's lagged behindl the curve. The food selec- tion, as the dessert counter addition suggests, has kept up with the times. In addi- tion to breakfast and dinner toUsethe entrees, the discriminating patron has the choice of as a library numerous appetizers or a combination of them all, with the ingenious "sam- Denny pler playter" option. Joe, who declined to give his last name, is an EMU student and recent1 addition to the late-night Denny's wait staff. He said that appetizers are among the most popular1 night-time foods. Coffee, unsurprisingly, is the pre- ferred beverage, though not because of its rich,c mountain grown flavor. Denny's coffee has a taste, strong in body, but leaves the palate non-plussed,1 unless much sugar is added.< For those who desire an alternative to coffee, LSAi thursda CAMPUS CINEMA Some Like It Hot (1959) Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon masquerade as women in Marilyn Monroe's band in order to escape the mob in Billy Wilder's classic farce. Mich. 5 p.m. Hamlet (1996) Kenneth Branagh recreates Shakespeare's masterpiece as 19th Century high drama in this Academy Award-nominated film. Mich. 9 p.m. MUSIC Fat Amy Modern rock originals from this East Lansing band. Rick's. 9:30 p.m. Gov't Mule Featuring members of the Allman Brothers. Blind Pig. 9:30 p.m. Sophia Hanifi With Kiss Me Screaming. Country and folk originals. The Ark. 8 p.m. $8.50. Gary Hoey W RIF sponsored show at the 7th House in Pontiac. 8 p.m. Call (810) 335-8100. L7 See the girls come out and play. With Motor Dolls. The Shelter. 7:30 p.m. (313) 961-M ELT. Live Touring in support of its newest album, "Secret Samadhi." State Theatre. Call (810)645-6666. Baba Maal Sponsored by W DET. The Majestic. 8 p.m. Call (810)645-6666. Chris Mills With Bird Dog. Both are artists from the newly formed indie label, Sugar Free. Espresso Royale. 1 p.m. Free. Johnny Socko With Skazilla, Secret Service and Superdot. Pharoh's Golden Cup. Call (313) 513-8688. THEATER Getting Out The Pulitzer Prize winning play- wright, Marsha Norman, dramatizes the diffi- culty of a woman's struggle to escape her trouble ridden past and to begin a new life despite her tarnished reputation in the latest Basement Arts production. Arena Theater in the Frieze Building. 7 p.m. Free. Call 764- 6800. Labor Day When two couples are visited by a mysterious guest, they have a holiday they won't forget in Kim Carney's latest original play. Purple Rose Theater Co., Garage Theater, 137 Park, Chelsea. 8 p.m. $10-$20. Call 475-7902. ALTERNATIVES Nonfiction Reading Fiona Giles reads from "Dick for a Day: What Would You Do If You Had One?" Shaman Drum. 8 p.m. Free. frida CAMPUS CINEMA Hamlet See Thursday. Mich. 7:30 p.m. Botfly With House in Pc Nas With g (810) 645-E Johnathan I show. 9:30 Top Kat R& 9:30 p.m. Getting Out Labor Day A Nonfiction I "Out of AmE Africa." Sha 4 CA Hamlet See Atomic Nun American IV 335-8100. Erin Dewsbury and LSA senior Amit Gaggar hang out and enjoy a snack at the Brown Jug early one morning. ROB GILMORE/Daily sophomore Fritz Swanson suggests, "Get as much lemonade as you want by ordering lemon slices, sugar packets and water and mixing it all together. And then you order strawberries and cream for 50 cents and saltines, and you've got a whole meal." Ypsilanti High School student and Denny's regu- lar Brandon said "Moons Over My Hammy," a ham and egg sandwich, is his favorite offering. The five other members of his party assented, except for fel- low student Jeff, who said, "I like the salad because of the ranch (dressing)." This group seemed typical of many who frequent the Ann Arbor Denny's. They were plae cautious in their praise of the food, yet remain dedicated, even die-hard, patrons. Brandon said his party comes Joe so often that "you start to rec- "s employee ognize all the other people." The most convincing sign of their devotion to Denny's, ing to use the place as a library and there get to be lines out the door," he said. This time limit seems well justified by LSA first- year student Ryan Horky's annecdote: "We went to a Rage concert and, on the way back, we stopped at Denny's and sat there drinking water until 4 a.m." The occasionally copious crowds and frugal cus- tomers are not the only reason for such time limits. Joe said there have been fights in the past which have involved gangs, the use of ketchup and mustard bottles as projectiles, and - most surprisingly, considering Joe's friendly, passive demeanor - his decidedly impassive cousin. Brandon also suggested that . Denny's was not always the most secure of late-night hangouts. "My friend Bruce is scared to, come here," Brandon said, "because he almost got beat-up and says I'm not big enough to protect him." A little dan- ger is inevitable with a crowd as diverse as that which Denny's attracts. Though the booths are relatively uniform in their brown neutrality, the patrons who sit in them ostensibly come from all walks of life. For example, last Sunday, one man, clad in black, looking like he is in his mid-50s, sat at the lunch counter, smoking an endless chain of Marlboros. His head was crowned with both a black hunter's cap and a pair of virtual-reality sun- glasses. Not far from him, a saccharine couple sat, their hands met in affection on the table, as they absently waited. Larger groups of college and high school students were spread throughout the rest of the restaurant, some rushing in and out for a quick bite, others lingering for hours, in avoidance of another night's closure. Those students who cannot, or do not want to, drive all the way to Denny's, still have several excellent options. While Denny's has proven its appeal on a nation- al level, there are other late-night hangouts par- ticularly suited to the Ann Arbor scene, the most traditional of which may be the Fleetwood Diner. Even now, it remains the only all-night restaurant within walking distance from cam- pus. mom .r ., / however, was, that they "notice when the menus are different than normal," Jeff said. The atmos- phere, more than the food, is the real draw. Though Denny's never closes, there is a time limit on seating, and patrons may be asked to leave if the management deems they have stayed too long. Usually, "it is two hours after the food arrives," Joe said, but noted that only during final exam periods is the limit strictly enforced. "People come expect- The slender, white building is reminiscent of a trailer; this only enhances its reputation as Ann Arbor's greasiest greasy-spoon. Located on the corner of Ashley and Liberty streets, the Fleetwood seems as though it had been lifted by a tornado, right out of the trailer park, and planted, by luck rather than intent, in the midst of more refined, red brick buildings. Such a locale lends a hardened, proletarian feel to the Fleetwood atmosphere. It seems, in coming to this diner, that the patron is con- sciously rejecting the fluff and luxury of other near- by restaurants and bars, such as Grizzly Peak or The See HANGOUTS, Page 4B M eked I M A G A Z I N E Weekend Magazine Editors: Greg Parker Elan A. Stavros Weekend Magazine Photo Editor: Margaret Myers and Kristen Schaefer. Writers: Dean Bakopoulos, Brian A. Gnatt, Greg Parker and Aaron Rennie. Photographers: Jennifer Bradley-Swift, Rob Gilmore and Jonathan Summer. Cover photograph by Rob Gilmore: Bartender Samantha Gerich, ISA senior and waitress Karen Wolownik and head waitress Harriet Robbins of the Brown Jug offer service with a smile. Graphics Editor: Tracey Harris. Arts Editors: Brian A. Gnatt and Jennifer Petlinski. Ham it up with The Reverend Horton Heat, playing this Saturday at St. Andrew's Hall. al i+ , ...'. ..' P A!# . d y# a ; !}. .p , Step aside for L7 x r 9