In my mind's eye, that dinner at Neptune was in 2003 or so, but I just looked and it was 2001? Time sure is collapsing.
I had such a love/hate with Neptune. My go-to diner was Mini Star (RIP), at least for delivery. I'd call and the guy on the phone would know it was me. Weird special orders were no problem. One time I called during a bad flu and asked if they could get my some NyQuil and a pack of AA batteries, and he said no problem. But they were only open until 10:00, and good luck getting a seat in their tiny dining room on a Saturday morning.
Neptune was an institution, and it was open 24 hours. And my friend Rob lived next door. Food was good, but something was always slightly wrong. The prices were maybe 10% too high. The waitress was too slow. Or some part of the breakfast combo didn't work, like I wanted strawberry pancakes with eggs and bacon, and I'd have to order two complete breakfasts to get it. It was nitpicky stuff, but at 3am, I'd still end up there and deal with it. I would swear never again, and be back next Tuesday. I think that was a metaphor for just about every part of my half-decade in Astoria.
It's weird that I never felt like I fully plugged in with Astoria, and right as I was leaving for Manhattan in 2005, there was a wave of gentrification that changed the scene, like cafes with one-word names ("Bite" or "Brunch") and actual book stores and such. Looking back, I feel if I would have stayed another ten years, it would have been a much more comfortable scene. Or would it? I imagine Brooklyn is more of the same?
In my mind's eye, that dinner at Neptune was in 2003 or so, but I just looked and it was 2001? Time sure is collapsing.
I had such a love/hate with Neptune. My go-to diner was Mini Star (RIP), at least for delivery. I'd call and the guy on the phone would know it was me. Weird special orders were no problem. One time I called during a bad flu and asked if they could get my some NyQuil and a pack of AA batteries, and he said no problem. But they were only open until 10:00, and good luck getting a seat in their tiny dining room on a Saturday morning.
Neptune was an institution, and it was open 24 hours. And my friend Rob lived next door. Food was good, but something was always slightly wrong. The prices were maybe 10% too high. The waitress was too slow. Or some part of the breakfast combo didn't work, like I wanted strawberry pancakes with eggs and bacon, and I'd have to order two complete breakfasts to get it. It was nitpicky stuff, but at 3am, I'd still end up there and deal with it. I would swear never again, and be back next Tuesday. I think that was a metaphor for just about every part of my half-decade in Astoria.
It's weird that I never felt like I fully plugged in with Astoria, and right as I was leaving for Manhattan in 2005, there was a wave of gentrification that changed the scene, like cafes with one-word names ("Bite" or "Brunch") and actual book stores and such. Looking back, I feel if I would have stayed another ten years, it would have been a much more comfortable scene. Or would it? I imagine Brooklyn is more of the same?
I never go to diners anymore, but I know that there's a Neptune in Brooklyn now, I'm pretty sure the same Greek family, the same Greek carryout cups.