Bored teens pee from the fourth floor
Damn you meddling kids!
No joke. On the night of Fall Crawl, John Montoya, the owner of The District restaurant and bar, reports that a group of kids menaced his outdoor patio by taking turns urinating from the upper floors of the city parking garage. So when, around 1:30 a.m., the remaining customers and employees heard what sounded like an explosion and shook the entire building, Montoya thought, “Oh great. What next?” According to Montoya, a teenage driver (they suspected he was inebriated) had plowed his car into one of the concrete panels of the garage. They estimate he must have been going about 25 miles an hour to dislodge one of the garage's giant concrete side panels.
Montoya says that the busted panel was attached to the garage by four welds but mostly it rested in place because of its own weight—about seven and a half tons. Those seven and a half tons of concrete were perched directly, precariously, above The District's kitchen, and the restaurant was closed until the city attached restraining cables to keep the panel in place.
In the meantime, the city is working on a permanent fix and Montoya is keeping his kitchen closed. Now, the restaurant is closed for lunch, and evening customers are invited to order food from nearby Ralli's.
Montoya admits, though, that the parking garage fiasco was not solely responsible for his decision to close the kitchen. “The kitchen was an expensive venture to run,” he said, adding that he is now in negotiations with some folks who are interested in leasing the kitchen space as a separate entity. “We're going to move towards easier food that's easier to explain,” Montoya says. He hopes to reopen for lunch as soon as the garage is fixed.
Baskin Robbins closed
Have to go to Cold Stone now
What, no pink spoons here?
I'm sure I wasn't the only one who noticed that the University area Baskin Robbins is mysteriously closed. The deal is that three Albuquerque Baskin Robbins shops have closed recently (the other two were on Menaul NE and on Wyoming in the North Towne center). The stores had been owned by the same franchisee. No word yet on if or when they might reopen.
Mmm, Moroccan food
Tender lamb, fluffy couscous
New place opens soon!
Curious? You'll have to wait until next week for the details. Be patient. It builds character.
Be paid to get fat! If you have a tidbit of news that belongs in "The Dish," e-mail food@alibi.com, call 346-0660 ext. 245 or fax 256-9651. The juiciest tidbits will be rewarded with gift certificates from NYPD and Maximito's.
