The City's New Lunchtime Corner

As everyone knows, The Great Plotnik always travels with a camera, for the sole purpose of taking pictures of great food. And yet -- the photo here is of Mangosteen Restaurant, not of the Garlic Noodles with Lemon Grass Beef, one of the finest plates o'lunchgrub upon which Plot has feasted in some time, particularly on this corner in the Tenderloin, known primarily for Indian food (it is also called the Tandoor-Loin), crank cruisers, homeless drunks, idiot hipsters, tourists from Germany who misread the Guide Book and the Saigon Sandwich Shop.

The Great Mushnik and Dollar Bill (previously known as Silent Bill or Laughing Bill, but when he's kind enough to pick up the check it's Dollar Bill) took Plot and Duck to Mangosteen for Duck's Birthday Lunch, and it was fabulous. The neighborhood (corner of Larkin and Eddy) now sports two of the finest, inexpensive luncheries in town, and if you need a packet of crank or a pint of Thunderbird in a paper bag to wash it all down, you can get that too. Plot has no idea what was in the bag that the bearded but confused homeless man wanted to show him. (Plot knows the man was confused because he called him Good Looking Brother Man! as Plot approached, but Don't Show Yo Ugly Ass Down Here Again! after Plot declined the invitation to look into the bag.)

The idea was to have Pho, so Bill and Mush had Pho. Their enormous soup bowls smelled quite delicious, but the garlic noodles were in another league. From Mush's seat, she could look out at the people lining up outside the Saigon Sandwich Shop, if she hadn't been quite so occupied with her Phabulous Pho, but Plot only had eyes for his large plate of noodles. He finished every morsel on the plate, then licked the lime green chopsticks.

It is of interest to note that Bill and Mush ordered the same thing. This is something they frequently do. Duck and Plot have always thought there were ordinances against doing that kind of thing, and there are two clear reasons why: 1) if the food is good, you can't argue afterwards about whose was better, and 2) if the food is bad, you can't whine and feel sorry for your unfortunate choice, while cadging yummy morsels from your aggravated partner.

Larkin and Eddy, who'd a thunk it? The Plotniks thank the Mushniks for a wonderful day, and, best of all: MEMO TO DOLLAR BILL: the next birthday is Plotnik's!