An evening on the town - Dinkytown that is

Tonight Chuck and I went to the Loring Pasta Bar for dinner. Their food has always been mediocre and the reason for going more for ambiance than appetite.

I think they must have reinvented their menu however. Our food was very tasty and satisfying - also reasonably priced. I had the blackened catfish with asparagus and safron rice. And a side of potatoes au gratin, which came as a hefty rectangular chunk covered with melted cheese. It was unfortunately kinda cold, but still very good. The catfish was fresh salty and tender and hot - the rest was a bit luke warm, both in temperature and flavor.

Chuck had the squash ravioli with some kinda creamy dollop in the center. The pasta was tender and handcrafted, the squash filling subtle and hearty. Still not sure what the creamy stuff was, but it added to the dish.

We had the three Creme Brulee cups for dessert. They came in Milk chocolate, white chocolate and bittersweet. They were a bit too firm in texture, but creamy and flavorful. They are a bit of a novelty in their dimunitive size, and I think I'll stick to the regular large vanilla creamy pot of heaven myself.

Our waiter upon enquiry as to the hours of the Loring, gave us a rundown of recent history. It seems that the Kitty Kat Club is no longer a part of the Loring and now they have aquired the Varsity Theater, newly opened, which has been vacant for about as long as I can remember, except a brief time when I was attending the U sometime in the 90's. He gave us complimentary passes to get into the varsity, so we thought we'd check it out.

We headed on down, and were pleasantly surprised by the relaxed and comfy decor of the entry lounge area, where one of my favorite local sculptures of a horse head now resides. It is made out of metal found objects like spoons and platters and cups and such and is really quite amazing, you really must see it.

Next we headed in to the main room where the real action was. A large room kickin' sound system, 2 large screens an ample dance floor, and the whole thing is surrounded by red satin ensconced beds and tastefully draped cocktail tables. Yep, that's right there are beds all around the whole thing. Which is awesome once you've danced your ass off for the last hour and a half like I did.

Then there's the crowd. Wow, what a mix. Chuck and I kept puzzling at it. It was just so random. It was like someone had gone out into the streets of Dinkytown and pulled whoever they encountered into the club. There was a huge diversity in age, style, sexual orientation, and race. And, everyone was so happy and having so much fun, it was great. I really felt a bit like the peculiar comraderie you get at Burning Man. I'm tellin' you this place is the bomb! And they make a mean lemon drop.

The music was exceptional, we were there for 2 DJ's, not sure how many they had for the evening. I guess the evening was titled "Club Bazaar", with a $5 cover - which I deem well worth it. We had more fun than we've had in a long time dancing. Definitely gonna go back, hopefully before it is completely jammed with people.