Episode IV: A New Hope

I was walking back from the gym this morning when I decided to swing by Entre Nous on Stewart, between 2nd & 3rd, to see if they were really, truly closed. I kept telling myself that they were just on vacation or something. You know, the chef is French, so maybe he's taking a major chunk of time off to visit his native land. But the outside looks just like this:

Yes, it's true. They're really, genuinely closed. But there was something in the window. I brushed aside my bitter, bitter tears to read the following:

What's this? A place open from 6pm to 9am?? That's totally crazy! It just might work. I'll definitely drop in for breakfast on my way back from the gym. They've posted their menu and it looks mighty tasty. And I just have to say this: it's nice when a restaurant completely ignores the lunch crowd. I can't wait for this place to open.

OK, so since I started with a Star Wars reference, let me apply it to all the previous eateries in that location. The first was Cafe Moscow as the Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Every time I walked in for lunch, some husky Russian battle-axe would glare at me at growl "Vot??" Yeah, their customer service was very "old country," as they say. Those guys didn't last long. Then it became part of the Mama's empire as Mamacita's. They specialized in lunch - all with Mama's delicious trademark greasiness. Yes, I guess Episode II: Attack of the Clones would apply nicely, especially if it pertained to your lower intestinal tract. (I kid! I love Mama's!) And then it lay fallow for a time until Entre Nous came along. They had great food and kickass fondue. And that would make them Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I don't remember any Sith dining there, so I guess it doesn't apply. But now we have a new hope: Night Kitchen. This will be interesting.

You know, if these guys fail, we'll be down to Episode V: The Empire Strike Back - meaning that it might just become a Starbucks or a Subway.