21° outside, 250° inside

While the debate over whether Matt's Bar or or the 5-8 Club invented the Jucy Lucy rages, it's undeniable that the 5-8 offers the slowest service of any establishment in the Twin Cities. Thus, when the urge for a lunchtime Lucy hits Matt's usually gets the nod, except on slow summer days, when the 5-8's patio beckons.

One would tend to associate an old West Seventh hand like Dave Johansen with joints like DiGidio's and McGovern's, but that was definitely him passing by my table at Matt's today. As long-time SJHers will acknowledge, there's no mistaking that face, with its bent nose (from conking the bottom of the Holiday Inn Mason City pool) and missing tooth. The face is a little puffier than when last seen at St. John's, but aren't we all?

We caught up on the sidewalk, in the freezing cold. Different jobs, same gals. Both have kids on the way (July for him, next week for me). Both still playing every week. "Why not at St. John's?" I asked. As always, there was no good answer. With freezing fingers I scrawled my number on a piece of paper I fished out of my pocket and gave it to him. "Some of the same guys, some new," I said. "Call me."

I hope he does. I think there was something important on the back of that paper.

---

No hoops at St. John's tomorrow. We'll resume next week at our usual time.