One such celebrity encounter happened as follows.
It was a weekday evening, a Wednesday I think. I was the M.O.D. And at this restaurant, there was always a manager at the door, greeting and seating the guests as they came in. Unlike most eateries today where you are not only NOT greeted by a manager...you are NOT greeted at all! If you are fortunate enough to get any attention upon entering a restaurant, it will be by some 17 year old gum-chewing bimbo...and only when she sees fit to finish her conversation with the other 17 year old gum-chewing bimbo on duty. I digress...
This weekday Wednesday at this popular Central Coast restaurant was much like any other weekday evening around 8:00 pm. The dinner rush was over, and it was kind of slow. No one was waiting to be seated, the lobby was empty of people.
A young lady walked in the lobby, alone. She was maybe 5’ 5’’ tall, quite slender...very long, frizzy hair hanging about her shoulders...wearing a dark colored, floor length rain coat of sorts. She also had little, John Lennon sunglasses with red lenses...and a big smile. She appeared very bohemian and hippy-like. Our conversation went something like this...the year was 1989...
Me: “Hi there. Welcome to McLintocks. How ya’ doin’?” (in my best managerial tone)
She: “I’m good. How YOU doin’?” (with what sounded like an East coast accent).
Me: “Great...thanks. Are you here for dinner tonight?”
She: (Cocking her head to one side and smiling wider) “Well...I had dinner here last night with my friend...(pausing, tilting her head the other way)...and we had ribs”.
Me: “Oh...how were they?”
She: “They were really, really good!”
Her high little voice sounded like a little girl’s, though I could see that she was at least in her late twenties.
Me: “Oh great”
She: “The problem is...it’s my dog’s birthday today...”
Me: “It’s your dog’s birthday today?”
She: “Yes, it’s my dog’s birthday today. And I forgot to take the rib bones home with me.”
At that moment, I just stared at her. She was cute. And had big, flashy eye lashes and big blue eyes behind the John Lennon glasses.
Me: “And you want to know if I could get you some rib bones for your dog’s birthday?”
She: Right!!! Exactly! (Letting out a little giggle that sounded somehow familiar)
Then I finally realized who she looked like. Since I was in my flirt mode already, I thought this next statement wouldn’t be too out of line. I felt we actually had a “thing” happening.
Me: Has anyone ever told you look just like Carol Kane?”
She: (Her coy little smile in full bloom) “Ah huh” (Looking straight into my eyes)
There was another moment of silence where neither one of us said anything. We just looked at each other. Like I said, I really think we had “thing” going on here.
Me: “Are you Carol Kane?”
She: “Ah huh.”
From that point on, I really didn’t know what the right thing to say was. I was a bit embarrassed. I felt like a kid at a junior high dance trying to get the courage to ask a girl to dance.
Me: “Wow. What brings you to the Central Coast?”
She: “We’re making a movie around here with Steve Martin and Rick Moranis called My Blue Heaven...”
I don’t recall the rest of my conversation with Carol Kane...I was much too smitten by then. I did get her some rib bones for her dog’s birthday. Thanked her for coming in and said goodbye. She was very sweet.
Carol Kane played Simka Dahblitz-Gravas on the T.V. show Taxi...Latka Gravas’ (Andy Kauffman) wife...earning her two Emmys in the process. She has been in quite a few movies (besides My Blue Heaven). That flick wasn’t her best work...nor was it Steve Martin’s by the way. Carol Kane still does movies and a lot of stage work. She'll be 55 this year.
Other celebs I've had the opportunity of running into, at that place and other restaurants in which I worked, include Mark Hamill, Fess Parker, John Madden, Lou Ferrigno, John Ritter, and George Fenneman (Groucho Marx’s announcer on You Bet Your Life) among others.
But my little encounter with Carol Kane was the most memorable. It was just me and her...in the empty lobby of a restaurant...talking about rib bones.
