The Most Bizarre (and some of the tackiest) Places To Eat In The U.S.

above: heart Attack Grill, Chandler, AZ.

According to Forbes Travel, the following are the most bizarre (and in some cases, I think the tackiest) restaurants in the United States. A collection of 'theme' restaurants which are said to actually have good food as well (sorry, Medieval Times). The picks and descriptions are from their article, but I've added more images, addresses, phone numbers and links for your infotainment. Bon Appetit!

The Supper Club, San Francisco, Calif.


Designed to enlighten all five of your senses, this 11,000-square-foot, all-white avant-garde Harrison Street spin-off of a Dutch restaurant is unlike any other dining experience you will encounter. After being tucked into your bed/dinner table for your meal by a risqué performance artist/waiter, you'll spend four hours dining and being serenaded by drag queens (and kings), getting rubdowns from a masseur, and wowed by acrobats. Even school nights end on the neon light dance floor that's filled well into the morning.


The Supper Club
657 Harrison St
San Francisco, California 94107
(415) 348-0900

Heart Attack Grill, Chandler, Ariz.

Customers are referred to as "patients," orders as "prescriptions," and the scantily clad waitresses as "nurses" at this hospital-themed bar and grill in Chandler, Ariz., which promotes that its fries are deep-fried in lard and allows diners who weigh over 350 pounds to eat for free. In complete disregard of any sort of health food movement, menu items like an 8,000-calorie quadruple bypass burger, Jolt cola and unfiltered cigarettes have led to the restaurant having to post, as required by the state of Arizona, that the nurses have no medical training.

Heart Attack Grill
6185 West Chandler Boulevard
Chandler, AZ 85226
(480) 705-9870

Opaque, Los Angeles, Calif.

Altering the notion of food being eaten with the eyes, this Los Angeles culinary adventure serves a two-hour, multi-course gourmet meal to diners who cannot see their food. By dining in a pitch-black room--you'll be led to your table by the blind and visually impaired waiters--your sense of taste, touch, smell and hearing will be enhanced by abandoning the "visual stigmas" attached to food for a more authentic experience.

Opaque
2020 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 546-7619

The Safe House, Milwaukee, Wis.


You'll need to whisper the secret code into the ear of the doorman to enter International Exports Ltd., the fake front of this spy-themed Milwaukee restaurant that has been open since 1966. Inside the maze-like building, you'll come across numerous secret passages--like to the Milwaukee Press Club--and spy holes among the walls that are decorated with spy memorabilia from movies and espionage books.

The Safe House
779 North Front St
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 271-2007

Casa Bonita, Denver, Colo.


Casa Bonita is a sort of Mexican restaurant crossed with Disneyland, and is so well-known in Colorado that it was featured in an episode of South Park. The 52,000-square-foot restaurant that can seat more than a thousand is home to more than just all-you-can-eat beef enchiladas. Among the 22-karat gold leaf dome and pirate caverns are cowboy shootouts, escaping gorillas, cliff divers, and a mish mash of Mexican-related performances.

Casa Bonita (no website)
6715 W Colfax Ave
Lakewood, CO 80214
(303) 232-5115


Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant, Sister Bay, Wis.


Visible from the center of Sister Bay, a single log house on a hill designed in Norway and assembled in the States piece by piece, sticks out with its grass-covered roof topped with live goats. The 60-year-old Scandinavian-themed pancake house, where mostly Northern European waitresses dressed in traditional garb, has dished out Swedish meatballs and lingonberry to rural Wisconsin for more than three decades.

Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant
10698 N. Bay Shore Drive
Sister Bay, WI 54234
800-241-9914 ext.25

Kitsch'n, Chicago, Ill.

One of Chicago's cult classic eateries, this oddity just a half mile from Wrigley Field--known for its chicken and waffles--lures eaters in with what may be the world's only '70s funksploitation-film-themed restaurant. You can enjoy their weekly Hangover Brunch while admiring the vast collection of beer cans, lava lamps, Billy Dee Williams images, "Colt 45" signs, vintage lunch boxes, and H&R Puff'n Stuff action figures.

Kitsch'n
2005 West Roscoe Street
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 248-7372

Kitsch’n River North
600 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 644-1500

Tony Packo's, Toledo, Ohio

This Hungarian pickle and hot dog restaurant opened in 1932, but took off in 1976 when the Toledoan character Corporal Max Klinger of the TV show M*A*S*H* said, "If you're ever in Toledo, Ohio, on the Hungarian side of town, Tony Packo's got the greatest Hungarian hot dogs. Thirty-five cents." Since around that time, like a bastard version of Sardi's, they have been lining the walls with hot dog buns signed by celebrities and encased in glass.


Tony Packo's Cafe
1902 Front St.
Toledo OH
419 691-6054

Ninja New York, New York, N.Y.


Screaming, bowing, smoke-bellowing ninjas drop from the ceiling and become your servers at this feudal- era ninja castle in Tribeca. The dramatic setting is based on partly fictional Japanese lore. Dark labyrinths must be navigated to reach the dining areas, which are either in cave-like dojos or a feng shui rock garden. Adventurous and creative Japanese fare like monkfish liver salad and sashimi are on the menu, but more memorable will be the Ninja Art Dishes that include the table-side throwing of Ninja stars and chopping of grapefruits by sword.

Ninja
25 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10013-3802
(212) 274-8500

Mars 2112, New York, N.Y.


Thirty-five thousand square feet of Martian landscape define this restaurant and bar in New York's Times Square. Dining rooms are modeled after spaceships and the red, rocky surface of Mars. To get inside you must "ride" to the multi-level restaurant in a private spaceship (aka elevator), and when the doors open you are greeted by a crew of resident aliens. Inside the Mars Bar find a TV with Mars weather forecasts, though the restaurant's highlight is their unequivocal crystal tree with a glass window that looks back at the earth and stars.


Mars 2112
1633 Broadway
New York, 10020
(212) 582-2112


The Fort, Morisson, Colo.

In 1962, when opening this replica of Bent's Fort--a seven-acre 1830s fur trade and freighting center on the Sante Fe Trail--the owner researched more than 2,000 historic journals and diaries to guarantee the atmosphere and food were as authentic as possible. He built the structure out of adobe bricks and added fire pits, tepees, New Mexican farolitos, and a floor of earth and ox blood (now covered with wood planks). The restaurant now sells more buffalo meat than any other independently owned restaurant in the United States in the form of steaks, prime rib, hump, tongue, sausage and "Rocky Mountain oysters."

The Fort
19192 Colorado 8
Morrison, CO 80465
(303) 697-4771

The New Louis Vuitton Bond St. Store, the Art & The Mannequin Retrospective Exhibit

The newest and most luxurious Louis Vuitton Maison opened on Bond Street in London on May 28th to the public. The 3 story building designed by Peter Marino is punctuated by modern art from such hot contemporary artists as Takashi Murakami, Damien Hirst, Gilbert & George, Richard Prince and custom pieces by Anish Kapoor, Chris Ofili and Gary Hume and tables by Roland Mellan and John Ashpool.

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In addition to the impressive store with a second floor apartment viewable by invitation only (pics shown later in the post), the grand opening was commemorated with a curated display by Katie Grand, stylist and magazine editor for LOVE, who was asked to go through the past 12 years of fashion archives under the creative direction of Marc Jacobs, and select a few seminal pieces to display on mannequins together with items from the new fall/winter collection.

The Katie Grand curated retrospective in-store mannequin display to commemorate the opening:


above: The mannequin in-store display curated by Katie Grand. © Stéphane Muratet


above two images courtesy of a Art wednesday

David Hughes photographed the styled mannequin exhibition and a beautiful catalogue was printed as well as an editorial in LOVE magazine. Here are some of his catalog shots from the retrospective exhibit marking the grand opening of the London Louis Vuitton store.

click on images to enlarge








Images courtesy of LOVE magazine and MAP Ltd, who represents David Hughes.

A Tour of the New Maison

above: exterior of the new Louis Vuitton Maison on Bond Street © Stéphane Muratet

Purported to be the most luxurious LV store to date, the new Louis Vuitton Maison is 17,000 square feet and three floors. It was designed by Peter Marino to evoke the home of a well-heeled “collector”. It is piled to the rafters with contemporary art, antique luggage, books, watches, and, of course, the lust-have dresses, bags and shoes Jacobs has made the LV fashion signature. It also features his collaborations with artists such as Stephen Sprouse, Richard Prince and Takashi Murakami.



The facade
To create the vast new maison, Peter Marino entirely reworked the original store - also designed by him - and fused it with what was Donna Karan, next door. 'I had to destroy my own baby,' he says. The two spaces are united by white Portland stone, double height windows and Louis Vuitton's signature golden mesh cladding. Says Marino: 'I could barely touch the historic facade, so I knocked everything inside down instead...'


Lower Level
To enter the store, visitors step across a bridge, which separates the inner building from the facade. Below it is a glass staircase, illuminated by LEDs that will show constantly changing film and artistic animations. 'I've created a kind of "moat"', says the American designer. 'But it's a virtual one, not the kind that apparently costs vast sums to clean, like your MPs''. Asked if he sees a 'moat' as something quintessentially English, Marino replies, 'Didn't you all live in castles when you were kids?'

The Men's Universe

Descend the LED-lit staircase to the lower-ground floor and you'll find the men's universe, comprising various areas, such as the leather goods zone, the shoes area and the men's club. Darker finishes give it an aptly masculine feel and walls are clad in wood veneer.
Glass stairs to the lower ground floor open the way to the men’s universe, at the centre of which is the men’s club area where customers and their guests can relax.


The "men's club"
Dominated by a giant 2005 artwork by Gilbert & George, the space is filled with relaxing sofas and low tables, once again like a private apartment.


Artwork in the "men's club" by Gilbert and George:


'Because I began my career creating high end luxury residences - for the likes of Yves St Laurent, the Rothschilds - before I became a retail architect, I'm able to bring to the stores a high end sense of how the customer lives,' he explains. Throughout the new maison you'll find unusual furniture from auctions and dealers, including tables by Roland Mellan and John Ashpool.

Ground floor
The ground floor is devoted to Louis Vuitton accessories and will include both original artworks from well-known names including, Richard Prince and Takashi Murakami, and exclusive products specially designed for the store. There are separate, circular zones for costume jewellery and sunglasses, and a private client room next to the high jewellery area.

The costume jewellery area
The costume jewellery zone, to the far left of the store, marks the entrance to a room filled with moving bags and scarves. Two LV-branded planets orbit around ceiling inspired by Saturn's rings. On a plinth stands Kiki - a sculpture by long-time Vuitton collaborator, Takashi Murakami.


The sunglasses area
Even the sun-like light that shines through the central oculus of the sunglasses area moves up and down. 'Dichroic glass constantly changes the light that hits your eyes, ergo, creating the need to put sunglasses on,' says Marino. 'Pedro likes to get paid, you know...'


Scarves are framed like works of art in a gallery - as part of a moving wall display or arranged flat in drawers like precious art prints.:


At the bag bar, customers can sit on stools and pick their bags like they would a cocktail, from a back-lit, rotating display. 'When I was parading round all the other shops that are heavy on handbags I felt this lethal lack of energy,' explains the architect. 'I couldn't give the bags any artificial stimulation so I thought, let's get them moving.'


fine jewelry and watches department:


The Trunk installation

Cross over the bridge and you come to an installation of vintage trunks suspended in the air. This is backed by a bronze mesh, whose pattern is based on the flowers of the monogram handbag, which wraps the entire store. 'It involved very difficult workmanship,' explains Marino. 'The Nottingham-based company that made it had to make thousands of samples to get it right, because it's about 30ft high and heavy as hell. The first one was like chainmail but in the end it came out light and scintillating. It filters the light and moves like a curtain:


First Floor
The first floor is devoted to womenswear and shoes, in several intimate areas with generous and luxurious changing rooms. Also here is the unique Librairie which will showcase the best of British contemporary Art Books and bespoke commissions by artists including Anish Kapoor, Chris Ofili and Gary Hume.

The Women's Universe

The first floor is home to the latest womens wear collections. The three ready-to-wear zones have different moods to draw out different aspects of the collections, decorated in varying tones of French embossed leather and light French lacquer. This floor is also home to the librairie, sculptures by the likes of Damien Hirst and an area for temporary exhibitions.

women's universe:

shoes:


The Library:

The high end area
One of the many firsts that this store pioneers for the Louis Vuitton network is the placing of the most expensive pieces bang opposite the entrance. This store isn't scared of scaring customers away with its price tags. 'It's a bit experimental and risk-taking. But this is New Bond Street,' Marino exclaims. 'The theory is that the customer here is somewhat immune to the vagaries of the market.'

The fine jewellery, watches and best bags are displayed in an intimate area, with lacquered wall panelling and partitions clad in dark woven copper, linen and wool. 'This was my way of responding architecturally to the gorgeous materials of the bags.'

Second Floor: the Apartment
The store’s second floor is a separate, luxurious world – the private client suite, which can only be accessed by invitation and is referred to as “The Apartment”. There are fireplaces, rare antiques, lacquered doors and all the carpets are one off mixtures of silk and wool, designed by Marino himself. Says the architect: 'I call it VIP on steroids. But I also wanted it to feel like a space where you can hang.'

'The Bible cowboys' by Richard Prince hangs in the suite of the apartment:


“The Apartment” comprises of an open plan space which can be sectioned off to create individual suites, all equipped with striking fireplaces, as well as antique and vintage furniture, which can only be accessed upon invitation, via a private lift.

The plan for a VIP space was hatched only 14 months ago - a response to a growing trend in luxury stores in China. "The feedback from the brands who created them in China was a revelation. They make as much profit from these areas as they do out of all the selling floors,' Marino explains. So he put the idea to Louis Vuitton. 'They said, "Okay Peter, go ballistic. We're going to try this." Quite frankly speaking, it's an experiment. I've never done this for a brand in the West before.'

Here, custom-made furniture by Marino sits alongside a chair by French sculptor Philippe Hiquily:

Designed for total privacy, these suites carry carefully chosen artworks by high-end artists such as Jeff Koons, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hans Hartung and Bertrand Lavier.

In the entrance to the apartment is 'Napoleonic Stereotype circa '44' by Jean-Michel Basquiat:

On the wall of the main room is a work titled 'NET' by Gilbert & George:

'TI985 H12' by Hans Hartung hangs on a lacquered wall:

Atomium detail N10' by Bertrand Lavier:

The store window displays:







photos by © Stéphane Muratet for Louis Vuitton, courtesy of Wallpaper magazine and www.ilvoelv.com