From noodles to boobies

I'm a smart and open-minded adult, or so Doc Wasabassco said to me, and about 100 other people, last Friday night at the City Winery.

Mr. G shared a link for the Wasabassco show that "inexplicably" ended up in his in-box. He thought it might be fun to catch a burlesque show. I've been aching to hit the Slipper Room on the Lower East Side for ages, but it's currently closed until early 2011 for renovations, and this just sounded like fun, so we went. For $10, how bad could it be, really?

I met up with Mr. G in Tribeca and we crossed Canal to head up the handful of blocks to the corner of Varick and VanDam. It was only 10 p.m., and we had plenty of time to kill before the doors opened at 11. I hadn't eaten dinner, so we walked around to see what we could find. I spent all of 30 seconds considering the McDonald's annex two or three blocks up, and we moved on to Carmine Street where I rediscovered the Noodle Bar near the corner of Bleecker.

Two Halloweens ago I was a witch (no one is surprised, right?) wandering the streets of the West Village with two pirates and Captain Kirk. We four cold, hungry, and thirsty travelers happened upon the Noodle Bar while enjoying the crowds and catching glimpses of the annual parade. Well, last Friday I dragged Mr. G in to gain nourishment and maybe help him with his chopstick skills.

The Noodle Bar is small, with maybe three tables and a long counter from which you can watch the cooks stir and fry dishes inspired by the tastes of Asia - China, Japan, Thailand, etc. I ordered the vegetarian Pad Thai and a Thai iced tea. Mr. G claimed to not be hungry, though he grabbed a fork and dug in just to have a taste. My plate was in front of me in less than five minutes, and it would have been worth waiting 10 minutes for, or more. Pad Thai is so simple to make, and so easy to screw up, but this dish was perfect - fresh, crunchy veggies, not too much peanut, and barely there fish sauce.

After dinner, we circled back up to Sixth Avenue, hiked to VanDam, back down to Varick. We entered the winery, checked our names off the list, were shown to our table (right up against the stage - a better vantage point from which to see boobies), and were given vouchers for gin and tonics, courtesy of Hendrick's Gin, co-sponsor of the evening's entertainment.

I hate gin, so Mr. G took my drink ticket. I opted for a glass of prosecco instead, though I did eat all the garnish from the g&ts. The barkeep was nice enough to include cucumber spears and no olives; I can't resist cucumbers, no matter what form of alcohol they've been soaking in.

Finally, Doc Wasabassco himself came on stage. A dapper gentleman dressed in a proper suit and vest, he entertained us, flattered us, and introduced the first performer - a 1950s lunch lady who included an interesting variation on the fan dance - she used lunch trays. There were nine (?) other ladies after her, all with sparkly gown/g-string/pasties combinations.

It was a fun show and definitely an interesting experience that lasted just under two hours. Again, for $10 per person, you couldn't beat it. Mr. G complained that the ladies were too skinny and overly bony. While I always wonder why it's necessary to be able to visually count any woman's ribs, I'm happy so long as the people I'm looking at are happy.

Could some of the performers have used some unadulterated fat in their diets? Absolutely. I'm hoping that the tips they gained while passing the hat immediately after the show were used on after-show diner stops. A cheeseburger deluxe or three would definitely do wonders for the lunch lady...