Poppers

VIP – Vermont Inn Pizza – Wednesday August 12, 2026

I’m eating at the kind of restaurant where they start their nightly clean-up while you’re still eating. It’s 8:45 PM and they close at 9 PM. Which means that they’ve already closed off a whole row of seats, and started using the industrial vacuum cleaner.

I’m eating my chicken gyro and Greek salad in a bench seat, facing the hanging televisions and the counter and kitchen behind. I can see the cashier just picked up the phone for someone placing an order, and I can hear her say, “We don’t have jalapeño poppers. I’m sorry.“