Deluxe Town Diner

My new favorite eastern Mass. diner is by far the Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown. You'll come for the food and stay for the tunes. I was working tonight with my autistic buddy, Jack, and he happens to love their meatloaf, which is all meat, baby. I mean these cats put the "meat" in meatloaf. You won't find so much as a stray breadcrumb in that meatloaf, I swear to you.

The beauty of tonight was the tunage, an eclectic mix reminiscent of this breakfast joint we used to stumble into Sunday mornings when I went to school at Westfield State College called "The Good Table". Stevie Wonder, The Pixies, Violent Femmes, Randi Newman and Weezer come to mind- in a row. It was kind of like 93.7 MIKE FM in Boston, without the Kajagoogoo and Poison.

There is a new waitress there that is really good to Jack, too. She remembered that he likes coffee with ice on the aide and brought it right over before we even asked for it. She is also cute, and had some bizarrio skirt on with tights or something. It was a crazy look, but kind of endearing. I briefly entertained an idea that she dug me as she waited on us hand and foot and smiled a lot. She asked if Jack was my brother, when I said no, I take care of him, her interest seemed to wane.

It could have been in my head.

Admittedly, I use to think women would see me with Jack and think, "WOW! Look at how kind and gentle and patient he is with this autistic lad, why I'll bet he'd make a great dad!"

And of course they would envision me playing catch inside our white picket-fenced yard and see me doing homework with our future children. As it turns out, when they find out Jack isn't my brother but technically my employer and that I actually work in human services, they have visions all right, but nit of the sexy variety- they actually envision the used Ford Escort they'll be driving to get to their second job so Billy can get braces... not sexy.

Not sexy at all.

Anyway, next time you're in Watertown, check out the Deluxe Town Diner, and make sure you try the meatloaf.