One of our beloved places is Gino’s. It is (or, rather, was) a pizzeria in Chicago and a place that Rebecca Cubis considers a “happy place,” full of friends and companionship. It becomes a place in her mind where she can have conversations with demon-kind, which becomes known in the Demon Realms as “Gino’s in the Mists.”
In the back corner of the back room of Gino’s in the Mists, there is a small corner booth for two people.
On the table sits a placard stating “Reserved for the Storytellers.” At some point, you may see one or two laptop computers open on the table, as if their users have stepped away for a quick bathroom or smoke break. Do not go over to the booth and try to see what is on the screen. If you do, you will change the story by writing yourself out of it and thereby out of existence. In other words, DO NOT MESS WITH THE STORYTELLERS!
Drinks are promptly served and perfectly made. Refills come just as quickly. The pizza is cracker-thin crust cut in three-inch squares (corners are mine). There are over 6 million combinations available.
If beer is your drink, every brand is available, even the sex-in-a-canoe brands. The mead supply is vast and authentic, overseen by a Norseman and a Lithuanian who host regular tastings and offer menu suggestions for what pizza goes best with which mead. The wines come from Gino’s own vineyards, with their production overseen by Dionysus himself.
Sides of French fries and beer batter onion rings are served in always-full baskets. Kosher Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches are also available. (No ketchup on the hotdogs please.)
Desserts are all fresh-made from authentic recipes — tiramisu, cannoli, banana pudding, baklava. There is
also a different flavor of pie, cake, and ice cream each day. And ALWAYS, fresh-baked chocolate
chip cookies. Should you want an after-dinner liqueur or brandy, those are available as well.
And the most important bit: calories don’t exist in the Mists. And the effects of alcohol are greatly
reduced.