I Came for a Banh Mi, I Left with a Masonic Temple Tour
💐 Venus Retrograde has brought me re-entrance to my inner spark after a season of healing.
Today, I fell into what I’ll call a "hypnagogic pop journey" – visions of my past, but with a revivalist twist.
Check out a hypnagogic pop song below if you wish.
Something in me wanted a taste of the past – namely, a vegan Banh Mi sandwich and Kale Salad from an old spot. A place I’d visit when I was a footloose and fancy-free design school student.
Back then, I was just a wide-eyed girl trying to self-actualize and be cool with god (I still am 😭.)
Tasteful but mismatched thrifted plateware, table numbers starring pop culture icons like Fresh Prince, witty compost and recycling bins, ahead-of-their-time vegan entrees and desserts – this place wasn’t just a restaurant, it was a manifestation of everything I wanted my world to look like.
It was the perfect companion to my design “spirit”. I always felt the spirit of design, I just didn’t see how it would play out professionally. I didn’t know where it would take me.
Graphic design, music, food, and strange comedy (plus my odd relationship with god) built the foundation of my young creative pioneering spirit.
That was almost 20 years ago. Since then, they were bought out by a bigger restaurant group and moved to a swankier, larger location.
Anyway, today’s plan fell through because the person who took my order over the phone didn’t tell me they only serve brunch on Sundays. I drove a half an hour away (decadence, I know) only to be disappointed - they had no way to call me back to let me know their error.
I handled the disappointment fine, I know how things can go, especially if someone is new. I asked for a coupon card for my next visit and figured I’d check out my other old haunts while I was visiting.
So I popped over to a beloved coffee shop.
I went off-script. My usual Turkish latte (honey + cardamom) called to me, but something nudged me to try the White Rabbit (white chocolate + macadamia). A different path, a new taste. I loved it.
While waiting in line, I overheard a customer being told they ordered the very last bag of chips of a brand the shop stopped carrying. I gasped and congratulated the customer on their magical moment. I asked the cashier what brand it was.
The customer ended up extending an invitation to try the chips together, and I graciously accepted!
We both agreed the Cheddar Jalapeno flavor lacked the spice factor, but who can be mad at cheesiness? As they went on their way they said, “Yes, community spirit win, I like this.”
I shared the sentiment.
I crossed the street for a burger from a spot I used to hit after improv class eight years ago (oh.. this is my cryptic nod to venus retrograde cycles that last 8 years hoho).
Next, I pushed myself to expand, and braved a new spot - what turned out to be a neighborhood eco-conscious market. The space was tiny but mighty – it felt like a twee rebellion against big-box culture.
There were local eggs, milk, coffee, soap, bamboo toothbrushes, and other quality dry goods.
I ended up chatting with the owner, who walked me through the painstaking journey of finally setting up shop.
“I wanted to build something that helps the neighborhood,” he told me, “Nothing mass-produced. No Coke, no Nestlé. Everything here supports small farmers, independent makers.”
He also told me how they partner with local suppliers, recycling, and composting organizations.
I enthusiastically encouraged him and let him know I looked forward to coming back to support his endeavors.
I felt in flow and chipper in spirit. The gift of my original food order not panning out was revealing itself to me.
One of my final stops in the neighborhood (before I did my standard drop-in to the chocolate shop - they hold a sentimental spot for me because my friend did a clowny photoshoot of me eating their delicacies. And sweet-tooth - cmon.) was at a not yet opened bar.
I was laser-focused on snapping a photo of pastel houses I always admire when I’m here (and the Buddhist center I always forget I want to visit), when I heard someone greeting me.
I looked over and saw a smiling man on a tall ladder installing a camera on a building. We chit-chatted, and he invited me inside for a tour of his 19th-century Masonic temple-turned-bar (I love my frequent off-the-cuff unsolicited invitations to tour former Masonic Temples, at this point it’s a point of pride), opening in the spring.
The space was gorgeous - complete with kooky decor, a stage for who-knows-what kind of entertainment. We discussed Brooklyn, NY and his involvement in Northside, OH, his family, and the local comedy scene. ‘Come back anytime,’ he said. I knew I would - he was a delight.
The sense of community filled me up. I couldn’t have been happier.
I like to play around with Human Design theory – I’m a Sacral Generator. Today, I listened to my Sacral. My plans didn’t go how I thought they would but exactly how I needed them to. That’s the gift of being in flow.
I came for a Banh Mi. I left with a Masonic Temple tour, a new coffee order, a burger, and a reminder that life will always feed me what I need – as long as I keep showing up open and willing.
If this is a preview of my Venus Retrograde experience, then I’m stoked. I thought I was retracing my past - but I was honing in on a new trail. I was… chasing the White Rabbit all along. Wink-lol.
A Quick Note from Saturdays We Wear Black
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How very magical, Claudia! Lovely photos too. Please share more about what being a Sacral Generator is.