Café Nada Critique

The experiment of this work is obviously in the form of a fictional travel guide. The form is emphasized in the mention of the competition, Café Dada, as well as the voice throughout the entire piece. The French serves to emphasize the elegance and decadence of the restaurant. There’s almost an air of haughtiness and exclusion that highlights the absurdity of the subject- it is rare for most artists to be associated with luxury, perhaps highlighted in the irony of the free lunch, because “they have to pay for only the tables, glasses…” etc. There’s also the caustic jab at English majors in the description of the serveur’s background. The true incongruity is in the thought-out graffiti in the toilettes, including parodies of classified ads and the obligatory “call for a good time”. The name of the restaurant/ title itself is a play on words, nada  being hope, nothing, or slang for zero to which the text draws attention. I wish there could have been more included, such as the hinted-at literary-based menus. As it is now, its hard to imagine anyone eating at this restaurant, which might be the point. At the same time, it seems reminiscent of lavish Greek feasts, but a feast of the mind rather than the stomach, a place of respite for the thoughtful rather than the gluttonous. Perhaps the theme of the whole piece could best be summarized as a sort of “food for thought’ motif. I’d eat there.