Gopher Bar. (Assigned by my friend Pete DelGreco.)
When most people drive by the Gopher, they think of the bar’s famous Coney Islands, which are quite memorable. When I drive by the Gopher, I think of Phyllis George (Miss America, 1971). She’s not one of the owners, but if you read the sign quickly as you drive by, you might wonder.
As Phyllis was walking down the runway, in all her new Miss America glory, the crown fell off her head. What a memorable pageant moment. Maybe not as memorable as the final scene in Little Miss Sunshine, but close.
At some point during her reign, Phyllis met John Wayne … and did an impersonation of him. (That had to have taken some chutzpah.) He responded by saying, “Well, I’d do an impression of you, but I don’t have a crown to drop.”
