Can Can Kitchen & Cabaret

I have been a regular at the CanCan for a little over three years. They have seen me through a 21st birthday party, helped me throw some badass birthdays for friends, and gave me one kick ass bachelorette party. I used to go every Wednesday with a group of friends from my college and we would have a blast every week. Unfortunatly it has become a little too much of a tourist attraction, and often times you can’t even see the show, or get shoved out of the way, or people stand right in front of your chair if you do reserve a table… I would recommend going to the early show on a weekday to really see them, but it is a blast on the weekends when it is packed too. The Castaways really pull out their A game on Saturday nights at 10pm

We had dinner here on Saturday before the Dresden Doll show at the Showbox, figuring that would make for a grand night of cabaret and dark rooms.

I love the feel of the Can Can, the rosy dark corners and draping fabrics, but was gravely disappointed. Rarely have I seen a menu where I wasn’t excited to order any of it. I finally settled on a Wild Mushroom Pasta (read portabellas in a cream sauce) and it was okay. Not great, not good, just okay; boring really. G and S both had the Mac and Cheese dish and from my one taste it seemed clear that they had burnt the béchamel sauce but still used it. It tasted charred and overly smoky.

The wine list was okay, the cocktail list okay, the food okay, the service okay.

The waitresses were gussied up in their Burlesque outfits but they all seemed very aware of their protruding breasts. I was expecting body-positive women who exude strength and appeal, as I have seen in other similar venues. But they all seemed terribly uncomfortable and I would feel sorry for them if they weren’t choosing to wait tables there when they could choose to wait tables anywhere else and not have their breasts popping out.

But I can accept blasé food and service and nervous waitresses for a little can-can during dinner. But there wasn’t any. We asked upon arrival if they performed during dinner and were told that they did, but in the nearly two hours that we were there they never did. Bummer.

I would say go to the Can Can for the atmosphere, sit at the bar and drink cognac and stay for the late show. I imagine if they really got going and let the burlesque out that it could be a lot of fun. I didn’t see any fun, but I sensed it could be just around the corner.

Walking north in the twilight from the little gelato joint on First, I noticed a glowing red sign over the stairwell by Left Bank Books and exclaimed “has that always been there? What is that? How long has that been there? I’ve never seen it before!” I was slightly disgusted that something as obvious as a glowing red sign could sneak up on me in a place that I’m no stranger to. But I went in to look, of course, and was delighted. It was all a little loud and a little much right then, but the swanky and unapologetically contrived fin-de-siècle atmosphere is just what we could use a little more of in this town. I’ll be back.