christmas, 2025

21 years ago, I met Grady, bartender at Two Bells Tavern. Home of the $9 best hamburger in Seattle.

Grady – the bartender – I soon found out, enjoyed performing as Dina Martina.

I’ve been going every year, with pure joy at my big, burly bartender performing as the alter-ego, Dina Martina. My favorite scene:

Dina

Walks to the back of the auditorium. In spotlight.

Her dress? Split down the back.

The view? A hairy, sweaty back. Shocking!

Her comment?

“Locks of love.”


I go every year. It’s my Christmas tradition.

No apologies, just the facts.

And who the hell else would sell plates?

Dina is a marketing phenom.

Other likenesses of Dina by my friend, Sam Taylor:

A shirt sure beats a plate.

…not many places to wear that one. Although I wore it in New York one time, and people were yelling at me, “Dina!”

Clearly, Dina is a phenomenon. People know who she is from London to Hawaii to P’town to New York, to home in Seattle.

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