Breaching the CNN barrier

The once and former Brooklyn's, CNN's temporary home.

Wanted to check out CNN's Democratic National Convention headquarters -- Brooklyn's, a restaurant near the Pepsi Center in an area referred to by the security staff as "the perimeter." So I ambled up to a secuirty guard at one entrance and asked if I could take a look around. He replied that I needed to get a pass, and when I inquired how I might go about doing that, he sent me to the guard on the west side of the structure, outside the gated patio. He told me the same thing, but then suggested I ask a CNN employee across the way. Fortunately, she turned out to be a production manager who was familiar with Westword, and she invited me to step into the zone of specialness while she found a pass. I followed her into the building, which was permeated with a delicious aroma: She confirmed that the food, prepared by chef Michael Romano and his team under the auspices of celebrity restauranteur Danny Meyer, had been spectacular to date. Then, as she left to get the blue laminate I needed to gain access in the future, I began checking out the joint -- at least until I realized I'd unwittingly wandered into a live shot featuring pundit Bill Schneider.

Consider this an apology to CNN's global audience. For a minute, I forgot that those guys often put on TV shows. -- Michael Roberts