Ina Pinkney. [Courtesy of Facebook]

Ina Pinkney is the owner of Ina's in the West Loop. We love her pancakes. A lot. They were featured prominently in the Serious Eats book, and in our own recent roundup of Pancakes We Love in Chicago. Anyway. The atmosphere at Ina's is almost as famous as those pancakes, as it is remarkably friendly and genial. But there are rules. Most important among them is that you can't talk on the phone while you're there. Which makes this Facebook posting yesterday by Pinkney all the more hilarious:

So, there I was, sitting with an old friend this morning, watching the people come into the restaurant, when all of a sudden I heard cell phones ringing (a major NO NO at Ina's!) and as I was about to get up and bust whoever was breaking the rule...A FLASH MOB BROKE OUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!! 8 adorable, enthusiastic kids had rehearsed for weeks to surprise me and wish us happy 11 years on Randolph Street! THE coolest moment ever! Thanks to Seana for mobilizing the armies. Oh, and the ringing cellphone was the CUE!
What a day.

We'd like to offer our own congratulations to the restaurant for 11 years, but nothing we could do or say could compete with that.

[Ina Pinkney/Facebook]