"Don't write anything bad about New York Prime," my mother warns. "I'm serious, Adam. Don't."
New York Prime is my parents haunt; it is their Cheers, their Casablanca. We go there every time I come home and we are treated like royalty.
"Mrs. Roberts!"
"Dr. Roberts!"
The entire room shifts with excitement. New York Prime is a scene, and my parents are a vital part of the scenery.
Tonight, though, began in our house. Grandma and grandpa came over for drinks and to hear me play the piano.
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After a rousing rendition of "I, Don Quixote" from "Man of La Mancha" we piled into the car and journeyed to that eternal beacon of my parents' gastronomical gratification: New York Prime.
A young bombshell opened the door for us and eager hosts and hostesses led us to our table.
"Right this way, Mrs. Roberts."
We stopped to chat with the regulars: a judge, a publisher, a supermarket baron.
Here is a look at the scene:
Finally, we sat, and were treated with one of the many perks of being a regular: a plate of olives and orange slices.
Mo--my parents' regular waiter--came with their usual drinks. After several minutes of menu perusal, he returned to take our order.
Several interesting things happened while we waited.
A lobster was wheeled around the restaurant in a wagon:
A lounge singer sang a Neil Diamond medley:
Grandma and I traded glasses:
Soon, the appetizers arrived. I had baked shrimp with garlic, parmesan and breadcrumbs:
Then, the entrees came. I had a petit filet:
Grandpa had the sea bass:
Dad had a stone crab claw:
We all had sides of mashed sweet potatoes, creamed spinach and onion rings:
After consuming enough calories for the next several years of my life, I made my way to the bathroom. I thought this sign on the inside door was worth taking a picture of:
[For those who can't read it, it says: "If you have any problems with our restaurant, ask for our customer service representative: Luca Brasi."] [For those who don't get it, that's Godfather humor.]
Finally, for dessert, the table was treated to a surprise celebration for my grandparents' anniversary. A gigantic chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and berries. Here's Moe lighting the candles:
And here's the cake itself:
And that's it. Three gigantic meals consumed in 36 hours. Tomorrow morning I'll be on a plane back to Atlanta, where normal calorie intake will resume. The weekend of gluttony is officially over.
