I am one of those non-New Yorker New Yorkers that feels a connection to NYC, as it is the closest major metropolitain area to where I live; the hinterlands of Long Island. It is not the actual place that I live, but I spend a lot of time in New York and the boroughs. I have a deep appreciation for its vitality, energy and exceptional food and drink. However, this does not make me a New Yorker. And there are those that might remind me of this with taunts and names, such as "Bridge and Tunnel". I get it, I get it. To you, I am an invader. A poser. A carpetbagger in the place where you actually lay your head at night, every night and where you wage war each day with all of the ridiculous and sublime that NYC has to offer.
As something of a theater nerd, we see a lot of shows, both on and off Broadway. This weekend, we were in the city to see an off-Broadway production at the Minetta Lane Theater. It wasn't a play, but a reading of a screen play, by Billy Crystal, called "Have a Nice Day", which was was being recorded for Audible. The Minetta Lane Theater is a small, intimate theater in a far corner of the East Village, just bordering on the West Village. The performance was terrific. It included many famous faces, such as Annette Benning, Kevin Klein (who was valiantly battling a head cold), Rachel Dratch, Justin Bartha (the fried groom from the Hangover) and a collection of talented comedy players.
We found parking on East 9th Street and planned to walk through Washington Square Park, something neither of us had done in about 25 years. We had an early dinner reservation at Minetta Tavern and we shuffled through the park in a hurry, as neither of us had eaten since breakfast. Still, in spite of our hurry, I could not help but appreciate the beauty of the arch, the central fountain and the dog park on the far end, filled with fluffy pups of every size and variety. It was crowded, unseasonably warm and truly beautiful.
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| Central fountain. Washington Sq Park. |
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| Looking toward the Freedom Tower from the West end of Washington Sq Park |
We walked up to MacDougal Street and hooked a left toward Minetta Tavern, tummies rumbling and anticipation building. As we headed down MacDougal, a tall, dirty and very agitated man came stomping up the pavement toward us. He was yelling something that I could not make out at first and when we got close enough to him, I could see that he was shoving people out of his way. Intentionally walking between couples and shoving them apart at the shoulders to clear a path for himself. As he careened toward us, I tried to move to my left in order to separate from my husband and create a clear path for him, but his arms were long enough that once he got to us, he was able to shove us both on the shoulders and yell "Excuse me!". I was in something of a state of shock. A stranger had put his hands on me in an agressive way. I looked down and caught a glimpse of my feet. I was wearing pointy toed boots. I was suddenly over come with a need to kick him squarely between the legs. I went from shock to anger in the blink of an eye, once I had composed myself long enought to play back the fact that a crazy, dirty old creep had put hands on me. I turned back to look for him and he had already gone a block and a half past us, making his way into the park.
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| Your garden variety crazy old guy |
I thought through the scenario in my head. What if I had chased him down and kicked him? What would have happened? Would he have tried to kill me? Would it have worked out in any kind of positive outcome? No. Definitely not. Shaken up and still a bit stunned, we went in to Minetta Tavern and had a couple of cocktails at the bar, while we waited for our table. By the time they seated us, I had settled enough to remember how hungry I was. Food was flying by us, looking good and smelling good.
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| Confit Duck Leg on Parsnip Puree |
We started with a confit leg of duck before our main dishes of steak frittes and pork chop. My appetite was strong, so I didn't wait to take a picture of my steak. I just dug in. It was topped with a disc of garlic butter and it was insanely good. We ended our meal with a three way Pot de Creme (chocloate, coffee, vanilla), that was so delicious, I wanted to lick the ramekins. At this point, our encounter with Captain Crazy, was fading a little and I finally felt settled.
This was the first negative encounter that I have had with anyone in NYC in what may be a thousand visits. There is no overstatement in that number as I worked in Manhattan for a few years and I have been back for personal reasons once or twice a month over the past 10 years. I'm not saying that I have never had someone yell things at me or aggressively panhandle, but I have never been physically assaulted like that. Will this encounter change my love for NYC or my willingness to go in and just hang around? Not in the slightest. In my opinion, that could have happened in any gathering where there are a large number of people. It did not have to happen in the city. It could have been anywhere. I will not change a single thing about the way I live my life. I will defiantly continue to be an New York City interloper, carpetbagger and Long Island Railroad riding Bridge and Tunnel Bitch. Except, I am probably going to invest in a pair of steel tipped boots.
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| Have a Nice Day Playbill |
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| Cast of Have a Nice Day |
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| Washington Square Arch |
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