Last week I checked out a new spot for Breakfast in Manhattan. Davio’s on Lexington between 44th and 45th Streets is serving breakfast. The menu is tiny but the food is great as is the service. Just may become my new spot for breakfast in the City. Good Bye Pershing Square.
Last Friday was Valentines Day. All week long I heard complaints from people mostly men that it’s a stupid holiday and it’s not even a real holiday. Hallmark, Russell Stover, and FTD just to sell cards, candy, and flowers invented Valentines. The complaints continue with you don’t need a special day to say I love you and buy someone flowers or candy. You can do it any day. Well I am here to say to all you NAY SAYERS, VALENTINES DAY IS AWESOME AND SHOULD BE CELEBRATED.
I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to take a day out of the year to exchange a small gift, a card, some candy, or flowers. It is a nice thing to bring a gift for someone you love. It’s nice to tell them you love them. So guys and you women who think its stupid here is my argument why its not.
Reason #1 – It wasn’t invented by Hallmark, Russell Stover, FTD and not even Godiva had anything to do with starting Valentines Day. The fact is it began during the Roman Empire the holiday Lupercalia in the 5th Century. By 1300s it became associated with Romance. It became popular in the 1840s here in the United States. Bottom line it’s an OLD REAL HOLIDAY.
Reason #2 – What is so wrong about having a special day to say “I Love You” and the argument that you can do it any day doesn’t work because it shouldn’t matter. I know you are saying Dennis it’s a stupid argument. Well if I am that stupid and the concept of having a special day to say I Love You, then it is just as stupid to have a special day to say “Thank You” and be Thankful for what you have. Yes I am talking about Thanksgiving. Why do we need a special day to get together with our families and friends to be Thankful for our blessings! WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL EVERYDAY!
Some facts about Thanksgiving it wasn’t a National Holiday until 1863 and least 20 years after Valentines Day took off in the USA. I know The Pilgrims. The Pilgrims had 1 Thanksgiving (Lasted Three Days) and they ate Venison (Deer Meat) not Turkey. George Washington made it a Holiday in 1789, but it wasn’t an annual event.
Do not miss interpret me I LOVE THANKSGIVING for all of the same dumb reasons I LOVE VALENTINES DAY.
Our day to day lives are filled with running around work and all kinds of stress, isn’t nice to take one day a year and tell that someone special you love them and give them a small gift to show you appreciate them all year even if you forget to tell them often enough.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY and Remember it’s For The Lover In You!
So here we are snowed in yet again. This winter is torture, it seems like we get hit with a snowstorm at least once a week and when it doesn’t snow its 15 degrees out. It’s cold, its stressful, and just very depressing. I know I have been cranky because of it. Most of you that know me know that traditionally I love the winter. I love when it gets dark at 5pm. This year is different and I am with the rest of you – I AM SICK OF IT. Ben Franklin once said: “There are only two things that you can be certain about and that is Death & Taxes.” Well he for got three things:
So I am here to tell in 24 Sunrises and Sunsets the clocks Spring Ahead and it will it will no longer be dark at 5pm and 12 Sunrises and Sunsets after that, it will be spring. So we have some things to look forward to. So as the ultimate pessimist that I am I am very excited because in a very short time from now it there will be no snow, warmer weather, longer day light and most importantly THE ROOF AT ARETSKY’S PATROON WILL BE OPEN. You really cannot understand the joy I get when I look out my office window down onto the Roof and I see Miguel, Scott, Jessica and the rest of the crew getting ready for a busy night. I look at my watch and smile because I know its ‘TINI TIME”. I reach into my humidor and take out some Avo #2s, put my jacket on fix my tie and put my hat on. I get an extra jump in my step as I walk out on 46th Street to cross to open that Red Door. When the door opens I am welcomed home by the wonderful restaurant staff. They greet me as if I was away for months, but I was just here yesterday. Then I head up the steps saying to anyone who would listen “THEY NEED AN ESCALATOR IN THIS PLACE’ I make it to the top and open the door to the Roof. I have arrived on The Roof, a little bit of Heaven in the middle of Midtown Manhattan. I go to my spot at the Bar my Jack Daniels on the Rocks is waiting for me along with my ashtray. I cut my cigar and light it. Take a sip of my Jack and begin my 45-minute vacation. In a short time Pally’s show up, then the Pigs in the Blanket, Onion Rings, French Fries, and Radishes. It truly is a magical place. There is a reason it is number 1 on my top 10 list, but in truth is the #2 place should really be #11, because nothing comes close to The Roof at Patroon.
So when I look at my window at all the snow coming down and know I have to go out soon and shovel it, I close my eyes and know in 36 days until I break out my straw hats along with my spring and summer suits come and all the bright colors. Before we know it Memorial Day will be here with the beach and BBQ and let’s not forget Seer Sucker Suits and two-toned shoes.
I know most of us hate winter, but it’s the winter that makes spring and summer so special. So keep your spirits up for THE ROOF AT PATROON will be open real soon.
This week I was attending the Context Summit in Miami (Congratulations to my Pally Mark for pulling off the near impossible). At night attendees of the conference would head to South Beach and hit “The Clubs”. Many of you who know me, know that i am not a “Club” person. However, I decided I’m in Miami so I might as well go. Naturally there is a line and a very large man with a clip board deciding who can go in or not. Since I was part of the conference, I could get in. I stayed inside for about a half hour. That is all I could take. First they served my drink in a plastic cup. Really, not sure how much that drink cost, but at the Blue Bar inside the Fontainebleu it costs $17.50 for a Jack Daniels. The price doesn’t bother me so much but there too I was served in a plastic cup. I am not poolside serve me my drink in a glass.
The we come to what they call the music. It was loud and all you could hear was the pounding of the bass. It all sounded the same to me. I looked at the DJ and it appeared that he was mixing, but it never seemed to change just the constant pounding of the bass. Just awful!!!
So I went out side to have a cigar with a Pally and they were pumping the music to the deck outside, but at least if I screamed into my Pally’s ear and he did to me would could talk to each other. After my cigar, I had a headache from the loud noise, so I hopped in a cab at went home.
During my cab ride, I couldn’t help to think, what in the world to people like these places. They are loud, over priced and the MUSIC SUCKS! Then I thought maybe its just that I am old and that may be true. I am old, however those places suck. Yet these Clubs have taken over, Las Vegas, Miami, and New York have tons of them and people stand hours on line to get in to listen to loud noise and pay $1,000 for a $30 bottle of booze.
I just don’t get it. Call me old, call me a nerd, but please don’t call me to go to one of these dumps. Give me some live Jazz, my Jack Daniels in a glass and good conversation with normal people and I am happy.
