Darlings, This Restaurant Gets A Shot At Being Redeemed!!!!!!!

Here is the story, girls, and I got it from our nice, attractive, and very competent, server yesterday at One If By Land, Two If By Sea!!!!! It seems they have acquired a new interior decorator, and, if memory serves me right, I think he said she was a woman???? What???
Couldn't they afford a GAY male interior decorator??? Everyone knows the best ones in this town are!!!!! I mean, it started way back with Vincente Minnelli!!!! He was a window dresser, you know?????

So, the environment is trying a few new things, like moving the Reservations desk forward, and removing the curtains from the floor to ceiling downstairs windows. I am still not sure about the latter, though, the more I looked, with the plants outside, the more the place seemed to take on a New Orleans feel, reminding me most of the Court Of The Two Sisters in that city, one of my favorite dining spots there. But that look would work best in the summer, when the heat is fetid here, though not quite as bad as New Orleans. With the cold weather just beginning to set in, I am not so sure. My sister, who had never been before, happened to like it, and, after awhile it grows on you, though I hope they get to the point where they at least go back and forth, from this to the curtains!!!!

But, I know what you girls really want to know is how things went, yesterday!!!! We all had a fabulous time!!!!!! Monsieur and I met my sister and father (who, at only 96, can still walk faster than any of us; he sailed right ahead of us, like he was a native New Yorker, with nary a look back!!!!) at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Due to holiday traffic, they were about a half hour late getting in, which gave us time to kill, so we got to the restaurant (by cab), One If By Land, Two If By Sea, in time for our 1:30 reservation!!!!! The charming and cordial staff seated us on divans in front of the fireplace, while we waited for our seat. I then had the most fabulous Bellini, darling, because, let me tell you, by that time I needed one!!!! A Bellini is essential for survival in New York, and especially for a Thanksgiving like this!!!!!!

We had no idea where Uncle Ernest was, since he had not arrived, or phoned, and we were getting worried. So, Monsieur went outside to look for him, and found him wandering up and down the street, trying to find the restaurant, which, to be fair, can be difficult if you don't know it, because the title is printed so small outside, and you have to know which door to open, or you could walk into the Boxer Ale House, next door. Uncle Ernest entered, dressed in a white outer jacket, blue shirt, dark pants, looking very Uncle Ernest. His shirt was open at the collar--I am surprised he did not wear a garish chain!!!-- which I deduced was for the benefit of revealing his decolletage to my sister, because, lambs, I am telling you, he certainly chatted her up, like it was nobody's business!!!!! While my sister, who has been through a 43 year marriage, raising children, caring for our aged father, and grandchildren, tended to view Uncle Ernest with detached bemusement. As did us all!!!! Though Uncle Ernest did choose this occasion to give Monsieur his funeral instructions!!!! But that is Uncle Ernest!!!!!!

As I said, the service this time was vastly improved over last week. That cute little thing, Daniel, was still on staff, but we noticed he was not waiting tables that day, just chores like retrieving wine from the cellar!!!!! And the food was superb!!!!

We started with Appetizers. My father and I opted for the caramelized apple pork belly, Uncle Ernest for the squash bisque, Monsieur had a veggie concoction of some kind, and I think my sister had either the soup or pork belly.

Everyone had the turkey dinner, with the white meat being so flavorful and tender, gravy, shredded dark meat, stuffing, cranberries, and pureed squash. And not too large portions, so one did not feel stuffed. It was scrumptious!!!!!!

Then came desert!!!! Of course, there was coffee, though my father and Uncle Ernest had tea!!!!! For desert, both my sister and I had the Floating Island, which was good, but not the like the REAL thing, which you get at La Grenouille, Monsieur had what looked like a fruit and custard assortment, my father had (I think!) the carrot cake, while Uncle Ernest had the Black Forest. Monsieur was worried that Uncle Ernest would not eat anything, but, honey, let me tell you, he chomped down on everything in sight. He puts on this act of not liking fancy food, but you get him to a high end place, and he goes wild!!!!!!!

We ended the meal with gingerbread and pumpkin pie petit fores!!!!! Then we put Uncle Ernest on the subway train, and cabbed my father and sister back to Port Authority, where they took a 5PM bus back to Pennsylvania, making such good time they were in the house by 7PM!!!!!!

What a day, and what a Thanksgiving!!!! A good time was had by all!!! But, thinking of that Court Of Two Sisters decor, I have already suggested we do next Thanksgiving in New Orleans, at Galatoire's or Commander's Palace. It would just warm the cockles of my Southern heart!!!!!

And Uncle Ernest can camp out with the Little Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!