“A while back, my friend Graydon Carter mentioned that he was opening a restaurant in New York. I cautioned him against this, because it’s my theory that owning a restaurant is the kind of universal fantasy everyone ought to grow out of, sooner rather than later, or else you will be stuck with the restaurant. There are many problems that come with owning a restaurant, not the least of which is that you have to eat there all the time. Giving up the fantasy that you want to own a restaurant is probably the last Piaget stage.”

“Every restaurant is a theater, and the truly great ones allow us to indulge in the fantasy that we are rich and powerful. When restaurants hold up their end of the bargain, they give us the illusion of being surrounded by servants intent on ensuring our happiness and offering extraordinary food. But even modest restaurants offer the opportunity to become someone else, at least for a little while. Restaurants free us from mundane reality; that is part of their charm. When you walk through the door, you are entering neutral territory where you are free to be whoever you choose for the duration of the meal.”

“THE BLUE GLACIER SALOON was part general store, part restaurant, part bar. It was my fantasy come true, a Stuckey’s that served shots.”

“Friends come in and out of your life like busboys in a restaurant, did you ever notice that?”

“The Best Meal of my Life, at Al Forno New MaldenI have been to a fair amount of restaurants in my life, including some fantastic restaurants in Italy. And I can honestly say, that one of my best restaurant experiences ever was at Al Forno, New Malden. We loved everything about the evening - the staff were fantastic, the food was delicious, I felt like we had been magically transported to Italy, and the owner was amazing! I can honestly Al Forno is my new favourite restaurant - and I cannot wait to go back again!”

“Friends come in and out of our lives, like busboys in a restaurant.”