Establishing traditions
My family isn't hugely into traditions, but the ones we have stick: Thanksgiving at my aunt Ruth's in Laguna Beach, Yorkshire pudding once a year on Christmas night, decorating the tree with ornaments my brother and I made in early years that my mother has kept carefully tucked away. Etcetera. I like these traditions, and find them to be more than habit -- they have meaning for me and others that go beyond simply doing things the same way every time because its easier than coming up with something new. They create a thread of continuity for us which is very satisfying. And so often I look, with my good friends and family, for new traditions that we can start and keep to over time.
I'm pleased to report that two of my favorite people and I have started a new tradition. My friends Kathleen and Steven, who I manage to see a few times a year (which is still not enough) went on my request tonight to Palm Too, a steakhouse in New York. I've never been to a proper, over-the-top, red leather banquette, wood panelled steakhouse, and I knew that Steven was the man to sort it out for me. Steven is a native of the city, and despite a recent move to Connecticut, his heart still lies in Manhattan. To be more specific, his heart lies on plate, next to a 24-ounce ribeye cooked medium rare with a side order of buttery green beans and crispy fried onions. In short, the man knows where to eat.
Palm Too was spectactuar, exceeding my steakhouse fantasies. As we hacked our way through the bounty, Steven mentioned to me that there are dozens of excellent steakhouses in the city, and we pondered, over our grilled meats, the tragedy that our short time together prevented any further exploration of the New York's restaurant beef. But there is an obvious solution, with an eye to a new and beautiful tradition: we agreed that each time I came to the city in years to come, we would visit a new steakhouse together. And really, I can't wait.
For posterity, here's what we ate tonight:
Clams Oreganata
Shimp Bruno
Shrimp Cocktail
Tomato and Onion Salad
24-ounce rib-eye (Steven and me)
10-oz filet mignon (Kathleen)
Steamed leaf spinach
Fried onions and potato slices
Green beans with garlic cloves