O/T: NYC Net54 Dinner Thread

[barrysloate]

Thought I would start this on the main board, if it's alright. We're planning to put together a dinner for the NYC gang, and perhaps some other people who don't normally join us might want to attend. James G. already mentioned he would like to try and make this one. If anybody wants to come, please say so on this thread, with some idea of your schedule.

My best days during the week are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Once we have an idea of who is coming we'll pick out a place. That has always been our Waterloo, but hopefully this time it won't be so difficult.

[bijoem]

did we pick a particular week?

[barrysloate]

Jeff and Michael are free next week. So that is our starting point. We can push it back if necessary.

[slidekellyslide]

I won't be able to make it to the dinner, but I just wanted to get a post in here before this thread goes viral. :D

[E93]

A bunch of New Yorkers agreeing on something? Uh-oh.
JimB

[barrysloate]

Our first NYC dinner thread had over 500 posts. I don't think we're heading in that direction with this one. Anyone out there hungry? Anyone?

[Jewish-collector]

I'm almost tempted to come up there for this extravaganza :D:D:D:D:D

[barrysloate]

Alan- you're always welcome, but at this point no one has said "I'll be there."

[calvindog]

I'll be there and I expect a steak.

Joe D, Mike Sarno, Barry....who else? If Al C can get off his lazy ass and make the effort to come in that would be swell (in fairness to him I had heard he had the sniffles or something which had kept him in the house the past week or so). Bruce?

[barrysloate]

Sarno is in China right now...either work related, or he's in a Chinese prison. Not sure. But he will be back next week. So far we have:

Jeff L
Mike S.
Joe D. (hopefully)
Barry S.

James G. and Alan have said maybe....who else would like to join us for a steak?

[Jim VB]

I'll be there and I expect a steak.

Joe D, Mike Sarno, Barry....who else? If Al C can get off his lazy ass and make the effort to come in that would be swell (in fairness to him I had heard he had the sniffles or something which had kept him in the house the past week or so). Bruce?

Al would need a private car and a driver. He's a little incapacitated (more than usual, I mean.)

[Rob D.]

I'm almost tempted to come up there for this extravaganza :D:D:D:D:D

I will cover all of your parking costs and tolls. Seriously. If you attend, e-mail me the total and your address, and I'll send you a check.

[bijoem]

Monday of next week is not good for me.
Tuesday of next week is also not good for me.

Any other day next week works.



I would love to see Al C. make it. Although he is more active than I am, and I've put on some pounds.... I think now, more than any other time, I could take him in a race.


edit: to change available days.

[Rich Klein]

Let's see if this can become the 2nd most famous NYC dinner thread in Net 54 history :p

[barrysloate]

If Joe can't make Monday or Tuesday, I'll vote for Thursday Jan 28 since Wednesday generally isn't good for me. Shall we start with that date, and see how many others can make it? We can change if it doesn't work.

[JamesGallo]

I need to know when it will be and then I will see if I can make it. Had a great time last dinner I went to and it was great to talk to and put names to faces.

James G

[barrysloate]

Let's see how many we can get for January 28, and take it from there.

[JamesGallo]

I can not make the 28th.

James G

[Kawika]

One of the items on my 100 Things To Do Before I Die list is to attend a NYC Net54 steak dinner. One of these days . . .

[bijoem]

One of the items on my 100 Things To Do Before I Die list is to attend a NYC Net54 steak dinner. One of these days . . .


I would love it if you did make it to a NYC dinner.
If you make the trip during the season.... .maybe we can extend it to a NYC Net54 Yankee Game outing as well!

[barrysloate]

Okay, James can't make the 28th. Should we try a date the first week of February? What is everyone's schedule? As I said, Wednesday is a bad day. Saturday is a possibility if it's easier to do a weekend.

[Kawika]

400 posts. Any takers?

[calvindog]

I want Jim Crandell

I want Bruce(s)

I want special guests

[Rob D.]

I want Jim Crandell

I want Bruce(s)

I want special guests

You want to pay 400 percent more than your steak is worth.

Have any steakhouses banned you?

(I hear there's a guest speaker scheduled, but he's going to be sick that night, whenever said night is determined.)

[bcbgcbrcb]

I would be interested in attending and meeting you guys if it were on a weekend......... Is that a possibility?

[barrysloate]

Phil- we've had weekend dinners before so that's doable. The problem is getting everyone to agree on one date. That's the real hurdle here. Does somebody else want to suggest a day? And where is Crandall? Does he read this board?

[Jim VB]

He may be reading, but he doesn't post. He has been posting on the non-sports board lately. I have his email somewhere, Barry. If you need it, let me know.

[calvindog]

You want to pay 400 percent more than your steak is worth.

Have any steakhouses banned you?

(I hear there's a guest speaker scheduled, but he's going to be sick that night, whenever said night is determined.)

No, the steak houses haven't banned me but in fairness to them they also haven't defrauded me and pissed me off; so they would have no reason to ban me.

As for the guest speaker and his bellyache heard 'round the world, I think he's busy hanging out with Frank DiRoberto and won't be able to attend.

[Al C.risafulli]

Unfortunately I find myself injured, and since none of Net54's ample supply of lawyers have offered to prosecute a lawsuit against the ski resort, boot manufacturer, binding manufacturer, ski manufacturer, and high school girl that set the binding for me, I cannot afford a car service like Bruce.

Therefore I'm in a position where I cannot drive anywhere, despite having just bought a brand-new car that looks awesome in my driveway.

Any Net54 NYC dinner that happens before the middle to the end of February will have to happen without the Crisafulli Group.

And I still think I can take you in a race, DiSomma. I'm getting pretty quick on these crutches.

-Al

[Rob D.]

No, the steak houses haven't banned me but in fairness to them they also haven't defrauded me and pissed me off; so they would have no reason to ban me.

As for the guest speaker and his bellyache heard 'round the world, I think he's busy hanging out with Frank DiRoberto and won't be able to attend.

Here's a tip: If you find yourself being grossly overcharged by a restaurant, or if the waiter tells you that the hamburger you're eating actually is Kobe beef, don't get mad. Just ask to see what other cuts of meat they've got in the back.

[calvindog]

Good point, Rob, I shouldn't get so pissed -- it does tend to spoil the fun. After all, it's not like the restaurant is targeting just me when they commit the fraud.

[Brian Weisner]

Hi Jeff,
I will show up in the spring or fall when the weather doesn't suck..... Otherwise I have to go south for the winter... Give Barry a bite of my steak and the rest to Sarno..... Jeff is paying.... so eat up... or in Joe's case... Drink up... Me too Joe....:D

Be well to all of my Yankee friends.... Brian

[bijoem]

Hi Jeff,
I will show up in the spring or fall when the weather doesn't suck..... Otherwise I have to go south for the winter... Give Barry a bite of my steak and the rest to Sarno..... Jeff is paying.... so eat up... or in Joe's case... Drink up... Me too Joe....:D

Be well to all of my Yankee friends.... Brian


Brian.... definitely come to NYC when the weather gets better.

We can go out drinking, go for a NYC dinner, a yankee game, and we can go out drinking.

did I mention there would be drinking?

[Brian Weisner]

Hi Joe,
I'm all in.... And my lovely wife is dying to go to a game at the new stadium.... We will find a nice 3-4 day weekend and take the city by storm.
Be well Brian


PS I want a Manning vs Favre Super Bowl... or Manning vs Brees... But I can't pull for the Jets....

[barrysloate]

Hi Brian- sorry you can't make it this time around...if this time around ever materializes.

And Jets will beat the Saints in the Superbowl!

[Brian Weisner]

Ok.... Barry has finally lost it..... The Jets will not beat the Colts and even if they did, they would not beat the Saints...
Be well Brian


PS Manning is the best QB/HC I have ever seen...


PS 2 I would enjoy having a steak with Barry anytime... and I hope it will happen in 2010.....

[calvindog]

Brian, I try to remember back to when Joe Montana was playing...and I just come to the same conclusion: Peyton never had the supporting cast that Joe did. I can't speak of any pre-1970 quarterbacks, but Peyton is certainly the best I have seen.

[Yankeefan51]

We plan to attend.

As for the restaurant choice, there are very few great restaurants in NYC
that are not expensive.

We should select a restaurant with excellent food that also offers a venue
which will encourage conversation.

We wonder why anyone raises the issue the car and driver. With taxi prices the way they are , and the difficulty in securing a comfortable yellow,
we prefer to travel in style.

Sir Bruce

America's Toughest Want List

[bijoem]

Ok.... Barry has finally lost it..... The Jets will not beat the Colts and even if they did, they would not beat the Saints...
Be well Brian


I heard the same thing with Cincy and San Diego.


sing it with me.....

oops there goes another rubber tree
oops there goes another rubber tree plant

[Brian Weisner]

Hi Jeff,
I won tickets from Sport Magazine for Joe's first Super Bowl win in Detroit.... I was pissed at the time, because Clark's catch kept my Cowboys out of the Big game....But my Dad and I had a blast at the game and got to sit with Joe at the MVP luncheon the next day.... I will post pictures when I can and you can laugh at my haircut...

Be well Brian

PS We stayed at the 49ERS hotel, so I got every autograph possible... including Joe on his rookie card and a copy of SI.... I will post pics when I can.

[barrysloate]

Sir Bruce? Have you finally been knighted?:)

[Rob D.]

Recommended attire past this point:

[tedzan]

If the Jets luck out and make it to the Super Bowl, they will be embarrased by Brett Favre and and those big mean Vikings.

I gave up on the Jets back when they were unbelievably stupid to give away John Riggins.

Back in the Namath days I was an avid Jets fan. Even went down to Baltimore in the Fall of '72 to see that great game where
Namath threw for 500+ yards and Johnny Unitas threw for almost 400 yards. It was absolutely the greatest NFL game that I
was fortunate to be at......I still have the ticket.

You heard it here, the Vikings will go all the way.


TED Z

[judsonhamlin]

Ted - I blame Riggins' hair - it was between him and Barzilauskas - one of them had to go...
I can't make next week, but if it gets pushed into February, I can go. Lichtman's trial won't go anyway - he'll probably drop a last minute alibi witness/discovery request/expert on the prosecution and get an adjournment. I might be biased on that one though :D

[tedzan]

What is it with these New York teams ?

Riggins was a free spirit, so he sported a "Mohawk" haircut one year and the Jets front office lets him go.
Arguably, John was one of the best in the NFL running game.

It was like a hex on the Jets to release Riggins....what have they done since the mid-'70s ? ?


Similarly, Steinbrenner got bent out of shape when Don Mattingly sported a mini pony-tail hair style (circa 1993-94).
Mattingly was never the same again from the resulting stress.


TED Z

[Abravefan11]

Riggins was a free spirit,

TED Z

As a Skins fan I say....Thank you New York.

He certainly is a free spirit and that has been evident this year with his verbal thrashing of the Redskins from top to bottom.

It would be interesting to have heard his take if it was as focused on the Jets this year as it has been the Skins.

Keeping the thread on topic: I will not be able to make the dinner.

[JamesGallo]

Don't throw out a date just for me, why not pick a few dates and see who can make it. The date with the most people wins :-)

I would prefer mid week actually as it is easier for me to get away from the wife :-D

James G

[GoldenAge50s]

These NYC Dinner threads are hilarious! All I can think of when I read them are Abbott & Costello going thru their "Who's on First" routine!

Barry--I can also appreciate your frustration in trying to be the organizer!

[tedzan]

When Riggins went to the Redskins, I found a new team to root for. Anyhow, I always was a great Sonny Jurgensen fan,
and you had to love Mark Moseley's golden foot.

I still remember when Riggins carried 4 (or was it 5) Miami Dolphins defenders across the goal line in Washington's victory
in the 1983 Super Bowl.


TED Z

[Jewish-collector]

Ted,

Don't get me started on those @#$%^&^ Redskins !!!

[barrysloate]

Well, 50 posts in and we're about where I expected us to be...no time, no date, no place, and no idea who is coming. Some can only do weekends, some only weekdays, so I don't think we will get this together. Anybody have any suggestions?

[bijoem]

My suggestion would be to pick a day.... and whoever can make it, will make it.

[barrysloate]

Would you like to pick a day?;)

[Jewish-collector]

Barry,

I agree. For the DC/VA group, I just pick a day & time & whoever can make it comes. Simple :D

[bijoem]

Would you like to pick a day?;)

lets set up an advisory panel to decide who picks the day.

[slidekellyslide]

I know nothing about New York, I know nothing about you New Yawker's schedules.

I think that makes me highly qualified to sit on this panel.

[barrysloate]

Let's organize an exploratory group to pick the advisory panel, and I name Dan Bretta to chair it. Can we take a vote on Dan?

[Jim VB]

Wouldn't we need a primary before the main election?

[Blunder19]

Hey Everyone,

Just throwing this out there... My GF is the hostess at Rothmans steak house in Oysterbay Long Island...its a really upscale steak house... Im not sure if everyone would be up for going to the Island instead of the city....

But I can get 50% off the entire bill.. including alcohol!!!

chopping that bill in half is nice :)

Heres a link to the place..
http://www.rothmannssteakhouse.com/longisland/index.html

Let me know... if Rothmans is not too far out of the way... I can make it.. along with my 50% discount for everyone.. on everything!

[barrysloate]

Jim is right. We will need a primary first. This could get cumbersome.

Jamie- thanks for the offer but you will have a very hard time getting this group out to Long Island. If I so much as suggest Brooklyn, most of them run the other way. It's a Manhattan crowd.

[Blunder19]

Barry,

I thought the ring of 50% discount might persuade a few NYC loyalists..

Theres nothing like seeing a $1,400 bill for 10 or so guys get chopped in half to $700...

well let me know where it will be ...even if not at rothmans ...and I will try to get there..

We could also try a long island dinner another night and get to rothmans that time.

[baseballart]

I will be in Cuba from January 28 to February 5. If any Net54ers want to get together for dinner in Havana that week, please let me know ;).

(Strangely enough, I think that might be easier to accomplish than arranging a date for a NYC dinner )

Max

[calvindog]

Long Island? We can't travel to Long Island. The first island we would have to go to would be Staten Island, I'm afraid, as Joe D is the Mayor there or something.

So is the 28th a possible date? We've got Bruce, Joe D, Barry and myself right now. Anyone else in? Should we see if we can lure Rob Lifson out of the house? We could leave a trail of Baltimore News Ruths leading from his house to Sparks -- that could work.

[MVSNYC]

Barry- ya failed me...you're making me organize this thing from China? :rolleyes:

oyster bay? i hate going below 40th street in manhattan... ;) just joshin' ya Jamie...thanks for the offer, but as Barry said, he can't even get us on the A train out to Brooklyn, let alone the LIRR.

what about next wed (1/27)?

how about Merchants (they are one of the only bars in the City where you can smoke Cigars).

i'm thinking, this time, we have cigars & cognac, and order some appetizers, rather then doing a big "sit-down" dinner.

we can do a drink at my new apartment (2 blocks away), either before or after Merchants...

http://www.nyccigarbar.com/

thoughts?
MS

[barrysloate]

Hi Michael- I didn't know you could get an internet connection in a Chinese prison. As I mentioned Wednesdays are bad for me. The closest any of us have come to a consensus is Thursday the 28th. Can you do that? And you should unquestionably be handling this.

[slidekellyslide]

Barry,

I thought the ring of 50% discount might persuade a few NYC loyalists..

Theres nothing like seeing a $1,400 bill for 10 or so guys get chopped in half to $700...

well let me know where it will be ...even if not at rothmans ...and I will try to get there..

We could also try a long island dinner another night and get to rothmans that time.

Holy crap! You could feed 50 at a good steakhouse in Nebraska for $1400.

Dan

[Robextend]

The first island we would have to go to would be Staten Island, I'm afraid, as Joe D is the Mayor there or something.

If you are serious about Staten Island (and I know you aren't) I could lend my expertise. I know for sure we have some great Italian restaurants as well as a great Spanish restaurant called Espana. I do believe we lack in quality steakhouses...

Ultimately whatever you guys choose to do I would like to see if I could be a part of it.

[MVSNYC]

hi barry- rather then getting one phone call, i opted for internet access for one hour ;)

i'm free most of next week. but i thought Joe D. couldn't do thursday?


my guess is that one week's notice is way too short for most people, and that we'll have to try to for early february

[Blunder19]

Dan,

Yea.. in NY .. at a nice place...its about $100 per person for all the food and alcohol you take down...


every meal is one T206 Southern leaguer I could have had....:cool:

[barrysloate]

Early February works for me, and it would give us more time.

Dan- I'm a New Yorker but I'm with you. I'm not interested in a restaurant that charges $140 a head. Even Peter Luger's is cheaper than that. Jamie, where did you get that number from?

[MVSNYC]

edited smart ass comment.

[calvindog]

Holy crap! You could feed 50 at a good steakhouse in Nebraska for $1400.

Dan

Yes, but the problem is you need to eat that steak in Nebraska.

[barrysloate]

Doesn't Nebraska have a lot of cows?

[calvindog]

Yes, exactly.

[slidekellyslide]

Yes, but the problem is you need to eat that steak in Nebraska.

Yep....and we're buried under two feet of snow and at the moment teetering on disaster as the temperature is hovering at 33F and it's raining. One degree from total doom.

[calvindog]

Seriously -- two feet of snow?

[barrysloate]

It's like early spring in New York these days. Sunny and in the 40's.

[slidekellyslide]

Seriously -- two feet of snow?

We had the worst December in my lifetime...25" combined in two knockout punch storms in back to back weeks. My kid has had SIX snow days already, add in Xmas break and he's only been to school a handful of days in the last month...it's also been as cold as I can ever remember, getting down to -20F...add on about 10 more inches of snow in two or three other minor storms and we've got a lot of snow still on the ground...fortunately the rain in the last two days has melted some of it, but it could be really bad if the temp drops down.

[bijoem]

Jeff jokes.... but if there was no Staten Island - his pool of potential clients would be halved. I am going to buy him an "I Love Staten Island" T-shirt one day.


Staten Island can't touch Manhattan as far as restaurants go.

Even if it was magically convenient for everyone, the restaurants just can't compare.


Jeff mentioned Sparks. I've never been there - so I say that sounds like a good one. If not that place, I would vote for Ben Bensons (better than Peter Luger's in my opinion..... thats right - I said it Barry).

January 28, correct?

[barrysloate]

Sparks is where Paul Castellano was rubbed out...and you say Benson's is better than Luger's. Hmmmm- I've heard that one before.

[Rob D.]

We had the worst December in my lifetime...25" combined in two knockout punch storms in back to back weeks. My kid has had SIX snow days already, add in Xmas break and he's only been to school a handful of days in the last month...it's also been as cold as I can ever remember, getting down to -20F...add on about 10 more inches of snow in two or three other minor storms and we've got a lot of snow still on the ground...fortunately the rain in the last two days has melted some of it, but it could be really bad if the temp drops down.


Somewhere to the east, a little man laughs and laughs with glee.

[calvindog]

We had the worst December in my lifetime...25" combined in two knockout punch storms in back to back weeks. My kid has had SIX snow days already, add in Xmas break and he's only been to school a handful of days in the last month...it's also been as cold as I can ever remember, getting down to -20F...add on about 10 more inches of snow in two or three other minor storms and we've got a lot of snow still on the ground...fortunately the rain in the last two days has melted some of it, but it could be really bad if the temp drops down.

That is totally insane, I don't know how you guys deal with this every year. The biggest misnomer living in NYC is that because it's in NY we get a lot of snow -- the opposite is true. We had a bizarrely huge snowstorm right before Christmas last month, about 10 inches or so; however, sometimes we go through an entire winter in NYC with no appreciable snowfall. The outer boroughs obviously get a lot though not Nebraska-like. Though if I recall, when I was a kid, I loved the snow and the snow days so your kid must be psyched. It just sucks as an adult.

[mcap100176]

I have never been but everyone raves about this place. If I am not mistaken, the last coal oven in the City:

http://www.grimaldis.com/2/Index.htm

[barrysloate]

Mcap- the Grimaldi's on Fulton Street is a long walk from where I live, and I've passed it many times. Every time I've seen it the line is a hundred people deep and stretches for a block. If you want to sit down and have a pie there it's like a 1-2 hour wait. It's a joke.

[slidekellyslide]

That is totally insane, I don't know how you guys deal with this every year. The biggest misnomer living in NYC is that because it's in NY we get a lot of snow -- the opposite is true. We had a bizarrely huge snowstorm right before Christmas last month, about 10 inches or so; however, sometimes we go through an entire winter in NYC with no appreciable snowfall. The outer boroughs obviously get a lot though not Nebraska-like. Though if I recall, when I was a kid, I loved the snow and the snow days so your kid must be psyched. It just sucks as an adult.

This is as bad as I can ever remember. We don't normally have more than one or two big snowfall events in any given Winter. We also had the coldest Summer in my lifetime...I was wearing a freaking jacket on the 4th of July and it was too cold to get into the lake. I must have made it out to about 15 minor league games and don't remember a single one where I didn't have to bring a jacket...normally I never would unless it's in May.

As far as the snow days go my kid was definitely psyched about them, but now he has to make one up already and the school system has opted to extend the school day by 36 minutes for 10 days....not quite as fun now. :D

[slidekellyslide]

Somewhere to the east, a little man laughs and laughs with glee.

That's okay, Karma will get Barry in the end. :D

[bijoem]

How do we get Rob D to show up for the NYC dinner?

I would like to break bread with Rob...
but more importantly -
considering the current 'yes' list, Rob's presence would make for an awesome evening.

[Jewish-collector]

Tell him you're having challah and Manishevitz wine. :D

[Rob D.]

Joe,

Us white trash from Ohio would feel too intimidated travlin' to the BIG CITY for some eats. Wouldn't even know which fork to use for the greens and such.

[mcap100176]

If I am going to wait an hour to two for pizza, it better come with a Cobb Salad.

(Horrible) pun intended.

[Anthony S.]

Joe,

Us white trash from Ohio would feel too intimidated travlin' to the BIG CITY for some eats. Wouldn't even know which fork to use for the greens and such.

Just use the fork Bruce is lunging at you with.

[barrysloate]

Bruce is very mild mannered in person. He just gets a little wound up when he's at the computer.

[bijoem]

Rob -

if it helps, I will pick up your share of the tab.
especially if you let me pick who you sit next to.

(I like dinner theater)

[Rob D.]

Just use the fork Bruce is lunging at you with.

Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Thrust!

[judsonhamlin]

If it's early February, I'm in almost any night. And, though I'm not from "The Rock", I'm a big fan of a couple of Staten Island German places, and I can vouch that the Spanish place is good, even though a one-stop train ride from NYC gets you to Newark and the Ironbound section with some great Portuguese spots - and yes, it's safe there.

[bijoem]

Is it safe to say - no NYC dinner on Thursday?

[barrysloate]

Doesn't look good for this Thursday, as the head count is currently at zero.

Anybody is free to resuscitate this thread, I just felt I wasn't getting anything accomplished.

[calvindog]

I'm in. Joe D is in. Barry, you're in?

That's three.

[barrysloate]

I can make it Thursday, but where are we eating?

[bijoem]

>>>> POST 100! <<<<<

I can make it Thursday.

Anywhere is good.

[barrysloate]

Joe- it will take another hundred posts to pick a restaurant.

Anyone want to meet in downtown Brooklyn (that should go over well)?

[calvindog]

Joe, what say Sparks on Thursday night?

[bijoem]

Sparks sounds good to me.

[barrysloate]

A little pricey for me guys.:(

[MVSNYC]

i'm in...c'mon Barry- let's go!

Jeff- wanna make the res? i'm good to go anytime after 6pm

[barrysloate]

Sparks is an overpriced touristy place. Michael, you can find a better place for us to eat.

[MVSNYC]

barry- i'm easygoing, if jeff & joe wanna goto Sparks, then i'm game, i've actually never been there. and besides, it is no more expensive then our usual meals (lugers, brazilian, morton's, etc)...same price point. and since we only have about 2 of these dinners a year these days, i don't mind the price tag.

[bijoem]

c'mon Barry..... its not like we go out every week.

I'll even throw in a free ride home. :D

[calvindog]

Sparks 7 pm Thursday night.

Right now the reservation is for three. Barry, sell some of those big pennies and get your ass into Manhattan!

[barrysloate]

Hey Michael- I think I will sit this one out. Enjoy, and I will hopefully join you all next time.

[MVSNYC]

sorry to hear that barry- hoping you will reconsider. we all always have a good time at these dinners.

[bijoem]

Barry - you will be missed.

I do agree with Michael though..... its really no more expensive than our past spots - - Lugers or that Brazilian place. In the same ball-park price-wise.

[barrysloate]

Let me think about it. There are so many great restaurants in the city and we are not picking one of the better ones. Judy and I ate at the Palm last month (she got a gift certificate) and it was super expensive and very mediocre. Sparks will likely be the same.

[calvindog]

Barry, don't let the secret out: all the so-called great restaurants in NYC really suck. Paris too.

[bijoem]

Barry... I agree about the Palm - and have eaten there many times.... and it is not spectacular.

since you said 'likely be the same' for Sparks....
sounds like this would be the first time going to that restaurant for you.

lets give it a shot!

[barrysloate]

Paul Castellano got rubbed out at Sparks...what if there's a hit on us too?

[bijoem]

:)

[barrysloate]

Well Jeff's reservation is for three anyway, so why don't I take a pass this time. It's no big deal. I do appreciate the invite.

[toppcat]

Let me think about it. There are so many great restaurants in the city and we are not picking one of the better ones. Judy and I ate at the Palm last month (she got a gift certificate) and it was super expensive and very mediocre. Sparks will likely be the same.

I cannot make this unfortunately but Sparks is without a doubt the best steakhouse I have been to and I have been to a lot of them around the country. I have never made it to Peter Luger's (altho' I must confess I prefer a personal NY strip to porterhouse for 2, 3 or more) which I know is considered the paradigm but my vote goes to Sparks. I've eaten there well over a dozen times and it's consistently great. Not cheap but value for money.

I've eaten at two on Long Island (Teller's and Blackstone) in the past year and they were way overpriced and frankly not all that good. There are plenty of mediocre steakhouses in NYC but Sparks is not one of them.

[MVSNYC]

hi dave- thanks for the info...wish you could've made it...i'm looking forward to this steak!

[scottglevy]

Let me know when y'all are planning to have this. It's been a while since I've seen everyone.

Regards,
Scott

[MVSNYC]

hi scott- it's this thursday, 7pm, Sparks. let jeff know asap, so he can increase the res.

hope to see you.

p.s. i owe you a phone call.

[oldjudge]

Jeff--I will be in the city on Thursday and would love to attend the dinner. Please add one more to the reservation if possible.

Best--Jay

[bijoem]

nice.... this is shaping up to be a good time.

See you guys Thursday.

So far it looks like:
Jeff, Michael, Jay, Joe
possibly - Scott

Any others? - please post here so Jeff gets the final head count.

[MVSNYC]

Joe- Dar is coming too...Jeff already knows.

[calvindog]

Ok, reservation for 5 for Sparks at 7 pm is set:

Me
Joe D
Michael
Dar
Jay

[VintageBall]

Hi guys,

I know I've vanished for a while -- even from email. Sorry about that! Please add one more, as I haven't seen you guys in a while.

Thanks!

Robert S

[calvindog]

Done. 6 people for 7 pm tomorrow night.

[MVSNYC]

i have a head start for tmw...smoking a Robusto & sipping on Johnny Blue.

looking forward to seeing you guys.

MS

[bijoem]

What a great steak - and a great night with friends.

Can't beat those get togethers. Just awesome.

[calvindog]

Mike and Joe D say the steak was surprisingly non-mediocre!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/calvindog/4313932600/" title="JoeDDinner by calvindog65, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4313932600_9aa342dbf0_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="JoeDDinner" /></a>

[Rob D.]

Did you guys see a lot of tourists?

[calvindog]

Other than the guy from Staten Island who was sitting at our table, no tourists at all.

[MVSNYC]

Really great steak, awesome company...fun time as always!

[oldjudge]

I had a fantastic time--thanks guys!

[slidekellyslide]

Other than the guy from Staten Island who was sitting at our table, no tourists at all.

See any mobsters?

[E93]

I would like to congratulate you all for making this happen in less than half the number of posts of the previous NYC dinner. Wish I could have joined you.
JimB

[Brian Weisner]

Hi Guys,
A few questions.....

1. Did Jay wear a Hawaiian shirt?
2. Did Sarno eat my Steak?
3. Did Joe and Sarno drink my share of Beer?
4. Did Barry go to sleep at the table???
5. Did Lichtman finally pick up the tab....:D

I'm glad you guys had fun... I told Levy I'm going to make a NY Dinner this year somehow....

Be well Brian

PS It's snowing like crazy here... and we are expecting 8-12 inches....:eek: