HUNGRY GERALD

For many years, one of HG’s pleasures was dining in a restaurant–humble or fancy, expensive or modestly priced ethnic. No more. (yes, there are pickup meals from Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Korean eateries). HG/BSK have dined in scores of restaurants in many cities and countries during HG/BSK’s 61 years of marriage. At the august age of 95, HG relies upon creative BSK to cook restaurant quality meals every night in HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft. Two recent suppers revealed BSK’s gift for gustatory improvisation. One meal focused on a small piece of fresh salmon–not large enough to roast for two diners.
BSK cooked Thai noodles in a sauce of soy, rice wine, fish sauce and Asian spices. Salmon was cooked in the oven (no fish odors). Medium rare salmon was cut into chunks and topped with some squirts of wasabi. Happy dining. On another night, BSK harked back to a traditional recipe of Bell & Evans chicken thighs and lollipop drumsticks (see archive Chicken Delights—March 21, 2025). This time, BSK made it into a one pot hearty delight by adding chickpeas and rice. Spanish Pimenton gave it a savory picante base.

HG is not a dedicated carnivore, but HG (and BSK) are fond of roast beef. When HG was young, excellent roast beef was available in affordable sandwiches. Great warm sandwiches were available on New York’s midtown Broadaway at Turf and McGinnis restaurants, large bustling eateries (both long closed). Also closed Brass Rail (near the demolished Roxy Theater) served roast beef on a roll with a bowl of gravy to dip it in. Best roast beef was at Penn Station. A stately Black man carved generous sandwiches (One of his sandwiches was an ample dinner). Very good roast beef sandwiches were served at Roll-N-Roaster (still thriving) in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood. Old timers told HG of the legendary sandwiches served at a delicatessen in Harlem when it was a Jewish neighborhood. Rye bread got a lusty spread of chichen fat to enrich the beef–sliced onion or pickle was optional.  Surprisingly, this sandwich was served at a restaurant on B.116th  Street , Rockaway Beach. Great eating for HG after a day in the sun and Atlantic Ocean. BSK had joyous  Sunday roast beef dinners with BSK’s grandparents when BSK was a little girl in Canada–wonderful roast potatoes, tender beef, mushy veggies. No Yorkshire Pudding–they were a specialt,y of BSK’s late mother, Valerie Kent. BSK inherited her grandfather’s majestic horn handled carving set and uses it frequentlly. In London, HG/BSK enjoyed the roast beef carved from a trolley at venerable Simpson’s on the Strand. Keen’s is HG/BSK’s choice in New York. Gallagher’s in the Theater District serves “Prime Rib OF Roast Beef” for $78. With side dishes (potatoes, creamed spinach, etc.) it escalates the dinner for one at over $100 before wine, tip, taxes,etc. Pricey vittles.

When HG was a young New York journalist in the early 1950’s, HG was a heavy drinker. (In later years, HG was a Martini and vodka drinker. BSK put a stop to that after HG had some inebriated tumbles). In HG’s boozer days, beer and liquor were cheap and rough and ready bars were plentiful on Manhattan’s Third and Second Avenues as well as the side streets off these Avenues. As HG  recalls (Memory stretches back more than 70 years), a glass of beer was 25 cents and a shot of rye was 50 cents. It only cost a few bucks to get drunk. HG drank at Mirror Bar on E.45th (Rye and beer chaser plus nibbles of pickled pork knuckle); Murphy’s (Northeast corner of Third Avenue and 45th Street –a bowl of  heavily salted  peanuts on the bar to encourage thirst)–plus numerous bars named after their Irish owners or towns and counties in Ireland. HG’s favorite bar was Costello’s (E. 44th or E. 43rs. Memory is hazy), The star feature of the bar was a cartoon mural by the New Yorker writer/artist/dramatist, James Thurber, painted in 1935. Thurber had run up a substantial bar bill and the mural was his payment. HG often drank at Artists and Writers on West 44th (It catered to the Herald-Tribune staff, was home to “The Match Game” and had very good food including dazzling “Koenigsberger Klopse”). There were a number of gay bars clustered around Lexington Avenue all named after birds. The Golden Pheasant was prominent.

BSK is a talented and creative cook. When tired of BSK’s standard wonders, BSK improvises and the improvisations are very satisfying. (No wonder. BSK was good at “improvs” in BSK’s young actress days–and this skill has carried over to BSK cuisine). Last night’s”improv” in HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft was a winner. BSK rummaged in the fridge and found chicken thighs (Marinated for 30 minutes before cooking and cut up into small pieces). There was also a leek, red peppers and zucchini, The veggies were chopped and went into a baking dish with the chicken plus tomatoes, onions, garlic, one cup of broth and a half cup of orzo–and a jalapeno for an underlay of heat. Before the cooking finished, the dish was topped with feta cheese (to melt) and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, cilantro and thyme.This  was accompanied by BSK’s green sauce of garlic, olive oil, cilantro, thyme and jalapeno. When BSK took the baking dish out of the oven, it looked like a portrait of savoriness. And, it tasted sublime–and there was enough for dinner tonight. Great double header.

Neutral Corner, a bar (long closed), was located on 8th Avenue and 55th Street close to what was once the center of  New York City boxing: the old Madison Square Garden (demolished) and Stillman’s Gym (gone). Neutral Corner was home base for the fistic community—fighters, ex-fighters, managers, trainers, sports publicists, corner technicians (cut men, etc.). A.J. Liebling, the great journalist and fan of what he called “the sweet science” was often there. (His book, “The Sweet Science”, is a pugilism masterpiece). He noted that Neutral Corner was the quietest bar in town–though many of the customers were rugged guys, voices were hushed. Tony Janiro was one of the bartenders before he returned to his Ohio home town. He was once a top flight fighter, contending for the middleweight title. He made big money and squandered it all. Managers pointed him out to their fighters: “Once a contender and now a bartender. Don’t let it happen to you.” Stillman’s training hours were noon to three; 5:30 to seven. Neutral Corner was packed during Stillman’s off hours. HG drank many a beer there when he was a young journalist.