HUNGRY GERALD

Customer: “How’s the brisket?” Waiter: “Too good for you.” Customer: “There’s a fly in my soup” Waiter: “So, how much can he drink?” There are a zillion Jewish waiter jokes.  It’s all in the past.  There are no Jewish waiters (certainly not of the traditional variety….flatfooted, bald, a facial expression that varied between bored and nasty).  Gone with all of those wonderful Manhattan institutions: Lindy’s, Reuben’s, Ratner’s, Rappaports, Tip Toe Inn, Steinberg’s, Moscowitz & Lupowitz….and so many others. Do I miss the restaurants? Indeed I do. Do I miss the waiters?   Not really.  Like many things in life they’re better in retrospect.

§ 2 Responses to My Name Is Moisha. I’m Your Waitperson. Today’s Special: Getthehelloudahere!!"

• rec says:

  December 9, 2010 at 9:04 am

  Hungry: In your list of “all those Manhattan institutions,” which, I presume, included those whose waiters positively EXUDED arrogance (John Boehner could take lessons from them), you’ve neglected to mention the Mecca of nasty, snooty, so-bothered-to-serve-you-sir waiters: The Palm. The original one, I think, which was east side, I think, somewhere near the UN?

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• Gerry says:

  December 9, 2010 at 10:44 am

  Original Palm was on 2nd Ave.–between 44th and 45th. Right. Those waiters were a nasty crew, Year later, living on my Colorado ranch and then in Denver, I had lunch at
  the downtown Denver Palm as much as three times a week. I sat in a booth beneath a
  flattering cartoon caricature of Hungry Gerald (being sort of a Denver PR big shot). The
  steaks and home fries were as good as New York and..being Colorado…the front of the
  house staff and waitpersons were gentle, sweet tempered and efficient.

  Reply