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I went to NY / NJ last week for business. In this case I was "the customer" and had my supplier entertain us while we were there. After our business meeting we went back to the hotel to freshen up and get ready to go out for dinner.
Let me set the scene... I left Charlotte and it was about 60 degrees, and you all know what's been going on in the northeast lately, it was brutally cold and the snow started to fall that evening. As an aside, It reminded me as to the fact that snow is no big deal, it was business as usual in NY.
Now Villa Antonio is good, but I expressed the need to go have some good Italian food while I was there. We were in White Plains and we went to a place called Mulino's. Mulino's of Westchester If you click on the website it has their menu and a brief history of who they are. Let me also point out the "our family" section that shows the professional waitstaff that has been there for no less than 5 years. Also in the same section you'll see the owners last name is Gigante. As in "The Chin", Boss of the Genovese family
Anyway, I digress. From the moment we got out of our car and saw the valet roasting chestnuts on a BBQ grill I knew I was in heaven. We walked through the door and there were 7 Christmas Carolers there singing Jingle Bells to greet us. We were escorted through the dining room which was setup like Babes in Toyland, really over the top decorated for the season, but not gawdy.
We were seated and I started out with a Smoked Buffalo Mozarella (Smoked in house) covered with porcini and ****ake mushrooms and prociutto as an appetizer. To say this was the most delicious appetizer that I have ever had would not do this dish justice. I had a Veal Scallopini Tartufo which had a truffle butter sauce that was to die for. I finished off with the Peach Melba which was the perfect dessert to finish off this heavenly meal. I handed the keys to the valet and he handed me a bag of freshly roasted chestnuts and wished me a Merry Christmas.
THE POINT: My friends, I have lived here for 18 years now, and as much as I try to kid myself when I go someplace that claims to be or someone says It's just like back home" it isn't. I think to myself "Self, have I relaxed my standards?". The level of service and quality, not to mention the pride that was put into the above experience was second to none. Now, don't misinterpret what I am saying I love it here and will spend the rest of my life living here. I am truly a convert and not a complainer. I rack my brain trying to figure out how to get the $$ to open a place like this because it is truly needed.
Jake, I think that each of us transplants...well, natives alike...have SOMETHING that just clicks as being "home" to them. For you, it was that whole experience. For me, it might be standing in front of Wrigley Field or at the lakefront looking back at the skyline. A native might say it is a certain kind of barbeque...the point is, I don't think that people are being disloyal to their current location when they revel in an experience that truly means something special to them. You can enjoy where you live; really be content there and, yet, there is a small part of your heart that appreciates the history that you have previously enjoyed, too. I don't think that is wrong. Actually, I think that having had many experiences makes one a more interesting person. so, I am glad that you had what sounds to be a very lovely evening! The memory will stay with you for a long time.
As a native of the area it is riding in a Model T with my grandfather down a very old HWY 24/27, or having a huge family fish-fry on the Yadkin River, or eating pulled pork BBQ in Lexington, or riding motorcycles all over the land that is now Phillips Place and Morrocroft Estates.
Jake, I noticed on their website they state 'No cash will be accepted for dinner checks'.
Do they not trust the 'Boss of the Genovese family'?
I have no idea who that is BTW.
As a native of the area it is riding in a Model T with my grandfather down a very old HWY 24/27, or having a huge family fish-fry on the Yadkin River, or eating pulled pork BBQ in Lexington, or riding motorcycles all over the land that is now Phillips Place and Morrocroft Estates.
Jake, I noticed on their website they state 'No cash will be accepted for dinner checks'.
Do they not trust the 'Boss of the Genovese family'?
I have no idea who that is BTW.
Funny thing, I tell people up north about eating pulled pork bbq in Lexington Just another good experience, I guess.
We went to Flagstaff a few years back and had a meal out where the girls showing us where to park were riding horses. After the meal, Mr. VA said to me, "I have never had such good service at a restaurant." The food was what would be considered "high end" too. It was like the waitress was not even there, but our drink glasses were always full.
I used to work with a lady who was always complaining that the service here in restaurants was really low class. She complained about the way the waitress set her plate down. LOL
I noticed the food was really good in the Flagstaff restaurant, but the service is something I don't even notice unless my coffee cup gets empty.
I am glad you enjoyed your trip back home. Paying large amounts of money for super service is something that I can do without. It is my guess that you paid a lot more for your meal there than you do here. Now a good dinner theatre would be a great idea. I like to be entertained while I eat.
Jake, I think that each of us transplants...well, natives alike...have SOMETHING that just clicks as being "home" to them. For you, it was that whole experience. For me, it might be standing in front of Wrigley Field or at the lakefront looking back at the skyline. A native might say it is a certain kind of barbeque...the point is, I don't think that people are being disloyal to their current location when they revel in an experience that truly means something special to them. You can enjoy where you live; really be content there and, yet, there is a small part of your heart that appreciates the history that you have previously enjoyed, too. I don't think that is wrong. Actually, I think that having had many experiences makes one a more interesting person. so, I am glad that you had what sounds to be a very lovely evening! The memory will stay with you for a long time.
When we go back to visit our former home, it is much easier to pick "moments in time", because we are no longer there everyday. When I went to the Cape (Cod in MA) last Spring, I was able to focus on the places my friend (niece) and I had always enjoyed. It was nostalgic, and it now has a special place in my heart. We revisited the old grist mill in Bass River, saw the summer place where I spent 2 weeks every summer though the graciousness of a family friend, and walked on Bayview Beach, where we both swam together, riding the waves when the Siasconsett went by on its way to Nantucket. How wonderful that it actually went through Lewis Bay that very day while we were there!
Three years ago I drove home from visiting my older sister and my nieces, who were more like my sisters, traveling along Route 6A, and had an overwhelming feeling of the passing of an era. The old Cape is gone, dying due to overdevelopment, my sister has a terminal illness, and her youngest daughter passed away suddenly in her sleep at the age of 42 from an unsuspected heart ailment not long after that visit 3 years ago.
When I left the state in 2007 and came to NC, another chapter in life started while the first ended. Already I have some wonderful memories of this area that will sustain me through years ahead. They are very different from those in MA, but they are just as special. Everyday life may be routine no matter where we live, but we can always pick out the special moments that can live in our hearts, and someday those moments will be memories of "home"
My wife is from Millbury MA (her family now in Berndardston) but for years we celebrated Thanksgiving with her inlaws in Harwich on the Cape. Beautiful part of the country!
It's an enjoyable experience and memory while you are there visiting. It wouldn't be the same if you lived there again. When we go back to something we don't have anywhere else, we eventually take it for granted and it becomes just everyday. It's not as special anymore. So, keep it as a treat.
As far as spending an obscene amount of money to replicate it here, I would say forget it. It doesn't work. You might be one of the lucky ones who might come close, but it will never be the same. The ambience or something is just not the same. Not everyone here has had the same experiences as you and it won't be the same enough for them for you to make money. Lorenzo's is great, but it is not exactly the same and "home" for everyone. Once the honeymoon stage of people trying it out is over, will it be the exact replica of a "home" pizza parlor? Delancey Street is like a NY deli, but is it really? I have a friend who tried to replicate a biz here like NJ, and it wasn't the same. It's a hard, expensive business and it is going to take a long time to recoup.
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so, I am glad that you had what sounds to be a very lovely evening! The memory will stay with you for a long time.
Just another good experience, I guess.
It's a hard, expensive business and it is going to take a long time to recoup.
