Directions: At 52nd Street, South side, between 6th and 7th Avenue (behind Sheraton New York Hotel and Tower)

This was probably the best dinner I had in New York in a very long time, including some memorable business dinners now fading into memory lanes.

The reservation was made by one of my dearest New York friends and a former business colleague with whom I had the pleasure of sharing many times many dinners or lunches, mostly during her business trips to Toronto. This time Josette and I were on our friend’s turf and obviously she knows it well.

Entering the restaurant, one is initially overwhelmed by the size of the rooms (including a second floor huge gallery) and the din of the conversations. At 6:30 p.m. the restaurant is in full swing. We get a nice table, and it turns out that the acoustics of the room are very friendly to quiet, pleasant conversation.

A selection of breads, as well as butter and water, materialise in front of us as we get comfortable. The menu is rich in appetisers, but I am the only one tempted, by one of my favourites, a Crawfish & Dungeness Crab Cake which comes with a red pepper and black olive relish and basil vinaigrette.

Josette consults the waiter on the menu. She is lactose intolerant and this triggers a most amazing and supportive conversation, including a concern the waiter has with respect to the selection of breads delivered earlier. He points out to a definitely buttery bun but is also concerned about the rolls and leaves us in order to telephone some authority and check whether the rolls are also made with whatever unfortunate dairy products.

The answer, a few minutes later, is uncertain. He recommends heartily abstinence from consumption of these rolls by Josette, who is thus cut out from any type of bread. We are East Europeans, ergo bread eaters par excellence, so Josette brings to light a few Lactaid chewable tablets and takes the leap. (All went well, whether because there was no dairy in the rolls or because the tablets did their job).

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