Taking a tentative step toward finding a new normal in a wildly chaotic world, Andy and I had our first dinner out since March last night, and it was a wonderful brush with how we all might move forward. Better than that, it was a chance to see old friends who have always taken care of us with their delicious food and comforting company. A favorite restaurant is more than just a restaurant, it’s more than just food and drink and atmosphere. It’s conviviality, it’s camaraderie, it’s connecting in a world that seems to be growing ever more fractured. A favorite restaurant brings back what’s important: sharing a meal in a place surrounded by people who only want to make other people feel better.
That kind of hospitality is one of the things we’ve missed most since everything stopped way back in March. Every day since then we’ve been in a suspended state of grief and despondence as we navigate how we are all going to be safe and survive in the face of whatever insanity 2020 is going to throw at us next. It felt fitting to make our first night out since then at the place where we dined last.
dp: An American Brasserie is open for dinner business again, employing all the safety regulations for this phase of New York State’s re-opening, and by all accounts, and entirely as expected, they handled it with typical flair and gusto. Under the guiding hand and delightfully-attired élan of Dominick Purnomo, our favorite restaurant was forging its way into a brave new world and bringing the best of what makes it so special – the human connection that only breaking bread together can truly conjure – back into our lives. We knew we had missed it, but we never knew how much.
On a ninety-degree summer afternoon, we cooled down with a Balinese lemonade and shared an opening of octopus, along with some braised rib dumplings. Andy opted for the bakmi while I went for the burger du jour. Easing back into dining out again would require some comfort food, done up in the elegance that is a hallmark of the Purnomo family establishments. We closed out this perfect meal with an exquisite citrus custard and meringue dessert ~ a sweet finish to a celebratory start to summer.
{dp: An American Brasserie is open for dinner – visit their website here for the current guidelines on how to best enjoy a dinner out.}
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