Suzy Says

So I gave myself a day off today. No particular reason, except it’s a new year, so I have a whole new pool of time off, and things are pretty slow at work, so why not? It’s just like how giving or receiving a spontaneous gift for no reason is often more fun than one for a reason, like birthdays or Christmas.

I decided to go and see “Dinner Rush”, which is playing at the “art” theater in the neighborhood. It’s also conveniently located and the movie was timed so that I could have an early lunch at the nearby and legendary Swan Oyster Depot.

Even though I got there at 11:15, there were only 3 or 4 stools left. For those who have never been there, it’s tiny and has maybe 25 stools lined up along a marble counter. The counter holds bowls of oyster crackers, bottles of hot sauce, napkins, lemons, and other seafood accoutrements, ’cause there’s only seafood on the menu. There were also tiny, living Christmas trees in little pots decorated with plastic snowmen, spaced out along the bar as a reminder of the holidays.

Behind the bar are the five brothers, grandchildren of the original owner, who prepare and serve all the food. Space is very limited, and it’s a pleasure to watch the ballet performed as they shuck oysters, crack crab, answer the phone, assemble shrimp cocktails, and slice up their excEt, crusty sourdough bread, all without knocking into each other or inflicting damage with all those knives. I’m not usually a sourdough fan, although this city is famous for it, but I love theirs.

With the bread, I had a self-indulgent (but it was really small! Honestly!) glass of chilled white chardonnay from Sonoma county and a bowl of their fantastic clam chowder. It’s bliss in a bowl, with its chunks of perfectly cooked potatoes and clams, the broth both creamy and tasting of the sea, speckled with golden butter and black pepper. The brother who was serving me gave me an unsolicited, paper-thin piece of the smoked salmon he was elegantly carving. It was fantastic. I guess it’s just a spontaneous kind of day.

By 11:30, the line was, as usual, out the door. I happily ate my lunch, eavesdropped on my neighbors’ conversations and listened to Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis on the battered old radio. I resisted the advances of the guy sitting next to me, always a hazard of a woman travelling or eating alone. Fortunately I have had a fair amount of practice in this area and I can do it pretty nicely and firmly, which is key, especially on 11 hour flights to or from London. This particular guy was from Chicago and had read about the place in Zagat’s restaurant guide (where it is routinely chosen as one of the best restaurants in this foodaholic city). But his homework had not been thorough enough, because he tried to pay with plastic. The Depot is, and has always been, a cash only operation. He got laughed at pretty thoroughly.

“Dinner Rush”, a movie about a popular restaurant in New York and starring Danny Aiello, was the perfect thing to follow my lovely lunch. I love the chaos and energy of the professional kitchen and the melodramas which often take place there. The movie was a satisfying mixture of both. As I passed the Depot on my way home at 2:30, the line was longer than ever. Long may they shuck. And remember: if you go, bring cash. For those of you who insist on writing checks in grocery stores for $5 purchases, or using credit cards for same, it’s that green stuff you get at ATM’s. You can use it to buy things with. Try it sometime. I know just the place to start.