May 12, 2004
May 12
I knew it was warmer in NYC than in Italy but I didn't realize that I'd be returning to 80+ degree muggy weather. I was disappointed by the cooler than expected weather in Italy but maybe I should see it as a refreshing reprieve from the premature summer weather here in NYC. Will update on the balance of our Italy honeymoon and post pictures from the wedding (hopefully) tomorrow.
In the meantime, I want to post about one of my favorite eateries, Veronica's which is located in the Garment District. I first found out about Veronica's about three years ago in a small write-up in the NY Press. As I mentioned before, I'm a big chowhound and I went to check out Veronica's one day and became a devoteee after that. There was one dish in particular I would go to Veronica's for but the other thing that made you look forward to going there was Andy, the proprieter of the old-school Italian cafeteria-esque eatery. Andy was a super sweet guy who knew the names of all his customers (of which there were many--it's a popular midtown lunch hour destination) and conversed with nearly all on a regular basis, even during the busiest lunch times. All the food is super good too and I had even considered having him cater our wedding.
So, on a rare day off from work I was looking forward to going to Veronica's again and sharing news of the recent wedding and honeymoon with Andy, especially since I hadn't been there in a while (I ate there regularly while during my last job which was p/t and had allowed me to go down to Veronica's before going into work). When I arrived, I noticed a few new faces behind the counter and didn't see Andy though, especially before it gets busy, it isn't uncommon for Andy to be in the kitchen or elsewhere in the restaurant. One of the new faces got my usual dish and heated it and when I didn't see Andy after a few minutes I asked if he was around. "Andy retired." I was informed. Apparently, he had retired only a month ago. After working at Veronica's for thirty years without any vacations, he had decided to sell the restaurant and retire. I was definitely bummed but there wasn't much I could do. My dish still tasted the same save for the substitution of onions for green beans in the sauce. I noticed, however, that there were considerably fewer people and guessed that business dropped off after Andy had left. I'm sure he is sorely missed--he is a rare individual in a city like New York--genuinely and exceptionally nice and friendly and personable. I know I'll miss him..
Posted by Jennifer at May 12, 2004 09:24 PM