Brooklyn Family Dining

Last night some Sullivan and I went out with some friends for dinner. All told there were four kids under the age of 5 and four kids over the age of 30 present for dinner. It was delightful. There was pizza. Real, delicious saucy pizza made by an old man named Mario who hands out little chunks of "pizza cheese" to kids who come to visit his window into the kitchen. And there was wine and salad and ice cream and ricotta cheesecake and the most tolerant, old school, Italian waiter named Alfonse.

You see, Al is a waiter extraordinaire who loves kids. He gets antsy kids to help him set the table and get straws and when the kids get lippy waiting for their food he trots out the old school wisdom.

What? You think I got ten arms? Siddown!

You want ice cream, eh? Eh? Whadder you? A wiseguy? You a wiseguy? I'm a wiseguy. 'Ere, suck on this. (He says the last part handing the kids a bowl of ice with a set of tongs and winks at the parents who are busy laughing into their glasses of cheap Bordolino)

Man, sometimes eating out is the best thing in the world.