Goodness gracious

We were the recipients of two gracious acts during dinner on Sunday night that bookended an already wonderful meal and made it that much more enjoyable. It was a good reminder that small gestures can make a large impact.

I love staying around New York on holiday weekends. Everyone else takes off and those that remain have the run of the place. You can see any movie you want at a moment's notice, stores are airy and empty (as long as you stay out of places that sell back to school supplies on Labor Day) and it's the perfect opportunity to try the trendy restaurant you can't normally get into.

This Labor Day Weekend we took full advantage and went to an AMAZING restaurant that I highly recommend to any non-vegetarians out there: BLT Prime. It's one of the gems in the Chef Laurent Tourondel empire, and it's just perfect. They have a 30-foot dry aging room and a menu boasting 20 different cuts of meat. It's got everything the classic steak house offers, but the space is contemporary and beautifully designed. Not a trace of the stodgy feel traditional steakhouses can impart (although that can be fun in its own way too - a true carnivore, I'll always be a huge fan of Gallagher's, Luger's, Sparks, Frankie & Johnnie's and Smith & Wollensky's to name a few).

Gracious Act #1:
I have a friend who lives in the neighborhood and is a regular at BLT Prime. He's always talking about how good it is, so I mentioned to him at the end of last week that we were headed there on Sunday. When we arrived for our reservation, the hostess said, "Welcome to BLT Prime. You're a friend of [D's]?" He actually called ahead and had them find our name so they could make a note. As a result of his extra effort, we got comped on several special appetizers. Uncommonly thoughtful. Bon appetite, indeed!

Gracious Act #2:
Just as we ordered our dessert (passion fruit crepe), the woman at the table next to us gestured with a sweeping motion that sent her glass of red wine sailing to the floor, spattering my ivory shirt (very first time I wore it) with deep, garnet colored speckles. Breathless apologies gushed. Club soda and napkins appeared. Broken glass was swept away in the blink of an eye. Within two minutes there was no evidence the incident had ever occurred, except for my wet shirt covered with now slightly faded spots. I knew the girl was mortified. And as Terry had rightfully pointed out, "On a different night we would be apologizing to you for the same thing." Obviously it was an accident yet, I felt a little cranky as I sat doused in cold seltzer. Apparently, my favor can easily be bought. The maitre d' appeared and let us know our dessert was being paid for by the table next to us. This time I meant it when I said, "Really, it was no big deal! That was completely unnecessary." Well, not completely.

Small gestures. Big impact.