A FOREIGNER IN N E W YORK
CONEY ISLAND
"Jason called me on my cell phone," Jose Luis said when he met us after the game. "He wants to meet us for an early dinner at a special place." "What place is that?" I asked. "He wants it to be a surprise for you," Jose Luis answered. "He says that you'll recognise it when you see it." We took the subway to Times Square and walked north for a couple of blocks. I recognised the place the moment we arrived at it. It was the Carnegie Deli! The Carnegie Deli is one of the best Jewish delicatessens in New York City. I recognised it because important parts of one of my favourite Woody Allen movies, Broadway Danny Rose, were filmed there. Jason was already sitting at a table waiting for us when we arrived. The walls were covered with autographed photos of famous people who had eaten there. "I thought that you might like to have some typical New York food after the game," he said as we sat down. Many New Yorkers consider Jewish food typical New York food, much like British people consider Indian food British. "I also thought that you'd like to see a place that's connected to Woody Allen," Jason continued. We looked at the menu and I noticed that they even had a sandwich named after the protagonist of the movie - the Broadway Danny Rose. My decision was made. I ordered a bowl of chicken soup and a Broadway Danny Rose sandwich. The soup was delicious. As I was finishing it, the waiter brought our sandwiches. Again, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My sandwich was 15 centimetres high! "This is crazy!" I said. "I can't eat all of this sandwich!" "Eat what you can," said Jose Luis. "You can take the rest home in a doggie bag." "But none of us have got a dog!" I protested. "Do people really give their food to their dogs?" Everyone at the table laughed. "That's just the name that's given to the bag that you use to
take food home with you," Scott explained. "I'm sure that some people give left-over food to their dogs, but I personally think that it's a sin. I'd rather eat it myself the next day." "It's an American custom that I like," added Jose Luis. "I thought that it was strange when I first arrived here, but I've become accustomed to it. I now prefer to take food home with me and eat it another day than to know it's been thrown into the trash." "Jose Luis was right," I thought to myself the following day as Jason and I ate the other halves of our respective sandwiches from the Carnegie Deli for lunch. They were still delicious and it would have been a pity to throw them out.
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CHAPTER 12
CONEY ISLAND
I told Elaine about the baseball game a few days later as we were waiting for a classical music concert to start in Bryant Park. This park is located behind the main New York City public library on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue. On weekdays during the summer, the city organises small concerts at lunchtime for the people who work in the area. People from all kinds of professions buy a sandwich or salad and sit in front of a small stage to eat their lunch and listen to classical music. Elaine and I often met there to have lunch together since it was such a nice event. "It sounds like you had a great time," said Elaine. "You even had a typical baseball lunch - a hot dog and a Coke. Did you know that the hot dog was invented here?" "Here in Bryant Park?" I asked. "No, silly!" Elaine responded, laughing. "I mean in New York City, although the exact place is far away from here." "Where is it?" I asked. "It's on Coney Island, on the far side of Brooklyn," she replied. "It was a popular vacation place for rich people during the second half of the 19th century. It's also got the oldest