D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A to another such gathering, or maybe finally back to their hotel to chill. No doubt the sight of the city must have stimulated their curiosity about this extraordinarily energetic metropolis with its vast diversity. Meanwhile, Monday, December 15. Midmonth, mainly sunny and clear and not too cold (upper-30s or mid-40s) in New York, and the coming holidays were upon us. Traffic was another story. The holiday visitors and… The protests! On a Saturday night, I went out for a taxi to go to dinner at Sistina on Second Avenue and 81st Street. Taxis at that hour on weekends in my neighborhood are
not so easy to get because York Avenue is not a through street. Cabs don’t troll it. You can wait and wait. I did. Every passing cab had its “vacant” sign off. Occupied. Finally, one came along and stopped. Its was unlit but it was empty. He lowered his window on the passenger side. “Where you going?” I told him. He beckoned me to get in. I said to the guy, “Your sign is off.” He said, “That’s because I’m not going below 59th Street.” “Why? It’s Saturday night.” The biggest night of the week for fares. “Because of the protests.
They’re everywhere and you can get stuck sitting there.” The ride over to 81st and Second was otherwise uneventful. If you’ve never been to Sistina, it is a well-known secret as one of best Italian restaurants in town. I’d call it high-end, price-wise. Its host/ owner, Giuseppe Bruno, is one of the three Bruno brothers who own and run San Pietro and Caravaggi, which are also upscale, excellent Italian restaurants. Giuseppe is totally into his restaurant Sistina, serving as greeter and preparer of specials to please any guest. The ambience is casually formal. The clientele boasts a generally refined palette used to ex-
cellence. The well-heeled used to good, well-prepared food. The service is excellent, too. The attire is like just about everywhere else nowadays: casual but usually classic, which could include jacket and tie. The season was now upon us, with the main attraction being Santa Claus. The events on the social calendar are more casual and relaxed (not so much black-tie) and smaller. On a Wednesday night, for example, Hilary Geary Ross and Harry Benson were doing a book signing for their new Palm Beach People down at Bulgari on 57th Street and Fifth Avenue. And on a Thursday, there was that massive book signing
“ C A B A R E T ” W I T H T H E M U S E U M O F T H E C I T Y O F N E W YO R K AT E S PAC E
Susan Henshaw Jones and Patti Heller with Jeff and Karen Hughes 42 QUEST
Gilda and Cecil Wray with Polly Merrill
Jeff and Betty Sue Hughes
Jamie Dinan and Elizabeth Miller with Scott and Roxanne Bok
Jim Freeman and Diane Herdling with Kayley and Jim Rosenthal
PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N
Robin and Joel Kassimir