The Megabus dropped me off at 8th and Joe Lewis which edges along Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. Rush hour traffic was thick and everyone itched to get out into the night to be elsewhere. A quick reorientation and a peek at HopStop set me on my way to meet up with a good pal at his office near Wall Street.
After hemming and hawing over our dinner options we landed at Harry’s Steakhouse; a downtown mainstay for stock brokers and business types alike. Our waiter killed with NYC sass, and we were glad to take his recommendation for the “Wellington Wednesday” special which has been on the menu for over 40 years. How can a carnivore turn down an 8oz. filet topped with fried paté and chanterelle mushrooms wrapped in puff pastry then baked? It was truly an experience to be had… Starting off with a special arugula salad with asparagus, prosciutto, shaved pecorino and a lemon-thyme vinaigrette, this meal was an excellent way to kickoff the adventure.
The main event for that Wednesday evening was to witness the final installment of the Happy Ending reading series at, you guessed it, Happy Ending Lounge on the lower east side. This monthly series run by Amanda Stern happens on the first Wednesday of each month and will debut in a new location next month at Joe’s Pub. I was there to catch the Wingdale Community Singers supply the musical portion of the night sandwiched between a few different readers.
Although missing a few members, the Wingdales were as harmonious and witty as ever, bringing us an excellent updated reading of Simon and Garfunkel’s “7 O’Clock News” version of “Silent Night”. The band complied with the “rules” of the series by performing the aforementioned cover AND taking a risk by debuting two new songs that were completed the night before. We were glad to soak up every word and we were equally eager to help sing the poignant refrain of the last song, “let this story have a happy ending” to end their set.
Work and travel left me tired but satisfied so we headed back to Brooklyn for a night’s rest.
