HEY, THEY TOOK AWAY MY ANTHONY’S

Don’t go somewhere for a few months and bang, it’s gone! Off the face of the earth! Anthony’s, my favorite little ristorante, disappeared from the face of Ronkonkoma. No one told me as I entered the building. Everything seemed the same, but I had an uneasy feeling. I was given a table and a menu and didn’t recognize the waitress George. She some how didn’t meet my expectations. For one thing, she looked like a truck driver I once knew, and secondly she seemed awfully unenthused about the whole show. The menu looked strange and somewhat skimpy as I perused through the different fish and pasta dishes, all over priced and not what I remembered. I asked George if the name had changed, and she assured me it had, to Amici’s. Hey it was still Italian, just not on a first name basis, so now it’s more formal. Well, they were still selling food, so I decided to stay, in spite of the prices and George’s manly air.

I ordered what was close to what I really wanted from what I remembered from Anthony’s old menu and George recommended the house dressing for the salad. I inquired “Why “ and she said because it “Is so good.” OK.

I was the only one sitting in the dining room of ten tables, no noise, no people staring at me, and no one to guess what they do in life as I stare back.

Suddenly 4 women appear, take a table and raise the sound level a few dozen decibels, with inane observations and high-pitched nervous laughs. They laugh about everything and anything, from their husbands inabilities to their bosses to recent deaths in their families.

The salad comes out and it tastes so good I know I shouldn’t be eating it. I can hear TLW (The Little Woman) calculating the calories and the points that I will exceed this evening. But she isn’t here right now, so here goes.

Out comes my entrée, and I begin to eat, suddenly George takes on a new light, as I savor the calamari and shrimp in just enough pasta not to care about carbs or points. The sauce is outstanding, just what I wanted as I expected the worst! I WAS MARVELOUS! Good even and downright delicious. I dip my bread (carbs) into the sauce, I dip another piece, I begin to see TLW, calculating and looking like my Mother almost.

A couple joins us, she is not happy looking, and he has a sand trap on the back of his head, which makes me want to compare notes with him. He does not look too happy either, but amazingly, she sits and begins to look into my plate.

I get the bill, realize that Amici’s may not stay in business too much longer and leave, very satisfied and glad I did it even if I ate alone. I think however, when they present the bill, George should wear a mask, like a real stickup would be executed.