I got to the venue about 8:30, a half hour before it was scheduled to begin. They told me that the small room between the large front bar area and the big dining room in back was going to be emptied out and devoted to the event. Within 20 minutes it was clear that the benefit crowd was going to need a great deal more space, so the whole event was relocated to the front bar.
Typical: I was so preoccupied with something on my BlackBerry that I crashed right into Mario Batali.
The pictures I took give some small idea of the crush of people who showed up to donate to the Jed McGiffin fund and drink wine and eat Otto snacks.
After I demanded that the bartender open a bottle of Cascina Gilli Freisa d'Asti "Vigna del Forno," I walked the three minutes along the north side of Washington Square Park to Babbo, the Batali flagship where Jed worked. I chatted with the bartender, Tereza, a lovely young woman from Prague, who told me that after their shift, the Babbo staff were all headed to Otto in support of their colleague.
New York can be a cold place. It can also be surprisingly warm and kind.
Still wearing the green band for Jed. Makes me feel important, like Stephen Colbert
where's a picture of the "lovely, young" Tereza?
Posted by: fredric koeppel | 01/11/2010 at 10:34 AM
among my souvenirs.
Posted by: Strappo | 01/11/2010 at 10:36 AM