Mothers and Sons

As the mother of a son, I've always felt that the 'mother/son' relationship hasn't received adequate notice or attention; positive attention that is. Have you ever noticed the number of 'mother/daughter', 'father/son' and even 'father/daughter' events? When mother/son relationships are mentioned it's usually in a derogatory way; how often have you heard a reference to "mamma's boy" -- and doesn't that conjure up a picture? Why is that?

I'm happy to report that Scott and I have many mother/son days and enjoy each other's company and the fact that he lives in the city means that we get to see quite a bit of him. Not so long ago, he and I had dinner and went to a jazz concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was the final in a series of Jazz evenings entitled "Three Mo Tenors". The artists, whose names I've now forgotten were a group of classically trained tenors. The program which included operatic music, jazz, gospel, soul, spirituals, Broadway and the blues was non-stop with only a short intermission and lots of participation from the audience. I'm sure that everyone in the there would agree that we got our money's worth this night.

Our evening out included dinner at a restaurant close to the museum; Girasole, a cute Italian spot on 82nd Street. It felt like a quaint neighbourhood spot with friendly staff, a good but unremarkable menu and a wine list that had some affordable selections. My mixed green salad was fresh with a light dressing and Scott enjoyed a cold calamari salad also in a vinaigrette. For the main course, I chose from one of the daily specials, a wild boar chop, served with fresh asparagus, green beans and red peppers. The chop was perfectly grilled and was topped with a mustard and peppercorn sauce. Scott thoroughly enjoyed a serving of grilled sea bass with mushrooms, asparagus and a mixture of rice. We finished with coffee and got to the show with minutes to spare. This is a quaint little spot, a bit on the pricey side, but worth checking out.


Girasole
East 80s 151 E. 82nd St.(bet. Lexington & 3rd Aves.)
New York, NY 10028
212-772-6690

Zagats says ...
“Popular with the Met staff” and Upper Eastsiders “who can afford” the tabs, this “small, refined” Italian functions almost like “a neighborhood club”; the “better-than-average” (if “unremarkable”) fare and “consistently good” service please its “generally older” crowd