On Tuesday we returned to a perennial favorite Saloon.  We were excited to go and we were welcomed by the familiar staff.

On the eve of Cuomo’s loosening of restrictions, no table seated more than four and they were well spaced along the walls with no seats at the bar and no tables in the middle of the room.

As we eagerly approached the Saloon entrance we wore our masks. Once inside we were warmly greeted by the owner and staff like long lost friends or Family.  Staff had their masks hanging from their ears at the ready and wore them on and off during our meal.  We wore ours only when exiting.

The restaurant workers all spoke of the 14 month hiatus and the maitre de, who had planned to retire, spoke of “going crazy” at home and being pleased to be back on the job and his appreciation of human contact.

We all agreed that the food was better than ever (sample pictured) and the only downside was the absence of their utterly delicious black raspberry ice cream.

All in all, it was a very good night, despite the restrictions, and we look forward to more pleasant indoor dining experiences in the future!