It felt like it had been quite a while since I had no plans, no one to meet. It hadn’t actually been that long; it just felt like it. Out of the blue, Pierre called and asked if I would like to join them for lunch at Robert, located in Columbus Circle. I didn’t even give it a second thought.
Designed in 1857, Columbus Circle is a traffic circle located between 8th and Broadway at the lower part of Central Park. Did I really want to give up some free time? It was a beautiful day, and it was a Saturday. Of course, I did! Without a doubt!
With my handy dandy map app, I actually found the right bus to board and was dropped off about three blocks from my destination. There is something freeing about navigating in this city without using Uber or Lyft. These little things make me feel like a real New Yorker, and that is truly liberating.
Robert is a classic American restaurant (mid-century in design) on the 7th floor of the Museum of Arts and Design. The view of the Upper West Side, Central Park, and the Upper East Side from this one spot is phenomenal.
The minute I saw it, I knew I had to bring anyone and everyone else who came to visit. It was one of my favorite types of lunches in that it was leisurely. We started with a drink and didn’t order food until the before-lunch drink was finished. I really do not recall why I had a crown on my head, so that should say something about the day.
After lunch, Pierre and Grant felt I needed to take in the Upper West Side, one pub at a time. A couple of blocks into the walk, Grant was ahead of us, and Pierre and I were talking in our own little worlds. Suddenly, Grant turned around and said, “That was Sean Hayes, wasn’t it?” That’s all I needed to hear. I quickly turned around and started running toward Sean. When I caught up to him, he looked at me, and all I could utter was, “Excuse me, but I love you!” He answered, “How sweet!” Then I said something about how much I enjoy his podcast, Smartless, and that I would attend his play in April. I asked for a photo, and he quickly took my phone to take selfies. I assumed the man standing on the sideline was Scottie, Sean’s husband, so I turned to him and asked if he was indeed Scottie. He was, so I asked him to get in the picture, and the rest is history. It took me over six months to finally see a celebrity, but it was worth the wait! Sean Hayes could not have been more gracious!
Needing a drink to calm my nerves, we stopped at a pub and then on to Fred’s before I called it a night. Fred’s is named after a black Labrador Retriever, trained as a seeing-eye dog, and taken in by loving owners in this Upper West Side village. The entire bar is covered with photos of Fred and their clientele’s dogs.
Needing a drink to calm my nerves, we stopped at a pub and then on to Fred’s before I called it a night. Fred’s is named after a black Labrador Retriever, trained as a seeing-eye dog, and taken in by loving owners in this Upper West Side village. The entire bar is covered with photos of Fred and their clientele’s dogs.
Between Robert, Sean, Fred, Pierre, and Grant…this Saturday was particularly delightful!