04.30.06
The Sun’s Not Yellow, It’s Chicken
I picked up a fifty-something blond woman in Chelsea, and we drove in silence across the 59th Street Bridge toward LaGuardia Airport. I had been listening to a Dylan mix tape when she got in, and once Tombstone Blues was over, I popped in a Springsteen tape.“Who is this?” she asked. “This is The Boss . . . and before that we were listening to Dylan,” I told her, happy to break the silence. “Oh, I know that was Dylan, I used to live with him,” she said with a smirk. That is the type of comment I don’t just let go. She was a little reluctant to talk about it, but I threatened to pull the cab over if she didn’t give up the story.
It turns out she lived with Bob Dylan in The Village during the Gaslight coffee house era of early 60’s. She admitted, without a hint of shame in her voice (good for her), that she’d been a Playboy bunny at the now long-defunct Playboy Club. Dylan took a liking to her, and they had about a six month fling.
Other old New Yorkers have told me, and she confirmed, that housing was much more fluid back then. People moved in an out of apartments all the time. Living together was not nearly as big a deal then as it is today. I wanted to know if he sang to her, and she responded very abruptly “no.”
She also went on a few dates with Woody Allen around the same time. She must have been one hell of a bunny. The real kick in the ass was, not only did Dylan not sing to her, Woody Allen never told her jokes. What was the point?
Anyway, she told me about getting a $10 tip from Peggy Lee while she was the coat check girl at the Playboy Club, and how much that meant to her. So when we got through the traffic to LaGuardia, she couldn’t very well stiff me, and she forked over a $25 tip.
That fare was a couple of years ago now. Just like she always remembered Peggy Lee, I remembered her. She had told me that she had a gallery in Santa Fe (that is where she had been heading that day), so during my road trip a couple months ago, I looked her up. She remembered me as soon as I walked into her gallery. We had a laugh, and she showed me some of her art.
(The femme fatale and me in front of her giant gold grenade in Santa Fe)
Because I asked, she told me where to find a good green chili cheese burger in Santa Fe, and where to find some great food back in her old stomping grounds: The Village. I took the day off today, so I decided to finally take her advice and go with my girlfriend to Jane, even though it is a little out of my price range.
(The best cook in New York sits down to a chic Village meal)
The passion fruit limeade sparkler with a bottle of sugar water to dribble in for customized sweetness didn’t sound like it would be my style, but I LOVED it. The lemonade, which IS my style, was watery. When the food arrived, I was unimpressed. It looked bland. But once I got it in my mouth I was astounded.
The California Vegetable sandwich with goat cheese, plenty of avocado, sprouts, tomato, cucumber on multigrain bread might have been the tastiest sandwich I’ve ever had that no cognizant being had to die for. And the Grilled Chicken Salad with roasted corn, bacon, bleu cheese, plenty more avocado, tomato, and romaine in an aromtic shallots and sherry lemon vinaigrette tasted better with each bite, and the first bite was delicious.
The atmosphere at Jane is chic, but we sat in the window and focussed our attention on the usual parade of pedestrians walking by, many of whom were tripping over an inperceptable step in front of the restaurant. I’m glad I took the day off, because on a beautiful spring day, no one would have gotten into my cab, and this meal was a treat. Had Jane been been around back when Woody Allen and Bob Dylan walked these streets with their Jew-fros and blonde arm candy, The Village would have been a different place.
Jane, Houston btwn Thompson and LaGuardia, The Village, Manhattan
Check out http://www.famousfatdave.com for a chuckle or to book an eating tour
Snappybob said,
May 1, 2006 at 8:01 pm
I Like your blog. I especially like the way you illustrate with plenty of pictures. You might need to use your flash more often though. Alot of the pictures are so dark I can’t make out much detail. Is that your girlfriend at Jane resteraunt. she looks like she might be very attractive. Thanks for the blog. I’m hungry.
Marlena said,
May 3, 2006 at 8:43 pm
First, I can’t believe you’ve never taken me to Jane.
Second, I can attest to his girlfriend’s attractiveness.
I love the blog, Dave. The schwarma bit made me tear up.
Boogie said,
May 4, 2006 at 6:46 am
Great post and great blog — you’ve hit Rocco’s, Gus’s and now Jane — all of which I’ve visited at one point or another in the recent past. Rocco’s cannolli are worth a trip from Manhattan; Gus’s pickles are not famous because they appeared in Crossing Delancey but because they are that good; and Jane, well, Jane is awesome.
My girlfriend, who is moving to NYC from San Francisco within the next year, visits for work so when she is here we do all types of jaunts all over. We headed down to Dos Caminos and when there was a wait we decided to run across the street to hit the nearest ATM and wound up walking by Jane and thought it looked wonderful. After Citysearching it we decided we’d make sure her next trip included a visit to Jane, and our experience was similar to yours: the food was great, the atmosphere a bit chic but pleasant and was worth a return trip — I hear their brunch is awesome, so we will swing by for brunch on her next sojourn here. We had a tuna-wasabe appetizer that was amazing, and everything about our dinner that night was really perfect. We’ve gone out for dinners that cost three or four times what that night cost, and were not as satisfied we’d found a little place just for us. I’m glad that other people find it as wonderful as we do, so they stay in business. Even if it’s no longer our own secret rendezvous point, Jane is one of those secrets we’ll happily share, until it starts getting difficult to get a table at 9:30 or 10 on a Saturday night.
Keep up the good blog!
estee pierce said,
May 5, 2006 at 5:23 pm
what a wonderful post! keep it up! -st
marlayna said,
August 15, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Why hello! I’ve read your entire blog backwards (date-wise), and it has been a feast for the senses. I truly love your writing style, photos and recommendations, and that’s saying something from a died-in-the-diet fawmanuyawka. Having been away for 19 years, it’s rough surviving on Central Florida fare, believe me. But if you come this way, I’ll give you my five-finger (i.e. handful of) non-Disney recommendations, no charge. BTW, it’s amazing that another Marlena has commented above. Two great spellings on the same page – what are the odds! Please tell Melissa she is beautiful, and I’ll tell my friend Paul (of 37 years) you look an awful lot like him. In our day, he and I really did some gastronomic galloping. Thanks for everything, Dave, and keep dishing.
Linda Durham said,
March 21, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I am the “fifty-something blond woman” you picked up in Chelsea a few years ago…How strange that an acquaintence of mine read your blog and forwarded the Dylan piece to me this morning! If my memory serves, you got a few things wrong…but I remember the ride and the conversation and your surprise visit in Santa Fe. I hope you’re doing well!
Linda (aka Bunny Jill ca. 196-something!)
Kathy said,
June 23, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Loved the blog. I was in NY last week and checked out Jane because every review raved about the place. Took my 3 teenagers and husband, all who hate international or “fancy” food. They loved it! Jane burger was the best thing I hate on the trip and we went to alot of places through the week. The service was excellent, no dirty looks about having kids and everything came out together. I will be back on my next trip there.