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Take me to the River!
Years ago, I was whisked away by my then boyfriend to The River Cafe for a New Year's Eve celebration and I thought immediately, this is love and it was - for the restaurant!:) My love affair for this restaurant has lasted for years but on a recent walk, I surprised myself when a friend said that this was one of her favorite restaurants and I dismissed it as yesterday's news. Is it too late to say that I was wrong? After walking around the restaurant and the grounds, I realized how truly magical it still is! The setting alone is enough to leave you gobsmacked! I say gobsmacked as I suspect that the River Cafe in London which opened in 1987 was a direct, shall we say, "homage" to this one - it also rests near a river - the River Thames but, let's not waste time on that. This one opened in June of 1977 by a gentleman named Michael O'Keefe. Like most pioneers, Mr. O'Keefe bravely set out to build a restaurant on land that was desolate and decimated to say the least. His vision of having a restaurant that celebrated the Brooklyn Bridge and the overwhelmingly gorgeous view of Manhattan was what must have kept him fighting to build his dream establishment. Even though the banks and the city all opposed him, he still managed to prevail. To call him victorious is an understatement - he is yet another example of never giving up! 
So, on a sunny day I went back to the grounds to enjoy their lovely garden. There were flowers everywhere and it was one of the most romantic settings that I've ever sat in, I immediately felt joyous and relaxed all at once. Even though on this day I was not patronizing the restaurant, I was still treated with unlimited kindness. The staff was gracious and lovely and when I extended a compliment to them for their beautiful gardens - they pointed to a woman who I now know is Maureen. Let's see, how do I describe Maureen - sheer bliss in her face, she is the type of woman who you would want as your best girlfriend - talented, gracious, kind and completely free and open - my kind of person! She greeted me with a smile and said graciously, no, it's not me who you should thank, it's Buzzy over there. Buzzy, was a tall, distinguished man walking in the garden, clearly checking on things. I walked up to him and said, thanks, I understand that you are responsible for this lovely place. He never mentioned once that he was the owner, he simply invited me in, proudly showed me pictures of what the land looked like before and walked me around the restaurant. The passion that both he and Maureen had for the cafe was quite evident. My gauge for a happy work environment is when you see a happy staff - they all were! He told me about a bird that Maureen had recently saved and how she restored it to health and released it, but it still comes back to the restaurant. Just like the bird, so will I. 
Years ago, I was whisked away by my then boyfriend to The River Cafe for a New Year's Eve celebration and I thought immediately, this is love and it was - for the restaurant!:) My love affair for this restaurant has lasted for years but on a recent walk, I surprised myself when a friend said that this was one of her favorite restaurants and I dismissed it as yesterday's news. Is it too late to say that I was wrong? After walking around the restaurant and the grounds, I realized how truly magical it still is! The setting alone is enough to leave you gobsmacked! I say gobsmacked as I suspect that the River Cafe in London which opened in 1987 was a direct, shall we say, "homage" to this one - it also rests near a river - the River Thames but, let's not waste time on that. This one opened in June of 1977 by a gentleman named Michael O'Keefe. Like most pioneers, Mr. O'Keefe bravely set out to build a restaurant on land that was desolate and decimated to say the least. His vision of having a restaurant that celebrated the Brooklyn Bridge and the overwhelmingly gorgeous view of Manhattan was what must have kept him fighting to build his dream establishment. Even though the banks and the city all opposed him, he still managed to prevail. To call him victorious is an understatement - he is yet another example of never giving up! 
So, on a sunny day I went back to the grounds to enjoy their lovely garden. There were flowers everywhere and it was one of the most romantic settings that I've ever sat in, I immediately felt joyous and relaxed all at once. Even though on this day I was not patronizing the restaurant, I was still treated with unlimited kindness. The staff was gracious and lovely and when I extended a compliment to them for their beautiful gardens - they pointed to a woman who I now know is Maureen. Let's see, how do I describe Maureen - sheer bliss in her face, she is the type of woman who you would want as your best girlfriend - talented, gracious, kind and completely free and open - my kind of person! She greeted me with a smile and said graciously, no, it's not me who you should thank, it's Buzzy over there. Buzzy, was a tall, distinguished man walking in the garden, clearly checking on things. I walked up to him and said, thanks, I understand that you are responsible for this lovely place. He never mentioned once that he was the owner, he simply invited me in, proudly showed me pictures of what the land looked like before and walked me around the restaurant. The passion that both he and Maureen had for the cafe was quite evident. My gauge for a happy work environment is when you see a happy staff - they all were! He told me about a bird that Maureen had recently saved and how she restored it to health and released it, but it still comes back to the restaurant. Just like the bird, so will I. 
