I may have posted this story before, but in case I didn’t ……. My wife is a big fan of Lidia Bastianich. She has her cookbooks and watches her cooking show. I enjoy both…the cooking and the show. About eight or nine years ago, we were spending a weekend in Manhattan with my daughter and husband. We were going to see a Broadway matinee and have dinner afterwards. I had made reservations at Lidia’s restaurant called Felidia. You had to make reservations one month in advance, which I did. I had read that occasionally Lidia can be seen mingling with the patrons at Felidia. We had a wonderful dinner. My wife and I had something we would never get – Duck for two. Delicious. After the dinner, my wife and daughter tell us that they are making a stop at the ladies room. SIL and I will get the coats and wait by the door. We’re waiting and waiting. We figure it’s a one stall bathroom and there was a wait. My daughter shows up and says, “Dad, you’re going to have help Mom, she’s hyper-ventilating. For a second I was worried and then she’s says, “she’s in the kitchen with Lidia.” It turns out that near the bathroom was the entrance to the kitchen. My wife spots Lidia in the kitchen and cries out, “LIDIA!” Being the gracious hostess Lidia comes over to greet her. My wife, never at a loss for words, tells her how wonderful the dinner was. Lidia brings her into the kitchen to tell the chef how we enjoyed the duck. My daughter takes a picture, but unfortunately the flash wasn’t charged. So this is the best I could do with Lidia and the real MaryCas in the kitchen doorway at Felidia’s. PS. Two years later we went back to Felidia, just MC and me and don’t you know Lidia is there again. This time MC was more composed, but Lidia came around to every table and said hello.


Link to her restaurants.

Lidia's Italy