La Tavernetta Europa on Metropolitan Avenue!

Flash: you read it here first. La Tavernetta, the popular but cramped restaurant based on 88th St. in Glendale, is opening another location--on Metropolitan, one block past Alberto. The awning says La Tavernetta Europa. Ah, that sounds good. And the place is spacious compared to 88th, though still a single room like most of the places on restaurant row. The Forest Hills address gives it a little more cachet, and I am sure it will bring draw more customers with more money. I wonder if the menu will be modified. Less salt please, I say! (And, hmmm...the Glendale site? Yikes!)

The whole area is changing, what with that new bread place Pantera or whatever opening on Woodhaven, across from the old bowling alley.

That is our neighborhood update for this week.

Saturday Night at the Movies

Tonight we watched "51 Birch St.," an independent documentary (aren't they all) about how, following his mother's death and the surprise marriage of his father to his former secretary three months later, a filmmaker sets out to discover the true nature of his parents' life together. Much is revealed through old home movies--our director was a tireless, and probably tiresome, cameraman--and new interviews with his father, the new wife, and the director's siblings. His deceased mother is ever present through 20 years of diaries, discovered post-mortem, in which she poured out her personal thoughts, which include her frustrations about her marriage. To avoid spoilers I will say no more about the notebooks. The film says a lot about what it was like to be married in the '50s and '60s--and what it is like now. Among other things, it underscores a main point of Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique," whose opening lines I am struggling here to recall. It also touches on the difficulties of relationships, though this is beyond the grasp of our director, who I think is in denial on his own marriage. We had a good discussion after the film, watched the extra features (nothing great) and we agreed to rate this film 3.5 to 4 stars.

"51 Birch St." reminded us of other good docs we enjoyed including "Following Sean," "Capturing the Friedmans," "Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollack," "I Like Killing Flies," and the wonderful "7-Up" series. Add to that "My Best Fiend Klaus Kinski"--a real freakshow--and that one about the grizzly man!! Joining Netflix helped us break our sometimes not so healthy TV watching habit, just as signing up for Fresh Direct broke us from our unhealthy walk through the aisles and load up the cart grocery store habits.

PS--Looking for that small film on Levittown, but no one seems to have it.

The Rat

Perhaps you've seen this guy around? The Rat? I remember seeing him first, years ago, on the Upper East Side. I think he's grown bigger over the years, just like me. I smile whenever I see him because my sympathies always lie with labor. Such a simple and direct message--so much more effective than a line of sad people with signs, led by a guy with a whistle shouting,"What do we want (Jobs!); when do we want 'em (Now)." How much more potent would labor be if it deployed humor and mockery to fight big business?

Anyway, here's our rat--today in front of Atlas Mall. I spoke to the workers very briefly and they have some beef with some of the stores in the mall. The rat is a thumb in the eye; they are saying: "Take that Hummdingers! Shame on You!!!"

Introducing...Pawla Newcat Ferns

Pawla Newcat Ferns, who showed up in our yard and returned again and again over several days, is named in honor of a recently departed actor. There is a sad part to her story, for some other time, but we hope to make her future a safe and happy one. Anyway, in-house cat #7 looks good and seems to be OK with people. We'll see if she is OK with other cats in a few days when she gets out of isolation following her medical ordeal.