“This place was a big part of their lives as a couple. When Dad...

“This place was a big part of their lives as a couple. When Dad came home from art school, his bus would drop him off in front of the diner. Most of the time Mom would meet him for a meal. And in the ten years since he’s passed away, she’s continued to make the four-block trip. Her mode of transport has shifted over the years: from her legs, to a cane, to a walker. But unless it’s snowing or storming, she’s coming to the diner. Occasionally she’ll ask me to come with her. I tried to fight her in the beginning. I told her: ‘Mom, there are so many choices in New York. Why does it always have to be the diner?’ But she always insisted. So eventually I stopped fighting, and started paying attention. Mom’s always greeted by name when she walks in the door. And she almost always orders the same thing: a special grilled cheese sandwich with half-avocado and half-tomato. The entire staff knows her order. They call it the ‘Sarita Sandwich.’ There’s no frills or pretension here. She can just order a decaf and sit for an hour. She can get a table at 11, or 3, or 5. Everyone says ‘hello’, other customers, the waiter, even the owner. It’s the center of her social life. Mom’s a stoic, so she’d never complain. But she’s 92 now. Most of her friends have passed away. And it could be so easy for life to get narrow: waiting for people to visit, watching TV, reading the paper. She’s always been such an independent woman. She came from the Belgian Congo when she was eighteen. She’s made bold decisions her entire life. But when you’re 92, and you have arthritic knees, there are fewer decisions you can make for yourself. But every day she makes the decision to come to Cafe Eighty Two. And when she walks through that door, she’s greeted by name. With a smile. She’s been battling a tremor recently. It’s become difficult to hold utensils. Not to mention a full cup of coffee. But they’ve made it easy for her; they now bring her coffee 3/4th full. With a side of ice on the side, so she can cool it down, and drink with a straw. She still always gets the same Sarita Sandwich. Only now when they bring it out, it’s already cut into tiny little pieces, so she can eat it with one hand.”