So, DiPaola tries not to get too angry when Lindgren pilfers items from his tool box to use in the kitchen. Some of his own personal artwork adorns the walls alongside that of local artists. And a picture of his mother s senior class taken in 1945 at a public school in the Bronx hangs above the commode in the ladies room. It really sets a tone and a mood for a meal. DiPaola has gathered some pretty interesting friends in the music industry over the years, and many hang out at the restaurant as though it was someone s living room, sometimes playing each other s CDs.
Poets sip coffee for hours in booths penning haiku.
Problem is, says DiPaola, date night is often marred when Mom and Dad suddenly drop in for some ribs and live cool-cat jazz. DiPaola has a knack for ferreting out untapped talent such as The Orient Express, a bluegrass band made up entirely of Japanese businessmen from large corporations such as Fuji and Canon. Really, my mission was to get the secret to their wonderful fries. People thank him all the time for the fries, and for opening a cool, unpretentious place to hang in Ossining where the food is good without being formal. Of course, it will be hard to top the Fisher Building, which he fell in love with at first glimpse.