Get the Dish with Miss Priscilla Pride!
by Miss Priscilla Pride

If Food Be The Music Of Love, Eat On! -- August 2001 (Supplemental)

We are in those dog, doggie, BOW-WOW days of summer and darlings if this weather continues Priscilla will just melt; my panty shields did just that last night. July 3^rd to August 11^th was named "Dog Days", the most sultry period of summer, because in early times observers in countries bordering the Mediterranean decided that since it always got so hot around this time each year they would reckon it, the 20 days before to the 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun, as "Dog Days." (Priscilla is always on top of the latest information for her adoring fans!)

In the latitude of the Mediterranean region this period coincided with hot, HOT, SCORCHING days that were plagued with disease and discomfort. Well I can sure as hell attest to the discomfort... the air is so full of the 3 H's (and I don't mean Hairy, Hung and Hunky) that Priscilla is ready to book her cruise to Alaska and leave tomorrow! Before I go though, I thought that I would regale you with one weekend in this period that was absolute heaven. The weather cooperated and La Isle de Fuego (Fire Island for all you virgins -- are there any left?), Cherry Grove to be exact, was simply heaven!

It was July 20^th -- 22^nd and I hosted a birthday weekend for my special 'daughter' Misty Blue. You've heard me speak of that truly glam gal before. I was determined to make it a special birthday bash for Misty since she was let go as Vanna White's understudy... just because she couldn't spell. Who could predict that when they asked her to spell the phrase, "Threw Many Gripping Times And... " that she would write "Screw Merv Griffin Tight Ass... " and hence the unemployment line beckoned. Poor Misty!

Well, there we all were: Mama Lotta Hair, FranSeen, Misty, moi (in my new creation by 'One-Leg Casino'- Oleg's half-brother), Black/African Goddess NeverTitty (a direct decedent of Nefertiti) and our entourage of hunky men: Joey and Ray (that hot couple I featured in the Feb 2001 article) and Joe (Ireland's answer to what you get when making a wish after kissing The Blarney Stone). We decided to dine al fresco on Friday, July 20^th. We did not make a reservation anywhere. The watchword for the evening was SPONTANEITY!

Before Priscilla was born, the bay leaf was a symbol of honor, glory, and valour. Heroes, scholars, and athletic champions wore wreaths of bay leaves on their heads. (Nowadays some of my drag sisters try the same thing, no wonder I think of tomato sauce when I see them.) Great protective powers were also attributed to the bay leaf, for example-if you stood near a laurel tree, you couldn't be struck by lightning or suffer from the spells of evil witches. I always carry a little bag of bay leaves with me in case I run into a savage queen on Fire Island. A true testament to its heritage is that FABOO restaurant on Cherry Grove... The Bay Leaf.

Owner, Joanne McEvoy, and General Manager/Managing Partner, Sean Thomas, assembled a staff that made us all feel like the QUEENS we are... I heard that... I meant ROYALTY not vicious, tacky! Anyway, we arrived at 6 PM, eight of us without a reservation. It was hot but not woof-woof yet. So of course we did not want to sit in doors. We made them put tables together on the top porch. You could see that Wilfredo, our waiter-to-be, was getting twitchy but he handled the upheaval superbly. Wilfredo took a deep breath and in that hot, sultry Spanishy-Americany accent (too hot) took our drink orders, delivered them and them proceeded to tell us the specials! I was lost in his arms.

We ordered everything on the menu... from the Pork Medallions (succulent) to the pasta with shrimp & broccoli (al dente and juicy), from the Jim Beam Steak (thick and tender) to the roasted chicken & mushroom risotto (moist and very mushroomy -- just as I like my chicken and side dishes). Back Waiter -- Adelsen Dias delivered our dinners, and the table fell silent for two reasons: WE WERE ALL STARVING and Adelsen brought them out (you pronounce Adelsen as Ad/juice/lsen -- not me... I said Juicy for short and nothing's short on him if you catch my drift. Why are all the good looking ones either straight or gay & taken? -- Juicy is Sean's partner... oh well, someday my prince will come... one can only hope!) Carlos Borja and another helper serving water (OH MY GOD! As the song says... Those eyes, so wise, so warm, so real. How I love the world those eyes reveal... ) were so cute and attentive.

Wilfredo, waiter extraordinaire, kept asking if we liked our food. I was mortified! All he heard was, "HHHmmm, Hmmmm, HHHHMMMMM, Huh-huh!" Not one of us took our forks out of our mouth and placed them down to construct a normal sentence of thanks! You would have thought it was our last meal as condemned people waiting for slaughter... but if this were what I could request, HONEY, I would always request dinners from The Bay Leaf.

We finished dining, licking our fingers with as much daintiness as bulls in a china shop. We looked to each other and spoke for the first time. We were all mortified at each other's poor table manners, eating so fast and practically licking the plates. The food was not only exquisite darlings, but the sauces... THE SAUCES were subtle and delicate, never over powering. No one embarrassed herself more than NeverTitty. Carlos was taking the bread tray away and NeverTitty needed that one last slice of bread to dip in her sauce. You guessed it... NeverTitty fell out of her chair chasing the breadbasket in midair. I was never so embarrassed... oh well, there's always one as mama always said! If bread is the food of life, well let's just say NeverTitty is very cat-like... nine and still counting, if you get the picture!

Wilfredo came to the table and was about to ask how we liked our food once again and then he looked down at our plates. The look was priceless. He looked under the table to see if we brought our dogs, the plates were that clean! I asked to meet the Chef Extraordinaire who prepared this haute cuisine. Wilfredo turned on his heels, like no other waiter can, and brought out Chef Steve Giambrone... I knew it, a nice Italian boy! After kissing my extended hand, Chef Steve proceeded to tell us how he prepared each and every dish... I died and went to heaven... and he brought out his Sous-Chef, Mike Mango! I swear to God that's his name and let me tell you girls... " When ripe, the mango fruit will become slightly soft, and the skin will often begin to show a slight wrinkling. It will also have a slight tropical resin odor. Once you become familiar with these subtleties, you will begin to enjoy this delicious fruit even more"... well, Mike is the same way!
To show his thanks, Chef Steve Giambrone (who can be visited at District in Manhattan off season) ordered a glass of Long Island Port for us all. I love him; he is so cute and so nice and so... rrrrgghh, manly! I love a man who can make miracles with his hands.

While sipping our Port and looking at the most beautiful sunset, 6 tiles with luscious desserts on each came out of the kitchen and were placed in front of us. From Chef Steve's mom's cheesecake to Auntie's bread pudding, from a blueberry dream that looked like a burrito-like dessert to a chocolate flourless torte that was so light and heavenly... from... OH HELL, I am in such sugar shock reliving the moment... suffice to say that EVERYTHING they make is HHHMMM, HHHMMM GOOD!

Priscilla has just one thing to say... Joanne McEvoy and staff has done Cherry Grove proud! They heard about last year's debacle, which they had NOTHING to do with and they have made us forget last year!

Priscilla urges all of you to visit this Dining Den of Delectably Delicious Delights and experience the Stunningly Satisfying Sight Candy... the Staff. Be sure to tell them at The Bay Leaf that PRISCILLA sent you!

Other Long Island Dish with Priscilla columns

	LICK: the Links
	LI Pride eGroups

Writers, Reporters, Photographers Needed

Subscribe to your favorite GLBT printed publications to supplement your web-based reading & browsing.

Advertise with Us!