Rant #1,416: Wining and Dining ...

On Friday, I took the day off from work. I had very good reason to do so.

First, we were getting some work done inside of where we live. Someone had to be there while the work was being done.

Second, for several months now, I had planned for a nice day with my son in Manhattan.

We were going to see a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, but prior to that game, we were going to eat at Clyde's Wine and Dine, former Knicks star Walt Frazier's relatively new restaurant on 10th Avenue, a few blocks away from the arena.

We took the Long Island Railroad into Penn Station, and then proceeded to walk to the restaurant.

I worked in Manhattan for a couple of years, hated each and every minute of it, and have worked elsewhere since, but when I worked in Manhattan, I knew where I was going, knew all the subway lines, and knew where to walk and turn to get to my destination.

I guess it had to do with my Queens upbringing.

I haven't worked in Manhattan in more than 20 years, and I have lost the feel for the hustle and bustle of the big city.

We got to 10th Avenue without a problem. Then we made a wrong turn to find the restaurant, but quickly righted ourselves and found the place pretty quickly.

I was quite surprised by what I saw and later experienced.

"Razzle and dazzle" goes with Frazier, whether it be with his Hall of Fame career, his flashy attire, or his wordplay as a broadcaster.

However, his restaurant is anything but that.

Even from the outside, it is very nondescript, nothing very flashy, nothing too loud or audacious.

We took a few photos on the outside, and then entered.

We were seated immediately, and we then were able to take the place in.

It appears to be long but not wide. Tables are set up a little bit apart from each other, there are TVs all over to watch sporting events on, and cloth napkins and white tablecloths adorn the tables.

There are photos of Frazier all over, both in game action and in his signature sartorial splendor.

Music is playing in the background, and at least from what they were playing when we were there, it appears the soundtrack was basically mid 1960s to mid 1970s soul--the Isley Brothers and the Supremes without Diana Ross--and early disco, which pretty much replicates the music we were listening to when Frazier was with the Knicks.

And it was not loud at all, so you could carry on a discussion and hear yourself think.

We ordered our food, it came pretty quickly, and it was good.

My son had pizza, which was akin to a pan pizza. It had a chewy crust, and it wasn't heavy on the stomach.

I had Frazier's signature burger with fries. I always ask for my burgers to be well done, and it actually came out that way. The fries were crispy, and salty, and I liked them.

It also gave us time to look around some more, and we noticed that the ceiling was festooned with Frazier's signature suits, hanging in rows flat against the ceiling. He is now known as much for those suits as he is for his playing days.

We ate, had fun doing so in such a nice atmosphere, got the bill--which I thought was relatively "cheap" for Manhattan--and we paid for our meal and left.

We forgot to look for the indoor basketball court that is there, where Frazier, when he is there, is said to often challenge diners to free throw contests.

And Clyde was not there, being that it was so early in the day--4 p.m.--but I do believe that his son was there. A fellow walked right past us as we were eating, and he looked just like his dad, and I know that young Frazier works there, so it had to be him.

So, all told, we had a nice time there, an unexpected pleasure.

Yes, it was early in the day, and I am sure the place hops in the evening, but for a midday place to eat, I give the place four and a half stars out of five (the waitress kind of forgot about us when we wanted to pay the bill, and we had to ask for the check).

Overall, really good.

Tomorrow, I will tell you about the game.

Certainly not as good as the restaurant was.