Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by LongPlay (A) on October 17, 2009 at 23:11:13

In Reply to: RE: 'Julie and Julia' posted by powermatic on September 16, 2009 at 13:53:42

night the whole restaurant just started to buzz. Heads turned, conversations stopped as the maitre d'hotel escorted the 6'2" Julia Child to one of my tables. Talk of trepidation. I had previously waited on Jackie Onassis, Princess Grace and other famous people but I was so intimidated by Julia Child, my idol, who taught me how to cook through her shows and books. I proceeded to take the cocktail order and she wanted a very dry vodka martini straight up with a lemon twist. That voice, oh my, then she spyed the huge crystal water goblet and with a flick of her finger that made the crystal ping she said " and bring my martini in one of these glasses, not those horrible little glasses". Julia got her more than double martini. When the first course arrived, my young attending waiter offered fresh ground pepper from a mill about 3 feet long and she looked up at him and said, "I expect my food to be perfectly seasoned in the kitchen, not at the table". He was mortified. The dinner progressed reasonably well but by the time the cognac was served Mrs. Child had her elbow planted on the table holding up her head but her elbow kept falling off the edge of the table and her head would suddenly sway without the support from her arm. It was hilarious to see. Mrs Child was drunk as a skunk and the maitre d had to help her out. We did not let her drive home in her VW beetle (imagine 6'2" Julia in a bug) and called a cab for her and her husband Paul. She dined at the restaurant many many times and she was always the most gracious and charming person you could imagine. She never got that drund again, but that was my first experience with Julia. When she published her cookbook "The Way to Cook" she brought me an autographed copy that I treasure. Mrs. Child was a national treasure.