After a long, hard day of traveling and arriving two hours later than we thought we would, it's so nice to be able to relax at our favorite shwarma and Middle Eastern grill restaurant.

Dan and I met our family on Queens Boulevard in Rego Park at the place mentioned above, and we dug right in to all the dishes. The plates of falafel, eggplant salads, homemade pitas, and Moroccan cigars came out for a start, and just as we were taking a breather, Gordy showed up.

The main reason why Dan knows the grill is because of Gordy. Gordy, a former Men's Club president and still-active member, helped get Dan involved in the club at our synagogue in Queens. one fateful night, he introduced Dan to the place, and Dan loved it so much he convinced other Men's Club members to hold regular meetings there. So the owners and staff of the place got to know my husband. Shortly before then, Gordy became a semi-permanent fixture of the place, popping in to help with serving the food so that he could sample the food.

Dan joked about it the first time we brought family members to the grill. He told his parents about Gordy's thing for working there, not really expecting the guy to actually show that night. Dan should have known better that time.

I should have known better this time.

Gordy popped in, we introduced him to our family, and, true to form, he went right to the back of the place to sample some food and to serve it to other customers.

At the beginning of the next onslaught of food, some friends and fellow Queens synagogue members walked in, and by then, the family members must have thought we knew everyone in Rego Park.

The food did us in eventually. My father finally going to the back counter himself and pleading for all to hear:"Can you stop serving the food now? Because you're killing us!"

We said goodbye to what was by then the entire place and rolled ourselves home in our rented Rollovermobile (i.e., a KIA Sorrento).

And this was only our first night back in Nu Yawk...