Why these things happen to me, I'm not sure, but I wish I could bottle it up and hand it out. Check this out and here, too."Do you need a fourth chair?" I asked the gentleman arranging tables next to me.
"Not unless we have an unexpected guest." he answered.
I had just finished my breakfast and was drinking my pot of coffee from Le Pain Quotidien. He ordered his coffee and we chatted for a few minutes, then I turned back to my New Yorker.
A few minutes after his wife joined him, they leaned over to me and asked, "Do you know the difference between a caffe latte and a café au lait?" Other than one being Italian and the other being French, I gave them my best guess that a caffe latte was made from a shot of espresso with steamed milk and the café au lait was brewed (or pressed) french roast with hot milk. But in this day and age of part- skim- soy- decaf- macchiato- over-easy, who knew?
This was the start of a wonderful conversation. The Browns were from Toronto, and the night before had gone to see their son, a trombonist, perform in Brooklyn, away from his usual gigs with Michael Buble. Eventually, Josh joined his parents and our chat. Mr. Brown encouraged me to have an additional pot of coffee, which I did. They made me laugh, and I hope I did the same for them.
When it came time to leave, I asked for my check. The waiter nodded in the direction of Mr. Brown; "He already paid." I was told. I know people have been kind to me my entire life, but it still always amazes me how often and how much it happens, and each event is as sweet as the next. Thanks Mr. & Mrs. Brown!
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