Daryl and Karen, in front of his new house.
With my dear wife Karen’s son Daryl quite content working the overnight-and-weekend shift at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y., our dinner get-togethers come on Wednesday or Thursday nights. His late-winter move some 25 miles from Syracuse and closer to the job has further complicated schedules.
Last night we celebrated his birthday and Mother’s Day, and got to pick him up at his new house to boot. The shy guy didn’t really want to be in a picture, but his mother whispered something in his ear, so he stood next to her on the front porch and smiled.
Karen told me later that she said, “Mark takes pictures of everything now.” She said Daryl answered, “I know.”
Guilty. And I am proud of the shot, with Karen and my stepson looking so good and so alike, side by side.
Daryl hopped in Karen’s Mazda SUV and we drove a bit up the road to Graziano’s, just across the street from the International Boxing Hall of Fame. There is a 31-room motel behind the restaurant. Daryl and I imagined together that this place could make its yearly nut by raising prices and selling out for induction weekend each year in early June.
Nice, it is. Comfortable, it is. Ultra fancy, it is not. The dining room’s main wall is filled with photos of the Graziano family, a nice and homey touch.
As we chatted after ordering but before food arrived, a dark-haired gentleman left his spot from behind the bar, came to our table, tapped me on the shoulder warmly, and asked us how our evening was going.
He repeated this greeting at each table.
I saw his face in the photos on that featured wall, but not in the biggest, of the matriarch and patriarch in the center. I still imagined his last name was Graziano. Daryl and I agreed that he may have been a boxer at some point in his life, 30 or 40 years ago. And then, when I got home and looked it up, I discovered that Tony Graziano was the manager of champion Canastota boxer Billy Backus, as well as a good friend of Backus’ world champion uncle, Canastota legend, the late Carmen Basilio.
Even before I knew that Tony Graziano had some boxing clout behind his name, his good host manners endeared me to his place.
The bread was fresh, and the salad was crisp. I enjoyed the crumbly blue dressing.
When the waitress brought our entrees, I smiled widely as she set them in front of us.
I thought all three looked alike. Interesting, because Karen had ordered chicken francaise, Daryl had gone for the chicken parmigiana, and I had selected the eggplant parmigiana. All three of us enjoyed our dinners, so I guess the cook was right and I had no reason to raise an eyebrow. The sauce on the spaghetti was tasty. We all were so full that nobody ordered dessert.
All is good in the house and in life, Daryl reported. He’s shopping for a riding mower, and a neighbor sort of politely posed the question if they owned such a machine to his girlfriend this very day, Daryl said. A kitchen table is on the list, but then again, he said, it wouldn’t likely be used much.
The new Maytag washer and dryer are working great.
Catch up, accomplished. A good night was had by all.
Have you seen a child move into their first house? Have you gone to a restaurant where the owner travels from table to table to say hello? Have been to a restaurant where different entrees look the same but nobody who ordered them complains?
Mark Bialczak 
Have you gone to a restaurant where the owner travels from table to table to say hello?
Yes. In Commerce TX
Have been to a restaurant where different entrees look the same but nobody who ordered them complains?
Yes, In Commerce TX
Great story Mark.
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How very nice, Mark! Sounds like a wonderful time was had by all! Next year, brickhouse son will be moving to an apartment with his roommate (for his Junior year). It should be interesting moving him in. The bad news is that he is one messy guy, the good news is that he loves to cook! We shall see! 🙂
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Pots, pans and dishes everywhere, is my prediction. Well-fed and nowhere to wash a spoon. College student living! That does sound interesting, Mrs. B. Enjoy.
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Great picture Mark the subjects look like they are easy to photograph well and easy to love. Adorable. I love Karen’s comment, I get the very same with a bonus eye roll. Keep at it pal. They pair well with your clever compositions. 😉
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We must keep snapping away, Sandra. It is who we now are, right?! Thanks for your very kind words, my friend.
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Your leading questions today were as entertaining as your posts! 😀 Despite Daryl’s resistance to be photographed, you got a great photo of them both. Karen looks beautiful as always, and I’m glad she’s feeling better now. Awesome post! 😀
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She is feeling better, a bit each day. These spring colds can be something else. Dinner with the son sure helped! He can smile when he wants to please his mom, too, as you can see! Thanks, Rachel.
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🙂
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i’m so happy you were able to get them to pose together, a wonderful mother and son picture. and we know how many pics you take these days ) the restaurant adventure sounds great, i love that the dishes all looked the same and that there were indeed, three different dishes. i also love, love the owner/manager who runs around meeting and greeting and making sure all is well in his place. makes you feel like it does really matter to them. happy darryl is enjoying his new place, it’s really nice to see your kids grow up and live their lives as adults )
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I know that you have been taking more pictures of your growns and grands lately, too, Beth, and I have been enjoying them very much. We are trendsetters with the photo thing, I think. I’m glad that Daryl listened and let me have this moment with him and Karen for this blog. It helps complete the family picture!
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I have helped children move in their first house. Quite emotional at moments but usually after a hard day’s work and too exhausted to do much about it other than let it wash over me.
Our trip to Cleveland a couple of months ago we were in a restaurant where the owner was going around. I loved him! He was wonderful. So personable and generous with his time, his life story! and his food portions. 😉
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Your wife and step son do look very much alike. Glad you guys had a good night.
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Yes, a lot of family resemblance, Kim. Thanks, the older children get, the harder it is to get together for nights like this!
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I know.
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I’ve seen Ted move into a leopard fur camping tent because I bought it for him and it’s still under my roof. He’ll never break free of me and have his own place! Being from a small town, every restaurant (albeit there were) where we dined had owners present almost all of the time. Sounds like a great evening of catch up!
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Yes, it was comforting to see him appreciating homeownership so much, CBXB! Ted will never leave that camping tent, his home inside your home. And for that, you are thrilled, I know.
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It’s nice that the owner/manager of a few places around here float from table to table. I’ve experience it at Gentiles (on the higher end), but casual Tully’s and Copper Top offer the same kind hospitality; the only time where the manager did not was that one incident at the Erie Boulevard location ten years ago.
Another place is Blarney Stone on Tipperary Hill. The owner is working, running around, cooking, bar tending, cleaning… every time I go in there. It’s reassuring to see and recognize this service.
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That does put the ‘S’ in service, Chris. Super. Satisfying. Simple. You get my drift. See you in a few, Sir.
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Sounds like fun, and yes, when you’re a blogger you become a photographer.
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They fit together like hand in glove, or new hat on a mannequin head, right, Dora?!
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I love the bit ‘ Mark takes photos of everything now’. This very day I got my camera out in costco. There should be a word for what blogging does to a person.
The ride on mower sounds fun.
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Yes, my phone told me yesterday the frequent message “storage is full” and I had to go about deleting a couple hundred photos. That’s once a month at least.
The ride on mower sounds necessary, Rachel. Daryl and I discussed push vs. ride and night and I told him I thought push was at least two hours with the size of his lawn. He’s too busy for that.
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no one wants to spend two hours mowing a lawn!
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No, not in the summer heat, especially.
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I guess all three dishes were hidden underneath a marinara sauce? So lovely when an owner/manager/anyone who cares at all moves from table to table. They used to do that at Olive Garden, where they treat you like family. Daryl does look reticent, not the sort of chap who would break into karaoke and do jazz hands. I bet he’s seen things at that casino that makes a man keep silent. We don’t have gambling here. I didn’t know NY did, but then again, I know little. It’s hard to say “Tony Graziano” without putting all my fingertips together and moving them up. You can visualize that, right?
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I can visualize that move, Kerbey.
I was impressed by Tony’s move because his picture was on the ownership wall, and he came out from behind the bar to do it, and his eyes actually met mine and made me feel like he liked this part of the night. Nice
New York only has casinos that are owned by Native American Nations in a pact signed by the state. Daryl works reeling in and handing out chips at the craps table, where you have to be quick and perfect and keep your damn mouth shut. He is a natural for the job.
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