Maybe I’m just not a sensitive soul…but if he don’t like it, he can go to the store and pick out his OWN flavor of Lean Cuisine for a change. I mean, am I missing something here? I hope some of the 57 Ways To Use Heinz Soups includes “throw the can of soup directly at his head.”

Grace was my favorite ever since that one fateful summer Friday when Judy suggested I meet her there for lunch. She had off every Friday in the summer and I hadn’t yet found a job, since we had just moved a few months before. We had watermelon martinis for lunch and dinner that day, and on most Fridays for the rest of the summer. It really was a special place - very comfortable, chill, good customers, good staff. And watermelon martinis made with real watermelon juice.

Here are some of my favorite memories, including some important moments for us that took place with Grace as the backdrop…

- #1 favorite memory: going there during The Blackout. The beer was going to get warm and Grace called all the regulars to ask us to come drink it. I had just walked home from 83rd street, I took the pitch-black stairwell up to our apartment, I was tired, I was crabby, I was hot. I had just taken a shower in the dark. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go out at all, but we had so much fun that night at Grace that The Blackout is one of my favorite days living in NYC.

- The Christmas after Emil’s grandma passed away was going to be very hard on the whole family. Going to her house on Christmas Eve was THE tradition and no one wanted to make decisions about what to do instead. We arranged a Christmas Eve lunch at Grace - and even though it was only the 15 or so of us, they gave us the whole place for a few hours. We didn’t feel rushed, we didn’t feel like we had to be composed because other people were around - it was a sad day but a new beginning for the family and even now, all of them talk about how nice that lunch was and how Grace was such a perfect location for what we needed.

- We made friends at Grace who are still a part of our lives, even after moving to CA.

- My sister’s best friend broke up with his last girlfriend at Grace, which lead to him professing his undying love for my sister. They are married now.

- Emil learned how to make and pour 15 shots from that shaker thing with the springy strainer thing and didn’t spill too much on the bar.

- New Year’s Eve at Grace when our two friends, Little Jeremy and Bald Jeremy, were visiting from CA. That was my favorite New Year’s Eve of all time. So fun!

- All of the snowy days in which we made the sludgy trek to have Pimms Cups or whatever that hot drink was called.

- Returning the 3 wine glasses and 5 cocktail classes I walked home with over the years but felt too guilty to move to CA with. (I kept 1 wine glass though) What? They didn’t have to-go cups and it’s a sin to waste alcohol.

- No matter where we went out in the city, ending most nights with drinks and crack french-fries at Grace.

Oh I’ll miss it. But you’re right, the owners definitely didn’t give up, they created a great place in Grace, and I’m sure whatever they do next will be awesome as well.