Last night at Pammy’s: “The dining room is mostly full”
That is not what social distancing looks like.
“How are you enjoying the end of the world?”
I’m sitting at the bar at Pammy’s, finishing up a plate of pasta, when one of the Cambridge trattoria’s employees surprises me with the loaded question. It’s the night before Pammy’s is ordered to close for the next three weeks — along with every other restaurant in Massachusetts — so I’m a bit taken aback by how cheerful everyone seems.
The dining room is mostly full. It’s not as busy as Pammy’s usually is (according to owner Pam Willis, March 7 was their busiest night ever), but enough to convey a sense of normalcy. Or maybe it’s like the meme of the dog sitting with his coffee as his house burns around him: “This is fine.”
Taglierini from Pammy’s on March 16.
Many of the guests here are regulars, made obvious by the lengthy conversations at the host stand. “We’re going to my favorite table” says a woman as she leads her dinner companions to the back of the restaurant. An older man with an impressive beard and a fantastic laugh chats almost nonstop with one of the bartenders for an hour, while a couple by the window leans over their table to kiss. Ahem. That is not what social distancing looks like.
Despite the generally positive mood, everyone is talking about the coronavirus. Forearms are bumped as a greeting. Someone asks their server whether they think the restaurant will be OK. “If it’s three weeks like they say it is, we’ll be fine,” he replies with a grimace. “If it’s longer, then it gets dicey.”
I eat chocolate when I’m stressed, so my end-of-the-world meal before I’m relegated to my kitchen and ordering takeout for the foreseeable future is Pammy’s taglierini with wagyu oxtail, chocolate, and horseradish. Then I order chocolate hazelnut torta. Both dishes are buoyant, carefree, comforting. This is fine. This is fine. This is fine.
Your 60-second guide to social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak
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