1. FRIDAY, JULY 9:
Shrimp Rockefeller
Harry's Opening Day 20 years ago.
2. SATURDAY, JULY 10:
Steak Au Poivre
Harry's Lingo:
Same Siders—Couples that sit
on the same side of the booth.
Nacho—Bruschetta (Because it's such a popular menu item, we serve a lot of them on a busy night.
3. MONDAY, JULY 12:
Shrimp Habanero
In twenty years we have actually had one instance of a proposal
gone bad. Flowers….check, Dom Pérignon…check, girlfriend…check. Saying yes to the big question…
uh-oh. He stayed, had dinner and two bottles of Dom Pérignon!
4. TUESDAY, JULY 13:
Raspberry Peppercorn Duck
If you bring a cake to the restaurant we will ask if the cake needs to be kept in the freezer. Why? Because during a graduation our host placed a wonderful ICE CREAM cake in the kitchen only to be served in a large bowl an hour and a half later. (We didn’t actually serve the cake.)
5. WEDNESDAY, JULY 14:
Gran Marnier Chicken
On a busy night, you might notice we don’t walk any guest past the double doors of the kitchen. It happened once and the guest landed about five feet from where she took off from, when a server opened the outer door with authority.
6. THURSDAY, JULY 15:
Shrimp & Scallops
When you forget about your party: We have proven years ago that it takes exactly 42 minutes to
produce a catering for 100 people. Fortunately, we have not needed
to prove it again!
7. FRIDAY, JULY 16:
Veal Richeleu
Grilling by flashlight: due to a power outage at the restaurant, our kitchen served dinner for a party of 30 guests…all by flashlight. The table enjoyed dinner by candle light due to another restaurant’s upset staff member.
8. SATURDAY, JULY 17:
Rack of Pork
From time to time during our staff meetings we pass out awards.
Some favorites are:
Golden Cork Award= given to
the server who displays the most
un-graceful opening of a
champagne bottle.
Chatterbox Award= awarded to the server who best displays the ability to talk faster than they work.
9. MONDAY, JULY 19:
Sausage Veneto
Sallyism: Common infection among first time employees. It affects the employee by causing them to stand in the middle of the dining room and talk with the nearest guest regarding their personal life. It can be easily recognized and cured!
10. TUESDAY, JULY 20:
Shrimp Milanaise
We encourage our staff to have outside interests. A seasoned
server took up the challenge to become an excellent pole vaulter. His only attempt to scale an established height took place,
one dark night, over the east wall
in the bar area. The vault was successful; though, setting off the alarm on his way over.
11. WEDNESDAY, JULY 21:
Beef Brochette
One experience unique to Harry’s
is our untimely water features.
They generally show up in the ceilings above just before a busy weekend or holiday.
12. THURSDAY, JULY 22:
Chicken Boursin
Inland Water Park: an experienced server crashed a tray of 16 glasses, each full of water, in front of a table of four customers. A wall of water, 3 inches high, covered each customer with cold water, ankle high. If you hear a crash near by, quickly raise your legs to avoid the water park!
13. FRIDAY, JULY 23:
Fresh Braised Bacon
Harry’s hasn’t had many tray spills; however, when they happen, we make them count! A server dropped a tray of six prime rib entrèes (with smashed potatoes) into a wall in Howdy’s. They slid down and set a record height of 13.5 inches tall. Luck or talent?
14. SATURDAY, JULY 24:
Broiled Lobster
Happy Birthday Cadell!Cadell Bynum is Harry's long-time Executive Chef.
15. MONDAY, JULY 26:
Shrimp Carbonara
Fire prevention: cocktail servers are trained to smell, observe, and put out flames higher than one inch.
The following isn’t recommended—a seasoned server, having quick reflexes, attacked a candle flame by becoming airborne from six feet away. With uncanny ability, she extinguished the flames using her hands and forehead, while still airborne, all without injury to her
or the guests.
16. TUESDAY, JULY 27:
Black Jack Smoked Chicken
Manhattan Flood.Notice the people in the now Howdy's window drinking coffee with two feet of water outside.
17. WEDNESDAY, JULY 28:
Peppercorn Cashew Shrimp
“The PETA incident”
On a cold winter night in 2002
the host races to the coat closet retrieving two, very long, mink coats. With the coats held high,
he did not realize a chair had been placed in his path. CRASH, face first! The host, with butt sticking out, does not move hoping no one noticed. What to do…jump up, in terrible pain, coats in hand and act like nothing happened. Unfortunately the whole middle of the restaurant came to a screeching halt with the crash!
18. THURSDAY, JULY 29:
Veal Oskar
“The PETA incident”
On a cold winter night in 2002
the host races to the coat closet retrieving two, very long, mink coats. With the coats held high,
he did not realize a chair had been placed in his path. CRASH, face first! The host, with butt sticking out, does not move hoping no one noticed. What to do…jump up, in terrible pain, coats in hand and act like nothing happened. Unfortunately the whole middle of the restaurant came to a screeching halt with the crash!
19. FRIDAY, JULY 30:
Sesame Salmon
We encourage our staff to have outside interests. A seasoned
server took up the challenge to become an excellent pole vaulter. His only attempt to scale an established height took place,
one dark night, over the east wall
in the bar area. The vault was successful; though, setting off the alarm on his way over.
20. SATURDAY, JULY 31:
St. Louis Style Ribs
Thank you!
Tonight is the final evening of
our 20th anniversary celebration.
All of us at Harry’s are grateful for the patronage, fun, and stories over the past 20 years! Without you,
our friends, none of this would
be possible.
As we look forward with eagar anticipation and continue to evolve, we are excited for what the next twenty years has to offer!