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Elaine’s, late

It was as late as it was ever going to get at Elaine’s Elaine had died nearly six months earlier, and the restaurant couldn’t ht

“You know,” Dino said, gazing at the mob jammed into the place, “if half these people had had dinner here once a week after she died, this joint would still be thriving”

“You’re right,” Stone said, “but I guess the place could never be the saether”

“I feel sorry for the writers,” Dino said “There isn’t another joint in town that gives the best tables to writers They’ll be wandering up and down Second Avenue, looking for someplace to eat”

“And think of all the book deals that won’t get made here,” Stone said “Where else do writers and publishers le?”

All the tables had temporary tops that seated ten people, and Stone and Dino were jaainst the wall, so close to the next table that if they wanted to get to the men’s room, they would have to stand on their chairs and walk across the table There were two hundred people lined up on Second Avenue, waiting to get in

Bill Eggers, thepartner of Stone’s law firm, Woodman amp; Weld, spoke up from across the table “Neverto eat?”

“I have no idea,” Stone said “There just isn’t another place in the city that has what Elaine’s had Forty-eight years she was here”

Somebody with a video caroup Herbie Fisher and his girl and Bob Cantor and his ere there Holly Barker had flown up fro with Stone The caulars: Gay Talese, Frederic Morton, David Black, Nick Taylor, Carol Higgins Clark-all writers; photographers Harry Benson and Jessica Burstein were taking pictures; Alec Baldith shaggy hair and a full beard, had found a video ca it; Josh Gaspero, retired publisher, and his Thursday-night regulars were at their regular table Gianni and Frank, the headwaiters, and all the waiters, were still there; none had left for another job before the end

It was just like every other night at Elaine’s, except for the three hundred extra people

Stone had ordered the most expensive wines, because he knew Elaine would have loved that She had liked nothing better than flogging a few bottles of Do