“I ended up Tuesday night with the Jesus and Mary Chain, hanging out at a friend’s place. We ended up having too many beers, and I’m a little worse for wear. But today’s the day we got the equipment in. I’m bringing all my boys down, my kitchen crew, to paint the walls. I’m finally going to put them to work! There are still a lot of hassles — we had to return a fryer, and there’s still a piece coming, and of course you have to have all the equipment so the Fire Department can come down and inspect your system. But basically, it’s finally here. I hope to be cooking by Friday. Then it’s just getting the furniture in, the paint, familiarizing ourselves with the staff.

It’s amazing how many people have followed these updates; it’s the only reason my mom knows what I’m doing. And it will be a great record for me chronologically, to see how this all works. Especially for the next place I open. I’m already thinking of opening an ice-cream parlor by next summer, or maybe just another cocktail spot. I want to keep that momentum going! The next time you hear from me I’ll probably be so weeded I won’t even be able to make a full statement. I never understood how Wylie [Dufresne] never got tired, but it’s different when it’s your own restaurant. Every piece of equipment here, I picked out. We’re going to be working fourteen hours a day, six days a week, and I won’t have a single day off for four months. And you know what? That sounds pretty great to me.”