On East 60th street, patrons at the once buzzy Le Bilboquet were huddled in outdoor cubbies, wearing hats and scarves while nibbling on Cajun chicken and sipping Bordeaux. One block up, 10 tables at clubby La Goulue struggled to share four heaters while diners gripped bowls of onion soup for extra warmth.
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But just a short flight away — in tony Palm Beach, Fla., where La Goulue recently opened an outpost that’s a mirror image of its Manhattan mother ship — all inside tables and seats at the bar are full. Patrons are laughing and living it up, seemingly oblivious to the perils of fraternizing during a pandemic.
“I have escaped New York!’’ declared the bistro’s owner, Jean Denoyer. “We take everyone’s temperature when they arrive and keep the doors and windows open so fresh air circulates.’’
Le Bilboquet’s owner, Philippe Delgrange, is also in Palm Beach, where he premiered his famous boîte’s Southern sister this week.
“[Palm Beach] is really working with you, not trying to put wood in your wheels,’’ he said, no doubt referencing how New York City restaurants are just now, after two months of closure, allowed to seat indoor diners at 25 percent capacity. “I have seen so many friends of mine, I can’t believe it. And all our New York staff is asking to come work here.’’
Denoyer and Delgrange are among the hordes of New Yorkers now enjoying life in Palm Beach County, where the influx of energy is palpable. Although masks are required inside commercial establishments throughout the county, people are, of course, allowed to remove them while eating or drinking, and there are no specific spacing rules — so it’s not unusual to see bars full of closely packed mask-less patrons.
Some northerners feel as if they have landed in a parallel universe, with old friends and favorite gathering spots transported to a sunnier setting.
Upper East Sider Joe Wagner, 63, arrived in South Florida in late January with plans to stay for two weeks, but decided to remain through March. He’s been enjoying dinner indoors at La Goulue. “Sometimes I feel a little unsafe. In New York, I was housebound. But it seems that so many people here are more relaxed because they already had COVID,’’ the real-estate developer told The Post. “They say, ‘Don’t worry, I have the antibodies,’ and I say, ‘That’s great, but could you back up a little?’ ” To Read Entire Article, Click Here...
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