February 19, 2022

Lunch in Chinatown at the Golden Unicorn on East Broadway: dim sum and dumplings and sweet and sour chicken and all you can drink Jasmine tea. We linger in the lobby downstairs for a half hour, waiting for the host to call out number 92. We take the elevator to the second floor. The dining room is 1980s chic, red carpet, gold chairs, large circle tables with pristine white tablecloths. Gold letters hang along a wall lined with deep red felt at the very back of the room: “Happy Birthday James.” Outside February teeters in between winter and spring. The balmy morning begins with sunlight. By noon snow flurries circle and dance in the air. And at 2:00 p.m. the three televisions inside the Golden Unicorn are all tuned to NBC4; there’s breaking news: a snow squall is headed straight for New York City.