Demise of East Side eatery affects annual tradition

Celebrating my friend Linda’s birthday is a tradition. It hasn’t changed in 10 years.

We meet at the Navy Bistro, she orders the same thing she did the year before and I present her birthday gift wrapped in Christmas paper. The final tradition is sharing her birthday bread pudding dessert while we discuss our past year and look to the year ahead.

There is a comfort in this tradition. We know we are booked for lunch that day and we know where we are going to be, year after year.

Except this year, things changed. There was no Navy Bistro, no welcoming hug from Eileen, no sluggish, icy view of the river. There was a sadness surrounding this usually festive occasion – regret rather than celebration.

Memories of other events crowed in on the birthday, events shared by Bistro owners, Eileen and Tom. Linda and I spoke of the many fundraisers that the Cousinos supported, noting that the numbers probably tally in the thousands. Some were remarkable. The River East Progressive Dinners couldn’t have happened without their help. Still other donations were quietly given from the heart and greatly appreciated.

As wonderful as their financial support and sponsorships were, the true value of the Navy Bistro was as the designated networking lunch spot. It didn’t matter if it was a banker, politician, or competition that one greeted - it never hurt to be seen at the Navy Bistro.

It is the emotional, life-changing events that make the loss of the Navy Bistro personal. My niece’s wedding shower, my nephew’s rehearsal dinner, birthday and anniversary parties have Navy Bistro roots. The memory of the night of my mother’s funeral as the family gathered to share one last opportunity to grieve together tugs at my heart. Tom and Eileen are more than restaurant owners – they are extended family for a number of us. Like a favorite aunt or uncle, they fuss and fix, without fanfare. The loss of the Navy Bistro isn’t just the closing of another restaurant or the story of another business hit by hard times. It is the demise of a community center, a gathering place.

The irony is that the Navy Bistro anchored the revitalization of the East Side of the river, but as the plans for the Marina District stalled and faded, so did the customers. It isn’t so much that the restaurant failed but that we as community members failed to support those whose vision help to build and provide a foundation for the population it serves.

My friend and I decided to make a new tradition-we lunched at Cousino’s Steakhouse and shared the birthday bread pudding. I saw my electrician and plumber, and a neighbor or two. It wasn’t the Navy Bistro, but Tom was there doing what he does best – making sure everyone was glad he or she chose his restaurant at which to have lunch on that day.

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