Well, this is sad -- saw in the Post yesterday that the Stage Deli on 7th Ave has abruptly shut its doors. I used to enjoy sitting at the counter on weeknights to stuff my gut with pastrami, chat with the unusually talkative manager, and sometimes they'd have the Mets game on the TV mounted over the register.

I was in there earlier this month and I could tell they were struggling. The reuben platter was not as good, and when Frank gave me the tab it had CASH ONLY scrawled on it. He said they'd been doing it that way for a few weeks already. Good thing I had a couple of $20s on me -- those sammiches were pricey.

Cookie is not as saddened by this as me -- he still prefers Katz's pastrami to Stage's. I've been avoiding Carnegie for the last few years.