I’m quoted briefly in Spencer Morgan‘s cover story in the New York Observer this week, the latest of many reports from the open-but-not-really-open Waverly Inn, but as almost always happens here in Sound Bite City, a lot of what I said didn’t make the cut. For one thing, I noted that while Graydon Carter is getting most of the attention, another reason for the Waverly’s instant success is one of his partners, Sean MacPherson, who has been running restaurants for a long time. Then, there’s good food and a reasonably-priced and excellent wine list, which may not be important to some, but are to me. It’s fun when Mischa Barton is at the next table, but not if the food makes you gag. Talking to Morgan reminded me of the many club-like restaurants I’ve gone to over the years, and continue to frequent: da Silvano, the Grill Room at the Four Seasons, Elaine‘s, Swifty’s, Odeon and Balthazar, each with its own fabulous charms. Compare those to the defunct “clubs-of-the-moment” no one talks about anymore: Nicola’s, Jim McMullen, Ashley’s, 150 Wooster… the list goes on… and you realize the real restaurant champions are the ones that endure. I hope the Waverly Inn becomes one of those.