Congee Bowery, with Brigid

The heart of Chinatown is not a good place to meet in the middle of an intensely hot summer. The heat steams off the garbage piled up on sidewalks and normal mugginess becomes even more unbearable. Still we promised to take dear friend Brigid to one of our many favorite Chinatown haunts and I could think of no cooler place to be than Congee Bowery. They were out of snow pea leaves today, so we settled for the more ordinary Chinese broccoli. I needn't have been worried, they were deliciously prepared. If I hadn't been so worried about getting back to the office in time for our radio interview on CJAD 800, I think we would have stayed all afternoon with Brigid, nibbling away at the plates of food in front of us.
Congee Bowery, 207 Bowery, NY, NY 10012 (btwn Rivington & Spring)