Ruthie's Table 4: John McEnroe

Over the years in The River Cafe, I’ve witnessed the spell-binding effect an athlete can have. None of us are able to do what they do, and we all know it. There are many, many images of John McEnroe on the tennis court, but the one I recall is not athletic, but artistic. It's a photograph of John, in fact, almost cradling a painting by Philip Guston, who was a close friend of my father and mother. It was moving to see a strong, powerful athlete I admire carrying something so fragile. Today in New York City, John has walked across Central Park from his home and, in the fading autumn light, we will talk about the food we eat, the art we love, and the friendship the we, the tennis player and a cook, have begun.