The Waverly Inn & Garden

Since there’s no phone line for the public at this glamorized tavern, but I live in the neighborhood, I walked in to ask for a reservation. Perhaps because it’s now summertime and many of its regulars are out of the city, I got a surprising result. “We’re not really open (the restaurant is officially in permanent preview) but I could put you in at 9:45 Wednesday (it was Monday). We’ll only take reservations two days in advance.” Granted, it was a late hour and would not be for a prime banquette near co-owner Graydon Carter and his celebrity friends, but at least it was an invitation. That good luck will probably not last through the fall.