Five Towns Letters to the Editor

Garlic aroma remembered

To the Editor:

I have fond memories of Mother Kelly’s when it was still on Columbus Avenue in Cedarhurst, (“Mother Kelly’s leaves Cedarhurst” Aug. 28-Sept. 3.)

I walked into the restaurant and was greeted with a marvelous smell of garlic. In the back sat Dorothy Gobetz, peeling garlic bulbs.

Time marches on but the memory has stayed fresh.

Much good luck to the family.

Grace Wiener

Hewlett

Thanks for the great food

To the Editor:

All of the Five Towns grew up with the family who had a run of 45 years with Mother Kelly’s in Cedarhurst.

I am the same age as Marc and Glenn. A Woodmere native, I remember working in another local restaurant and calling Glenn on the phone to say, “Hi see you over the weekend for a slice,” and he said, “Stop by on your way into work.” I said I didn’t have time. He knew I was hungry, so he sent a pizza to where I was working. Their delivery was so fast that it was waiting for me at another fine restaurant now gone, La Tavernetta in Woodmere.  

That’s the family: always happy and eager to please. Thanks for all the great food and memories.

Mark Schlesinger

Massapequa Park

Sorry to see Mother Kelly’s close

To the Editor:

So many Five Towns residents have moved to Manhattan.

Our kids had birthday parties at Mother Kelly’s’ first, smaller restaurant in Cedarhurst, and later on at the bigger one on Chestnut Street. We would always stop by and pick up food for dinner at the beach clubs in the summertime, too.

When a group of us heard that Mother Kelly’s was closing, we took a trip to the “old country” and had dinner there. It was just as we remembered: friendly, inviting and delicious.

It is sad for all of us that it is over.

Susan Schreiber Klein

Manhattan

Incredible food prepared with love

To the Editor:

My husband, Matthew Bloom, and I grew up going to Mother Kelly’s. When Matthew went to Duke, and I visited him, I would always stop by and pick up an order of stuffed shells with meat and cheese, a large pizza and garlic bread — all of his favorites.  

Everyone on the plane to North Carolina would be salivating from the delicious aroma wafting from my carry-on. When I would arrive at the Raleigh-Durham Airport we would sit down and eat the food. It was always still hot when I arrived!  

When we got engaged, Mark (Gobetz) and his mom surprised us by bringing a candle to our table and giving us a bottle of wine with a congratulatory note from everyone at the restaurant.  

Years later, my husband and I moved to Seattle, and we have lived there for the past 18 years. We have been out of the New York area for over 25 years. When my mother-in-law passed away about seven years ago, we were in New York with the family for her funeral. We went to Mother Kelly’s to celebrate my mother-in-law and got to have a wonderful meal one last time.  

I know wherever they end up, they will be a success, because they not only cook incredible food, but the prepare it with love!

Thanks for the memories!

Judy Bloom

Seattle