Books, Arts & Manners: Experiencing Nika

Our appointment was for 12:30 at Nicola Paone’s, then as now the favorite restaurant of national review’s editors. It was 1965, and NR had decided to publish a food-andwine column (“Delectations”) that would alternate with Alec Waugh’s travel column. James Beard had recommended that we ask Nika Standen Hazelton, a star in the New York food world, to write the column. She and I were to discuss it over lunch.

The initial amenities concluded, Nika took over the meeting. She told me in no uncertain terms what she would and would not do for us. It was mostly would-nots: She would not laud an inferior restaurant, or praise a bad wine. She would not pull her punches. She would refuse any assignment she deemed unsuitable. In addition, the payment we had suggested was unacceptable. Then she smiled. Nika is imposing, a handsome, statuesque Nordic blonde, who comes over more Brünnhilde than Tinker Bell, but when she smiles one tends to melt.

PL

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Priscilla L. Buckley

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Our appointment was for 12:30 at Nicola Paone’s, then as now the favorite restaurant of national review’s editors. It was 1965, and NR had decided to publish a food-andwine column (“Delectations”) that would alternate with Alec Waugh’s travel column. James Beard had recommended that we ask Nika Standen Hazelton, a star in the New York food world, to write the column. She and I were to discuss it over lunch.

The initial amenities concluded, Nika took over the meeting. She told me in no uncertain terms what she would and would not do for us. It was mostly would-nots: She would not laud an inferior restaurant, or praise a bad wine. She would not pull her punches. She would refuse any assignment she deemed unsuitable. In addition, the payment we had suggested was unacceptable. Then she smiled. Nika is imposing, a handsome, statuesque Nordic blonde, who comes over more Brünnhilde than Tinker Bell, but when she smiles one tends to melt.