You know that feeling when you round a corner,
and stumble upon something most unexpected?
Last week, that's exactly what happened.
Two of my cousins and I met for lunch in a small shopping center in suburban New Jersey.
After enjoying a nice meal on the terrace of a Greek restaurant,
we were curious about the other shops in the mall.
One of my cousins peeked into a window down at the end of the walkway,
and said, "Hey, you've got to see this!"
The three of us must have been quite the sight --
grown women with our faces pressed up against the window --
but that didn't scare off the proprietor.
She asked if we'd like to come inside...
The three of us must have been quite the sight --
grown women with our faces pressed up against the window --
but that didn't scare off the proprietor.
She asked if we'd like to come inside...
which, yes, please, we would.
And that is how we found ourselves right in the middle of a fiddle store.
Menzel Violins is an exquisite shop that sells,
repairs and restores string instruments,
offers lessons, and hosts recitals, shows, jam sessions and workshops.
Founded in 1973 by Richard E. Menzel,
the business is now run by his daughter, Mo.
When her father passed away in 2000,
Mo arrived from Texas to take over the family business.
She continues his tradition of honesty and integrity,
in a market that is filled with unscrupulous dealers
who sell inferior products at highly inflated prices.
Mo showed us around this beautiful space,
and frankly, I was half-tempted to take up violin lessons right then and there.
But, since I don't know an arpeggio from an archipelago,
or a cadenza from a credenza,
I thought I'd do better to take a nap on the daybed,
and dream of Itzhak Perlman stopping by to play a concerto just for me.
For a few minutes, we felt like we were far, far away from Livingston, NJ.
Finding this beautiful musical oasis after lunch was the perfect dessert --
highly satisfying, and no calories.
Our only mistake was not asking Mo to play something for us.
