A Handful of Cherries Summary and Analysis

Gopnik revisited the saga of the Brasserie Balzar, admitting right off that its group of defenders lost their fight, although in some ornamental, French sense, they might have won. He recounted that the friends of the Balzar first met in June, but then summer came, and Paris closed up like a box. By August 1, everyone had gone to the countryside or beyond. Gopnik and family went to New York for a few weeks. Soon after their return, he got a call from the leader of the friends group, Lorenzo Valentin, who said things were going badly for the waiters and the restaurant. A cranky food writer named J.P-Quélin had outlined the debate in an article, and when the friends held another meeting, they agreed that they should do something to get Quélin...