I had dinner one night with Abe Vigoda and his wife..it was a hoot. In 1980, I was in New Orleans for a convention, and the then-wife and I went to K-Paul's for dinner. It had just recently opened..and become wildly popular..everyoen wanted to eat blackened redfish. The place didn't take reservations..it opened for dinner at 7..and people started lining up at 3PM to get in..so we finally get inside..we're TOLD there are no tables for 2 to be had...but we can eat with another couple at a bigger table...we figured why not, and thus, we ended up eating with Abe and his wife. Absolutely fantastic evening...he is a delightful, and very funny guy.. And I also got introduced that night to "cajun martinis" which are lethal. K-Paul's served them in Mason jars, with jalapeno peppers instead of olives..
Apropos of nothing...some time back, at a large police convention, they asked them what was their favorite cop TV show..everyone figured CHIPS, or Law & Order, or even COPS would win..but "Barney Miller" won hands down.. Vigoda was telling us Jack Soo stories most of the evening..Soo had died not long before..he said that Soo would crack up the cast and crew...they often had to do multiple takes..