STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The kitchen at Killmeyer’s Old Bavaria Inn came to life on Friday as the restaurant staff prepped for opening on Sunday, Valentine’s Day. Down the block in Charleston, the small crew at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon prepped their dining room for patrons to enjoy cold beers at the table.

The operators came together at Killmeyer’s to talk about indoor dining returning at 25% capacity. During the broadcast, the governor’s office announced the start of an 11 p.m. statewide curfew in place going forward as of Sunday, Feb. 14. Until then, there is no business at liquor-licensed establishments from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Ken Tirado from Killmeyer’s has been closed since late November so he is truly starting from scratch. His neighbors from Big Nose Kates, Vincent Signorile and Maggie Koronilian, have remained open through the pandemic, more recently without the luxury of an outdoor tent. That was crushed in the last snowstorm.

Take 20 minutes to view the video taken outside Killmeyer’s starting with a view of the world’s largest Hummel, parked right outside the historic tavern. Listen to some of the history of the two restaurants from the proprietors themselves and hear their plans for entertainment, service and survival in these times of the coronavirus recovery stage.

And take a moment to read the comments on the video. One observer said, “I’m going to wait a while for indoor dining. If you need to go out for Valentine’s Day I won’t be taking up a seat.” Others were enthused about the dining in option. A commentator cheered on Tirado, “My family and friends have dined and enjoyed many evenings of live entertainment there ..cannot wait to enjoy their amazing Goulash again...yummy and a toast to celebrate reopening. Go, Airtite band!” with a nod to some of Killmeyer’s regular live music. When will that return?

Find out more in the accompanying video.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.