Al Roker faced a bittersweet moment last year when he and his wife, Deborah Roberts, dropped their youngest son, Nick, off at college – which is why their reunions are even more special.
The 20-year-old has briefly returned to New York City from Vermont and joined his dad for dinner on Thursday at the upscale Italian restaurant, Antonucci Café, in the Upper East Side.
The Today star documented their reunion on Instagram and shared a sweet photo of the pair sitting down at a table enjoying some delicious-looking pasta dishes.
The family resemblance between father and son was evident in the photo, with both Al and Nick sporting similar beaming smiles. "Dinner with this guy at @antonuccicafe Love hanging with @nick.roker155," he captioned the post.
The TV anchor's followers were quick to react and all seemed to love the bonding moment between Al and Nick, with one responding: "Love this! Guy time is special too! Enjoy."
A second said: "Two very handsome men having a dad and son night out together [red heart]. Enjoy!" A third added: "So nice to see you and Nick. Enjoy the special time with your son."
Al and Deborah shared the moment Nick moved out of the family home last year, posting a photo of the trio standing in front of a packed car trunk.
"Wednesday wonder. After all the hard work. All the discipline. All the dreaming. All the prayers. His moment to soar has come. (I'm not crying. I promise.)," Deborah captioned the photo. "Pride doesn't even begin to describe this day, Nick Roker. The journey continues," she added.
Nick's college acceptance was made even more special as he is "somewhere on the (autism) spectrum and maybe obsessive-compulsive," Al previously told Guideposts magazine. "But those labels can be frustrating; they don't begin to describe who Nick really is," he added.
Al doesn't deny it can sometimes be hard, but he is continuously admiring his youngest child. "Do I get frustrated with my son sometimes? You bet," he admitted.
"But then I remember my dad, how understanding he was. And Deborah reminds me that I have to show my son not only that I love him but that I like him as well. More than that, I admire him."
Al has three children in total, his eldest, Courtney, 35, whom he shares with ex-wife Alice Bell, and his two children Leila, 24, and Nick, with Deborah. All three children have chosen different paths in life so far.
Courtney, who got married in 2021, is a test kitchen manager and recipe developer for kitchen appliances, while Leila is a content creator and Nick will soon be a sophomore in college, after beginning his studies in September 2022.