Russian Tea Room

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Russian Tea Room
Russian Tea Room.jpg
Entry to the Russian Tea Room in 2008
Restaurant information
Established1927
Food typeRusso-Continental
Street address150 West 57th Street
CityNew York City
CountyNew York
StateNew York
Postal/ZIP Code10019
Coordinates40°45′54″N 73°58′46″W / 40.76500°N 73.97944°W / 40.76500; -73.97944Coordinates: 40°45′54″N 73°58′46″W / 40.76500°N 73.97944°W / 40.76500; -73.97944

The Russian Tea Room is an Art Deco Russo-Continental restaurant, located at 150 West 57th Street (between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue), between Carnegie Hall Tower and Metropolitan Tower, in the New York City borough of Manhattan.[1]

History[]

The Russian Tea Room was opened in 1927, by former members of the Russian Imperial Ballet, as a gathering place for Russian expatriates and became famous as a gathering place for those in the entertainment industry. The founder is often considered to be Polish-born , but in that year, a corporation directory lists Albertina Rasch as the president, and her name appears along with Russian Art Chocolate and Russian Tea Room, in early photographs of the shopfront at 145 W. 57th St. In 1929, the business moved across the street to its present location, which at that time was an Italianate brownstone, built in 1875 by German immigrant , a tea and coffee merchant, whose son later moved the large clan to Long Island, seeking a more relaxed lifestyle.

By 1933, the Siberian émigré was running the Russian Tea Room and was the main personality associated with the restaurant for the next fifteen years.

In 1955, the restaurant was purchased by , who, in 1967, left the restaurant to his widow, Faith Stewart-Gordon.

Facade

In 1981, Harry B. Macklowe, the developer of Metropolitan Tower immediately to the east, planned a large office tower that would have included the sites of the current Metropolitan Tower, Russian Tea Room, and Carnegie Hall Tower immediately to the west.[2][3] If the three sites were combined, this could allow a 51-story tower with 1 million square feet (93,000 m2).[4] Macklowe had offered Stewart-Gordon $12.5 million for the building's air rights in 1982.[5] However, Stewart-Gordon refused several offers to acquire her building, so Macklowe withdrew his bid for the Carnegie Hall Tower site in 1983.[2][4] Though Stewart-Gordon subsequently considered selling the restaurant building,[6] she ended up not selling the building or its air rights to Carnegie Hall Tower's developers.[7] As a result, Metropolitan Tower and Carnegie Hall Tower are only separated by the Russian Tea Room, which is 20 feet (6.1 m) wide.[8][9]

In December 1996, Warner LeRoy, who owned Tavern on the Green, bought the restaurant from Stewart-Gordon for $6.5 million and closed it down, much to the despair of New York high society.[10] After four years and $36 million in renovations, it reopened, but it was never the same; it closed with little notice on Sunday, July 28, 2002, after declaring bankruptcy. LeRoy's health was failing. Also, the local economy did not recover quickly enough to make payments on the substantial loans for the renovations.[10][11]

After Warner LeRoy died in 2001, his estate sold the property for $16 million to the United States Golf Association in December 2002. The Association had planned to reconfigure the property as a dining room and museum in which to showcase its extensive collection of golf memorabilia, but instead sold the building in 2004 to Sheila Vanderbilt's RTR Funding Group.[12][13] The 20-foot-wide building extends from 57th Street (the restaurant's main entrance) to 56th Street. The plans are to replace some of the current building facing 56th Street with a 29-story condominium, which is to be designed by Costas Kondylis. The original restaurant will be kept undisturbed.

The Russian Tea Room reopened on November 1, 2006. The restaurant's interior has not been touched, and the over-the-top decor is the same as when it closed in 2002.[14][15] However, several restaurant reviews have noted that the food and service leave significant room for improvement.[16][17]

Noted guests[]

The Russian Tea Room was a favored dining place of, among other notables, Ayn Rand and Wanda Toscanini Horowitz.[citation needed] Other noted guests include:

In popular culture[]

Interior of the Russian Tea Room in November 2009

Artworks[]

  • It is depicted in a painting by Beryl Cook.

Notable employees and events[]

  • British comedian Rowan Atkinson married Sunetra Sastry there in 1990, having met her there that year on February 5.
  • In 1979, Madonna worked there, as a coat-check clerk.[33]

Films[]

  • Scenes from Sweet Smell of Success, Manhattan, When Harry Met Sally..., Big, The Turning Point, Smurfs, Tootsie, New York Stories, and The Extra Man were filmed at the restaurant.

Literature[]

  • It is mentioned in Joyce Elbert's novel Crazy Ladies.[citation needed]
  • It is featured in Eve Babitz's Sex and Rage as a place where literary agents take authors out to lunch.
  • It is mentioned in Jay McInerney's novel Bright Lights, Big City.[34]

Television[]

  • "The One Where the Monkey Gets Away" and "The One With the Evil Orthodontist" episodes of Friends mentions it numerous times.
  • "The Wrath of Con" episode of Gossip Girl was filmed there.
  • The "Dad" episode of Louie was filmed there, and in season 3 Louie meets his Uncle Excelsior there for lunch
  • In 1995, it was shown in The Nanny season 3 episode "Pen Pal".
  • It is used as a setting in the 2016-2017 season of Saturday Night Live's intro, introducing Aidy Bryant in the scene.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "The Russian Tea Room, New York". Zagat. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Johnson, Kirk (September 9, 1984). "Towers Sprouting Near Carnegie Hall". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  3. ^ Klein, Joe. "Harry Macklowe Wants to Trump Donald Trump". New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC. 19: 52–60. ISSN 0028-7369.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Moritz, Owen (March 11, 1984). "Shift would open way for hi-rise". New York Daily News. p. 100. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  5. ^ Moritz, Owen (July 12, 1984). "Duel of 57th St. developers". New York Daily News. p. 12. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  6. ^ "Moving for megabucks: Tea Room may relocate". The Herald Statesman. March 12, 1984. p. 10. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  7. ^ Gray, Christopher (September 11, 1988). "Streetscapes: The Russian Tea Room; Sweet Deals Fail to Tempt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  8. ^ Roberts, Sam (October 14, 2020). "Faith Stewart-Gordon, Doyenne of the Russian Tea Room, Dies at 88". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  9. ^ Horsley, Carter B. (June 16, 2009). "Carnegie Hall/Carnegie Hall Tower". The Midtown Book. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Kopp, Carol (November 2, 2006). "Famed Russian Tea Room Reopens". CBS News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  11. ^ Collins, Glenn (July 27, 2002). "Russian Tea Room to Close After Tomorrow's Dinner". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  12. ^ "Golf museum planned for New York". Golf Today. Archived from the original on April 10, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  13. ^ "Tea, teeing off not a perfect match". Chicago Tribune. June 22, 2003. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  14. ^ Kilian, Cynthia (October 30, 2006). "'Russian' Back, Famed Tea Room Set to Reopen". New York Post. Archived from the original on November 14, 2006.
  15. ^ Dobnik, Verena (November 2, 2006). "Russian Tea Room Is Back – for 3rd Time". Fox News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 8, 2014.
  16. ^ Bruni, Frank (December 20, 2006). "Tastes of Russia, but One Without Borders". The New york Times. Archived from the original on June 23, 2007.
  17. ^ Platt, Adam (January 7, 2007). "The New Russia: The latest incarnation of the Russian Tea Room evokes gilded old New York, but the food and service lack polish". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Lyons, Leonard (January 6, 1966). "Lyons Den". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  19. ^ Kilgallon, Dorothy (October 3, 1952). "The Voice of Broadway". The Oneonta Star. Oneonta. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  20. ^ https://nytimes.com, Noel Behn, 70, Novelist, Producer and Screenwriter, July 31, 1998, retrieved December 31, 2008
  21. ^ Christy, Marian (December 29, 1971). "Hats Change Image of Victor Borge". The Troy Record. Troy. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Celebrity Centers". Dunkirk Evening Observer. New York. November 9, 1936. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  23. ^ Lyons, Leonard (May 31, 1967). "Lyons Den". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  24. ^ Lyons, Leonard (November 2, 1971). "Lyons Den". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  25. ^ Lyons, Leonard (June 21, 1971). "Lyons Den". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b Lyons, Leonard (October 3, 1966). "Lyons Den". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  27. ^ Stevenson, L. L. (February 5, 1943). "Manhattan Days and Nights". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  28. ^ Lyons, Leonard (March 7, 1967). "Lyons Den". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b Lyons, Leonard (April 16, 1970). "Lyons Den". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  30. ^ Lyons, Leonard (January 28, 1970). "Lyons Den". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  31. ^ Lyons, Leonard (November 25, 1972). "Big Town Roundup". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  32. ^ Lyons, Leonard (December 22, 1969). "Lyons Den". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  33. ^ "Madonna Offered A Party At The New York Landmark Where She Started Out". showbizspy.com. August 15, 2008. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014.
  34. ^ McInerney, Jay (1984). Bright Lights, Big City. Google Books. Vintage Books. p. 147. ISBN 9780307763211. Retrieved September 9, 2019. “Let’s have lunch. Bat some ideas around. Say, Russian Tea Room at one-thirty?”

Further reading[]

  • Stewart-Gordon, Faith (1981). The Russian Tea Room Cookbook. New York: Richard Marek Publishers. ISBN 0-399-90128-0.
  • Stewart-Gordon, Faith (1993). The Russian Tea Room: A Tasting. New York: Clarkson Potter. ISBN 0-517-58826-9.
  • Stewart-Gordon, Faith (1999). The Russian Tea Room: A Love Story. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0-684-85981-5.

External links[]

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