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| New
York City - New York |
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Society
November - 2007 |
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6
Stars & 6 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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| The famous ‘21 club’ was originally
conceived in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, in 1922 and owned and managed by
cousins Jack Kreindler and Charlie Berns. At that time it was a
‘speakeasy’ and called the ‘Red Head’. In 1925, the club
moved to Washington Place and was renamed the ‘Fronton’, eventually
gaining its true notoriety, along with an elite exclusivity, when it was
relocated to its current location at 21 West and 52nd Street - to be renamed
once again to ‘Jack and Charlie's 21’. The brothers and their club
was infamous for serving bootleg ‘booze’ and the fact that they was
never caught or ‘busted’ during the prohibition years, in spite of
numerous raids. Jack and Charlie managed to stay always one step ahead of the
law through their own unique ‘engineering sophistication’ –
protecting its visitors with a series of signals, buttons, levers and chutes;
hiding all evidence of whisky and empty bottles whenever there was even a hint
of a raid. By the time the police arrived, the ‘damaging evidence’
was already on its way to the city’s sewer system. The club’s bar
featured also
a
secret wine cellar; its hidden, two-ton door was well integrated into a
brick wall and a treasure trove of specialty liquors and wines - it could only
be opened with a special meat skewer key... |
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| My own history with the
‘21 Club’ began during the booming economy of the 1980's while
entertaining family, friends and business associates. During the 80's and early
90's I celebrated ‘at the club’ each of my son's 21st birthdays,
several wedding anniversaries and numerous office/holiday parties! There were
many unforgettable days and or nights where we dined next to VIPs, like former
NYC Mayor Koch, Donald Trump aka ‘The Donald’, beautiful Elizabeth
Taylor, sport champs Steffi Graff and Jimmy Connors and many, many other
celebrities and socialites, to numerous to mention. I most certainly shall
never forget a a couple of very special ‘sommelier’ guided tours of
the hidden wine cellar where I was first introduced to the separate
compartments for the wines of the ‘Rich and Famous’ frequently
visiting the club. |
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| “21” is more than a place to eat; its
décor and ambiance always had the unique ability to make its guests feel
that they were at a very exclusive place of their own, with all the trappings
of wealth and elegance. There is something deliciously wicked about dining at
the club with its infamous heritage of mobster and celebrity patronage.
According to local legend, 21 was also famous for it's highly publicized
“power seating”. The dining room is setup in a “horse shoe”
arrangement with 3 distinct sections; The First section (on the far left as you
walked in) was reserved for “A” list socialites and celebrities, The
Second section in the virtual center of the dining room with tables and
banquets, faces the bar, and was reserved for politicians, lesser renowned
celebrities, and 21 club regulars. The Third section (on the far right of the
dining room) referred by some gossip columnists as “Siberia” was
usually reserved for tourists and unknowns… |
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Recently, my wife Rita
and I had the opportunity to revisit the “21 Club”. I was greeted at
the famous front door by Shakur Naini and the Manager Roger Rice. As I looked
around, I soon realized that the restaurant was almost frozen in time, from its
earlier glory days with its famous outdoor black steel gates, ceramic jockeys,
the golden entrance door and uniformed doorman. The dining room ceiling is
still filled with miniature airplane models and the walls decorated with
vintage prohibition type signs. I was led into one of the world's most famous
dining room and seated at a prominent banquet in the “A” section on
the far left of the room. ‘People watching’ is a must at 21, and that
night would prove no different. |
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| It is hard to eat while surreptitiously observing some
of the world's most beautiful models; famous celebrities, politicians and
socialites walk past your table! That night our table was served by one of 21's
most knowledgeable and charming waiters. He was enthusiastic and gave us
insightful descriptions of each of our courses. Prior to our meal, we were
treated to a wonderful assortment of exotic breads and rolls along with a wine
list that seemed like a small encyclopedia. After we had perused the menu, I
chose Maryland Crab cakes while Rita dined on a sumptuous plate of Lump Crab
Meat with 21's homemade cocktail sauce. We also ordered small Caesar Salads to
accompany our appetizers; the Caesar dressing was delicious with just a subtle
hint of freshly cracked pepper and anchovies. |
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| There are many reasons
why one can fall ‘in love’ with the 21 Club; service and the pacing
of our meals are certainly two of them. Although very busy, our waiter and
busboy were there to suggest, refill glasses and breadbaskets, but not to
linger and hover over our table to immediately clear our plates. For our main
course, I ordered a moist and beautifully prepared Dover Sole with spinach and
Pomme Soufflés (21's own puffed fried lightly salted potatoes.) Rita had
a plate of slightly rare Lamb chops with garlic potatoes and mixed vegetables.
Simply superb! Upon completing our entrees, we were presented with a selection
of exotic teas and coffees. |
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For dessert Rita had chosen to order 21's famous
chocolate soufflé topped by homemade whipped cream. Naturally
soufflés are never complete without a serving of hot vanilla sauce, this
one was delightful, releasing its decadent aroma one spoon full at a time. A
delightful plate of home baked biscotti was reached and completed the meal. Our
culinary adventure had encompassed three hours and we were sated in every way,
but sad to leave one of our all time favorite restaurants. The 21 club remains
a fabulous New York experience whether you are famous, infamous or just real
people. We exited into the cold winter night with smiles and wonderful new
memories. |
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| 2007 -
21Club - Seven Stars and Stripes - Award-Hand-Out |
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| Executive chef John Greeley started out in Nantucket
Island working in restaurants during the summer. He eventually moved to New
York to attend New York's School of Visual arts and then transferred to
Savannah College of Art and Design. During his college years John was already
appointed to the sous-chef of the acclaimed 45 South restaurant in Savannah's
historic district. John’s artistic background gives him a perfect platform
for his cuisine creations, using the freshest local ingredients in tasty and
visually most exciting ways. John has received great attention in the press for
his untraditional recipes for 'goose with dry rub and huckleberry sauce'. He
has appeared on TV shows like CBS's Chef on a shoestring. John's painting and
sculptures adorn the walls in both Savannah and New York City. It would be the
perfect end to a great dining experience to arrange a tour of the
Prohibition-era wine cellar with sommelier Philip W. Pratt. Inside are
priceless bottles of French wines tagged with names like Richard Nixon, Ivan
Boesky and Burgess Meredith. |
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| “Visiting the 21 Club is like going back in time
to a golden era of elegant dress and dining.” ~ BK |
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by Barry Kay
Editor: Barry Kay
Editor-in-Chief: John
Lomitola |
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| © 2007 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes,
Inc. |
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