MOFAD is working toward being an international leader in food education. It
features exhibits and programs to help people learn and care about the culture,
history, science, production, and commerce behind their food and drink. It
offers a variety of interactive exhibits, events and programs.

In 2013, MOFAD debuted its first exhibition, BOOM! The Puffing Gun and
the Rise of Cereal. The exhibition featured a 3,200-pound breakfast cereal
puffing machine, drew praise from major media outlets. The initial exhibit was
funded by a Kickstarter campaign which topped $100,000. The Museum continues to
be a work in progress as it overcomes funding challenges and lays out its plans
for the future including a full scale, permanent location. 

MOFAD was founded by Dave Arnold, who created and directed the Department of
Culinary Technology at the French Culinary Institute (now the International
Culinary Center). Executive Director Peter Kim, an attorney and former Peace
Corps volunteer, has also been instrumental in getting the Museum off the
ground. The duo realized there was nothing comparable. That combined with the
popularity of all things food in today’s world helped spark the creation of
MOFAD.

The Museum of Food and Drink in Brooklyn offers a variety of exhibits, programs and events all catered to the education, history, commerce and love of food and drink.

Website

The Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) is creating the world's first large-scale food museum with exhibits you can eat. Visitors can eat, touch, smell and learn about all things food and drink. MOFAD Lab, the organization's first brick-and-mortar home, opened in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn on October 28, 2015. In this space, MOFAD will design and showcase its exhibit concepts as it works toward opening the full museum in New York City by 2019.

Museum of Food and Drink

This trail will grow to include over two dozen iconic New York establishments, past and present. 

The property where the
Fraunces Tavern is now located was a body of water until the 1600s. New York
City was rapidly growing into a colonial port by the end of the 17th century.
In order to raise funds for a new market house and to construct ferries, the
city sold lots in 1691, which were created by filling in part of the Great Dock
along Pearl Street. The new block protected the city hall on the north side of
the street from flooding.The plot of land that
54 Pearl Street is located on was purchased from New York City by Stephanus Van
Cortlandt in 1686. Van Cortlandt was the son of Olaff Stevenson Van Cortlandt,
who moved to New Amsterdam in 1638. His daughter Ann married Stephen De Lancey,
a young French merchant, in 1700. De Lancey used the family land to build a
residence─the same building that would later be home to Faunces Tavern.From 1738 until 1740,
Henry Holt rented 54 Pearl Street to teach the latest European styles of dance.
From 1740 to 1759, the building was most likely used to stock merchandise and
for residences. In 1759, the firm De Lancey, Robinson, and Company purchased
the building. The firm, composed of Stephen De Lancey’s son Oliver, Beverley
Robinson, and James Parker, dealt with imported goods from Europe and the East
and West Indies. Despite its prime location, business was slow, so in 1761, the
Company decided to offer rooms for rent, but this wasn’t as successful as they
had hoped. The law firm had to sell the building in 1762.A man named Samuel
Fraunces purchased 54 Pearl Street, and opened Queen’s Head Tavern in 1762. In
1765, he leased management of the tavern but then resumed ownership of the tavern
in 1770. The Fraunces Tavern was a place where travelers and locals would visit
and share news of the day and current ideas. The New York Chamber of Commerce
was founded at the Tavern in 1768. Many New York clubs held meetings at the
Tavern, including the New York Society Library, the Social Club, the Friendly Brothers
of St. Patrick, the Knights of the Order of Corsica, and the Saint Andrew’s
Society.As a rebellion against
England arose in 1755, Samuel left New York and went to New Jersey.&nbsp; He
left the operation of the tavern to his son-in-law, Charles Campbell. The tavern
irregularly provided food, drink, and community throughout the war. In 1780,
Governor Tyron hosted a dinner for seventy people, which included members of
the Council and British generals. By 1783, Fraunces Tavern resumed normal
operations of the tavern, and the American Commissioners made the tavern their
headquarters.On November 25, 1783,
British troops left New York City, which was later referred to as Evacuation
Day. The Evacuation Day celebration was held at Fraunces Tavern. During that
week, George Washington was in the city, and he made use of the tavern by dining
in and ordering take-out. Officers escorted Washington from the tavern to the
Whitehall waterfront, where he boarded a barge that took him to New Jersey.Samuel continued
running the tavern as post-revolution life settled down. In early 1785,
Fraunces agreed to lease the Tavern to the Continental Congress for use as
office space for the Department of Foreign Affairs. Two weeks after the lease
was signed Samuel sold the tavern to a Brooklyn butcher named George Powers.
Two years later, both the War Department and the Treasury had also leased rooms
in the building.As the city continued
to grow, the area around 54 Pearl Street did as well. Between the years of 1827
and 1833, eleven other buildings were built on the block. In 1832, 1837, and
1852, the building suffered serious fires. After each fire, the owner rebuilt
and added contemporary add-ons. New floors and a flat roof were added. Upper
floors were each divided into thirteen bedrooms and a toilet to accommodate
tenants. The growing city was running out of building space, and old buildings
were being replaced with new ones. In 1900, 54 Pearl Street was threatened with
demolition. The Daughters of the American Revolution with the aid of the
Honorable Andrew H. Green, founder and president of the Society for the
Preservation of Scenic and Historic Places (SRNY), came together to attempt to
preserve 54 Pearl Street. They attempted to purchase the building for several
years, but the owners refused.However, the
preservationists persisted, and when restoration was completed in 1907, the
building was dedicated and opened as a museum and restaurant on December 4, the
anniversary of Washington’s farewell address to his officers. The restaurant
was managed by Emil Westerburg. By the 1960s, Fraunces Tavern developed to
include four surrounding buildings. In 1965, 54 Pearl Street was designated as
a New York City Landmark, and in 1977, the entire block was designated a
Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. After extensive
research, the Long Room on the second floor of 54 Pearl Street, was
re-interpreted and exhibited as a colonial urban tavern public room in 1981.
The landmark exhibition “Taverns: For the Entertainment of Friends and
Strangers” brought national attention to the museum.

















The museum galleries&nbsp;are divided throughout the tavern
and four other 19th century buildings on the block. Every gallery focuses on an
aspect of early American history and culture in New York, such as&nbsp;art,
maps,&nbsp;people, and other important features and
artifacts.&nbsp;The&nbsp;art portion of the museum has a collection from the
19th century artist John Dunsmore, whose art portrays events of the American
Revolution and the early&nbsp;Republic. Maps that define the lines and
routes&nbsp;that began forming in America between the 18th and 19th century can
be viewed in another gallery. Two galleries in the museum are&nbsp;dedicated
to&nbsp;informing visitors about George Washington's&nbsp;strong political
symbol during the 18th century as well as his farewell address held in the Long
Room of the museum. Above the Long room, visitors can walk into&nbsp;a gallery
dedicated to the history of&nbsp;SRNY, the group that was responsible for
saving the Fraunces Tavern from destruction and creating the museum.&nbsp; 
 
Guided tours are provided for any age through
all available galleries, as well as performances and lectures on special days
throughout the year. The Fraunces Tavern is a great place for educational field
trips, guided tour programs for elementary schools, and self-guided programs
for high school and college level students and adults. When touring all of the
galleries, visitors can do as the founding fathers did 200 years ago and enjoy
a pint and a meal in the tavern restaurant.&nbsp;

Fraunces Tavern Museum is located inside a building that was completed in 1719 as a home for the family of Stephen De Lancey. Samuel Fraunces purchased the building in 1762 and operated the Queen's Head Tavern. Leading up to the American Revolution, the tavern was the site of many important political discussions among colonists. After the war, the building housed the new government's departments of Foreign Affairs, War, and Treasury from 1785 to 1788.  In 1900, the aging building was almost razed until an effort was made by the Sons of the Revolution, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the founder of the Society for the Preservation of Scenic and Historic Places succeeded in saving the historic building. In 1907, a combination museum and restaurant opened in this building. This business thrived for many years and in 1981, preservationists and historians restored the second floor's "Long Room" as a colonial tavern. The museum continues to expand and now offers nine galleries filled with artifacts and exhibits related to the history of New York and the American Revolution. The restaurant is open daily.

Fraunces Tavern Museum

Originally known as Iceland Brothers, the world-famous Katz’s Deli opened in 1888 on Ludlow Street. The deli’s opening coincided with a surge of immigration from Eastern Europe. Many of those immigrants were Jewish and a number of them settled in the tenements of the Lower East Side. As a result, the Lower East Side became the heart of Manhattan’s Jewish population. Iceland Brothers was one of many delis established in the Lower East Side during the immigration of the late 1800s. In 1900, the Iceland brothers were bought out by their business partners, the Katz family, and the restaurant was renamed Katz’s Delicatessen. Within a few years, numerous Yiddish theaters were established in the neighborhood and because of its proximity to them, Katz’s became a regular gathering place for celebrities. To this day, its walls are still adorned with photographs of the many stars who have frequented the deli. It was also a popular spot--something of a community living room--for ordinary residents as well, particularly on Friday nights, when the deli served hot dogs and beans to locals. In 1923, when the subway was constructed, Katz's moved from its original location across the street, where it remains. Katz's was already a beloved Manhattan institution when it was featured in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally. The movie, in which Meg Ryan's character fakes an orgasm at a table in Katz's, made the deli known throughout the world. Today, a sign hangs above the table where Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal sat to identify it to curious visitors. Most people outside New York know Katz's primarly because of When Harry Met Sally, but the deli has actually been featured in other films, including the Frank Sinatra flick The Contract on Cherry Street, as well as Donnie Brasco and others. The deli is as popular today as ever and is typically packed, with most diners choosing Katz's famous pastrami sandwich. It reportedly sells roughly 15,000 pounds of pastrami each week.

One of the oldest and most famous of New York’s restaurants, Katz’s Deli has been serving the public since 1888. At the time, thousands of European immigrants were pouring into the city, with many of them settling on the Lower East Side. A large percentage of the city’s new arrivals were Jewish, and the Lower East Side became a thriving hub of Jewish culture, with Yiddish theater, in particular, flourishing. Because of its proximity to many of Yiddish theaters, Katz’s became a popular gathering place for entertainers. The deli is most well-known for its use as a backdrop in the film When Harry Met Sally.

Katz's Delicatessen

The Minetta Tavern was
established in 1937, replacing The Black Rabbit that had closed its doors just
8 years prior. The origin of the restaurant's title dates back centuries. The brook
that ran through the area was originally called the "Mannette" by
Native Americans. This name meant "Devil's Water." Though time and
acculturation slightly altered the name, now “Minetta,” the original meaning was
preserved and provides a cultural background for the tavern's name. At the
time, alcohol was commonly referred to as "The Devil's Water.”

 Frequented by many of the 1950’s "beats,” Minetta became
increasingly popular among the literary crowd. In addition to Joe Gould, Ernest
Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Eugene O'Neill, E.E. Cummings, and Dylan Thomas, the pub
also became a hotspot for a group who called themselves “The Ravens.” Taking
their name from Poe's poem, this group met and published poetry in what became
known as The Raven Anthology Journal,
which was published from 1933-1940. Gould was perhaps the most controversial
member, and purportedly roamed The Village with a sign that read "Joseph
Ferdinand Gould, Hot Shot Poet from Poetville, a Refugee from The Ravens. Poets
of the World, Unite. You Have Nothing To Lose But Your Brains." Gould
boasted that he wrote An Oral History of
Our Time, a work that was supposedly completed in the Minetta. It included
bits of over 20,000 conversations he overheard. It was a hoax, however. The
manuscript does not exist.

Today, the Minetta Tavern&nbsp;is run by&nbsp;Keith
McNally. A portion of his biography as&nbsp;found on the tavern's official
webpage reads,&nbsp;"... born in London&nbsp;and moved to New York City in
1975 where he distinguished himself by being fired from every job he ever
held." After taking over the Minetta, McNally&nbsp;closed the tavern for a
period of 6 months to refurbish the pub back to its historical look. Today, the
tavern retains&nbsp;the original wooden bar that was first installed in 1931,
and it still serves a Northern Italian cuisine characteristic of its first days. 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Minetta Tavern was established in 1937 by Eddie Silieri, who became known as Eddie Minetta, taking his name from the tavern that in turn borrowed its title from the stream that ran through the area. Founded at the height of the prohibition era, The Minetta Tavern became a popular speakeasy for many literary legends, most notably Joe Gould, who frequented the pub so often that he was said to receive his mail there. With perhaps a similar taste for pubs, authors Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Eugene O'Neill, E.E. Cummings, and Dylan Thomas visited the bar to unwind and socialize. Today, The Minetta Tavern retains much of its history, as much of the original design remains, serving to transport patrons back to a time when the world's greatest authors congregated here and wrote their masterpieces.

Minetta Tavern

In 1938, Barney Josephson, a former shoe salesman with leftist proclivities opened Café Society in the basement of 1 Sheridan Square. Built in 1834, the building was remodeled in the late 1920s and during that remodel, the basement was combined with that of the adjoining building. Josephson had traveled in Europe and was struck by the racially integrated venues he saw there. A serious jazz fan, Josephson envisioned his club as a place that would showcase the best jazz performers and would do so in an integrated, diverse environment. Often described as New York City’s first integrated club—Josephson himself described it as such—that status is disputed as there were other spaces where white and Black patrons were known to gather. What made Cafe Society unique and significant perhaps was less the issue of whether it was first but rather they fact that Black patrons were often present in large numbers and seated throughout the club. Cafe Society was known for deliberately attracting a diverse (and often politically liberal) clientele. The club was famously billed as “the wrong place for the Right people,” which was as much a jab at conservatives as it was a statement about the club’s politics. Café Society hosted some of the biggest jazz performers of the day, including Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Art Tatum, and others. Gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a regular performer. But the club’s most legendary moment came when the then-unknown Billie Holiday performed the anti-lynching song, “Strange Fruit" for the first time. The song was inspired by a poem written by Jewish American high school teacher Abel Meeropol. In 1948, Josephson's brother was called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities because of his support of leftist causes but refused to testify. Cafe Society was known to have hosted events with known Communists, and after his brother's trial, Josephson's business saw a pronounced decline. He was forced to close the club in 1950. After Cafe Society closed, several establishments took up residence in the building, most notably the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, which was operated there from 1978 to 1995. Founded by Charles Ludlam in 1967, the company became one of the city's most highly regarded Off-Off-Broadway theater troupes. Ludlam wrote, directed, and starred in nearly production, many of which involved drag, poltiical satire, and gender-bending roles. Following Ludlam's death of AIDS in 1987, the street in front of the building was renamed Charles Ludlam Lane.

Between 1938 and 1950, the basement of this unassuming wedge-shaped building at 1 Sheridan Square was home to Café Society, one of the few regularly and thoroughly racially-integrated clubs in New York City and the United States. In an era when social spaces like nightclubs drew the color line in both formal and informal ways, Café Society was one of the few upscale spaces where white and Black music lovers regularly gathered. Shortly after the club opened, twenty-three-year-old Billie Holiday performed “Strange Fruit” for a public audience for the first time at Cafe Society. The anti-lynching ballad would become one of the earliest and most powerful protest songs in American history. After Café Society closed in 1950, the building housed several other establishments, most notably the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, an innovative theater troupe led by Charles Ludlam.



Cafe Society (1938-1950) 

During the feminist movement of the 1970s, numerous establishments and institutions were established that catered to feminists and their allies, including restaurants. Greenwich Village was home to the nation's first feminist restaurant, Mother Courage, which opened in 1972 and was in operation for five years. Its proprietors were Dolores Alexander, well-known in the city's feminist circles, and her partner, Jill Ward. Alexander served as the first national executive director of the National Organization for Women (NOW), but left her position because of what she felt was an anti-lesbian attitude within the organization. She also founded Women Against Pornography, which alienated her from some of her fellow feminists. The restaurant, which was named after the protagonist of Bertold Brecht's play, Mother Courage. The restaurant served a diverse clientele, including stalwarts of the feminist movement, but its patrons' political views ran the gamut. Men were welcome at Mother Courage but its female guests always took priority. It was also billed as a safe space for women who wanted to dine alone. Among the regulars at Mother Courage were feminist heavyweights Susan Brownmiller and Gloria Steinem. Mother Courage was not merely a restaurant. Alexander and Ward regularly hosted readings and other cultural events. Mother Courage closed in 1977, despite widespread popularity and press coverage from major publications. Although it was only open for a few years, the restaurant had a lasting influence, eventually leading to the establishment of feminist restaurants in other parts of the country.

Founded by Dolores Alexander and Jill Ward, Mother Courage was the first feminist restaurant in the United States. The restaurant operated from 1972 to 1977 and although it was open to anyone, it attracted a largely female clientele. It attracted a large number of feminists and set a precedent for other feminist-centered restaurants around the country.

Site of Mother Courage Restaurant (1972-1977)

The White House Tavern, built and designed in 1880, is the&nbsp;2nd oldest continuously run tavern in New York City. It&nbsp;was originally ordained as a spot for local longshoremen until it gained popularity amongst the Beat Generation of&nbsp;authors and other artists&nbsp;in the 1950s.&nbsp; Common visitors to the tavern were&nbsp;James Baldwin,&nbsp;Bob Dylan, Mary Travers,&nbsp;Norman Mailer, John Ashbery, Anais Nin,&nbsp;Frank O’Hara, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Jim Morrison. In fact, it became known as&nbsp;a “nostalgic high temple of the Alcoholic Artist” by&nbsp;New York&nbsp;magazine, due to&nbsp;the common ruckus stirred among its drunken guests. One of the White Horse's&nbsp;bathroom stalls even has the words "Go home Jack!" scrawled onto it, which was&nbsp;supposedly put there&nbsp;by a customer frustrated by Jack Kerouc's belligerent behavior. Perhaps the most notable visitor of all, however,&nbsp;was the&nbsp;Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. After being introduced to the bar by fellow poet Ruthven Todd in 1950, Thomas could be regularly found at the bar telling stories of his beloved Wales,&nbsp;"[reciting] from his favorite poets, savagely [satirizing] literary critics, [bursting] into musical hall ditties... and [answering] questions with self-deflating aphorisms, deadpan wit, and ebullient laughter." Unfortunately, though, the tavern would beThomas' last "watering hole"&nbsp;before his death. On&nbsp;November 3, 1953, the poet drank eighteen shots of whiskey, and, allegedly, stumbled out into the street right afterwards. He was then taken back to the Chelsea Hotel,&nbsp;where he was staying, and died at&nbsp;New York’s St. Vincent Hospital&nbsp;a few days later due to "complications from pneumonia and other ailments."&nbsp; The memory of Thomas is still kept alive at the tavern today, however, for, alongside the&nbsp;namesake white horse pictures and figurines,&nbsp;memorabilia in his honor can be found. Also, on the anniversary of his death, the White Horse serves the last meal he ate there before he died.&nbsp;

Dubbed the "Nostalgic Temple of The Alcohol Artist" by NY Magazine, the White House Tavern is best known for the night of November 3, 1953 when Welsh poet Dylan Thomas downed 18 shots of whiskey which led to his demise later the next morning. A common hangout spot for literary figureheads in the 1950s, in addition to Thomas, included regulars such as James Baldwin, Anais Nin, Norman Mailer, John Ashbery, Frank O'hara, Allen Ginsberg, Mary Travers, Jack Kerouc, Bob Dylan, and Jim Morrison. Though not quite as popular today, the spot remains an attraction to those who know its origins, and those who do not quickly learn of it upon entering, as portraits of Thomas adorn the walls. 

White Horse Tavern

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;From its earliest days, baseball has welcomed immigrants, evident by the estimated 30% of players who claim Irish heritage. Many of the biggest stars at the turn of the 20th century were either immigrants or their descendants, including Michael “King” Kelly, Roger Connor (Home Run King before Babe Ruth), Eddie Collins, Big Ed Walsh and managers Connie Mack and John McGraw. Thanks in part to these stars and their fans, baseball was heavily ingrained in Irish-American communities and held high importance in their culture. Parents encouraged their children to play as a means of a good income and pushed them to join leagues. Since the Irish joined the game before it was fully organized, they were able to slip by without worrying about exclusion.



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Foley’s NY Pub &amp; Restaurant is a baseball bar and home of the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. The bar is conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan, across the street from the Empire State Building and steps away from Madison Square Garden. Clancy, the owner, named the bar after a good friend of his, legendary sportswriter Red Foley, who worked for the Daily News for more than three decades. Having been a longtime writer and official scorer for both the Mets and Yankees, it is believed that he may have witnessed more baseball games than anyone in NY history.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The walls at Foley’s are covered with over 2500 autographed balls, hundreds of bobbleheads, game-worn jerseys, pictures, stadium seats and other artifacts. Time Out New York for Kids named it one of the best bars for children and the bar itself is widely acknowledged as being one of the best sports bars in America. The success of this bar is credited to sport or media figures of Irish decent who have positively impacted the game of baseball.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There's always something fun going on at Foley's NY Pub and Restaurant including&nbsp;beer tastings, celebrity bartenders, special events and more! It is fun for the whole family! You won't want to miss out on any of it, so stay updated on current events by following Foley's NY on Facebook and Twitter! Contact anytime at foleysny@aol.com.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Not only does Foley's offer a wide variety of food including various appetizers, soups and salads, burgers, entrees, and desserts, they also have a huge selection of draft beers, scotch, and wine. Customers are also able to purchase Foley's merchandise including shirts, hats, and socks. Those who are not able to make it to the bar itself have the option of purchasing merchandise online at foleysny.com.

The Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame recognizes players, managers, executives, journalists, and entertainers of Irish descent who have significantly and positively impacted the game of baseball. It is located at Foley’s NY Pub & Restaurant in downtown Manhattan across from the Empire State Building. Shaun Clancy, a baseball historian and a man of Irish heritage, established Foley’s in 2008 after learning about the heritage of the players who were of Irish decent. Shaun decided to celebrate these players by opening a shrine dedicated to the Irish Americans in baseball history. 

 


Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame at Foley’s NY Pub & Restaurant

The Knickerbocker Hotel was originally the project of J.E.
and A.L. Pennock in 1903, but due to financial difficulties, the project was
surrendered to John Jacob Astor IV in 1904.&nbsp;Astor was a descendent of an immigrant of modest means who arrived in the United States in 1783. A successful fur trader, Astor invested his wealth by buying land in New York City prior to the growth of the city.&nbsp;Under the guidance of the Astor family, the building was redesigned shortly after opening. The family invested heavily in the property, redesigning the&nbsp;interior and adding&nbsp;a three-story restaurant and bar which was able to hold
2,000 patrons. When the Knickerbocker Hotel opened on October 23, 1906, it
immediately became a popular spot among the New York City social scene. The bar
and restaurant were almost always hugely active, especially being so close to
the downtown area. However, with the death of Astor IV on the Titanic and the
advent of prohibition, the Knickerbocker began to suffer financially. Instead
of keeping the Hotel alive, Astor’s son Vincent Astor decided to convert the
Hotel for use as offices.

From 1921, the Knickerbocker Hotel building was used as
various office spaces and was renamed the Newsweek Building from 1940 to 1959
after the eponymous magazine made the building its home. From then until the
early 2000s, the building switched hands numerous times, until it was sold in
2006 to a hotel firm planning to revitalize the building. However, the plan
fell through, and the building was surrendered in 2010 with little progress made.
The building was purchased a final time in 2012 by FelCor Lodging Trust, who
began a renovation project on the Hotel. In February of 2015, the Knickerbocker
Hotel reopened under its old name, and once again offers lavish accommodations
as it did in its glory days.

This iconic hotel New York was acquired by businessman John Jacob Astor IV in 1904 and opened two years later. The influential hotel owner saw the building's potential to provide luxurious hotel accommodations in New York City and acquired the building from a pair of businessmen who launched the hotel's construction in 1903 but soon ran into liquidity issues. Astor's wealth and fame brought success to the hotel in the early 1900s. However, the management of the Knickerbocker found themselves saddled with growing expenses in trying to maintain the grand hotel following the onset of prohibition just fifteen years after the ambitious hotel opened. the building served as the home for many offices and retailers until 2015 when the restored building reopened as a historically-themed luxury hotel. The hotel emphasizes its history and seeks to recreate the luxury and grandeur envisioned by its founder. 

The Knickerbocker Hotel

The story of Sardi's began in 1921 in the basement of a brownstone located at 246 West 44th St. when Vincent Sardi opened a small restaurant appropriately called "Little Restaurant." Over time, actors and theater goers began to simply call it "Sardi's." In 1927, 246 was demolished to make room for the new St. James Theater, so Sardi's moved to 234 West 44th, where it still remains.In the early years during the Great Depression, Sardi's struggled to turn profit. Vincent Sardi thought of the idea to bring the famous faces of Broadway to life through caricatures. The first artist Sardi hired was Russian-born Alex Gard. Gard was not paid with money but instead was offered two meals a day at Sardi's in exchange for his artistic talents. In total, Gard produced more than 700 of the famous caricatures gracing the walls of Sardi's.  Sardi's became the favorite New York watering hole for well-known names such as columnist Walter Winchell, Liza Minnelli, Lauren Bacall, James Cagney, Fred Astaire, and musical composer Stephen Sondheim. In addition, Sardi's was the birthplace of the Tony Award. When the actress and American Theater Wing founder Antoinette Perry died in 1946, her partner was eating at Sardi's when he came up with the idea to name an award in her honor. For years thereafter, the Tony Award winners were announced from Sardi's.In 1947, Vincent retired from the restaurant business and handed it over to his son Vincent, Jr. For over 60 years, Vincent Sardi, Jr. was the face of Sardi's and was dubbed the "unofficial mayor of Broadway." In 1958, with the restaurant grossing over a million dollars a year, Sardi opened "Sardi's East" on East 54th St.; the restaurant was not as successful as the original and he sold it 10 years later. As the 1970s and 80s progressed, the Theatre District of New York began to decline and Sardi sold the restaurant for more than $6 million in 1985, only to resume ownership six years later. Vincent Sardi, Jr. continued to own the restaurant bearing his family's name until his death in 2007.The Theatre District of New York has drastically changed since Sardi's first opened at 234 West 44th St. in 1927. However, both Vincent and Vincent Sardi, Jr. were creative, dedicated, and inventive enough to ensure that Sardi's would withstand any undeniable change. After all of these years there is no sign that Sardi's is slowing down, due to its historic atmosphere in one of New York's most notable areas.

This landmark New York restaurant was opened in 1927 by the Italian-born Vincent Sardi and his wife Jenny. To attract customers and to make his restaurant stand-out among other New York restaurants, Sardi decided to decorate the walls with caricatures of movie and Broadway stars. He first hired Russian artist Alex Gard to draw the stars, and Gard continued to draw hundreds of caricatures until his death. The next long-term artist to take over the role was Don Bevan. Over the decades, Sardi's rose in popularity, even inspiring the opening of a Hollywood Sardi's. Only the West 44th St. Sardi's has stood the test of time, however. When locals and tourists step off of Broadway into Sardi's, it is trip back in time, reflected by the original wall color and the red coats worn by waiters. Sardi's remains the restaurant to frequent before or after catching a show in the historic Theatre District of New York. 

Sardi's Restaurant

Born Bernard Shor in Philadelphia, Toots was a nickname designated to him as a child, and it stuck with him for life. By the time he turned twenty, both of his parents were dead, and Toots was left to the care of his two sisters. A sports enthusiast since childhood, Toots did not make it far at Drexel University or the Wharton School of Finance, he left school and pursued his dream of moving to New York. It was during those early days in New York as a bouncer during Prohibition that Toots had his first introduction to mobsters and gangsters, men he would always consider "pals" if they were good to him.After serving as host at a sports-hangout in New York called Billy LaHiff, in 1940, Toots decided to open his own place at 51 West 51st St. He named it Toots Shor's Restaurant, but locals came to know it as Toots's. Because of the seemingly fair prices, Toots Shor's was appealing to people from all walks of life, from stars to the average Joe, and that was mainly due to the personality of Toots himself. He made a point of becoming acquainted with his clientele, and affectionately greeted them at the front as "crum-bum." An ardent Yankees fan, he never missed a home game. Toots's became a home away from home for players Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.When the legendary crooners Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby would enter the restaurant, all heads turned their way and then a thunderous applause would break-out. Jackie Gleason also made a home for himself at Toots Shor's, becoming one of Toots's closest friends. When Gleason was not filming his show, he would spend the day socializing at Toots's, then go home for a shower and quick nap before returning for more enjoyment. On Saturday nights after filming his show, Gleason left the theater as fast as he could and went straight to Toots's. Gleason's 39th birthday at Shor's was the social event of the year in New York in 1955, and to Gleason's delight, the show was stolen by the former Mrs. Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe.Though it was the most beloved hangout in New York, Toots's was not known for its cuisine. Toots advertised on the atmosphere of the place. He once told actress Audrey Meadows that a couple from Omaha had complained to him they could get better steaks in Omaha. In classic Toots he responded, "So what? When you're through eating, you're still in Omaha!" Toots took more pride in his restaurant being known for its martinis made at the giant round bar. Chief Justice Earl Warren was a fan of those martinis, as was the gangster Frank Costello. It was not uncommon to see the two men drinking on opposite sides of the bar at the same time.In 1959, Shor's gambling and penchant for allowing his friends to eat for free had taken its toll on the financial well-being of the restaurant. That year he closed the doors on West 51st St. and the next year the building was demolished. A couple of years later he re-opened another Toots Shor's on West 52nd St., persuading some of the old crowd to return. But the culture in New York was dramatically changing and financial problems continued to mount. In 1971 Toots closed his second restaurant, only to return again the next year, but that restaurant closed within a year. Toots's days as a restaurateur were over, his old pals had all grown older, died, or moved away. Shor died in 1977 while living at the Drake Hotel in New York.Decades later, Toots's granddaughter Kristi Jacobson brought her grandfather and his restaurant back to life in the documentary "Toots." In looking to re-discover her grandfather's personage and legacy, Jacobson interviewed old friends Walter Cronkite, Frank Gifford, Pete Hamill, Mike Wallace, as well as Toots's daughter. Journalist Pete Hamill summed up Toots Shor's Restaurant the best when he remarked, "Toots's was a part of the imagination of people who had never even walked in there. They knew it existed the way they knew the Statue of Liberty existed." At Toots Shor's times were simpler, people were happy; that was all Toots could ask for.

In the 1940s and 50s, there was one place in New York where all the big name entertainers and athletes would gather: Toots Shor's Restaurant at 51 West 51st Street. Baseball heroes such as Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio, entertainers Jackie Gleason and Frank Sinatra, and starlets like Marilyn Monroe all frequented the hang-out in New York known for its round bar. The owner, Toots Shor, was just as large of a personality as all of those famous names. A towering figure over six feet tall, he was a burly man, but the sports enthusiast who was once a bouncer during Prohibition had a heart of gold. Never a strong business manager, Toots would allow his most frequent customers to eat for free. When the restaurant's finances began to suffer in 1959, Toots closed the doors at West 51st. The next year the building was demolished. The restaurateur would try again with another Toots Shor's at a different location, but that too would fail. Today, all that is left of the original is a marker noting this was where the legends of the 20th century would congregate in what was then the greatest city in the world. The tangible evidence of Toots's may no longer be, but the memories and legends of a simpler time linger still.

Site of Toots Shor's Restaurant (1940-1959) 

In 1893, William Waldorf Astor opened the Waldorf Hotel on the site of his mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The 13-story hotel was designed by an architect named Henry Hardenburgh. In 1897, The Waldorf Hotel was combined with the Astoria Hotel, which was a 17-story building owned by Waldorf’s cousin John Jacob Astor IV. On April 15, 1912, John Jacob Astor IV died on the Titanic along with more than 2,000 other people, and William Waldorf Astor passed away in October of 1919 in England, where he moved to in 1893. With the death of both owners the first Waldorf-Astoria closed in 1929. The building was torn down and sold to the developers of the Empire State Building.

The current Waldorf-Astoria, which was the second hotel built under this name, was opened on October 1, 1931, on the current site where it stands today on Park Avenue. It is one of the world’s largest and tallest hotels. When the new hotel was opened, President Herbert Hoover made a radio broadcast from the White House, which gave great regards to the Waldorf Astoria. He stated that “The opening of the new Waldorf Astoria is an event in the advancement of hotels, even in New York City. It carries great tradition in national hospitality…marks the measure of nation’s growth in power, in comfort and in artistry…an exhibition of courage and confidence to the whole nation…” Many people heard the President’s radio broadcast and were impressed with the high standards that the Waldorf possessed.

In 1945, a motion picture was made about the hotel. It was called “Weekend at The Waldorf.” It was filmed inside the hotel. The film was ranked 7th in the box office&nbsp;and brought in more than $4,000,000. On October 12, 1949, Conrad Hilton took control of the Waldorf-Astoria with the&nbsp;ambition to add the Waldorf to his hotel collection.&nbsp;Many famous people have stayed and lived in the Waldorf-Astoria. Some of these famous people include&nbsp;Marilyn Monroe, Queen Elizabeth II, Madonna, and J K Rowling. Marilyn Monroe lived in the hotel for $1,000 per week in 1955. explaining that she moved to the Waldorf-Astoria to get away from her crazy life in Hollywood.

The Waldorf-Astoria was named a New York City landmark in 1993 along with the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. Today the hotel offers historical tours, a gift shop, valet parking, a theater, and tour desk.

One of the leading icons of the city of New York, the 13-story Waldorf Hotel was opened in 1893. In 1897, the hotel merged with the Astoria Hotel - a 17-floor building. Once one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, the facility became dated and closed at the end of the 1920s. The original hotel was replaced with a new building created by the developers, and it would eventually become the Empire State Building. The second and current Waldorf-Astoria opened in 1931 and is once again regarded as one of the most luxurious in the world. Currently, it is under renovation to restore and enhance the experience for guests. 

Waldorf Astoria

Jennifer Lee and
Amanda Murray’s documentary The Search for General Tso traces the origins of the beloved
Chinese food dish and examines who the General Tso is.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a> General Tso (Zuo Zongtang, or Tso
Tsung-t’ang)
was born in Hunan (Xiang) province and he was a Qing dynasty statesman and
military leader in the middle and late 19th century China. He took part in the
military campaign to put down the Taiping Rebellion, which is still the most
brutal civil war to this day as it cost 20 million lives.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>
He also led the campaign that crushed the Britain and Russia backed Islamic
State of Kashagria and recaptured Xinjiang.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[3]</a>
His last post was the navy admiral of Fujian Fleet, as he funded the first
modern naval yard in Fujian in his earlier military career. Because of General
Tso’s
meritorious military service, local people to this day are still proud of his name. However, the general himself had never ate or even heard about
this chicken dish, “we don’t even know
whether he like chicken or not.”<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[4]</a>

As communists
took over the mainland, Chef Peng Chang-kuei, who was originally from Hunan,
went to Taiwan in 1949. Peng had many connections with government officials of
the Republic of China (which is still
the official name of Taiwan) as the government’s banquet chef. He
came up with a chicken dish and named it after his fellow Hunanese, General
Tso.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[5]</a>
However, this General Tso’s Chicken is not
the one subsequently flooded across America. It is believed that this dish was
first served by chef Tsung Ting
Wang in 1972 New York. Wang
learned about this dish during his trip to Taiwan, and recreated it with his
own twist. At first, he called
it General Ching’s chicken, which was most likely
named after Chiang Kai-shek, the President of the Republic of China at the
time. Wang’s
version has two changes: thicken the batter before frying chicken and add sugar
when starching the chicken.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[6]</a>
Later, this suitable-for-American-diet General Tso’s
Chicken received favorable reviews and rapidly spread to almost all Chinese
restaurants in America.

Shun Lee Palace was one of the most influential
Chinese restaurants of the 1970s. Wang was its executive chef, stockholder and
major force. Since opening on the East side of Manhattan in 1971, Shun Lee
Palace continues to be an upscale Chinese restaurant specializing in serving
trend and eclectic cuisine.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[7]</a>
The food at this restaurant is a mix of Sichuanese, Hunanese, and Shanghainese,
and it became most famous for its General Tso’s
chicken and crispy orange beef. Shun Lee Palace and its sister establishment
Shun Lee West are still going strong today.<div><div>

</div>

</div>

General Tso’s Chicken, a sticky, sweet Chinese fried Chicken dish often served with broccoli and sprinkled with scallions, is a favorite on Chinese restaurant menus across America. However, it was actually created decades ago. It is a dish that was invented by a Hunanese in Taiwan and eventually popularized in America. It is believed that this dish was first served by chef Tsung Ting Wang in 1972 New York. Wang learned this dish during his trip to Taiwan, and recreated it with his own twist. 

General Tso’s Chicken and the Shun Lee Restaurant

Patsy Lancieri learned to make pizza in coal-fired brick ovens by working at one of the original pizzerias in New York City, Lombardi's, before opening his own restaurant in East Harlem in 1933. Gennaro Lombardi owned a grocery store at 53-1/2 Spring Street in Lower Manhattan; it became the first licensed pizzeria in the U.S. in 1905. Two other men who worked at Lombardi's went on to open their own pizzerias: Anthony "Totonno" Pero began Totonno's in Coney Island in 1924 and John Sasso opened John's Pizzeria on Bleeker Street in 1929.Patsy and Carmela Lanceri lived in an apartment above the restaurant. The brick oven at Patsy's Pizzeria is kept heated continuously, even when the restaurant is closed. If the oven was allowed to get cold, it would take too long to heat it back up every day, and the taste of the charring wouldn't be the same. Building codes in the city don't allow this type of oven to be built from scratch now; only existing ovens can be rebuilt or renovated. Patsy's still buys their tomatoes from only one grower, to ensure their sauce will taste just right.The original Patsy's nephew, Patsy Grimaldi, opened a Patsy's Pizzeria in Brooklyn in 1990, but later changed the name to Grimaldi's Pizzeria. Another restaurant in Manhattan named Patsy's Restaurant, on W. 56th Street in Midtown was founded by Patsy Scognamillo in 1944. Patsy's Restaurant and Patsy's Pizzeria have been involved in a trademark lawsuit for over a decade over the use of the name "Patsy's." Patsy's Restaurant was supposedly ordered by the court to quit using the Twitter handle "patsysnyc" but was still doing so, according to Mr. Brija. The court also declared that the W. 56th Street eatery should be renamed "Patsy's Italian Restaurant" and neither business could call itself just "Patsy's." The Midtown restaurant does not serve pizza.Brija has expanded Patsy's Pizzeria to several additional locations in Manhattan plus one in Queens (now closed) and one in the Bronx.

Patsy's Pizzeria opened in this location in East Harlem on First Avenue in 1933 and over their nearly century of operation, the pizzeria has become famous for their brick, coal-fired oven which produces a unique texture and flavor for their thin-crust slices. When Pasquale "Patsy" Lanceri opened the restaurant, East Harlem was still heavily populated by Italian immigrants and their descendants. Lanceri's widow, Carmella sold the restaurant in 1991 to Frank Brija, an Albanian immigrant from Kosovo. They may have been the first restaurant in New York to sell pizza by the slice.

Patsy's Pizzeria, Original Location

Bohemia was part of what later was called Czechoslovakia and now the Czech Republic. Many Czech and Slovak immigrants came to Manhattan and Queens in the nineteenth century. From 1900 to 1903, eighty children attended classes in the Bohemian language on Saturdays in New York City Public School No. 8. Their parents paid for teachers, fuel for the day, and a janitor. The Superintendent of Schools abruptly ordered in early 1903 that the classes be ended. Members of the Astoria Bohemian Association then held a meeting where "harsh things" were said about Superintendent Maxwell. That seems to have spurred the group to build themselves a building where their children could continue to be taught in the Old World tongue.Architect Frank Chmelik designed Bohemian Hall in 1910.The building was labeled "Astoria Bohemian Benevolent Association School &amp; Gymnasium" on the 1915 Sanborn map (image below). The brick rectangular main block of the building (on the north edge of the property) was two stories tall and contained bowling alleys and a stage. The smaller brick portion to the southeast (then along "Woolsey Ave.") was one-story and contained a bar, with a small rear wing of brick. An entrance to the open-air courtyard was south of the bar, and the rest of the complex was surrounded on three sides with 1-story wooden structures; the rear (west) wooden structure was labeled "bowling on stand." The open-air interior was the "Summer Garden." In 1910 and to this day, Bohemian Hall was just a stone's throw away from Public School 85, built in 1906. The Beer Garden managed to serve alcohol during Prohibition because it operated as a non-profit cultural center.The structures at Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden looked unchanged on a 1936 Sanborn map. By 1950, the smaller brick portion of the building was a "store" on the Sanborn fire insurance map, but the rest looked similar to 1915. The school playground expanded by 1950 to the vacant lots west of the Beer Garden. The wooden structures around the exterior and entrance to the garden have now been replaced by a cinderblock and brick wall, with metal double doors. The enclosed outdoor space contains picnic table seating and can hold about 1,000 people. The double-door entrance to the main block of the building is at the top of a set up steps with cast iron railings, facing 24th St. The transom above the double door is lettered "BOHEMIAN HALL" and above the recessed entryway are the words "CESKY DOMOV." Cast iron fencing separates the sidewalk from the spaces outside the basement windows.Language classes in Czech and Slovak are still offered at Bohemian Hall, over 100 years after they started. The Beer Garden has become an incorporated for-profit and is the last of the historic beer gardens in New York City. It still offers food and drink.

The Bohemian Hall &amp; Beer Garden is a social club with food, drinks, and entertainment. It was built in Astoria, New York in 1910. The building is owned by the Bohemian Citizens' Benevolent Society, whose mission is to support Czech and Slovak immigrants. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 for its significance in architecture, social history, and entertainment.

New York City Food and Beverage History Trail

Museum of Food and Drink

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information