Dinner at ‘21′ in NY: A Step Up For Us
It was Restaurant week and we arranged to have dinner at ’21,’ one of the most elegant and acclaimed restaurants in the NYC. I’m embarrassed to admit that one of my first sources of name recognition derived from a Danielle Steele novel that I read on the beach many years ago. In it this gorgeous rich young heroine dines at ‘21’ in the city, with her new love. So when scrolling through the names of the top restaurants participating in Restaurant Week, this one jumped out at me.
Anyway, I was happy to easily get reservations for a Saturday night there with the Restaurant Week prix fixed menu. I was shocked when they took my credit card number to hold my reservation, asked for my home address and then quizzed me about any upcoming anniversaries or birthdays. You could tell this was a high caliber place where you had to pass muster to even think about eating there and I wondered if I’d have to put up my toddler to keep my reservation. But all was well.
Also, there is a dress code: Jeans and sneakers are not permitted. Jackets are necessary for gentleman, with ties preferred at dinner. So my husband was wearing a suit.
Part of having dinner at ‘21’ is that you get 6 hours of free parking, even with the Restaurant Week prices. So instead of circling around for 30 minutes and trying to park on the street, we pulled right into the Central garage and walked a few paces into the restaurant. This must be how the rich do it. Nice.
We arrived early and waited in these red leather wing chairs and people-watched. There was a fireplace just behind us and the whole place exuded wealth and elegance. As I watched people go to into the ladies room I was amazed at the beauty, class and taste of this clientele. Many looked dressed for a wedding. This is probably a great venue for single women to meet a rich man or single men to meet a gorgeous classy woman. Just a dating tip.
Anyway, we were seated in the famous ‘Bar Room’ and we chose our 3-course picks from the Restaurant Week menu. I had the white asparagus soup, the salmon and the crème brulee. My husband had the soup, pork tenderloin and chocolate mousse cake. Our only non-included items were a diet soda and coffee. It was excellent, as was the service. Our waiter remembered that it was our three year anniversary next weekend and he brought us two complimentary tall flutes of champagne. He put candles in our desserts so that we could each make a wish.
The décor was really interesting and unique. There were toys hanging from the ceiling. In my up-close slideshow pictures, the ceiling might look like a garage but when juxtaposed with the linen table cloths, dark wood and old world library feeling, it all looked like eccentric elegance to me. I later read that the Bar Room is the only place where a guest can enjoy fine dining while contemplating 75 years of American history. Among the things hanging from that ceiling were helmets of famous football legends, rackets of tennis stars and bats from baseball heroes.
I knew my husband liked this place but I could feel him anxiously anticipating the check. He guessed that they would tack on unforeseen charges, but when the bill came, it was only $40 per person, including tax. And when we picked up our car, it was free so we had saved $40 on the parking too! So we were very happy with the food, service, atmosphere, convenience and even the cost. By glancing at their regular menu, a similar meal would easily have run us $150 per person, so their Restaurant Week menu was at least a third of the normal price for a very memorable evening!
I would highly suggest dinner at ‘21’ taking advantage of Restaurant Week which usually extends from January 26-February 7th but I think that their participation might extend until July 31st so you are in luck! And if you have a birthday or anniversary during that time, definitely let them know. They will treat you very well!
‘21’ has earned many awards including the Wine Spectator Grand Award (2003-2009), the Forbes 2009 All Star eateries in NY, the Visitors Choice Award for best fine dining restaurant and best bar and it was Esquire’s Ten Favorite bars in June 2008.
You may also spot some celebrities there. Recent sightings include Whoopi Goldberg, Robert DeNiro, Clive Owen, Michael Jordan, Kate Winslet, Candice Bergen, Mickey Rourke, Sean Penn, Hilary Rodham Clinton, George Clooney, Bruce Willis, Jon Bon Jovi, Ellie Weisel, David Letterman, Renee Zellweiger, Cybill Shepherd and many more.
Every president since FDR has been a guest of ‘21’ with the exception of George W. Bush. JFK dined at ‘21’ on the eve of his inauguration. Alfred Hitchcock was a regular patron. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall had their first date at ‘21’ at table 30. Once Groucho Marx ordered one bean and sent it back to the kitchen saying that it was undercooked. This probably speaks to their attention to detail, service (and celebrities).
There were also many movies and television shows filmed at ‘21’, including All About Eve (1950’s), Sweet Smell of Success, Written on the Wind, The Opposite Sex, Wall Street, One Fine Day, Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Associate, Metropolitan and of course my favorite, Sex and the City.
Before leaving we wondered upstairs to take a few more pictures. There were some rooms with beautiful paintings of women representing the spirit of ’21.’ There is a second restaurant called ‘Upstairs at 21’ which is supposed to be very romantic but we could not peek in because there was a party going on. You can sense the history and it definitely feels like an estate. It turns out that ‘21’ opened in 1930 as a speakeasy and on December 31st 2009 it has celebrated its 80th birthday! Man, it is old!
So grab a date and give her a great meal while regaling her about the history and celebrity of this fine established venue. She will be impressed and it won’t cost you a fortune.
Check out my slideshow below for the full experience at: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-2473-NY-Love-Examiner~y2010m1d31-Dinner-at-21-in-NY-A-Step-Up-For-Us.
My Best in Love,
Paulette
www.mydatingschool.com
CONTACT INFO:
21 Club
21 W. 52nd St (bt. 5th & 6th Ave)
212-582-7200
http://www.21club.com/web/onyc/21_club.jsp
Related Links:
http://www.21club.com/web/onyc/restwk_wnt10.jsp (Restaurant Week menu)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/21-club-new-york#hrid:EPwrrNnO4fCWl5UE–K0OQ/src:search/query:21%20restaurant
http://www.zagat.com/Verticals/PropertyDetails.aspx?VID=8&R=51979
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/21-club02/
