Delmonico's Restaurant
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Delmonico's Restaurant is commonly said to have been the first restaurant in the United States. It opened in New York City in 1827, originally as a pastry shop at 23 William Street. It was first listed as a restaurant in 1830. Unlike the inns that existed at the time, a restaurant like Delmonico's would permit a patron to order from a menu, rather than being required to eat a fixed meal. Later it was also the first in the United States to use a separate wine list. If it cannot be proven that Delmonico's was not the first such establishment in the United States, it is well-established that it was the first "fine dining" restaurant.
The restaurant was opened by the brothers John and Peter Delmonico. In 1831, their nephew Lorenzo joined the business. In 1862, the restaurant hired Charles Ranhofer, considered one of the greatest chefs of his day.
The business was so successful that from 1865 to 1888 it expanded to four restaurants of the same name. At various times the restaurant was in nine different locations. In 1919 Delmonico's was sold away from the family to Edward L.C. Robins. It ultimately closed in 1923 as a result of changing dining habits due to Prohibition. The last location to close was the one at 44th Street and 5th Avenue, also known as "The Citadel."
Chicken à la King, Lobster Newberg, Eggs Benedict, and Delmonico Potatoes were invented at Delmonico's restaurant. But it was most famous for Delmonico steak.
Famous patrons included Jenny Lind (who, it was said, ate there after every show), Mark Twain, "Diamond Jim" Brady, Lillian Russell (usually in the company of Diamond Jim), Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Walter Scott, Nikola Tesla, Queen Victoria and Albert, the Prince of Wales, and Napoleon III of France. Journalist Jacob A. Riis claimed to be a patron of a different sort: in his book The Making of an American he mentioned that when he was down on his luck a kindly French-speaking cook at Delmonico's would pass him rolls through the basement window.
In 1929, three years after the last Delmonico's closed, Oscar Tucci opened a restaurant called "Oscar Delmonico's" at the former Delmonico's location at 2 South William Street location (sometimes listed as 56 Beaver Street) in New York. In 1977 another restaurant called Delmonico's was opened at the location by the Huber family, which they operated until 1992. The building was vacant until 1998, when the Bice Group aquired the property and again opened a "Delmonico's" with Gian Pietro Branchi as executive chef. The restaurant was sold to the "Ocinomled" partnership in 1999, and they continue to operate "Delmonico's" there.
Many other restaurants have been named "Delmonico's" after the original New York restaurant, including a restaurant opened by chef Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans, LA.
In Caleb Carr's book The Alienist, the main characters have a lavish meal at Delmonico's.
The original restaurant was the subject of episode CW1F03 ("Number One's") of Unwrapped originally aired on April 12, 2006.
References
- [History of Delmonico's]
- ["John Delmonico - pioneer of fine dining in America"] by Milford Prewitt. Nation's Restaurant News, February, 1996.
- [New York Architecture Images - Delmonico's]
- [Website of modern-day Delmonico's restaurant in New York. (Opened in 1998.)]
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