What's the deal with the Russian Tea Room

[marcinny]

They closed with tears and "last suppers", they opened with fanfares, the closed again, they opened again.

Now, they say they have a Business Express Lunch for $35. Does that include a slap in the face by Maitre D' if you don't eat in 20 minutes?

BUT they are conveniently near the Carnegie Hall. You can't get that away from them.

 

[Scott68]

The "old" Russian Tea Room had close ties with the "society names" of NY. That era is dead. Some other places were Tavern on the Green, The Plaza. These were some of the places that I would have Christmas dinner with my family as a kid. The scene has changed in general, people don't wear suits to dine out as much. I frequent Nobu a few times a month and I'm always amazed at what people wear, one example a few weeks ago, a few guys in pajama pants with Ed Hardy hats and t-shirts. I dine out often and I'm 40, but old school, if you're going to a nice place, have some manners and look as if you care.

 

[ereuben]

It is the end of an era - I can remember too. Cafe des Artistes is still special.

 

[NYC55]

The "old" Russian Tea Room had close ties with the "society names" of NY. That era is dead. Some other places were Tavern on the Green, The Plaza. These were some of the places that I would have Christmas dinner with my family as a kid. The scene has changed in general, people don't wear suits to dine out as much. I frequent Nobu a few times a month and I'm always amazed at what people wear, one example a few weeks ago, a few guys in pajama pants with Ed Hardy hats and t-shirts. I dine out often and I'm 40, but old school, if you're going to a nice place, have some manners and look as if you care.

very well put... I find that you never have to get dressed up for anyplace below 14th street.
Hence, Nobu has always been very casual, plus if you are eating on Hudson street you are on top of all of the other tables, so why get dressed!

 

[Scott68]

I'm not a snob by any means, but I just think standards have come down a bit. If someone looks neat and hopefully clean, it seems like they made an effort. When someone has total disregard, it puts me off a bit, I find it disrespectful to some degree. Shorts, t-shirts(the underwear variation), and flip flops really don't belong in a fine dining establishment.

 

[Monk]

Now, they say they have a Business Express Lunch for $35. Does that include a slap in the face by Maitre D' if you don't eat in 20 minutes?

I'm totally guessing here, but I imagine that they weren't getting enough lunch business in part because a full three course meal took too much time. So they're offering the "express" lunch to try and drum up a business lunch crowd with limited time on their hands.

I was at the old Russian Tea Room years ago. You know, it was one of those New York institutions where people would go to be seen. The food was okay, but nothing to write home about. Frankly, no one went there for the food —*it was the scene. If I remember correctly, it was one of those places executives in the publishing and media business would go with celebrity clients to be seen at lunch. You know, "I'm meeting my editor at the Russian Tea Room," sort of thing.

 

[Scott68]

If the newer Russian Tea Room didn't come with the name, they would be closed. Tourists have heard about this place from the old days and know nothing about it. The rent is astronomical I bet and if the place was call, let's say, Vlad's Bistro, they would be closed before they open. There are many places running under the old name and squeaking by because of it.

Years ago I had wealthy friends(young bankers) that would come in from London, Singapore, and have a list of places they had to go. They didn't know shit about these places, just the names that were thrown around their offices and they needed to fulfill a quota so to speak. I would laugh when they would give me the list, it was filled with trendy shitholes with mediocre everything. They didn't really want great food, they wanted to say they went there.

You can't buy culture.

I suggested Alaine Ducasse at the Essex House and they said it sounded boring, I said they ARE BORING, HA, some of my best dining experiences were there, they didn't know who he was.

 

[justlooking]

I find that you never have to get dressed up for anyplace below 14th street.

Try getting into the new Bouley without a jacket.

 

[NYC55]

Try getting into the new Bouley without a jacket.

you are right here. He had the #1 restaurant in the 90's. ate at 1 of his places about 6 years ago. will never go back to any of his restaurants.

 

[Monk]

you are right here. He had the #1 restaurant in the 90's. ate at 1 of his places about 6 years ago. will never go back to any of his restaurants.

Because you have to wear a jacket?!?

 

[NYC55]

Because you have to wear a jacket?!?

No, his restaurant in the 90's was #1 and had spectacular food. the one he opened about 6 years sucked. I'm not sure if this is the same restaurant or a newer one, but I'm tired of paying top $$$$ for food that is subpar. there are too many new restaurants in NYC like this.

 

[marcinny]

It is the end of an era - I can remember too. Cafe des Artistes is still special.

It seems that they too have a $35 dinner menu ("Restaurant week all year long").

Just like Russian Tea Room, they too prey on the "opera crowd" (Four blocks from the Lincoln Center and 10 minutes from the Theater District, says their site).

The RTR says something like this: "next to Carnegie Hall and six minutes and 23 seconds from the Lincoln Center")

I bet these guys watch each other promos just like people here check out each other ads for "sugar daddies" in CL.

 

[marcinny]

Do business adapt to the customers or is vice-versa?

I believe some restaurants fear that they would alienate a segment of customers if the enforce a dress code and they maybe right. On the other side, having a dress code can be useful in advertising the restaurant to a certain crowd.

 

[Monk]

I read an article about this a few years ago in which some top restaurants said they had relaxed their dress codes because some of their best customers put pressure on them to change with the times. Today, many people go out to relax and want to dress casually. And, at the time, office dress codes had been relaxed, so not many men were putting on a jacket and tie anyway.

I remember when you used to dress to go to the theater, too. And then go out to dinner afterwords. Now, when you go to a Broadway show, the audience is a sea of tourists in t-shirts and jeans, all smelling of the pizza they just scarfed down before the show.

 

[Scott68]

I'll have pizza wearing whatever I please, but weekend tourists should not cheapen the dinning experience.

 

[franca]

I even saw a woman wearing jeans at La Grenouille. It was dinnertime, which probably draws a more casual crowd than the lunching socialites. Still, I was surprised they let her in.

 

[ereuben]

Monk - I remember too. Pops used to take our family to a show during the holidays, whether Lincoln Center or Broadway. And people dressed. Style is coming back, though. My sense it will be about savoring the moment again v. get it at Walmart.

 

[marcinny]

Is it really coming back? I see no signs, but maybe it is.

Theaters are no different from the restaurants.

Of course, one goes to the opera for the performance and not to showcase the wardrobe, but when the pagliacio on the stage is better dressed than the majority of the audience then you start wondering that there must be something wrong with it.