The best restaurants have a soul and culture of their own, creating a unique space in time.
We can all remember some fantastic food joint that touched our lives and then one day was
gone forever.
Would it be weird to wish for a time machine just to go back to grab a quick lunch somewhere
amazing?
Here are some options for your culinary journeys into the past.
New York City's Carnegie Deli
In the 1970s, everything changed for the deli across from Carnegie Hall when a reviewer
for The New York Times claimed it served the best pastrami in the city.
Patrons flocked to Carnegie Deli, and by the time it appeared in Woody Allen's 1984 film
Broadway Danny Rose, it was considered a New York institution.
The deli served ludicrously large sandwiches and embraced its touristy image over the years.
According to the New York Times, things went south for the iconic deli in 2015 when it
was shut down for ten months after utility workers discovered it was stealing gas.
Subsequently, a court ordered the restaurant pay over $2 million dollars in back wages
to the staff.
Soon after, owner Marian Harper went through a messy divorce with her husband, who allegedly
stole the recipes for their pastrami and cheesecake and shared them with his mistress.
New York's Carnegie Deli closed for good in December 2016.
WD-50
When Wylie Dufresne opened WD-50 in 2003, he described his menu as "American cuisine,"
but was dedicated to pushing the boundaries of cutting edge cuisine.
According to the New York Times, the team at WD-50 often worked from stray musings from
Dufresne's food journal like,
"Can you braise couscous in coffee milk?
[...] What comes out when you put wine through a dehydrator?"
His menu only listed ingredients, with no indication of how the meal was prepared, leading
to appetizers like:
"Butternut squash, sherbert, Earl Grey, tapioca."
According to Vanity Fair, one of the most iconic dishes was his extremely popular eggs
Benedict, dubbed the restaurant's "Stairway to Heaven."
After 11 years of offering truly unique experiences, the restaurant was sadly forced to close in
2014 when the building owner sold to a developer who wished to place a new building on the
site.
For the time being, to try WD-50's iconic and confusing food, you'll need to track down
a copy of Dufresne's cookbook.
El Bulli
After returning from his military service in 1987, Ferran Adria became head chef at
an isolated Barcelona restaurant, El Bulli.
There, he embarked on a cooking philosophy defined by the adage,
"Creativity means not copying."
According to Vanity Fair, Adria was proclaimed the best chef on the planet by acclaimed chef
Joel Robuchon, and the restaurant became highly sought after.
At the height of its popularity, El Bulli was said to receive over a million reservation
requests with only 8,000 lucky souls getting a table.
The restaurant was closed in 2011, reflecting Adria's desire to focus on culinary experiments
without the difficulties of satisfying customers at the same time.
Many of his innovations have been copied the world over, which only makes you wonder what
secrets are hiding in El Bulli today.
Pith
After cooking for his roommates, Columbia University senior Jonah Reider decided to
open his own restaurant, Pith, in his dorm room with an online sign-up sheet and low
expectations.
Pith was featured in a student newspaper article that went viral, and soon the news had reached
the mainstream media.
He found himself fully booked for months on end, far longer than he could possibly fulfill.
He even appeared on The Late Show to feed Stephen Colbert leftovers.
"What does your school think of this?"
"They have been less than pleased."
According to Splinter, Reider only charged for the cost of ingredients, but the powers
that be in the on-campus housing were not pleased, and in May 2016 his lease at the
dormitory was terminated.
So there's no hope for those wanting to try his multi-course meals in a dorm room, but
Reider did manage to get a gig at Chicago restaurant Intro where he continued to hold
his communal "supper clubs."
Chasen's
Dave Chasen was a Broadway actor and vaudeville comedian who moved to LA to make it big.
He didn't, but his cooking was a success, so in 1936 he opened a restaurant serving
chili and ribs to the starlets and shakers of Hollywood.
According to the Paul Revere Williams Project, Chasen later expanded the menu after director
Frank Capra complained of having to eat chili and ribs all the time.
The Hollywood elite were attracted to the private, club-like atmosphere of Chasen's
and even J. Edgar Hoover frequented the restaurant, which was off limits to the press.
The restaurant famously accepted no credit cards: well-known patrons could simply have
the bill sent to their house.
According to Cruiseline History, there are countless fascinating stories from Chasen's
which may or may not be true.
Alfred Hitchcock regularly falling asleep at his table.
Ronald Reagan proposing to Nancy.
Donna Summer writing "She Works Hard For the Money" after hearing the line from a bathroom
attendant.
After Chasen passed away in 1973, his wife Maude carried on, attracting newer stars like
Sharon Stone, John Travolta and Quentin Tarantino until the final closure in 1995.
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