New York Social Diary - May 2008

This past weekend I needed a break from the dress-downers, the non-dressers, the dress-less, whatever you wanna call those people who don't bother dressing or bother to think about dressing appropriately. I felt like slipping into an era where it would have been unthinkable to wear shorts to theater. Granted, I dress casually whenever appropriate, but I have my limits.

So to fulfill my urge, I got all dressed up this past Saturday night and went to '21' Club for dinner. '21' is one of the few restaurants in New York that has a strict dress code, which means: no jeans and sneakers. Maintaining and enforcing a dress code gives the restaurant a certain je ne sais quoi that is hard to come by, especially in this day and age.

‘21’ is one of the most recognized restaurants in the world and while I had never dined there before Saturday night, I felt right at home, almost as if I was having a deja vu moment. My dinner partner and I were seated at a corner table in the famous bar room. Between the toys dangling from the ceiling and the various plaques on the wall, one would expect the room to feel ... dated. So, I was surprised at how fresh and alive the room felt. The whole room was buzzing with people just plain enjoying a night out. The crowd was a mixed bag of noo yawk regulars, tourists, and diners like me who were hoping for that quintessential ‘21’ experience. The menu features a long list of ‘21’ classics like Steak Tartar and Steak Diane aside from a few modern additions.

It’s an undeniable letdown when trying out a trendy new restaurant (which run at the same price point as ’21’) and seeing how careless its management and staff can be in all aspects of the business. My point: They should take their cues from '21.' I stuck with the classics for my dinner and had a very garlicky (I love garlic) Caesar salad and a plate of smoked salmon for my main course.

For dessert we split the hot rice pudding and the profiteroles with chocolate sauce. I wanted to dive right into the bowl of hot rice pudding, with its perfect vanilla flavoring and creamy texture. Nothing beats simple food executed perfectly.

After dinner I went on a tour of the secret wine cellar. The wine cellar is hidden behind a two and a half ton door that is disguised as a brick wall (you guessed it, for during the days of Prohibition). When you step into the wine cellar you will see vintage bottles of wine placed on reserve by the likes of President Nixon and Elizabeth Taylor. It's at that moment you realize the instrumental role '21' has played in the richness of New York's social and political history. I was blown away.

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