Restaurants and Nightclub Ads in the New Yorker

The most voluminous category of ads in The New Yorker was restaurants and hotel dining rooms and cocktail lounges. For the most part the ads were small.

Pianists and society orchestras that played the music of Cole Porter and the like ruled the hotel rooms that advertised in The New Yorker. The Drake Room in the Hotel Drake at 56th Street and Park Avenue had “food for the gods...refreshment for the worldly” in “a setting designed by Franklin Hughes to delight the eye.” It offered lunch and dinner, with pianists Les Crosley at dinner and Cy Walter during cocktails and supper. The Wedgewood Room at the Waldorf Astoria featured pianist/singer Joan Edwards and harmonica virtuoso John Sebastian at supper, with Leo Reisman and his orchestra at dinner, alternating at supper with Mischa Borr and his orchestra. The cover from 10:30 PM was $2. The “Incomparable” Hildegarde was at the Persian Room at the Plaza, while Dorothy Ross and her “frisque” songs were the draw at Hotel George Washington down on Lexington and 23rd. Danny O'Neil was at the Maisonette at the St. Regis at Fifth Avenue and 55th St with the George Koch and Freddie Miller Orchestras. Nat Brandwynne and his orchestra were at the Grill in the Hotel Roosevelt on Madison Avenue at 45th Street.

The air-conditioned Pierre Grill at the Hotel Pierre had “just fine food...no music or entertainment.” The Park Lane pitched the Tapestry Room for wedding receptions, debutante balls and other social occasions. The Sherry-Netherland at 5th and 59th offered “fine food” and a “superb setting.”

Alexandra at 8 E. 49th featured a festive menu of traditional dishes for Easter, served from noon until 8 PM. They were, or so they said, famous for fried chicken Maryland. Easter Sunday dinner amid early Americana was the draw at The White Turkeys at University Place, Madison at 37th , and 49th off Fifth. The original White Turkey Inn at Danbury, CT was opening May 1.

Two traditional restaurant choices for businessmen were Cavanagh’s “where elegance in dining is a tradition since 1876” on West 23rd Street, and Keen’s English Chop House, which had been at 36th near Sixth since 1885 when Herald Square was the heart of the theater district. The Monte Carlo advertised itself as a lunch place.

The House of Chan, at 7th and 52nd, billed itself as New York’s deluxe Chinese restaurant. Sea Fare, with locations on Sutton Place and at 41 W, 8th St, was Mediterranean in inspiration; the uptown Sea Fare would be succeeded by the Sea Fare of the Aegean. The Castelholm at 344 West 47th St, claimed to be the “most popular Swedish restaurant famous for smorgasbord.” It also had a cocktail lounge with music. Henri Confiseur at 15 East 52nd was famous since 1906 for its chocolates. Copain, “a restaurant of distinction” on First Avenue at 50th street featured fine food prepared in the Continental manner. Maison Maurice Raviol at 3 East 48th Street had a “French table d'hote of distinction” including a “cuisine francaise” luncheon and an “excellent dinner” from $1.25, as well as a bar and “smart” cocktail lounge that were opened all day.

The Lombardy, on 45th just off Park offered “distinguished dining” and the “smartly appointed Hunt Bar” with Marianne Arden at the piano, as well as their “famous hunt breakfast” on Sundays. The Hearthstone, with locations at 15 E.48th and 102 East 22nd, offered a luncheon from 65 cents, dinner from $1.35 and a tea-luncheon from 40 cents. The uptown location also had cocktails. The King of the Sea "America's foremost seafood house" was at 3rd Avenue, under the el, near 53rd St. Cortile was "an Old World Spot" with entrances at 37 W 43rd St and 36 W 44th and a cocktail bar; luncheon was from fifty cents and dinner began at 75 cents. The Miramar had cocktails, luncheon and dinner at 10 E.46th St, opposite the Ritz Carlton.

The Versailles, at 151 E. 50th, was “New York's distinguished continental rendezvous.” It had been restyled and redesigned, and at dinner and supper featured Danish actor and nightclub performer Carl Brisson, a popular boulevardier of the 20s and 30s who had introduced the song “Cocktails for Two” on screen with Kitty Carlisle. At Spivy's Roof on East 57th Street the entertainment was continuous from 10 PM. This week The Three Flames and ventriloquist Jay Marshall were appearing and Spivy appeared nightly singing her sophisticated songs. Spivy’s was a hangout for the theater crowd, including Spivy’s celebrity lesbian friends. It was also a hangout for gay men, who were among her biggest fans although Spivy in her cups could be vocally hostile to their presence. Casino Russe, adjoining the Russian Tea Rom on West 56th, offered “superb Russian cuisine” and an all-Russian revue twice nightly and, for a relaxing tete-a-tete, the Bagdad Room was open until 4 AM.

For those dining further afield, there was the Donnybrook Lodge in Scarsdale and the Warrenton House, which served meals daily in Warrenton, VA.