Delmonico's Restaurant

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Delmonico's restaurant at the corner of 5th Avenue and 44th Street in 1903

Dinner in honor of Admiral Campion at Delmonico's in 1906

Delmonico's building at 2 S. William Street/56 Beaver Street. The pillars by the entrance were imported from the ruins of Pompeii.

Dinner menu from the Water St./ Beaver St. location dated April 18, 1899. The reverse has the same menu in French.

Delmonico's Restaurant is one of the first continuously run restaurants in the United States and is considered to be one of the first fine dining establishments.^[1] 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 patrons to order from a menu (à la carte, as opposed to table d'hote), rather than requiring its patrons to eat fixed meals. Later, Delmonico's was also the first in the United States to use a separate wine list.

The restaurant was opened by the brothers John and Peter Delmonico. In 1831, they were joined by their nephew Lorenzo Delmonico, who eventually became responsible for the restaurant's wine list and menu. In 1862, the restaurant hired Charles Ranhofer, considered one of the greatest chefs of his day. Beginning in the 1850s, the restaurant hosted the annual gathering of the New England Society of New York which featured many important speakers of the day.

The business was so successful that from 1865 to 1888 it expanded to four restaurants of the same name. At various times there were nine different locations. The pillars by the entrance of the William Street building, which was constructed after the Great Fire of New York, were imported from the ruins of Pompeii.^[2]

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, and Delmonico Potatoes were invented at Delmonico's restaurant, but it was most famous for Delmonico steak. Eggs Benedict were also said to have originated at Delmonico's; although, others claim that dish as well.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Famous patrons included Jenny Lind (who, it was said, ate there after every show), Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, "Diamond Jim" Brady, Lillian Russell (usually in the company of Diamond Jim), Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, J.P. Morgan, James Gordon Bennett, Jr., Walter Scott, Nikola Tesla, Edward VII (then 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 acquired 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.

[edit] Trivia

The "Delmonico's" name was so famous that other restaurants (having no connection with the Delmonico family) were opened across the USA, and the name continues to be used to this day. The New Orleans, Louisiana, "Delmonico's", which opened in 1895, was purchased by Emeril Lagasse in 1997. Emeril refurbished the restaurant and re-opened it as Emeril's Delmonico.

In Caleb Carr's book, The Alienist, Delmonico's features prominently in the story, as the protagonists do much of their thinking and problem-solving there, while enjoying sumptuous meals.

The original restaurant was the subject of episode CW1F03 ("Number One's") of Unwrapped, originally aired on April 12, 2006.

In one of his Life With Father stories, Clarence Day recounts eating lunch with his father at Delmonico's. When he is still hungry at meal's end, Lorenzo Delmonico gives him a chocolate éclair for dessert.