The Florent
Coordinates: 40°44′22″N 74°00′27″W / 40.739483°N 74.007572°W
Florent was a French diner in New York’s Meatpacking district.
History
Florent was located on one of the few remaining cobblestone streets in New York City, at 69 Gansevoort Street.[1] and owned by colorful restauranteur and AIDS activist Florent Morellet. Morellet is credited with revitalizing Manhattan’s meatpacking district with his restaurant. It opened in 1985 and closed on June 29, 2008.[2][3] One of the hottest places in town, catering to the late night crowd, reminiscent of Edward Hopper's Nighthawks c.1942 painting. The restaurant was known for it ever changing message boards featuring everything from the establishment's daily specials to during the AIDS era the owners average "T"-cell count. The boards also featured just a subtle dash of politics included.
Erica De Mane, the noted food journalist and cookbook writer, began her cooking career at the Florent in 1985.[4]
As of June 25th, 2014, Alan Cumming is on board to produce a project inspired by the life of Florent Morellet.[5]
Florent was also known for the famous Bastille day celebrations that started in 1989 the year of the French bicentennial.[6]
Documentary
In May 2011, Magic Lantern released Florent: Queen of the Meat Market(2010) a documentary film which highlights the restaurant’s history
Notable guests
- Madonna (entertainer)
- Debbie Harry
- Winona Ryder
- Raymond Kelly
- James Gandolfini
- Keith Haring
- Calvin Klein
- Mikhail Baryshnikov
- Prince
- David Bowie
- John F. Kennedy, Jr.
- Kate Winslet
- Catherine Deneuve
- Marilyn Manson
- Felicity Huffman
- Ethan Hawke
- Bono
- Roy Lichtenstein
- Johnny Depp
- Amy Winehouse
- Keanu Reeves
- Julianne Moore
- Kier Kirby
- Diane Von Furstenberg
- Isaac Mizrahi
- Lady Bunny
- Joey Arias
- Robin Byrd
- Jeanne-Claude
- Christo
- Murray Hill (performer)
- Michael Musto
References
Notes
- ↑ "NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: WEST VILLAGE; Shifting Shadows and the Multiple Personality of the Meatpacking District". NY Times. February 5, 1985. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Genre-Bending Hangout Takes Its Final Bows". NY Times. May 21, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
- ↑ "The 25th Hour of Florent Morellet". NY Times. May 25, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ↑ "About Erica De Mane". My Mediterranean Diet blog. October 10, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
- ↑ "SundanceTV Revs Development with Projects from Alan Cumming, Todd Field, Patrick Dempsey". variety. June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
- ↑ "PLAYING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD". NY Times. July 17, 1994. Retrieved June 24, 2014.