Lutece (Closed)

[alacarte]

Today's Times has another article about the imminent closing of Lutece, Gage and Tollner, and Le Cote Basque. Read it here.

What a great lede to the article:

Call it the Valentine's Day massacre.

[mags]

I was first taken to Lutece 20-odd years ago, when my father took the clan to celebrate something or other. More than two decades later, I still remember the salmon-and-fish-pate en croute, and that incredible frozen raspberry souffle. I also remember that my stepbrother's stick-insect girlfriend ordered clear broth, steamed fish with no sauce, and berries for dessert. I thought she was nuts, and I still do -- which may be why nobody will ever mistake me for a stick-insect.

A year or so later, Lutece was also the first "fancy" restaurant to which I ever took myself (and a friend) -- and this when I was making about $20K a year and trying to live in Manhattan on the take-home.

I will miss Lutece, but the Lutece I'll miss actually folded its tent long ago.

[ghostrider]

I was bothered by Wolf's comments that the city needs vitality, not monuments.

It's a sad day when Gage and Tollner gets replaced by Friday's or Ruby Tuesdays.

I dunno what's coming next, but Friday's/Ruby Tuesday's sure ain't vitality.

[kinichiwa]

I ate Lutece a number of times and was never disappointed. I am an admirer of Andre Soltner and his abilities as a restaurant owner and chef. i can remember exactly what i had to eat my first meal at Lutece (sweetbreads with morels...yes so much food, but never a morsel more than i was able to eat.)

I have been nostalgic and sad for that part of the Lutece memory. Also, for everything Chef Soltner has taught us, not just as a professional but as a"new Yorker" who could always make his customer feel at home.

[wesza]

"Lutece" was the best Restaurant that I have ever eaten in consistently during the years that "Andre Soltner" operated the establishment.

There were few Restaurants that were the destinations of so many Chefs and Restaurant Professionals on special occasions that were even close to being equal.

I had the privilege of dining there with James Beard, Henri Soule, Albert Stockli, Joe Baum and the Krindlers and every meal was truly special.

I've enjoyed dining at many of our more well known Chefs operations from the "French Laundry", "Charlie Trotters" and many, many others but none ever had the magic that Soltner put into Lutece.

There are so many places closing for whatever reason that makes me envy the ability of the European operations that have been able to continue and evolve thru so many years maintaining standards that we aren't able to emulate.

Why haven't we succeeded in spanning generations with continence in the Restaurant business? I hope that we take heart and try to encourage or support those operations that are trying to continue with whatever traditions being maintained.

I would like to see some list of these wonderfully places that deserve our support so that somehow we could monitor there ability to succeed in the future. There are still many operations that are special in most communities that your often able to overlook or forget until it's to late to do anything about.

Irwin