Russian Tea Room to close

[Fat Guy]

Just received this e-mail announcement from the Russian Tea Room's PR firm:

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Dear Friends,

It is my sad duty to inform you that the Russian Tea Room will close on after dinner service on Sunday night.

Jennifer LeRoy wants you all to know that she very much appreciates the support you gave her father over the years, as well as your ongoing interest in the RTR and encouragement you have given her since Warner's death.

She has just informed the restaurant's staff, assuring them she will due the best she can she to help them find other jobs.

Her statement about the closure is as follows:

“This decision is the hardest and saddest I have ever had to make. My family and I inherited our father’s ambitious dream for the Russian Tea Room and we did everything in our power to realize his vision. We made a tremendous effort over the past 18 months to make the very expensive enterprise successful, an effort that involved the commitment of significant personal resources. Unfortunately, like so many other restaurants, the Russian Tea Room suffered from the slowing national economy and the tragic events of 9/11.

Consequently, the personal funds we devoted to it have been depleted and we can no longer sustain the restaurant in this manner. Having explored every other possible avenue available to us and having encountered dead ends at all of them, closing the Russian Tea Room is regrettably our only option.”

Jennifer is working with her management team to inform the hosts of private functions booked after Sunday at the Russian Tea Room of the closing and to outline their options to them.

[cabrales]

I've never been to the Russian Tea Room. I'd appreciate members' input on whether a visit prior to the closing would be worthwhile, and, if so, what dishes might be appropriate to sample.

[Fat Guy]

The last time I was there was approximately one year ago. Here's an excerpt from a roundup piece I wrote last summer about NYC Russian restaurants:

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If Petrossian is buttoned down to a fault, the Russian Tea Room (150 W. 57th St., 212-974-2111) is its irrepressibly flamboyant alter ego. Founded by former members of the Russian Imperial Ballet in 1926 and painstakingly restored as the last labor of love by the late Warner LeRoy (Maxwell's Plum, Tavern on the Green) at a cost of $20 million, everything about the Russian Tea Room -- from the revolving acrylic bear aquarium (remove his head to feed the fish), to the world's largest Tiffany glass ceiling (it used to hang in Maxwell's Plum), to the riotously red leather banquettes (like buttah!) -- positively screams that no expense was spared to make this New York's most outrageously lavish restaurant. Anyone who can't have fun amid all the excess that is the Russian Tea Room, especially after indulging in a few of beverage director Daniel Hartensteinis infused-on-premises vodkas, is missing the point. But there's a surprise: a serious kitchen (four of them, actually: one for each floor) that, after an inauspicious opening and the recent arrival of new chef Renaud Le Rasle (formerly LeRoy's personal chef), has started producing well-conceived Russian Imperial cuisine thanks in part to a collaboration with cookbook author Darra Goldstein. The Russian Tea Room's pelmeni (veal-and-beef dumplings, though the Siberian originals would have been made with horse) are the best and most ethereal in town, and the chicken Kiev (yes it is legitimately Ukrainian in origin) is so moist and redolent with butter you may want to cover yourself with a drop-cloth before cutting into it. Desserts on a recent visit were the weak link, but the pastry kitchen shows promise.

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Who knows what the conditions will be as the place prepares to close. I'd say the main reason to go would be to experience a New York institution, and not necessarily to have a meal that will blow you away.

[cabrales]

Steven -- Thanks I'm sold on the Chicken Kiev and the Marc Chagall artwork indicated on the restaurant's website. Which of the four floors did you dine on, and do you think it makes a difference, given the separate kitchens?

[Fat Guy]

Only the first and second floor are used for public dining as far as I know; the others are for private events only. Try to get shown around, though, if you can.

Depending on how busy the place is, they might not even utilize the second floor on a given night. The ground floor is the classic -- very red; the second floor has the gaudy new decor with the acrylic bear aquarium and such. Either would be fine. The food is the same.

[Sandra Levine]

How sad. This restaurant (pre-Leroy) used to be my family's favorite place for a certain kind of celebration, e.g., after seeing my niece in The Nutcracker when she was a student at SAB.

[Haggis]

This is sad news. I wonder if the closing will be final, or if anyone will bother to resurrect it in the future. My favorite meal there was always the RTR Zakuska, which is assorted hors d'oeurves, followed by Karsky Shaslik Supreme, which is saddle and kidney of lamb. Can't say if either of these will be up to the standards of years ago, or even if they still appear on their menu (haven't been to RTR in 7 years). Cabrales, if you go and are at least two in your party, get the Chicken Kiev and Karsky Shaslik Supreme between you. Those were RTR's two tastiest entrees, and were always reliably consistent.

[Fat Guy]

Haggis, in my opinion as between the food seven years ago and the food post-renovation there is no contest. The post-renovation kitchen is far superior.

It would have been interesting had David Bouley actually become the chef there.

[Haggis]

All the more reason for Cabrales to consider going. Rather than falling apart at the end, there is a small possibility that they will want to go out with a bang, and things could be great. I am hopeful in that way, sometimes. Are you able to recall, Fat Guy, if my beloved Karsky Shaslik was still on the menu?

[Fat Guy]

They have lamb shashlik, but I don't think it is as you describe. It's grilled skewered chops, I believe.

[Fat Guy]

Yes, that's right. As Cabrales notes there is much to be learned on the restaurant's Web site:

http://web.russiantearoom.com/

[cabrales]

I am back from dinner at the Russian Tea Room. I would have had no inclination to visit but for the closing, but am glad Steven alerted me to such development so that I could catch a last glimpse of the restaurant.

That the service left something to be desired was hinted at by the receptionist taking my call for a reservation. She would not agree to a 7:45 pm reservation, and insisted on my taking an 8:00 pm slot. She noted that reservations were only accepted on the hour or the half hour. When I arrived at 7:45, the restaurant was less than 50% full and I was promptly seated, at my request, in a booth. The service during the meal was fine. However, when I exited the restaurant and asked for a menu, the lead at the reception area defiantly refused my request. Being a menu collector, I persevered and asked two more times, but received negative responses that I deemed to be short of being professional for restaurant personnel and that were at a minimum blunt and unyielding.

I settled into the red-colored seating in the booth. The tablecloths were a shade of pink slightly darker than baby pink. The decor was oddly amusing, being in such sharp contrast to good taste and so reminiscent of Christmas. The walls, heavy with various paintings, were an evergreen color, with plenty of shiny gold "decorative" finishes. The lights suspended from the ceiling had shiny, metallic red Christmas tree ornaments "adorning" them by the dozens. Music that appeared to me to connote Russian folk dance at times was discernible. The temperature of the room was set at an unduly low level, and, in a twinset with a cardigan, I still felt cold. The restaurant showed no outward signs of being on the verge of closure. The dining room staff members, clad in red kossack-like costumes, appeared to be going about their business as usual.

Given my largely unsuccessful attempts of late to eat and drink more lightly for a few weeks (with certain upcoming exceptions), I decided on a glass of Perrier-Jouet and a single dish -- the Chicken Kiev. The chicken was average-plus, with an appropriate deep fried shell. As Steven mentioned, the herbed butter lodged inside the white meat had melted and was literally quasi-squirting out when the chicken was cut into. The liquid butter emoliated the chicken flesh it touched. The shape of the deep-fried chicken was surprisingly roundish/ovalish, with a little piece of bone protruding in a cute manner. The chicken was not overdone. The deep-fried chicken had fried parsley on top of it, and was presented on top of a circular-shaped bed of rice. The rice was "crisp" (i.e., not mushy), and flavored with various herbs. It contained small bits of diced carrots, peas, almond slices, black and white raisins, bits of slender asparagus, etc. Overall, an average-plus, appropriately-prepared chicken dish that I was glad to have sampled at the Russian Tea Room.

[cabrales]

In view of the restaurant's closing, the indicative dinner menu from the Russian Tea Room website is set forth below. I recollect certain limited differences between the menu reviewed at the restaurant and the below menu:

I. CAVIAR

Beluga 1 oz. 70; Golden Osetra 1 oz. 65; Sevruga 1 oz. 50.

blini, crème fraîche, melted butter

Napoleon of Caviar, lemon vodka cream, choice of 1 oz.

Beluga 70; Golden Osetra 65; Sevruga 50.

Flight of Caviar 175, blini, crème fraîche, melted butter

1 oz. each of beluga, golden osetra and sevruga

with a paired vodka flight 190. / Ketel One, Luksusowa, Cristall

II. FIRST COURSES

Taste of Russia 28, for two

salad olivier with chive oil, smoked salmon blini terrine, foie gras ballotine with pickled fruit, artichoke and duck prosciutto salad, egg salad with sevruga caviar, wild mushroom and farmer's cheese blintz, assorted smoked fish, russian deviled egg

Oysters 14.

chef's daily selection

Seafood Ravioli 16.

buckwheat pasta, lobster, shrimp, scallops, mussels, fricasee of morels, asparagus, sweet corn velouté

Gravlax 12.

lemon vodka cured salmon, melon salad, sevruga caviar cream, avocado coulis

Squab 16.

roasted squab breast, baklava of pistachios, spinach, honey, caramelized onions, roasted plum jus

Duet of Foie Gras 18.

napoleon of pan seared foie gras and beets; foie gras ballotine with pickled fruit

Tsar's Salad 9.

russian caesar salad, romaine lettuce, lavash crouton, parmesan cheese

Mixed Green Salad 8.

pita stuffed with farmer's cheese, pistachios, and walnuts, mustard vinaigrette

III. RUSSIAN SPECIALTIES

Borscht 12./18.

beets, braised meats, horseradish dumplings, dill flavored sour cream, duck pirozhki

Pelmeni 11./17.

veal and beef dumplings in chicken broth, mustard, dill and sour cream

Blintzes 14.

blueberry, cheese, cherry

Assortment of Pirozhki 12.

braised duck, spinach and farmer's cheese, mushroom lobster

Chicken Kiev 27.

rice pilaf with vegetables, raisins and almonds

Beef Stroganoff 30.

beef tenderloin, mushroom and mustard cream sauce, dill ribbon noodles

Lamb Shashlik 34.

grilled skewered lamb chops marinated in georgian spices, barley mint pilaf, lamb jus

Coulibiac of Salmon 26.

in puff pastry with champagne caviar sauce

IV. MAIN COURSES

Halibut 27.

georgian spice, summer barley risotto, asparagus, baby cress, peas, morels

Cod 24.

spring vegetable lobster broth, clams, calamari, russian mustard

Tuna 30.

grilled, haricots verts and tomato salad, citrus vinaigrette, brioche croutons

Duck 28.

roasted duck breast, crispy vareniki of duck leg confit, spring vegetables, apricot jus

Chicken 29.

roasted free-range chicken breast stuffed with smoked salmon, peas, potatoes, romaine hearts, spring onions, smoked salmon velouté

Rib Steak 36.

grilled, spring vegetables, pommes soufflés, red wine sauce

Beef Goulash 26.

braised beef in white wine tomato sauce, sauté of asparagus, morels and fava beans

Vegetable Tart 22.

caramelized vidalia onion, zucchini, tomatoes, asparagus, farmer's cheese, crispy puff pastry

Side Dishes --

Russian Star Fries 8.

Spring Vegetables 8.

V. DESSERTS

Apricot Tart, almond ice cream, 10.00

Trio of Crème Brûlée (vanilla, mango, prince vladimir tea), 10.00

Ponchiki (mini doughnuts filled with vanilla, chocolate, and raspberry cappuccino dome), 10.00

Milk Chocolate Pyramid, creme brulee center, macadamia nuts, peach cappucino, 10.00

Frozen Pistachio Nougat, fresh berries, orange pepper tuile, passion fruit coulis, 10.00

Ice Cream (vanilla ~ praline ~ almond), 10.00

Sorbet (mango ~ chocolate ~ raspberry), 10.00

Blintzes (blueberry, cherry, cheese),14.00

Chocolate Soufflé, praline ice cream, 14.00

Cherry Financier, nougatine, vanilla ice cream, 10.00

[LaNiña]

I'm sad. My grandmother and/or my father used to take me after Carnegie Hall, and after the opera. We used to get zakuska, and lots of caviar, and I would get to have little sips of vodka. I always loved the samovar collection (will they be sold?)

That being said, I went for a a late night supper after Carnegie Hall a month or so ago, and was very disappointed. The service was not so good, and the food was nothing special, although the vodkas we drank were interesting.

Oh well. Another NY institution gone. If I weren't in CT, I'd go for a last visit.

[cabrales]

Nina -- The restaurant offered certain house-infused vodkas. Flavors that appeared interesting, but that I did not sample, included (1) lemongrass and ginger (?), and (2) honey.

[Steve Klc]

Am I recalling correctly that the restaurant got a "0" star review in the Times?

[Fat Guy]

That is correct. It received a "satisfactory," which I believe is the ranking below one star and above poor. The following week or soon after the Tea Room placed a large advertisement in the Times taunting Grimes. An ugly episode all around.

[cabrales]

Am I recalling correctly that the restaurant got a "0" star review in the Times?

Below is additional information on Grimes/Russian Tea Room:

-- The New York Post, December 28, 1999 ("Eateries Talking War vs. Times"): "Restauranteurs who have been burned by the tough new food critic at the New York Times are talking about forming an insurgency group to fight back. Drew Nieporent . . . is leading the revolution. Nieporent's second-in-command could be Warner LeRoy. 'He [Grimes] is a little flea,' says LeRoy, whose reopened Russian Tea Room got zero stars in the Times two weeks ago. . . .LeRoy insists he wasn't angry. But he did retaliate by taking out an ad last week citing other reviewers who liked the restaurant, including Gael Greene, The Post's Steve Cuozzo, and Bob Lape."

-- The New York Times, December 15, 1999 ("First the New Russia, Now the New Tea Room", by Grimes): "The result [of the remodeling of The Russian Tea Room] is appalling. It takes a little while to gauge the full dimensions of the disaster . . . . But upstairs, Mr. LeRoy has pulled out the stops, and he has proceeded with the confidence, and the taste, of a newly minted Moscow billionaire. . . . More than ever, the Russian Tea Room is not about the food. . . . The modern touches that he [Chef Fabrice Canelle] has introduced often seem peculiar, and the traditional dishes lack soul. . . . Siberian veal and beef dumplings, or pelmeni, are nicely done . . . . Much of the menu is a dreary slog. At times, I felt as though I were in the Soviet Tea Room. . . . "

[Fat Guy]

Here is the review by William Grimes:

http://query.nytimes.com/search/full-page?...751C1A96F958260

And here is the New York Times obituary for Warner LeRoy, written by Eric Asimov:

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/24/nyregion/24LERO.html

[Sandra Levine]

I always felt that The Russian Tea Room was more about "place" than food. As Cabrales pointed out in her description of the first floor, which seems not to have changed much since I was last there before LeRoy, it was always Christmas there.

I hope the Museum of the City of New York acquires some of the artifacts and recreates a corner of the room,

[rozrapp]

Here is the article about the closing in today's NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/27/nyregion/27TEA.html

[nyfirepatrolchef]

Wow

Good bad or otherwise, its still the death of an institution.

Of course its sad if the place has declined and lost a great amount of its one time lustre...

but still.....

[jhlurie]

Of all places I heard about this on a pop music radio station today.

Of course I knew at that moment I'd come here and see lots of talk about this, but still, the shock of how fast this all seems to have happened is a bit much. Good or bad, the Russian Tea Room was a New York "institution" in a way that few things are anymore--it was just always there...

[Fat Guy]

Yes but did you anticipate that we'd have sent a delegate to conduct a last-minute analysis and that her report would already be online?

[Suzanne F]

Is Faith Stewart Gordon still alive? I wonder what she thinks.

(for those not familiar, she was the previous owner, who left the RTR closed for several years until Warner Leroy bought it; she wrote a book about the place)