The now lovely white table cloth- penthouse and midtown located restaurant once started as a speakeasy in the West Village in 1922, New York City.
The speakeasy, called The Redhead, appears to still be around and located at 21 east 9th street.. will have to check it out.. and it all began with the two cousins cousin's Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns
Construction on 21 Club, located today on 21 West 52nd street and actually comprised of 3 townhouses, started in 1871. Directly from their website, I couldn't have said it any better "Officially opened on January 1, 1930, '21' is one of America’s most famous speakeasies from the Prohibition Era. Designed with its own disappearing bar and a secret wine cellar to hide the illegal liquor from prying eyes". 21 had an intense dress code of a jacket and tie/dress required, as to a story from long ago, a highly known woman arrived in the wrong attire and was asked to leave. She refused and instead went to the ladies room, took off her pants and wore only a tie, jacket and shirt. No one could say anything as she was following the rules and she was brought to her table. This was the only time this was allowed. Haha. I love a gutsy woman.
Below are a few of my favorite fun facts about 21 club:
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall celebrate their first date at Table 30 in 1944, and they first worked together in To Have and Have Not, written by another '21' regular, Ernest Hemingway (who was caught making love to gangster Legs Diamond’s girlfriend in the '21' kitchen in 1931) and whose favorite table was 7! I must go and visit it now.. (you will see why in a post after this one)
"One of my fondest memories at‘21’ was the night my wife, Dickie, and I were having dinner
with Mayor Wagner and an unaccompanied Frank Sinatra. Mayor Wagner and I were deep into
a long (and probably boring) political discussion. Frank Sinatra was left to entertain my wife for
an hour or so. I looked over at one point and Frank is spoon‐feeding rice pudding to my starry‐
eyed wife. Frank turns to me and says “Don’t worry Gerry, it’s the best rice pudding in the
world.”…And it was." - Gerald Cummins
And two lovely paintings by LeRoy Neiman: (with so many limos out front, they had an alphabetical system)
For even more historical facts visit 21 Historical Timeline
Photos from 21 Club
