Elaine's: The Rise of One of New York's Most Legendary Restaurants from Those Who Were There

By Amy Phillips Penn and Liz Smith

A tribute to legendary restaurateur Elaine Kaufman and her renowned Manhattan creative melting pot.

Elaine’s was a world-famous New York restaurant that became home to writers and celebrities. Owner Elaine Kaufman was known to be New York feisty,” controversial, often rude, always blunt, with the flare of Gertrude Stein and Dorothy Parker.

Elaine was highly respected and also frequently feared, and Elaine’s the restaurant received the public’s love and praise time and time again. Woody Allen held a regular table there, and Elaine’s was even featured in Allen’s Manhattan and Billy Joel’s song Big Shot.” Throughout the years, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and countless celebrities, politicians, socialites, private eyes, athletes, artists, and the biggest names in Hollywood became Elaine’s regulars.

Most emphatically, Elaine’s raison d’être was to nourish starving writers” with encouragement, introductions to Pulitzer Prize winners, and free food and alcohol. These struggling authors responded to Elaine’s support with profound gratitude.

Elaine passed away in 2010, forcing the restaurant manager to close shop shortly after. There is no Elaine’s without Elaine,” she decreed. However, the memories remain and are recalled by a variety of Elaine’s regulars in this moving, oftentimes amusing, collection of personal essays.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Release date: Jun 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781634500074

Book preview

So . . . Who Was Elaine Kaufman?

Amy Phillips Penn

OR AS ELAINE might say: Who the fuck was Elaine?

Yes, I am a fucking icon, proclaimed Elaine Kaufman, the erstwhile, controversial proprietress of New York’s celebrity hub, Elaine’s.

Everyone tells me that. What is that? What did you do that is so earth-shattering? Just survive, and you know about that. I guess you get points for surviving, she says in the documentary I Know a Woman Like That.

A fucking New York icon she was, remains, and you can put your roulette chip on the icon goes legendary.

If you ask me who is Elaine Kaufman, I’d say she’s the big mama of them all . . . I’m somebody who is still in the womb, a mother and a motherfucker . . . While I’m waiting to find out how it all turns out, I’ll be having a good time, said Elaine.

Elaine Kaufman, Bronx-born, overweight, feisty, and not exactly adored by everyone, soared into the ownership of one of New York’s most legendary celebrity restaurants in spite of a prickly stem that should have come with its own app.

Elaine’s opened uptown in what was then an iffy (think dangerous) section of Manhattan, Yorkville, near the corner of Eighty-eighth Street and Second Avenue.

With a New York attitude that could be abrasive, she kowtowed to no one, no matter how indulgent, celebrated, or powerful they were. Where photographers were concerned, they had to keep their distance and earn her respect—a tough prize to win.

You’re too close to my front door, she screamed at celebrity paparazzi Ron Galella as she hurled a slew of garbage can lids at him. Just one click and an East Side garbage can lid became famous, in a Warhol-esque

Reviews for Elaine's

[howardgutman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fun and interesting with some nice stories, worth reading, she was a character

[ozzie65-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Going further into my 1970’s retro reading campaign, I picked up this slim volume of essays that describe the scene of Elaine’s Restaurant in New York and how it was indelibly tied to Elaine herself - a woman with a big personality and a bigger heart.

If you have ever watched Woody Allen’s “Manhattan”, you will remember the scene where they are dining at a restaurant. That was Elaine’s and Woody Allen, among mnay others was one of their regulars.

The great thing about Elaine’s, was that it operated like a modern New York salon where Elaine’s main job was to ensure that whatever you did in life, especially if you were a writer, you met the right people in the right industries who would further your career.

Each essay is a remembrance from an individual whose life was either touched or changed by Elaine. The best part? Elaine called the shots. If she thought you were best served by sitting at a table full of celebrities, that’s where you sat. If she thought someone had potential or talent, she would not hesitate to kick a “star” to the worst tables at the back.

Most people who grew up in the 1970’s will recognize references to Elaine’s in books, music and movies. Elaine’s was everywhere. People magazines of the time had as many snaps at Elaine’s as Studio 54.

Sadly, Elaine’s the Restaurant could not survive the demise of its namesake. It closed its doors and this book is a wonderful summary of a life and an institution. Short but sweet read.