Cafe Chambord was an America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

n restaurant. It served French haute cuisine

Haute cuisine

Haute cuisine or grande cuisine was characterised by French cuisine in elaborate preparations and presentations served in small and numerous courses that were produced by large and hierarchical staffs at the grand restaurants and hotels of Europe.The 17th century chef and writer La Varenne...

, the equal of France's three-star restaurants.

History

The Chambord was opened in 1936. By the early 1950s, the Chambord, located at 803 Third Avenue, was called "New York's premier restaurant" . Sober and refined in decor, with leather banquettes and a glassed-in kitchen, Chambord was noted for discreet service in the finest French traditions. In 1959, the restaurant's lease expired just as the Third Avenue elevated train line was being torn down. The rent tripled. Margolis and Rosen decided the cost of moving and reopening was too high, so the Chambord closed its doors for good.

Staff and cuisine

All of the senior staff, from the maitre d'hotel to the captains, sommelier and waiters were French. The kitchen staff was drawn from Normandy

Normandy

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

.

The Chambord's cuisine was classic French country cooking. Each dish was finished on a silver chaffing dish by the captain. Pommes soufflés were a Chambord specialty. So were pressed duck, petite marmite Henri IV, quenelles en brochette Nantua, duck in cherry sauce, dover sole flown in from France, and decadent crepes suzette made with liqueur.

Ownership

By the mid-1950s, the Chambord was co-owned by Henry Margolis

Henry M. Margolis

Henry M. Margolis was a New York industrialist, theatrical producer, and philanthropist.Margolis was born on New York's Lower East Side. He worked his way through City College of New York and New York University Law School, and was admitted to New York Bar...

, a New York entrepreneur and theatrical producer, and his partner Phil Rosen, who ran the restaurant on a daily basis. Margolis was often seen there entertaining theatrical friends like Orson Welles

Orson Welles

George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...

, Joseph Cotten

Joseph Cotten

Joseph Cheshire Cotten was an American actor of stage and film. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair...

, Margaret Sullivan and Martin Gabel.

Reputation

The Chambord was known both as America's finest and most expensive restaurant . In the 1950s, a meal for two could cost as much as $50, a huge sum in those days .

Further reading

• Markets and Menus, The New Yorker, March 30, 1957, p. 106. Describes the Chambord's new frozen food line.