Dec 19, 2014
One last meal at the "Polish Tea Room" CAFE EDISON
seen from China
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One last meal at the "Polish Tea Room" CAFE EDISON
Where Broadway Goes to Eat
I think the last time I've eaten here must have been around six or seven years ago around when I first officially moved to the city. I ducked in today for a quick lunch and realized I never really paid attention to just how distinctly this place is decorated. The common belief is that this diner was built from the original ballroom from the Hotel Edison, built in 1931. From finding old historical photos though, the current Edison Ballroom seems to match them, not this. There was a large dining hall built into the ballroom, which is what this appears to have been built from. The interesting thing is you can still see all the original ornate decorations, molding, chandeliers (pictured here) sculptures, and even a couple murals on the wall. Everything seems to have been kept as is when Cafe Edison was built in 1980, and it's a really interesting juxtaposition of 30's design with an 80's diner.
Nicknamed "The Polish Tearoom" (likely due to the origins of the owners and parts of the menu), it's got a huge history with Broadway. It was featured in the play, "45 Seconds from Broadway," and is often frequented by actors, stage workers, playwrights, and all sorts of folks in the industry. Some say it's because of the low cost and quality of the food, the location, or just by way of its tenure. All I know is it serves the best matzo ball soup I've yet to eat.
Apparently it's also slated to close soon. After 34 years, the current owners of the hotel property have decided to end the lease and are planning on building an upscale restaurant. There is an active petition with almost 10,000 signatures and a rally as well, as lots of people decry the constant loss of local storied establishments. All I know is I need to go eat some more matzo ball soup and pastrami here while I still can.
New York, I love you but you're bringing me down... #SaveCafeEdison 228 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036 Cafe Edison, a Broadway Haunt, Is Closing NY Times "In the race for profit, owners might end up destroying the very thing that makes New York special." BBC
#SaveCafeEdison