Ellen Kaye has many memories of the Russian Tea Room, the storied restaurant her family owned from 1947 to 1996.
As a tyke, she helped the staff fill salt and pepper shakers and count the money behind the bar while she popped maraschino cherries into her mouth. She got to meet many stars, including Sidney Poitier, a regular customer in the 1960s and her first crush. By age 10, she was in the kitchen helping the chef make chicken Kiev.
“I had the most amazing birthday parties at the restaurant,” recalled Ms. Kaye, 51. “It was our home.”
Moscow 57 to evoke memories
Ms. Kaye has worked for many other eateries over the years but is now close to opening her own place, inspired by her childhood. Moscow 57, a contemporary version of the Russian Tea Room and a play on its address on West 57th Street, could open as soon as September, according to investors in the project.
After three years of planning, Ms. Kaye and her business partner, Seth Goldman, are negotiating a lease for a theater district space where they hope to put a 125-seat restaurant. They have lined up investors and written a 94-page business plan, and are currently vetting chefs. Ms. Kaye has even begun wearing a gold necklace with the Moscow 57 name, as if to ensure its arrival.
“Ellen was born with the kind of backstory that other restaurateurs would kill for,” said consultant Clark Wolf, who is helping with Moscow 57's opening.
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