Goomba38 wrote:
> Margaret Suran wrote:
>
>> What do you consider a celebrity restaurant? One that is owned or
>> part owned by someone well known, perhaps a sports star, as Michael
>> Jordan's Steak Restaurants or a well known chef like Batali, who has
>> several restaurants in New York City?
>
>
> I was thinking of famous people who didn't become famous for their food
> originally. That leaves out Mario Batali and the Paula Deen types. I
> didn't even know Michael Jordon had a steak restaurant. I am curious to
> hear about what influences a celebrity has on the running of a
> restaurant other than giving it their name?

Traditionally, retired sports celebrities have had many restaurants,
at least in New York City. Jack Dempsey had a restaurant in New York
City and of course, he was the big attraction. Passing by, you could
look through the windows and see him sitting inside, always surrounded
by his fans.

He also had a much more famous place in New Orleans and it may still
be in business, or at least until last year's hurricane.

Don Shula, the great football player and later the legendary coach of
the Miami Dolphins has very successful restaurants in Miami and also
in New Orleans, or had one there. These kinds of places are always
busy, if there is a chance to see the celebrity owner and walk away
with an autograph or two. The food is usually good, even if the owner
has little or nothing to do with it.

There used to be dozens of places in New York City about twenty or so
years ago, but most are gone now, owned by sports figures that had
been very popular and thought they could be successful restaurateurs .

Rod Gilbert, the great N.Y. Rangers Ice Hockey Player had a bar across
the street from where I live. Boomer Esaison, the quarterback who
played for the Bengals and the Jets had a sports bar on the Upper West
Side. Fans didn't go there for the food, which was pretty awful, but
to mingle with the other fans, the owners and visiting sports
celebrities. I went to Boomer's a few times, for Charity events.

Probably one of the most famous places is Mickey Mantle's restaurant.
It still exists and is doing very well. I have been there many
times, all for charity events which included (every time) a terrific
open bar with good booze and wine ) and a buffet dinner which was
praised by others, but for which I didn't care. The sports figure who
hosted the charity dinners and whose guests Marcel and I were, no
longer plays for the N. Y. Yankees or the N. Y. Mets (he played for
both teams but retired a few years ago) and he no longer hosts these
dinners.

Even Pete Rose has or had a place, but he was not always in the mood
to autograph his guests' memorabilia, which caused no end of bad
press. As his place was not in New York City, I do not know how the
food was.

The one baseball player who had a restaurant because of his love for
good food was Rusty Staub, Le Grand Orange, who ended his career in
New York with the Mets. He had a small restaurant a couple of blocks
from where I live and cooked his famous ribs there. He was there all
the time, cooking near the window, so all passers by could see, come
inside and taste the ribs. He later had a restaurant on Fifth Avenue
in the 50's and when that closed, he would come and prepare desserts
in a friend's place on East 79th Street, Les Trois Jeans. The food in
all three places was really good.

I have a feeling, Goomba, that this is much more than you wanted to
know. )