I am shooting for June 28 if that is good for most people.
The Bar at the Bull and Bear
Waldorf Astoria, 301 Park Avenue
Best known for its beautiful mahogany bar, the Waldorf Astoria's Bull & Bear is also credited with creating the Robb Roy and the Bronx Cocktail. The Bull & Bear keeps investment bankers and financial types comfortable with a stock-market ticker and tables the color of money.
Algonquin Hotel, 59 West 44th Street
The landmark hotel in midtown New York City was destined to be at the center of New York 's literary and theatrical life. In the early years, illustrious clients such Douglas Fairbanks, the Barrymores, William Faulkner, and Gertrude Stein patronized the hotel and its eateries. The best known, perhaps, were the members of the Round Table -- who lunched daily at the The Algonquin's Rose Room for 10 years, beginning in 1919. Today, discover luxurious midtown New York City hotel suites that celebrate these literary giants. Members of the legendary Round Table included:
o Dorothy Parker. Poet, short-story writer, Oscar-nominated screenwriter for original A Star Is Born, but most famous for her scintillating and scathing putdowns: “That woman speaks five languages, and can't say no in any of them.”
o Robert Benchley. Parker's best chum, drama critic, writer for The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Life. However, his legacy is the collection of hilarious brief films he made in Hollywood – among the “The Treasurer's Report.”
o Franklin Pierce Adams. It was his column – “The Conning Tower” – that regaled his readers to the daily goings-on among the Round Table regulars. Later, he became a panelist, along with Oscar Levant and Clifton Fadiman, on the highbrow radio show, “Information Please.”
o Robert Sherwood. Friend of Parker and Benchley, he went on to more serious pursuits, as he garnered Pulitzer Prizes for the plays Idiot's Delight, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, There Shall Be No Night , and Roosevelt and Hopkins: An Intimate History – plus a screenwriting Oscar for The Best Years of Our Lives.
o Harpo Marx. Renowned for his comedic genius, Harpo was part of the famous Marx Brothers team and starred in George Kaufman films, such as Coconuts and Animal Crackers.
o Harold Ross. The son of a Colorado silver miner and a Yankee schoolmarm, he went on to found The New Yorker, a weekly that would forever change the American magazine. Every Algonquin guest receives a complimentary copy.
o Alexander Woollcott. The guest of honor at the first meeting of the Round Table – a mock welcome home from World War I, during which he wrote for Stars & Stripes from Paris – Woollcott returned to his post as a drama critic for the New York Times. He had an eye for talent, having boosted the careers of Fred Astaire and Paul Robeson, among others.
o George S. Kaufman. Among his Broadway plays are The Royal Family , Dinner at Eight, Stage Door, Of Thee I Sing, You Can't Take It With You, and The Man Who Came to Dinner – all collaborative efforts. Film work included such Marx Brothers classics as A Night at the Opera.
o Heywood Brown. This champion of the underdog and Harvard dropout was a sportswriter and drama critic, and is renowned for his support of unpopular causes – among them the Sacco and Vanzetti case. He founded the American Newspaper Guild.
o Marc Connelly. Connelly gravitated to Broadway from his Pittsburgh roots, and his first efforts included co-authorship with Kaufman of Dulcy and Merton of the Movies. He won a Pulitzer Prize for Green Pastures, and later pursued an acting career on stage, film, and television.
o Edna Ferber. Although a latecomer to the Round Table, she achieved great success with such novels as So Big (Pulitzer), Show Boat (reaping huge royalties from Broadway and Hollywood productions), Cimarron, and Giant. Plays include Dinner at Eight and Stage Door, co-authored with Kaufman.
The Blue Bar:
The Lobby Bar:
**21 Club, 21 W 52nd St **
Formerly an elegant speakeasy, now a classic New York Bar and Restaurant.
**
Campbell Apartment, Grand Central Station**
John W. Campbell, chairman of the Credit Clearing House, moved into this space in Grand Central Station in 1923, using it as an office by day, and a place to entertain wealthy socialites by night.
The signature cocktail at Campbell Apartment is called Prohibition Punch, and features rum, Grand Marnier, passion fruit juice, and is topped with Moet. It's delicious, and packs a woozy wallop.
[/img]
