Elaine's

Established in 1963, Elaine's was known for its chain-smoking proprietress Elaine Kaufman, who operated the restaurant for over four decades, as well as the numerous writers and other prominent New Yorkers who were regular patrons, including Nelson W. Aldrich Jr., Woody Allen, Noel Behn, Chuck Blazer, William J. Bratton, Candace Bushnell, Paul Desmond, Joan Didion, Jared Faber, Mia Farrow, Clay Felker, Helen Frankenthaler, Joseph Heller, Jill Krementz, Peter Maas, Norman Mailer, Robert Motherwell, George Plimpton, Mario Puzo, Sally Quinn, Daniel Simone, Gay Talese, Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Wolfe, Bobby Zarem, and Sidney Zion. Other visitors to the establishment included Alan Alda, Lucille Ball, Leonard Bernstein, Michael Caine, Kirk Douglas, Clint Eastwood, Mick Jagger, Willie Nelson, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Luciano Pavarotti, Don Rickles, Eli Wallach, and Elaine Stritch, who served as bartender in 1964. Mixologist Thomas Carney served as the bartender from 1978 until 2007. The restaurant hosted an annual Oscar night event, where celebrities and visiting Hollywood figures gathered to watch the Academy Awards ceremony. Kaufman had a reputation for directness, moving less-favored customers to accommodate new arrivals and refusing to serve hamburgers. She once chased away paparazzo Ron Galella by hurling two garbage can lids at him and exclaiming, "Beat it, creep... you're bothering my customers". In 2003, when New York City banned smoking in restaurants, Kaufman claimed to have quit smoking several years earlier but expressed displeasure about customers being forced to forgo tobacco at their seats. == In culture ==

Billy Joel referenced the establishment in his song "Big Shot" (1978), with the lyrics, "They were all impressed with your Halston dress and the people that you knew at Elaine's". Until its closing, Elaine's was a frequent dinner spot in Stuart Woods's novel series featuring Stone Barrington, with the author typically beginning the first paragraph with "Elaine's. Late". The restaurant is the subject of A.E. Hotchner's 2013 book ''Everyone Comes to Elaine's: Forty Years of Movie Stars, All-Stars, Literary Lions, Financial Scions, Top Cops, Politicians, and Power Brokers at the Legendary Hot Spot''. == Closing ==

Elaine Kaufman died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary hypertension on December 3, 2010, aged 81. This restaurant closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. , the site hosts a French restaurant, Café d'Alsace, which moved there in 2021, renovating the interior. == See also ==