Reuters AlertNet Lite - N.Y.'s Russian Tea room reopens, caviar and all

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N.Y.'s Russian Tea room reopens, caviar and all

03 Nov 2006 21:35:21 GMT
Source: Reuters

NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The reopening of New York's iconic Russian Tea Room on Friday should give gourmands depressed about a U.S. ban on wild beluga caviar something to smile about.

Chef Gary Robbins, who first visited the restaurant as a child while Christmas shopping with his father and grandfather, said he has been keeping a wealth of wild beluga caviar from the 2005 catch at just below freezing.

The United States banned trade in wild caviar last year amid declining global sturgeon stocks, but last year's catch is still available for several months.

Former members of the Russian Imperial Ballet opened the tea room in 1926. The dining mecca officially reopened on Friday after closing for the second time in 2002.

New owner Gerald Lieblich made sure the brass and copper samovars, gold mirrors, and chandeliers hung with red Christmas bulbs put there during a $30 million renovation by previous owner Walter Leroy were restored to gleaming opulence. Lieblich bought the place for $19 million.

"It's a holiday gift for New Yorkers and the rest of the world," Lieblich said at the restaurant, as workers put the finishing touches on the tables and bartenders instructed staff about the vodka selection.

Lieblich said singer Judy Collins, who first visited the establishment in 1962 after a solo performance at neighboring Carnegie Hall, planned to dine there for the reopening.

Diners will have a choice of 10 types of caviar from Russia, Iran and California. "The California roe are beautiful golden eggs," Robbins said.

Two of 10 caviar types will be wild. One caviar appetizer runs $350 per ounce, but most of the menu is much less expensive.

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Last updated:Fri Nov 3 21:36:51 2006