In the history of fine dining and fine wines, there are a few restaurants that are instantly known.  The Pump Room achieved that notoriety.  In the Ambassador East Hotel sat one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country.  As you walked around and looked at the collection of framed photographs, you would smile to yourself and feel like you had arrived.  Bogart and Bacall, Sinatra, Judy Garland with her children and the list would go on and on. Here was a restaurant for Presidents, Governors, Senators, Heads of States, Titans of Industries and me (as I laugh to myself).  I pride myself on being able to recognize most movie stars from the late twenties and on, but some were too esoteric for me, but I was in awe.  I think everyone had to be in awe the first time they entered The Pump Room.

The service was excellent; the food was perfect, not fussy, but divine.  Requests from diners were honored.  I remember the first time I had the pleasure to dine there.  I felt like I was a rube from the farm coming to the city for the first time.  The staff made me feel at home, and what a feeling that was, especially for a young kid (and I was the first time there).  I remember that they had a venison dinner, but it was offered with a courant sauce, and at that time I was too “macho” (read immature) to go out of my comfort zone with food.  I asked if there was a way to have the venison prepared with garlic or similar spices.  The waiter returned after a trip to the kitchen and told me that the chef had replied to the fact, which is how he preferred his own venison.  When my entrée was served it was accompanied by a large tureen of garlic sauce, I felt like I was a king.

It was also the first time I enjoyed a bottle of wine from the Societe Civile du Domaine de la Romanee-Conti.  A legendary Grand Cru from the village of Flagey-Eschezeaux known as Grands-Eschezeaux.  This village has two wines attributed to it, and both have Grand Cru status.  This may have been one of the first Burgundy wines I ever had, and I am sorry to say I have never had another Grands-Eschezeaux.  In fact I would venture to say that there are many people who enjoy wines that may not have had this wine. This many years later, I can not describe the taste of this wine, but I do know that between the dinner and wine, I was in heaven or as close to it, as I wanted to be and still be alive.

Since that time we had a couple more dinners there, and then there were plenty of times when we would have dinner elsewhere, walk to the hotel and have dessert, coffee and port wine.  We also looked forward to having a few dances there as we listened to the musicians entertain.  Alas, it was of another time and era and it is now gone, and I understand more and more these days the feeling Ashley Wilkes had for a plantation that will never be again.