The sun., 1904-05-02
7HE PASSING OF S0LARl'S.
AN EXCELLENT AND DISCREET
REST AURANT rs no MORE.

Famous In the Last Generation When the
Centre Of Gayety Was Just Below
IAth street Hut n Was Too Far Down.
town TO Pay Under Any Auspices Now.
\iSolsri's. with its air of mystery, It's marble
statues, its carved white and gold wood
work and red velvet upholstery, it's discreet
walters and exquisite cuisine, its fat fox
terrier, which had patrolled the cafe for
the last decade all these things are now
Of the past. The cafe after nearly half a
century OF existence closed its doors. at
I o'clock yesterday morning.
The red brick building on the northwest
corner Of Eleventh street and University
place has not prospered greatly during the
last ten years or 40. Guests sometimes
wondered how it paid the proprietor to
keep open its old-fashioned, red. cut glass
doors
There were various rurnors as to why
this was done when the patronage was
so small. One story was that the first OF
the Solaris had left in his will a clause re-
quiring that the restaurant be kept open
for a certain number Of years after his
dea tn. But there was no truth in that,
In spite Of the deserted rooms and the
elaborate bill of fare which seemed a con-
trast bound to be Improbable, there was
still some business remaining to the old
restaurant.
1t was not sufficient to make much money,
but on the other hand 1t was enough to keep
Joseph Solari, last surviving of the brot hers
from losing money so long as he felt like
carrying on the establishment. There were
.lor -ln l,,t,1
casionally. and while the number of dinners
in the cafe downstairs remained very small
there were during the day many patrons
for the old fashioned bar. with it's elaborate
carved wood front.
Solari's was never at any time during
it's forty-fve years Of existence a restaurant
for general use. When the first Of the
Solaris came here in 1859 the place was an
eating house Of very m Oldest character,
kept by F. T. Reilly. Emanuel Solari,
who had gone from his. native Switzer-
land to Paris and saved enough to enable
him to come to the New World, thought
that such restaurant under the care Of
the right sort of a cook could be made
success. He bough; the place, imported
two Of his brothers and set out to give
New York under circumstances 1t had
never known before the best that the skill
of a cook could supply. He prospered
and died in 1887. Louis died in 1879 abroad
and Joseph Soar remained as head Of
the restaurant until a few weeks ago, when
he decided to sell 1t out.
When Solaris knew its golden days the
Brevoort House was the best OF the New
York hotels, Wallack' 8. at Thirteenth street
was the modsh theatre of the town and
Niblo's. where Pauline Markham, Lisa
Weber and the rest Of Lydia Thompson's
blonde cohorts were in the habit of dis
porting themselves, was the Casino OF that
time. The corner of Eleventh street and
localities and the French restaurant did
not lack patronage.
1t was not only the quality of the food
that made the reputation of the place
Delmonico had already accustomed New
Workers to the best Of eating and there was
been such unusually good food to be had
under the same informal circumstances.
Dinners and suppers were served in private
rooms for two. which was rule in no other
high class restaurant at that time nor for
that matter 10 to-day.
Four persons have always been the small
est number that would be received In the
other we'll known establishments. Solari's,
however, was largely made up OF private
rooms. and in them this small number could
be entertained. II was to this feature
that the prosperity of the establishment
was due.
Men. we'll known citizens among them.
often ate in the restaurant or in the cafe
on the street level. but women were rarely
seen there. They were served in the private
rooms and, il possible they preferred not
to be seen themselves. Often when the
mirrored restaurant contained only few
persons, the house was we'll enough filled
in the quarters in which the guests were
not seen to enable TIE proprietor to make
The three men who owned the house
made fortune out Of it. but in recent years
even the private rooms did not attract
enough persons 40 far downtown to be
he profitable. The hidden entrance in
able. has not opened often in recent years
to admit the parties desiring to avoid the
publicity Of the University place entrance.
In spite Of the delicious cooking, the ex-
cellent and discreet service and the un-
usual wines. the restaurant was too far
downtown.
There was never the least change in the
bill Of fare and the quality Of the food even
after the prosperity Of the place began to
wane. The rarest dishes. the most ex-
when these cost almost prohibitive prices,
kept their place in the menus. On Saturday
ni9ht the dinner bill of fare was as elaborate
as any in New York, although the number
Of the guests was little more limited than
usual.
fare. They were to be had. The list Of
wines was unusual and many persons went
TO the restaurant merely for the sake Of
the yermouth. which, was considered un-
commonly good, The chef was always
famous for his bisques OF lobster and other
shellnsh and these were always feature
OF the place. In spite OF the paucity OF
customers, the supply OF foreign papers
continued as large as ever. Scarcely an
illustrated foreign weekly Of note but was
to be found on the table In the cafe.
Leonard jerome. William r. Travers.
John Brougham. Boss Tweed, James Fisk
and sometimes Jay Gould were among the
OF the restaurant when Emanuel
Solari was at it's head. Several small
clubs have met there in recent years. One
Of these was presided over by the late Col.
Waring. The curious glass which was
always a feature OF the restaurant has
already been sold, as have the wines. These
have been taken almost entirely by old
customers of the place.