The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-03
FAMOUS CHOPHOUSE CLOSED
ENGELS SHUTS IT'S DOORS AFTER
81 YEARS.
Opened as the Chiffon In 1890 and Was
Taken Over by It's Last Proprietor In
ISS4-New Place To he Opened to
Help Out the Old Time Employees.

Taken Over by It's Last proprietor III
= New Place 10 he Opened to
Help Out the Old Time Employees.
Engel's o~hophouee, that has been at Sixth
avenue and Thirty -fifth street since 1870,
served its last steak on Saturday night.
| At midnight the doors closed never to open
again.
The place wore a different look yesterday,
| Every shade was down. Pictures could
be seen piled ON the chairs, the walls barred
| OF them. Piles Of dishes were already pre-
pared for removal. Desolation reigned in
| the shabby old rooms that had been the
scene OF no many jovial meetings.
Adam Engel has retired. He said yes
| terday that he was only e5 and felt really
too young to retire. But he guessed he
would play a little for the rest Of his years.
So when the march Of improvements claimed
the brick building in which his place has
been 30 long established Engel determined
that he would close his experience as active
manager OF the famous eating house along
with the old place. He will open a new
EnRel's in Thirty-sitth street just around
the corner in a few days and the chops mi
steaks will be just as good as in the old,
he guarantees. But that is being done
almost PDIlTPly lot llt bdht VA Itbfi hiu
| Jake and Charlie and the other old fellows
who have been with him 30 long that they
wouldn't know how TO work under any one
| else. They will run the place almost en-
tirely, always remembering the name the
place bears and the fact that Adam Engel
will still keep an eye upon them. And all
the old pictures and prints and bills and
photos for years back will be In the new
place.
The name Of the old place was really
the Clifton. II received that name when
il was started as an English ohophouse in
1870. The place prospered, although not
enormously, one room being quite enough
To contain the patronage, little change
being made until 1884. Then Engel came
along and bought the place, transforming
it into an English house with some German
furnishings. If there was still English ale,
there was. too, German beer. The impetus
given BY Engel had It's effect on the clientele
of the place. additions soon became neces-
sary from the increasing number Of patrons
and room by room the Clifton grew TO its
present size,
An aged German tinkled a venerable
either bv way Of adding the sweet influence
of music to the aroma Of Peters cooking.
Engel sometimes contributed his little bit
TO this by coming into the centre Of the
foor with a big white apron on and roaring
out a song, German or English. The
walters and other assistants came early
in the life of the house and nave stayed TO
the present day with almost no exception.
"They know / treat 'em r ght. and / have
no trouble That was Engel's explana-
ton Of that,
An the politicians. professional men and
general crowd Of people who knew and
Fixed good cooking patroniHed the place.
For many years 1t was known as the Doc
tors Club, because the best Known physi-
clans OF the town met there, the ladies'
restaurant on the second floor having been
originally added just for their benefit. 1t
was the same with the politicians. Richard
Croker was a frequenter Of the house and
so was e1-Mayor Grant.
Engel himself was very. proud Of the
place. 1--we had happy times here he
said yesterday. mo matter where | go
l always find some one who knows my
place. ] hear Of it in Berlin. Vienna, Paris
everywhere, Well, it's time some n else
had some OF the fun Of running the place.
I've had mine, and now l guess III let the
boys who've been with me so long take
care Of the business"