The storied Oak Room in the Plaza Hotel is closing soon, but not without a good old fashioned sexual harassment suit first. Former pastry chef Melissa Rodriguez has named the restaurant and her former boss, ex-executive chef Eric Hara, in a $25 million lawsuit claiming, among other things, that she was canned on a daily basis. As in literally picked up and put in a garbage can. more ›

Less than three years after reopening, the storied Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel is closing, and, as in all things, brunch is the cause of the problem. Lease negotiations have broken down between the hotel and the Gindi brothers, who operate The Oak Bar and The Oak Room, where the lucrative and obnoxious "Day and Night" brunch parties have reportedly annoyed the Plaza's long-term tenants (and anyone else who has seen photos depicting the appalling behavior at these parties). more ›

When the Oak Room and Bar reopened in 2008 it was supposed to herald a new era of sophistication for the Plaza Hotel. But the hotel is suing the tenants, the Gindi brothers, claiming that the restaurant has become a sleazy den for drugs and loud music. Well, they did invite Lady Gaga. more ›

Last night, Lady Gaga—dressed in fishnets and a cape made of fur—popped in on the crowd at The Oak Room & Bar and delivered a surprise performance. The Oak Room's spokesperson told Daily Mail, “There were no tickets sold, she sang three songs as a surprise gig because she’s friends with the musician we have on Wednesdays." That musician is Brian Newman, and earlier this year she showed up at Duane Park to perform a surprise duet with him. more ›

The revamped, newly exclusive Monkey Bar has gone the route of the blue-plate special, featuring menu nuggets like iceberg lettuce wedge salad and home-style meatloaf. At the upscale Oak Room, now reopened after a restaurant critic meltdown, new chef Eric Hara is serving fancy versions of grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, and ye olde potluck favorite Stuffed Shells (Hara’s shells are stuffed, however, with veal cheeks, chanterelles, and cherries). In the midst of all the retro-food it would seem fitting that Lil' Smokies, the hot dog shorties of somebody's campfire memories, have also made a return; they’re now being served at 5 Ninth, where Kevin Pomplun is chef. The good news is that you don’t have to have a publicist or know someone to get into the place. In fact, the Lil Smokies are only available at the bar, are free (with purchase of drink), and are available all day. more ›

Frank Bruni at the Times really wants to love the newly renovated Oak Room (photos), but the food is so erratic that dining there amounts to a very costly coin toss. His review is nothing like Steve Cuozzo's recent excoriation, but in this economy, it's not what the Oak Room needed: "It has been meticulously and gorgeously restored. An acclaimed French-born chef was recruited to supervise the kitchen. And those developments combined, on the best of the nights when I dined there, to produce a lovely experience of a rarefied sort. more ›

Originally designed by Plaza Hotel architect Henry Hardenbergh in 1907 as a men’s bar, The Oak Room closed during Prohibition and re-opened in 1934 as a full-service restaurant. The interior is a city Landmark, as is the Plaza Hotel, which reopened in March (after extensive renovations) as a hotel and luxury condominium, where some tenants complain of loneliness. The Palm Court, that other famous eatery in The Plaza, also reopened in March to derisive reviews from Bloomberg News and the Post. more ›

At the beginning of March, the Plaza Hotel welcomed the public back after a three-year, $400 million makeover, which transformed part of the 1907 landmark building into private condominiums – where the super-rich tenants are complaining about how lonely and desolate their lives are. (Seriously.) And now reviews are trickling in for the famed Palm Court (pictured) and the new Champagne Bar, both under the auspices of chef Didier Viro. more ›

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Arthur Emil, the man behind the late Windows on the World and The Rainbow Room, has won the coveted contract to operate the famous Oak Room and Oak Bar (pictured) in the Plaza Hotel, which is near the end of a three-year, $400 million makeover. The 18 story landmark building opened in 1907 and operated as a hotel until 2005, after being sold for $675 million. After delays blamed on “red tape”, the Plaza is expected to open by the end of March as an upscale condominium with retail space and a smaller hotel. more ›

The 2006 Zagat guide to New York City restaurants comes out today. First, the stats: Over 30,000 people surveyed 2,003 restaurants. The average meal cost in New York is $37.61, making it the most expensive in the U.S. The most popular restaurant list looks quite a bit like last year's: Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Cafe, and Babbo knocking Daniel out of it's previous number three slot. Top food rankings go to Le Bernadin, Daniel, and per se (which got the top ranking for service), while three Brooklyn restaurants, Tempo, Stone Park Cafe, and Applewood, made it into the top end of the newcomers' list. more ›

April 27th: Celebrate the Joy of Cooking at City Opera Thrift Shop more ›

It's the passage of time, sure, but there's something a little less romantic about the notion of the Plaza; there had been something deliciously old New York about it. To get over it, Gothamist will read the Eloise books by Kay Thompson, and watch North by Northwest again, for Roger O. Thornhill's fateful drinks at the Oak Room. Plus, there's Plaza Suite and our favorite Baldwin, the fat one, had a cocaine-induced psychosis while at the Plaza. more ›