It’s Wednesday night at 9 at the famed Upper East Side eatery Elaine’s, and the ratio of patrons to staffers is almost one to one. The front six tables — at one time the most exclusive seats in town — are empty, save one. Six people are eating dinner, and two are having drinks at the bar. The waiters and bartender are greeting the regulars and pouring generous drinks, but the vibe is a little grim.
The legendary proprietress, Elaine Kaufman, died in December, after playing host to one of the longest-running parties in the city. Her guests once ranged from literary luminaries (Gay Talese) to baseball barons (George Steinbrenner) to moviemakers (Woody Allen). Kaufman was there every night for almost half a century, dispensing advice, introducing guests to one another and occasionally telling some to get lost.
The restaurant’s popularity waxed and waned since it opened in 1963, but the formidable Kaufman exerted a magnetic pull over her clientele until the very end.