Community News
New Name, New Look
BY ANGELA MATUA
AMATUA@QNS.COM
www.qns.com I LIC COURIER I APRIL 2018 23
To honor George Kaufman, the
founder of Kaufman Astoria Studios
who died last month, the speakeasy-era
restaurant at the studio re-opened as
George’s on March 22.
Kaufman Astoria Studios, which was
built in 1920, was the original home of
Paramount Pictures. Stars such as Gloria
Swanson, the Marx Brothers and Rudolph
Valentino shot films at the studio
before it was used by the Army Pictoral
Services to create Army films from the
1940s through 1970s.
Kaufman purchased the studio in
1982 and since then, shows such as
“Orange is the New Black,” “Shades
of Blue,” “The Path” and movies such
as “The Irishman” and “Birdman” have
been filmed there. “Sesame Street” has
filmed its show at the studio since 1933.
The Astor Room, which used to be
the commissary for Paramount Pictures
at 35-11 35th Ave., was restored in
2011 and features many of the same
distinctive characteristics such as a
grand marble staircase and tiled walls.
George’s includes new flooring, seating
and artwork to celebrate the studio’s
history.
“This is a very fitting tribute as it was
George’s idea to renovate this space and
turn it into a public-facing venue of the
studio where people can experience
movie history,” said Hal Rosenbluth,
president and CEO of Kaufman Astoria
Studios. “Just as it was his vision to
bring movie-making back to New York
and make the studio a vital part of this
community, he saw this restaurant as a
way to bring people in this community
together to enjoy great food, drinks and
music in a very special, historic place.
He would be very proud to know that
the restaurant will now bear his name.”
The new menu includes a six-foot
spaghetti dish to pay homage to actor
Rudolph Valentino, who would serve the
dish to his guests. Borgatti’s, an 80-yearold
Italian specialty store in the Bronx,
makes the six-foot-long pasta, and the
tomato sauce is a Valentino family recipe.
“Folklore tells us that Valentino really
enjoyed entertaining, having fun and
introducing people to his native cuisine,”
said John Nikach, George’s manager.
“The six-foot spaghetti was something
of a conversation starter at parties. It
was a challenge to see who was able to
swirl the spaghetti and keep one strand
entirely intact.”
Groucho Marx, who in 1929 shot
his first film “Cocoanuts” with the Marx
Brothers at the studios, was a fan of New
England clam chowder. The restaurant
will serve the chowder with animal crackers
as a callback to the play “Animal
Crackers,” performed by the family of
vaudeville entertainers.
New signature cocktails are also included
on the menu, many named for
films and stars who filmed scenes at
Kaufman Astoria Studios. Some items
include Betty Bronson’s “A Kiss for
Cinderella,” a 1925 film that starred
Betty Bronson and the 1931 film “My
Sin,” starring Tallulah Bankhead and
Fredric March.
Photo courtesy of The Astor Room
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