FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 29, 2018 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 67
Astoria’s Astor Room restaurant
changes name to honor Kaufman
BY ANGELA MATUA
Amatua@qns.com / @angelamatua
To honor George Kaufman, the founder
of Kaufman Astoria Studios who died
last month, the speak-easy era restaurant
at the studio will re-open as George’s
today.
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 fi lms at the studio before it
was used by the Army Pictoral Services to
create Army fi lms 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,” “Th e
Path” and movies such as “Th e Irishman”
and “Birdman” have been fi lmed there.
“Sesame Street” has fi lmed its show at the
studio since 1933.
Th e 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 will
include new fl ooring, seating and artwork
to celebrate the studio’s history.
“Th is is a very fi tting 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.”
Th e new menu will include 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.
“Th e 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
fi rst fi lm “Cocoanuts” with the Marx
Brothers at the studios, was a fan of
New England clam chowder. Th e 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 will also be
included on the menu, many named
for fi lms and stars who fi lmed scenes
at Kaufman Astoria Studios. Some items
include Betty Bronson’s “A Kiss for
Cinderella,” a 1925 fi lm that starred Betty
Bronson and the 1931 fi lm “My Sin,”
starring Tallulah Bankhead and Fredric
March.
dining out
Photo courtesy of The Astor Room
A speak-easy era restaurant at Kaufman Astoria Studios will change its name to George’s to pay
homage to the late George Kaufman.
PROUD SUPPORTER OF OUR
LOCAL INSTITUTIONS:
C4Q
HOUR CHILDREN
HUNTERS POINT PARKS CONSERVANCY
JACOB A. RIIS NEIGHBORHOOD SETTLEMENT
LIC-A
LIC ARTS OPEN
LIC CULTURAL ALLIANCE
MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
QUEENS COUNCIL ON THE ARTS
QUEENS MUSEUM
URBAN UPBOUND
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU
DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY!
THE KIRBY, PFOHL, AND QUIGLEY FAMILIES
AND ALL OF US AT PLAXALL
CELEBRATING OVER 70 YEARS IN L.I.C.
PLAXALL.COM
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
������������������������������������
������������������������������������������������������������������
JAVITS CENTER AUTOSHOWNY.COM #NYIAS
FOR SECURITY PURPOSES, NO BACKPACKS ALLOWED. RANDOM SECURITY AND BAG CHECKS. AN ACTIVITY OF THE GREATER NEW YORK AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION.
link
