La Goulue
746 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10021
at 65th St.
212-988-8169
Opening Hours: Open every day
Lunch: Monday to Saturday 12 noon to 4:00 p.m.
Dinner: Monday to Saturday 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Sunday Brunch: 12 noon to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday: 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Expensive
I really enjoy many dishes from this venerable restaurant, regardless of the few negative comments I have heard, and most fondly remembered is the foie gras terrine among many other favorites. The location on Madison Avenue is ideal and the place generally has a “Parisian feel” to it.
It has a busy lunch crowd and gets the upper east side neighborhood crowd filling up the bar area while waiting for one of the banquets, especially one in the front to open up. They offer a Cafe Menu between 4p.m. – 6p.m. with items such as duck foie gras, steak tartare and an excellent profiteroles for dessert.
Footnote: For those who may not be aware. . . Louise Weber, nicknamed La Goulou (The Glutton), was born to a Jewish family from Alsace. Her mother worked in a laundry where Louise borrowed customer’s outfits to perform in local dance halls.
She began dancing in small clubs around Paris and became popular because of her dexterity as a dancer and especially for her routine, which included hiking up her dress to show her panties with an embroidered red heart and kicking off men’s hats with her toe. She received the affectionate nickname “La Goulue” because of her frequent habit of grabbing customer’s drinks and downing the contents while dancing past their tables. She eventually danced an early version of the Cancan at the Moulin Rouge and became a highly paid star.
She decided to leave the Moulin Rouge and invested in a traveling show that toured the country as part of a large fair. Her fans did not have the same interest to see her in this type of setting and the venture turned out to be a failure. She took to drinking heavily and wound up destitute, toothless, unrecognized and reduced to selling cigarettes and peanuts on the street close to where she once had been a star at the Moulin Rouge. She died shortly after and is now buried at the Cimetière de Montmartre.
