Mr. Chow Tribeca

One of the very first designer restaurants still attracts NYC's power players.

WHO: Nicole Richie and rockstar beau Joel Madden, Lindsay Lohan, Nicky Hilton with Kevin Connelly, DJAM, Robert DeNiro, Jamie Fox, Lenny Kravitz, Big Boi and pal Andre 3000.

Long before ritzy Asian eateries became all the rage, this mini-franchise was the quintessential see-and-be-seen dining destination in NY. Dishes like scallion pancakes, salt-and-pepper prawns and Peking Duck provide fuel for star-spotting.

First came a Mr. Chow in London, then a Mr. Chow in Los Angeles, and then, in 1979, a Mr. Chow in New York, on East 57th Street. Like its forebears it proved that you didn't need great cooking to attract boldface names; you just needed other boldface names. And Mr. Chow, the Amy Sacco of an earlier era, got them in the door, mining contacts in the overlapping worlds of art, fashion and all-purpose elitism. Regulars included Andy Warhol, who, Mr. Chow has said, “Didn't so much eat his food as play with it.”

Mr. Chow Tribeca stays true to the template. There are white tablecloths; waiters in white or black jackets and bow ties; a gleaming black bar in front; gleaming white lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling. That certain swank of a bygone era greets guests of Mr. Chow.

Dinner served nightly until 11:30.

Average Review Rating : 1 of 5

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