Restoring the splendor along with the memories
In keeping the best and throwing out the rest theme, The Roosevelt has reopened in grand style. The old grand dame was purchased by Waldorf Astoria and it just makes me smile to hear people talking about the Blue Room, the Sazerac lounge, and even remembering many early morning – like 3 or 4AM – meals I had at Baileys, which is now John Besh’s Dominica.
In 1983, when I was marrying my first husband, we began planning our wedding and the Roosevelt or what we still called the Fairmont at that time, was one of the few that would cater a kosher wedding – at the time it mattered. Well, when we tallied what our wedding would cost, it was about $15,000 and my father offered me $10,000 in cash and a wedding in my brother’s backyard for 50 people. And like any good business woman, I took it.
Then about a few month later, my brother married his long time girlfriend and they had the wedding I had planned. Ice sculptures, big band, food a plenty and the cocktails flowing in the Blue Room. He got up on stage and sang “Chances Are” by Johnny Mathis to his bride to be. The food, the pulchritude, it was a night of magic that I’ll never forget – and thank god it wasn’t my wedding because I got to enjoy it.
The Roosevelt is looking for old photos from past experiences and I just wrote my sister in law to see if she could send me a photo that captured that night and the magic.