Joan Ate Here

The '21' Club has been a New York City fixture since New Year's Eve, 1929, featured in countless movies and television shows (even if by name only). Just mentioning '21' signified glamour and celebrity, and jockeying for a prime table became a New York obsession. It's been seen in All About Eve, The Opposite Sex and Written on the Wind, among others, so you know it's just fabulous. (If it's good enough for Bette Davis, Dolores Gray and Lauren Bacall, it's good enough for us.)

What set '21' apart from other such swank eateries as The Colony or Le Pavillion or La Cote Basque, was that for all its glamour, it never strayed far from its speakeasy roots: hearty American fare, red-checkered tablecloths and gruff career waiters were the order of the day, rather than fussy French cuisine, starched white linen and preening maitre'd's.

Today, the celebrities have moved on, but '21' still manages to conjure up a little old New York glamour -- even amidst the Japanese tour buses and out-of-town couples. You can close your eyes and almost picture Bennett Cerf, Joan Crawford, James Aubrey, and Robert Benchley all holding court at their respective tables.

Take a look at a sampling of the '21' menu; it's completely stuck in a time warp, but in the best possible way. I'll be there on Friday evening, making my yearly pilgrimage, tucking into a dry martini and Steak Diane.

Appetizers

Boston Bibb Lettuce, blue cheese, vine-ripened tomatoes, aged balsamic

’21’ Caesar Salad with garlic croutons and aged Parmesan

Hand-Picked Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, jicama, avocado, lime, extra virgin olive oil

Cold Senegalese Soup, grilled chicken and Granny Smith apples

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, mesclun greens, pickled fresh horseradish

Main Courses

Maine Lobster Salad, bibb lettuce, celery root rémoulade, baby potatoes, fava beans, tomatoes

Mussels Marinara, Roma tomato sauce, garlic, basil

Grilled or Sautéed Dover Sole, asparagus, roasted fingerling potatoes

Creamy Chicken Hash, baby spinach, toast or wild rice

The ’21’ Burger, green beans, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, choice of potato

Steak Diane, flambéed, mashed potatoes, haricots verts

Steak Tartare, mesclun greens, rye toast, prepared to your request

Side Orders: Buttered English Peas • Baby Artichokes • Chilled Asparagus with Hollandaise Creamed Spinach • Potato Purée • Creamed Sweet Corn • Sautéed Mushrooms

Oh, and '21' also earns my unwavering devotion thanks to their continued embrace of the most beautiful two words in the English language: Jacket Required.