As I look at most of the current advertising for restaurants and other so-called fine dining establishments we are subjected to, I am appalled at the lameness of most of it. The lack of originality in the content is mirrored in the obvious lack of imagination by the creatives responsible for that content. So, as I have recently subjected MAA readers to various tales of glory from my three years in the mid-sixties as “Copy Chief” at hot “Agency du Jour,” DeGarmo, New York. Here’s one that has some relevance to my restaurant whine.
Among our clients was The Brody Corporation, owners of some of the finest dining establishments in New York City, including, The Rainbow Room and Grill, Gallagher’s Steak House and L’Etoile. Their most highly rated noshery was L’Etoile on Fifth avenue. For you ignorant buggers out there, L’Etoile means star in French. So, I did a campaign in French and English, ‘cos I am a genius. R. O. Blechman, then an Art Director at DeGarmo, now a world famous cartoonist and illustrator, did the star. Only took him three weeks… But it was perfect.
My very best memory of L’Etoile was dining there one evening with my loverrrrly wife Maureen, (‘cos we could pig out for free) when the door opened and in strode Salvador Dali in full evening dress, including an opera cloak. In his left hand he carried a silver topped walking stick. In his right he carried a leash attached to a small Ocelot! The Maitre ‘d took his cloak then showed him to his table which had two chairs, one for him and one for you know who! They shared a meal, but not the wine. They left. The clock on the wall melted.
.
