The Florent
Coordinates: 40°44′22″N 74°00′27″W / 40.739483°N 74.007572°W Florent was a French diner in New York's Meatpacking District from 1985 until 2008.
History
Florent was located at 69 Gansevoort Street, one of the few remaining cobblestone streets in New York City.[1] It was owned by colorful restaurateur and AIDS activist Florent Morellet. Morellet is credited with revitalizing Manhattan's meatpacking district with his restaurant. It opened in 1985 and closed on June 29, 2008.[2][3] The restaurant was known for its ever-changing message boards featuring everything from the establishment's daily specials to the owner's average T-cell count during the AIDS era.
Erica De Mane, the noted food journalist and cookbook writer, began her cooking career at Florent in 1985.[4]
Florent was also known for its Bastille Day celebrations that started in 1989, the year of the French bicentennial.[5]
Films
In May 2011, Magic Lantern released Florent: Queen of the Meat Market, a documentary film which highlights the restaurant's history.
As of June 25, 2014, Alan Cumming is planning to produce a project inspired by the life of Florent Morellet.[6]
Notable guests
- Madonna
- Debbie Harry
- Winona Ryder
- Raymond Kelly
- James Gandolfini
- Keith Haring
- Calvin Klein
- Mikhail Baryshnikov
- Prince
- David Bowie
- John F. Kennedy, Jr.
- Kate Winslet
- Catherine Deneuve
- Marilyn Manson
- Felicity Huffman
- Ethan Hawke
- Bono
- Roy Lichtenstein
- Johnny Depp
- Amy Winehouse
- Keanu Reeves
- Julianne Moore
- Kier Kirby
- Diane Von Furstenberg
- Isaac Mizrahi
- Lady Bunny
- Joey Arias
- Robin Byrd
- Jeanne-Claude
- Christo
- Murray Hill
- Michael Musto
References
- ↑ "Neighborhood Report: West Village; Shifting Shadows and the Multiple Personality of the Meatpacking District". The New York Times. February 5, 1985. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Genre-Bending Hangout Takes Its Final Bows". The New York Times. May 21, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
- ↑ "The 25th Hour of Florent Morellet". New York magazine. May 25, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ↑ "About Erica De Mane". My Mediterranean Diet blog. October 10, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
- ↑ "Playing In The Neighborhood". The New York Times. July 17, 1994. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ↑ "SundanceTV Revs Development with Projects from Alan Cumming, Todd Field, Patrick Dempsey". Variety. June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.