Historical Place of the Day: Polish Tea Room

Polish Tea Room--Edison Cafe, closed by the greedy landlords of the Edison Hotel at the end of 2014. Famous for its mixed clientele, including stagehands, producers and playwrights. Neil Simon used to eat there. Its matzah ball soup was famous. The name is a takeoff on the hoity-toity Russian Tea Room. The Edison was finally replaced by a more high-end restaurant named Friedman's, where the food is supposed to be pretty good.

Term of the Day: Polish Tea Room

Polish Tea Room--Edison Cafe, closed by the greedy landlords of the Edison Hotel at the end of 2014. Famous for its mixed clientele, including stagehands, producers and playwrights. Neil Simon used to eat there. Its matzah ball soup was famous.

Term of the Day: Polish Tea Room

Polish Tea Room--Edison Cafe, closed by the greedy landlords of the Edison Hotel at the end of 2014.  Slang name is a takeoff on the hoity-toity Russian Tea Room. Famous for its mixed clientele, including stagehands, producers and playwrights. Neil Simon used to eat there. Its matzah ball soup was famous.

Ghosts of Broadway Past: The Polish Tea Room

Polish Tea Room--The Cafe Edison, closed by the greedy landlords of the Edison Hotel at the end of 2014. Famous for its mixed clientele, including stagehands, producers and playwrights. Neil Simon used to eat there. Its matzoh ball soup was famous. The name is a satire of the high-end Russian Tea Room, where the Polish Tea Room was more low brow.  Neil Simon's 2001 play "45 Seconds from Broadway" was completely set at the Polish Tea Room.