Often when a much ballyhooed spot repeatedly reopens, the buzz and anticipation geared toward it eventually fizzle out. Haunts with storied pasts, like The Plaza, fade into oblivion; or worse yet, like an aging starlet, become known by the younger generation as washed up and cursed. But such is not the case with Vanity Fair-editor-cum-restaurateur, Graydon Carter’s new venture Monkey Bar; this place, storied or not, has momentum.

This New York Resto-lounge which originally opened its doors in the hotel Elysee in 1932 was a regular den for such big names as Marlon Brando, Tallulah Bankhead, Joe DiMaggio, Tennessee Williams, Fred Astaire, and Ava Gardner. Needless to say, Carter, powerful as he may be, can’t bring Brando back. But, his pedigree does provide the kind of instant caché that good old Godfather would have simply by walking through Monkey Bar’s doors.

On the topic of caché, the classic Hollywood stomping grounds has so much Buzz, the public relations people ironically are downplaying the place, as if it was some kind of speakeasy. When I spoke to Beth Kseniak, Carter’s spokeswoman, she claimed that “the only information I have right now is that the restaurant will be opening for previews on April 16.” An apocryphal notion since the staff at the Hotel Elysee, which is independently owned and operated, say that the Monkey bar is currently (as of April 1) open.

Whether officially or unofficially, the Monkey Bar currently serves a menu comprised of true classics, moving away from the modern twist that previous owners’, the Glacier Group,tried to put on it. In other words: the monkeys stay (the ubiquitous monkey mural that is) and the foam goes. The menu is as standard to classic cuisine as Jimmy Stewart was to 30’s Hollywood. Samplings from the ‘foodography’ include: oysters Rockefeller, lobster Newburg, iceberg wedge salad, Waldorf salad, and of course meatloaf.

When it’s time to monkey around, the bar actually doesn’t have a menu, summoning in its thirsty customers that vintage, “What’ll it be” kind of feel. Though Carter’s other restaurant Waverly Inn has oft been accused of snobbery in the first degree, Monkey Bar promises a less offensive experience. That said, Graydon's Monkey Bar no longer takes reservations over the phone; Monkey only accepts requests over email at reservations@monkeybarnewyork.com. – E.H