Medford,
MEDFORD. OREGON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9. 1961
BIG OPERATION Vincent Sardi, right, and his son, Vincent
Jr., are shown at a table in Sardi's New Y6rk City restaurant.
Sardi Sr., 75, turned the business of feeding actors into a
$1 million a year operation. During his childhood, he says,
he was considered the "black sheep of the family."
(UPI Telephoto)
Vincent Sardi Turns
Feeding of Actors
Into Big Business
New York City - Vincent
Sardi, who turned the feeding
of Broadway actors into a $1
million a year business, po
litely passed up eating the
lunch at which he was the
host.
"I just had my 75th birth
day and it is time to slow
down," he said, looking more
like a school teacher in his
dark rimmed glasses than the
man who has made Sardi's
restaurant a Broadway land
mark; "No, I am not dieting," he
added quickly, noting his dis
like of the practice.
"Perhaps it is because ram'
Italian, but too many ladies
today look - ;like scarecrows.
They do not eat enough."
And Sardi knows his ladies,
having been on a first name
basis with virtually every
feminine. starf'the Broadway
stage, since he opened his res
taurant in 1921. (However, he
insists on calling them by
their last names). . ' .
Fed for Free
He once stuffed oysters with
caviar for Gertrude Lawrence,.
tossed garlic salad for , Kath-i
erine Cornell and fed Celeste
Holm-for free in the days be
fore she was a theatrical suc
cess. "I have opened up savings
accounts for lots of young
actors and deposited money
for them," Sardi recalled.
"I have always given them
food - but not drink - on
credit. I never have gotten
stung."
It is difficult to pinpoint
which came first in Italian
born Sardi's life: his interest
in the restaurant business or
in actors . . ,
He admitted that iromi bis
childhood in Canelli, Italy, he
was regarded as "the black
sheep of the family" and
wanted to leave home. By the
age of 14 he was dishwashing
for his room and board in a
small London restaurant. He
spent the first shillings he
earned on the theater.
But it was not until years
later when working. as a wait
er at Barthbidi's Inn, New
York City's best' theatrical
hotel, that he came face to
face with the actors. That was
when he met his wife Jenny.
Held Several Jobs
He married her inlflll:and
confided his ambition to open
a theatrical restaurant. For
the next ten years Sardi held
several jobs simultaneously to
lay the financial groundwork
for his dream.
It came true in 1921 with
the opening of the restaurant
at 246 West 44th st. Several
years later he moved it to
234 West 44th st. in a build
ing built by Producer Lee Shu
bert. The oak paneled room
was reminiscent of London
where the young restauran
teur had spent his formative
days.
Recently Sardi's East was
MAKE IT A
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Pick up
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r US 1 lu-8
Tribune
opened at 123 East 54th st. to
cater to the east side residents
who had frequented the
Broadway place.
Sardi's son Vincent man
ages both restaurants. The
elder Sardi - known to' all,
including many Broadway
celebrities, as "Mr. Sardi Sr."
supervises the lunchtime traf
fic at the east side restaurant
because ."the west side one , is
so crowded I can't take it."
Mrs. Sardi; his first chef
and still his favorite cook, re
mains in their Manhasset,
Long Island home.
"She is my main reason for
success," he said. "She was
hardworking. She had faith in
me. That was how we did it
together," he said, his Italian
accent still strong.
He mentioned his wife with
especial fondness: : - ..- .
Virtually Inseparable "'. .
After nearjy 50. years .of
marriage the Sardis are. vir;
t u a 1 1 y inseparable. They
spend (heir time either at
home ' or ' with their theater
friends. Since they have
moved; to , the. suburbs their
theater;, going .1? confined
mostly , to the opera on alter
nate Monday' nights. '
"My husband prefers to eat
at home rather than in a res
taurant," Mrs. Sardi said.
"He is not particular about
his food and will eat almost
anything I prepare."
Sardi has been criticized by
some for giving theatrical at
mosphere precedence over the
elaborateness of cuisine in his
west side restaurant.
The food is acknowledged
to be good, but Sardi himself
admitted that "there is no
doubt that the theater has
been our main attraction.;' -
"The theater people will al
ways come first and ahead of
our other customers," he said.
Fluoridation Faces
McMinnville Vole 1
McMinnville IUPD Flouri
dated water, a recurring prob
lem here, may be headed for
more trouble even though it
was approved by the voters In
a general election.
A petition seeking another
vote on flouridation has been
presented to the city council.
The measure for flouridation
was approved in the Novem
ber election.
The council said it would
meet next Tuesday to set an
election date.
The petition had been cir
culated by a group called the
"Pure Water Committee."
McMinnville approved wa
ter flouridation once before,
in 1956, but the proposal was
defeated at a second election.
Jonas Chickering was the
first American to make a pi
ano with a full iron frame. It
was produced in Boston in
1837.
SOCIABLE
Police Round Up Overdue Borrowers Of Library Books
East Orange; N.J.-IDPD-Came
the knock bri, the door, the
flash of , authority, the mid
night ride to headquarters -and
14 persons faced the desk
sergeant on charges of failing
to return overdue library
books.
. "I felt like Public Enemy
No. 1,321," said William Ans
ley, 36, a salesman.. The arrest
broke up a.-bridge game at
Ansley's home.
"They treated us like we
just robbed the First National
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books. One person was fined
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and four more will get hear
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any further need for the pub
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Ansley said the officers
broke up his bridge game and
"insisted on me going with
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called the affair "absurd."
One of those fined, James
P. McCann, employed by a
Wall Street firm in New York,
said his daughter had taken
out a book on his library card
and never returned it. He
paid the $25.
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