Fans of the classic sitcom “Golden Girls” have a new place to swap stories over cheesecake as a new café based on the NBC show has just opened in New York City.
The Rue la Rue Café opened last week in the Sofia Storage building, at 4934 Broadway near 188th Street, according to CBS New York. Proprietor Michael J. LaRue reportedly opened the café to honor his late friend, Rue McClanahan, who played Blanche Deveraux on the show.
LaRue said that he inherited McClanahan’s personal items when she passed away and wanted to put them on display. According to the New York Times, the pumps the actress wore in the pilot episode, mannequins dressed in her character’s gowns, and the star’s 1987 Emmy for lead actress are all on display in the café. The entrepreneur describes the café as a “museum with good food.”
Before “Sex and The City” became a phenomenon, “The Golden Girls” was the original all-female show as it focused on the lives of four mature women living together in Miami. The series aired from 1985 to 1992 for seven seasons and has been in syndicated reruns ever since.
Fans tuned in to see Blanche, the Southern vixen; Dorothy (Bea Arthur), the quick-witted and strong-willed member of the group; matriarch Sophia (Estelle Getty); and spacey Rose (Betty White). McClanahan passed away in 2010 at the age of 76, while Arthur died in 2009 at the age of 86. Getty died in 2008 at 84. White is the lone surviving star of the show, having just turned 95 in January.
Rue la Rue Café’s menu features four cheesecakes in honor of each Golden Girl created by CHOCnyc, as well as two custom beers from Bronx Brewery. It also has recipes shared by the cast, such as Arthur’s chutney, Getty’s pasta salad, and White’s angel food cake.
LaRue told NY Times that he decided to build the restaurant on Washington Avenue as he had no other neighborhood in mind for the new venture.
“I want people to stay in the neighborhood, and if they don’t live here, to come uptown,” he said.
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