In New York the tradition of post-curtain dinners is an established part of theatre-going. This book is an anecdotal historical companion to legendary theatre people and their favourite places to eat. It brings together theatrical and culinary stories linked with some of New York's oldest and most famous restaurants, such as the Cafe des Artistes, the Algonquin, Sardi's, and the Waldorf. The Cafe des Artistes's sumptuous duplexes had only tiny pullman kitchens. Its famed tenants - who included Noel Coward, Isadora Duncan and Rudolf Valentino - bought their own raw ingredients, sent them down to the kitchen, and the kitchen then sent dinners upstairs on dumbwaiters precisely at the time requested. For over fifty years, the Algonquin has been favoured by British actors on tour - among them Gertrude Lawrence, John Gielgud and Peter Ustinov while American Orson Welles spent his honeymoon there. At Sardi's, Laurence Olivier dined with Noel Coward here, after a show, to tell him his marriage to Vivien Leigh was over. A vibrant mix of anecdote and entertainment, this book will appeal to thespians, those interested in theatre and food history, and visitors to New York.