Delmonico's

Delmonico's

Founded in 1837
New York

Considered America's first fine-dining restaurant, Delmonico's is also the birthplace of a number of culinary firsts. It was here that the Delmonico Steak, Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newburg, and Baked Alaska were born. The Del Monico brothers, originally from Switzerland, started out as the owners of a café and pastry shop in New York's financial district. Soon they launched a series of eating innovations, presenting diners with the first menu and offering private dining rooms. (Mark Twain celebrated his 70th birthday party in one of them.) Delmonico's also insisted on using only the highest quality ingredients and providing great customer service.

Through the years, Delmonico's expanded, moving locations a number of times before the family closed the restaurant in 1923. A number of Delmonico eateries have cropped up since then. In 1998 the Bice Group, a restaurant company, opened their Delmonico's in Manhattan, spending a reported $1.5 million to recreate the Old World feel of the original.