Martha Stewart helped put this restaurant on the map and the domestic doyenne helped close it down in style.
Its a bittersweet end for EN Brasserie. The iconic Japanese restaurant in NYC is closing after two decades next month, and some of its favorite customers came out to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
A Sayonara party also doubled as a birthday celebration for the eaterys owner, Reika Alexander, on Friday night.
Acclaimed patrons including Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Sofia Coppola, Marina Abramovi, Maye Musk and Stewart all attended the farewell bash.
Stewart, one of the restaurants earliest supporters, led a series of speeches, recounting the hundreds of times shed dined there.
Ive been coming to this beautiful restaurant right when it opened, she said.
The foodie legend, whos the subject of a Netflix doc, attended the bash with her grandchildren, and estimated: Weve probably been around 400 times, at least once a week, she recalled.
Stewart helped bring the restaurant fame when she featured Reika on her show in 2007.
Reika described it as one of my most memorable moments in a post announcing the restaurants closing last month via Instagram. Her team invited me on her show to make tofu, and that exposure brought us a wave of new guests, she wrote.
Martha has been one of our biggest supporters ever since. Im forever grateful to her, she added.
During her speech at the goodbye bash, Stewart expressed, Well be very unhappy when its not here anymore. I want to wish you a very happy birthday and every success for the future.
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Reikas longtime friend, comedian Chappelle, added, This is not just a restaurant. This is my friends dream What an honor to be here, celebrate this place and do the most basic thing the greatest thing in life eat good food.