The Maisonette

39°06′10.33″N 84°30′40.31″W

The Maisonette (1949-2005) was North America's most-highly-rated restaurant before it closed.[1][2]

History

The Maisonette was opened by Nathan L. Comisar in 1949 in the basement space beneath La Normandie, also owned by Comisar, in the Fountain Square Building in Cincinnati.[1][3] Comisar named the restaurant after a club by the same name in the St. Regis Hotel in New York City.[4]

In 1964 it was awarded its first Mobil 5-star award.[3] In 1966 both restaurants were moved to East Sixth St, with The Maisonette at street level and La Normandie in the basement.[1]

The Maisonette was a fine-dining restaurant, but in the mid-1990s it relaxed its dress code.[5]

Owners
  • Nathan Comisar (1949)[1][6]
  • Vallie Karrick Comisar and Lee Comisar (1949-1964)[7][4]
  • Lee Comisar and Michael J. Comisar, the sons of the founder (1964-xxxx)[1][6]
  • Nat Comisar and Michael E. Comisar, the sons of Lee Comisar and Michael J. Comisar (xxxx-2003)[1]
  • Nat Comisar (2003-2005)[8]

Chefs

Cuisine and recognition

Serving French cuisine and owned by the Comisar family and located since 1966[3] at 114 E. 6th Street in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Maisonette received the five-star award (the highest designation given by Mobil Travel Guide) forty-one years in a row, the longest streak for any North American restaurant.[11][12]

Closure

Opinions vary on the cause of Maisonette's decline. There were fewer customers who wanted to dress for dinner, fewer corporations willing to cover expensive business lunches, operating costs increased, and the City of Cincinnati refused to offer it a tax break. The Maisonette had plans to move to Cincinnati's Kenwood suburb, where it hoped to attract a younger crowd; however, the Hamilton County Planning Commission rejected zoning for the proposed Sycamore Square project, a $60 million development that was to include a relocated Maisonette as the anchor tenant.[8]

The Frost Brown Todd law firm purchased the rights to the name The Maisonette for an unnamed client for $35,000 after the restaurant closed in 2005.[3] In 2013, the Phoenix Restaurant Group acquired the trademark.

Space

In 2013 David Falk's restaurant Boca moved into the space formerly occupied by The Maisonette and Sotto into the space formerly occupied by La Normandie.[4]

Noted dishes

The lobster bisque, chateaubriand jardiniere, brill en croute, Dover sole, raspberry chicken and cafe brulot were noted dishes.[1][8][5][4]

    Awards

    See also

    References
    1. "Who is Nat Comisar?". The Cincinnati Enquirer. June 9, 2004. pp. 1, 8+. ProQuest 1907418368. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    2. "Comisar Returns to Maisonette (Michael E. Comisar)". November 27, 1995. Archived from the original on September 29, 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    3. "The Rise & Fall of Maisonette". Cincy Magazine. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014.
    4. Woellert, Dann (2015). Historic restaurants of Cincinnati : the Queen City's tasty history. ISBN 978-1-4671-1764-7. OCLC 910530663.
    5. Campbell, Polly (2020). Cincinnati Food: A History of Queen City Cuisine. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-4152-9.
    6. Franklin, Stephen (1987-08-11). "In a city that loves chili, some people still prefer it haute". Chicago Tribune. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
    7. Faherty, John. "Maisonette owner Michael Comisar dies at 79". The Enquirer. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
    8. Aldrich, Ian (Nov 2005). "Final Course". Cincinnati Magazine. pp. 66+. Retrieved 2013-05-08.
    9. Mosby, Aline (1966-05-26). "Nation's Greatest Chefs Feted at Gourmet Dinner". The Belleville News-Democrat. p. 15. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
    10. "Cincinnati was capital of fine dining, and Maisonette was its brightest star".
    11. Felix Winternitz & Sacha DeVroomen Bellman (2007). Insiders' Guide to Cincinnati. Globe Pequot. p. 13. ISBN 9780762741809. Retrieved 2013-05-08.
    12. Hume, Scott (2005). "Suburban renewal". Restaurants & Institutions. 115 (9): 93–94, 96. ProQuest 208271460 – via proquest.
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