Lüchow's

Lüchow's (1882–1983) was a restaurant located at 110 East 14th Street at Irving Place in East Village (near Union Square) in Manhattan, New York City, with the property running clear through the block to 13th Street. It was established in 1882 – at a time when the surrounding neighborhood was primarily residential – when a German immigrant, August Lüchow, purchased the cafe where he worked as a bartender and waiter. Lüchow's remained in operation at this place for a full century, becoming a favorite establishment for people in the entertainment world, helped by its proximity to the Academy of Music, the city's opera house, as well as Steinway Hall and Tammany Hall, where other entertainment was offered.

Although in the 1930s columnist O. O. McIntyre had written "In a changing world, nothing changes at Lüchow's", eventually even the long-running establishment came to an end, closing after an attempt to stimulate business in 1982 by moving to the Theater District. This new effort failed and ended in 1984, leaving behind satellite locations which closed permanently in May 1986. The 14th Street building was finally demolished in 1995 after being gutted by a fire the year before.

The German name Lüchow is pronounced lü'-kōv, with the "v" almost silent. The restaurant's name has generally been pronounced lū'-chauz, just as an English speaking person would expect on seeing it. The umlaut was left out between 1917 and 1950, which is said to have caused difficulties: "The absence of the umlaut had led many new customers to believe that the place was a Chinese restaurant," according to the The New York Times.

Through the doors of Luchow's pass all the famous people of the world.

August Guido Lüchow, an immigrant from the city of Hanover, Germany, arrived in the United States in 1879 at the age of 23. After working as waiter for a cafe on Duane Street, he became a bartender and waiter at a cafe and beer garden belonging to Baron von Mehlbach. Just a few years later, at the age of 26, he was able to purchase the business with the help of a $1500 loan from William Steinway, the piano magnate, who had his concert-hall-and-showrooms venue Steinway Hall across the street at Union Square, and was a regular customer at the von Mehlbach establishment. The property was only about an eighth in size of what would become Lüchow's, and did not yet reach 13th Street on the downtown side.

...
Wikipedia