In 1898 Sherry’s and Delmonico’s faced off on two corners of Fifth Avenue and 44th Street. Which would win the favor of New York City’s high society whose core membership was known as the Four Hundred? Even before Sherry’s boldly moved onto Delmonico’s turf it had been successfully poaching “Del’s” clientele. For a time there seemed to be enough elite diners to go around, but the days were numbered for both of New York City’s grand restaurants. Before too long each would suffer from the negative impact of Prohibition and World War I on food and drink and social life. Nonetheless many spectacular balls and dinners were still in store at Sherry’s before its demise.
Louis Sherry began his professional life in restaurants in New Jersey and New York in the 1870s, working as a waiter, then steward and head waiter at establishments such as the Hotel Brunswick. In 1881 he started a confectionery and catering business at Sixth Avenue and 38th Street where he supplied ice cream, cakes, and deluxe dinner party staples such as lobster, salmon, deviled crab, chicken salad, and terrapin. He soon opened a restaurant at the casino at Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island. His businesses grew, and he moved to Fifth Avenue at 37th Street, and when that became too small he commissioned Stanford White to design a multi-story restaurant with ballrooms and residential suites opposite Delmonico’s.
Although he has been singled out as one of the few American-born proprietors of a fine NYC restaurant at the turn of the 20th century, it is likely that he was a native of Canada rather than Vermont as is frequently reported. On several passport applications he attests that he was born in Quebec, in 1855.
Sherry was known for getting every detail right, particularly table appointments and decorations which could include everything from asparagus served in a hollowed out block of ice to tabletop forests and lakes (1908 dinner pictured). But from time to time the expense and elaborateness of his dinners prompted critics to call them symptoms of a decadent society. This was especially true of the $250 per person dinner on horseback given by C. G. K. Billings to 36 members of his Equestrian Club in 1903 – and the 1905 dinner for 500 guests costumed as 18th-century French royalty given by James H. Hyde where even the waiters wore powdered wigs.
In 1912 Sherry’s was hit hard by a restaurant workers’ strike which targeted the city’s top eating places. He professed indifference but bitterly cited “Bolshevik waiters” as one of the reasons for closing the restaurant and hotel in 1919 and moving up to 58th Street to continue with catering and confectionery. In 1921 Sherry joined a corporation headed by Lucius Boomer that opened a Sherry’s restaurant and candy shop at 300 Park Avenue. A subsidiary of the corporation owned the Sherry-Netherland Hotel. Sherry, who did not seem to be actively involved in these enterprises, died in 1926. Later, under a succession of owners, there were Louis Sherry restaurants in the Metropolitan Opera and the Philharmonic, while ice cream is still (or was until fairly recently?) produced under the Louis Sherry name.
© Jan Whitaker, 2010
It's great to hear from readers and I take time to answer queries. I can't always find what you are looking for, but I do appreciate getting thank yous no matter what the outcome.
Restaurant-ing through history 
Thank you very much for the fantastic article on my Great Grand Uncle Louis Sherry and his restaurant Sherry’s.
It is great to have more information on Sherry’s for my family genealogy.
Louis Sherry married my Great Grand Aunt Marie Bertha Grandjean-Perrenoud-Comtesse on September 3, 1877 in Manhattan and together had 6 children.
Again thank you so much for posting your article on Sherry’s.
How wonderful. My parents got married in May of 1946 at St. Bartholomews in NYC. They had their reception at Sherry’s. It was a wonderful day for all. I have several photos of the reception. How lovely it must have been!
susie
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Can anyone tell me who Sherry’s catering manager was in 1926. I have a reference to him only as “old H—“. Thanks!
In “The Met” by Martin Mayer on p(?) 54 (a color spread with no page numbers) there is a nice color picture of the bar and Sherry’s in the distance. Also p 96, pre-Sherry’s Grand Tier restaurant.
There are a few photos of Sherry’s at the Old Met in 2 books. “Farewell to the Old House” Stuart Preston on page 63, a picture of a ballet rehearsal in the rooms that became Sherry’s. In “The Golden Horseshoe” by the editors of Opera News, on page 77 an excellent view of the restaurant crowded at intermission, and p 225, Bing and Menotti at a table in Sherry’s. I’ll keep looking for more.
Good to know!
The book “Magic of the Opera” about the Old Met, with pictures by Gjon Mili, has its outer covers covered with the same flock-material that hung upon the walls of Sherry’s. It’s worth having for that reason, aside from the wonderful photos by Mili. There is one picture from the main stair into the bar, with Sherry’s beyond, but you can’t really see the restaurant, at all.
My uncle worked at Sherry’s on Park Avenue. I have 3 “butter warmers” passed down to me that my uncle said were from the earlier Sherry’s on 5th Ave.
Fascinating information about Louis Sherry. I collect vintage cocktail stirers and just found a “Louis Sherry 300 Park Avenue New York” at a flea market in Massachusetts. I’ll treasure it more now having learned about the restaurant.
In May of 1946 my mother, Mary Bell and my father Chapin Coit married and had their reception at Sherry’s. Is this the same place?
THE Sherry’s that was famous for hosting banquets and parties for NY’s “400” closed in the 1920s, and the Sherry’s that was recreated was not quite the same without Louis Sherry at the helm. Of course society as a whole had also changed.
Great article! Now I know a lot about the restaurant! I have a menu from the “nightly curtain dinner” from the 1957-1958 season. Prices are up there! I also have the Metropolitan Operas New Years Eve – 1958 program. Would like to see someone who collects/or interested in have them. There is also a program/ book from 1950- Gala testimonial in honor of Edward Johnson Feb 28th. He was the General Manager of the Met. Opera Assoc. for 15 years. The pictures are wonderful. “Tosca” was performed. Interested? Just collecting dust! They need to move on! Love your blog!
I remember Louis Sherry chocolate boxes as hostess gifts. I treasured one (when I was a child, of course 😉 for years.
Wonderful to run across this! (Thanks, Google)
My father, Sherwin “Bucky” Harris was president of Louis Sherry’s in the 1950’s and also chairman of the board of Childs Restaurants.
I still own an inlaid demilune bar from Sherry’s in the old opera house (now for sale), as well has some silver dessert bowls, and perhaps a couple of plates. And of course a number of Louis Sherry metal candy boxes. My dad is long gone, but I just started thinking about about the company & restaurant, and came across your article. Thank you.
Are there any pictures of Sherry’s Bar in the old Met? I have a mirror from there.
Not that I have run across.
My Grandfather, Metthew Pupilla managed Louis Sherry’s. He had made President Teddy Roosevelt’s inaugural cake. I still have some of the beautiful tins that the fantastic chocolate came in. My mother also worked for the company.
Jan:
This is a fascinating piece of history to recover, its hard to imagine the excesses of the Age. I beleive that Delmonico’s also had an outpost in San Francisco. I share your fascination with this time period and cant quite imagine how diners survived those meals…
Thanks for a great post!