High-profile habitues of fabled Midtown French restaurant La Grenouille are chasing frogs’ legs and foie gras elsewhere resulting from a mysterious, near-three-months shutdown.
Owner Philippe Masson shuttered the place when it failed a June 27 pressure test on gas pipes after latest meters were installed.
The fabulous frog was alleged to reopen on Sept. 7 following its normal summer vacation but stays dark.
But some regulars are buzzing that there’s more to the prolonged closure than a gas glitch, because it occurred against the backdrop of bitter lawsuits between Philippe Masson and La Grenouille’s former manager — his older brother, Charles Masson.
“It smells fishy,” said one customer who first alerted us to the situation. “It’s a tiny constructing. How long does it take to repair a gas leak?”
City Finance Department records show that Philippe mortgaged a chunk of the chateau-like townhouse to Charles last month to “secure payment of an indebtedness” of $3.17 million.
Philippe’s lawyer, Larry Hutcher, said it was to settle a claim Charles filed against Philippe in 2021 hoping to regain control of the restaurant.
The brothers’ mother, Giselle, booted Charles in favor of Philippe before her death in 2014.
Charles accused Philippe of defaulting on loans and treating La Grenouille as a “personal ATM.” Philippe claimed that Charles was attempting to hijack the constructing from him so he could sell it for as much as $40 million.
La Grenouille, at 3 East 52nd St. since 1962, is the last survivor of town’s era of “Le’s” and “La’s” when French cuisine reigned supreme.
The dining room’s gold fabric partitions and red banquettes, a three-course menu starting at $185, and a horny upstairs private room proceed to attract a boldface crowd.
“It’s so good,” said socialite Dori Cooperman, who goes for lunch and personal dinners. “It’s old-school glamour, the fresh flowers and amazing food.”
Regulars through the years have included Michael Bloomberg, Woody Allen and Madonna — at the least before Philippe instituted nightly jazz performances that include his own vocals. (“I’ve never done the jazz,” Cooperman chuckled.)
Other recent customers include John and Margo Catsimatidis, Huma Abedin and Sandra Lee.
But dark windows and an empty outdoor shed solid a pall on the swanky block between Fifth and Madison avenues.
Vagrants took over the shed and filled it with garbage which has since been removed.
A recording on La Grenouille’s phone line states, “The Buildings Department has approved our plans [for gas repairs] and we’re just waiting for Con Ed to reopen out gas line. Con Ed, where are you?”
Actually, nonetheless, the restaurant “doesn’t have gas authorization from the DOB,” said Con Ed rep Jamie McShane. “We cannot have gas flowing where there are leaks.”
DOB spokesman Andrew Rudansky corroborated: “DOB has told their plumber on 4 separate occasions that to ensure that the gas to be restored they need approvals from the FDNY for the fireplace suppression hood, which is a critical safety feature for industrial cooking equipment.
“To this point the plumber has not provided evidence that the fireplace suppression system is working,” Rudansky said.
Philippe’s recent campaign to attract a younger clientele with nightly cabaret acts of which he’s the singing star caused Carrrie Cort, an everyday of 28 years to smell to the Recent York Times, “That’s not what La Grenouille is.”
Hutcher didn’t reply to requests for comment on the gas situation.
Neither Charles Masson nor his lawyer returned emails.
High-profile habitues of fabled Midtown French restaurant La Grenouille are chasing frogs’ legs and foie gras elsewhere resulting from a mysterious, near-three-months shutdown.
Owner Philippe Masson shuttered the place when it failed a June 27 pressure test on gas pipes after latest meters were installed.
The fabulous frog was alleged to reopen on Sept. 7 following its normal summer vacation but stays dark.
But some regulars are buzzing that there’s more to the prolonged closure than a gas glitch, because it occurred against the backdrop of bitter lawsuits between Philippe Masson and La Grenouille’s former manager — his older brother, Charles Masson.
“It smells fishy,” said one customer who first alerted us to the situation. “It’s a tiny constructing. How long does it take to repair a gas leak?”
City Finance Department records show that Philippe mortgaged a chunk of the chateau-like townhouse to Charles last month to “secure payment of an indebtedness” of $3.17 million.
Philippe’s lawyer, Larry Hutcher, said it was to settle a claim Charles filed against Philippe in 2021 hoping to regain control of the restaurant.
The brothers’ mother, Giselle, booted Charles in favor of Philippe before her death in 2014.
Charles accused Philippe of defaulting on loans and treating La Grenouille as a “personal ATM.” Philippe claimed that Charles was attempting to hijack the constructing from him so he could sell it for as much as $40 million.
La Grenouille, at 3 East 52nd St. since 1962, is the last survivor of town’s era of “Le’s” and “La’s” when French cuisine reigned supreme.
The dining room’s gold fabric partitions and red banquettes, a three-course menu starting at $185, and a horny upstairs private room proceed to attract a boldface crowd.
“It’s so good,” said socialite Dori Cooperman, who goes for lunch and personal dinners. “It’s old-school glamour, the fresh flowers and amazing food.”
Regulars through the years have included Michael Bloomberg, Woody Allen and Madonna — at the least before Philippe instituted nightly jazz performances that include his own vocals. (“I’ve never done the jazz,” Cooperman chuckled.)
Other recent customers include John and Margo Catsimatidis, Huma Abedin and Sandra Lee.
But dark windows and an empty outdoor shed solid a pall on the swanky block between Fifth and Madison avenues.
Vagrants took over the shed and filled it with garbage which has since been removed.
A recording on La Grenouille’s phone line states, “The Buildings Department has approved our plans [for gas repairs] and we’re just waiting for Con Ed to reopen out gas line. Con Ed, where are you?”
Actually, nonetheless, the restaurant “doesn’t have gas authorization from the DOB,” said Con Ed rep Jamie McShane. “We cannot have gas flowing where there are leaks.”
DOB spokesman Andrew Rudansky corroborated: “DOB has told their plumber on 4 separate occasions that to ensure that the gas to be restored they need approvals from the FDNY for the fireplace suppression hood, which is a critical safety feature for industrial cooking equipment.
“To this point the plumber has not provided evidence that the fireplace suppression system is working,” Rudansky said.
Philippe’s recent campaign to attract a younger clientele with nightly cabaret acts of which he’s the singing star caused Carrrie Cort, an everyday of 28 years to smell to the Recent York Times, “That’s not what La Grenouille is.”
Hutcher didn’t reply to requests for comment on the gas situation.
Neither Charles Masson nor his lawyer returned emails.
