Based on this vintage menu from The Hickory House, I’d guess it was a swinging little place to have cocktails and dinner and then catch a show on West 52nd Street.
That stretch of midtown used to be crowded with jazz clubs in the 1940s and 1950s.
Turns out The Hickory House, opened in 1933, was known for its steaks and jazz lineups.
But The Hickory House couldn’t have been too cool; according to the menu, they had a branch in Miami Beach.
Still, check out these cheapo drink prices. Post-Prohibition New York City was a hard-drinking town.
Tags: 52nd Street jazz clubs, defunct New York City restaurants, midtown bars, New York City bars, New York in the 1950s, nightclubs in New York City, Prohibition in New York City, The Hickory House, vintage menus
Ephemeral New York 
March 19, 2010 at 12:14 pm |
Little background from 1959 — and a piece from NPR. Man, I’d like to stop in this place tonight. The plaque for Toots Shor’s makes me feel the same way.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15123976
The Hickory House, at 144 W. 52nd St., claims that if all the jazz musicians launched there were laid end to end the line would reach well toward Basin St., New Orleans, where John Popkin first heard the wail of Louis Prima’s trumpet in 1933 and persuaded Louis to migrate to New York.
In the 25 years since HICKORY HOUSE opened, jazz buffs who sit around the huge circular music bar—first of its kind, incidentally—have been entertained by Benny Goodman, Eddie Condon, Bix Beiderbecke, Wingy Manone, Artie Shaw, Charlie Barnet, the Tea-gardens (Jack and Charlie), Joe Marsala, Joey Bushkin, Red Norvo, Joe Venuti, Eddie South, John Kirby, Charlie Trombauer, Bobby Hackett and Duke Ellington. And, on the distaff side, Frances Faye, Mary Lou Williams, Marian McPartland, Toshiko and Hazel Scott, who played her first local engagement at the HICKORY HOUSE and stayed there for two years at $35 a week.
HICKORY HOUSE also claims to have originated “jam session” and “sitting in”—part of the vocabulary of the cool set. Before union restrictions put an end to such shindigs, it was not unusual on a Sunday afternoon to find Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Benny Good-man or the Dorsey Brothers “sitting in” just for kicks.
In such company, Frankie Laine was happy to sing just to be heard and even Frank Sinatra wasn’t above raising his voice in song for the fun of it. In 1933 HICKORY HoUsE inaugurated another “first” by introducing jazz on the major networks.
John Popkin, impresario at the HICKORY HoUsE, has quite a background. Born in Wilno, Lithuania, and originally named Zelig Pupko, he migrated to New York at the age of 12 with other members of his family to join their father, who had preceded them by five years. John became a Postal Telegraph messenger boy and learned English mostly by reading signs. After driving a truck for his father’s fish business, he opened an auction shop on Lispenard St. (site of the present Telephone Co. building) and prospered, so that by the time he was 23 he had made his first million. After that he sold out and took up boxing. (His alibi for quitting was he didn’t want to spoil his looks.)
At the outbreak of World War I, Popkin was raising ducks in Yardley, Pa. He sold out, joined a committee for Belgian relief in New York. And after the war, just for variety perhaps, went into the perfume business. After 12 years, he was able to buy 23 race horses, one of which (Air Chief) won 27 races.
During Prohibition, Popkin opened a basement speakeasy in association with Jack Goldman, at 47th St. and Broadway called the “Little Club”—a misnomer since it seated 300. Joe E. Lewis, a Chicago comedian, made his New York debut there. The Little Club (no connection with the present club of that name) served as spawning ground for the talent that was later to appear at HICKORY HOUSE, which Popkin opened, in association with Goldman’s brother Jack, in 1933.
HICKORY HOUSE seats 380 customers, 60 at the bar, and specializes in sizzling steaks and “cool” music.
May 27, 2020 at 5:42 pm |
Did you forget to mention a certain Buddy Rich in there? He made his first gig as an out and out jazz drummer with Joe Marsala’s band at the venue.
March 19, 2010 at 5:44 pm |
Thanks for the great info, DGK.
April 18, 2010 at 1:09 pm |
Thank you for your posting, DGK. I would like to the listed roster of artists also German-American jazz pianist Jutta Hipp who had a months-long engagement at the Hickory House in 1956, while Marian McPartland (the Hickory House’s house pianist at the time) was on tour. Jutta Hipp was the first female Caucasian instrumentalist ever signed by the legendary Blue Note record label.
September 29, 2013 at 3:44 pm |
Not really, you are forgetting The Gil Melle Quintet on Blue Note in 1953.
September 30, 2013 at 11:16 am
I referred to female instrumentalist – not male performers. Gil Melle was, I think you are correct, the first male White performer signed by Blue Note.
February 17, 2011 at 3:51 am |
[…] in case you were wondering what a bonded rye would run you at the Hickory House, well, it started at 90 […]
April 17, 2011 at 9:42 pm |
Hey where did u find this? The Hickory House was owned by my Great Uncle, John Popkin. It was a very cool place. As a little boy I remember meeting a number of very famous musicians there. I would love to locate a copy of the menu or other items. Can u point me in the right direction?
September 3, 2012 at 2:44 am |
just saw this post from you and judy…..-john and julia popkin were my grandparents– my late father howard popkin and my mother arlene (known as the redhead) spent mostof their time there…have some menus and memorabilia—-my mom just told me she has a picture at the hickory house with john and sophie….contact me at facebook–guess we are related….! melanie popkin
September 5, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Hi Melanie
I remember you….and your parents. My dad was Jack and mom was Lynne…they were very close to your parents. We saw each other as kids many times..even remember Mario the great waiter. So glad your Mom is still around….mine passeed away 12 years ago at age 68..Dad even earlier. I am married and living in FL. on Facebook as Judith Popkin Passela…….
August 30, 2013 at 8:54 pm
To Melanie Popkin Farkas,
I was so sorry to learn of your father’s passing. Howard and I were friends in the 1930’s and 40’s.and for a while he was my husband’s and my stockbroker. My late father and John Popkin’s older brother Harry were partners in a men’s formal wear company named ABO & POPKIN..My parents and I “lunched” at the HH quite often before I was married .
Howard was a great guy, You and your mother have my condolences.
Fondly,
Selma Abo Lerner
Selma1818@yahoo.com
September 23, 2020 at 3:09 pm
Hi I am a distant cousin. John and Julia were my aunt and uncle. My mother Lillian and your dad grew up together. Julia was my grandmother’s sister Theresa Stolman. We played when we were in our preteen years. Was looking up Hickory House and found your post.
July 14, 2017 at 5:45 am |
Hello! Good to get to read all of this! My grandfather was Jack Goldman. I have heard so many stories about the great musician’s of the club. It’s very interesting to read more about the Popkins.
May 1, 2011 at 1:03 am |
[…] A great band remote broadcast from WJSV Washington -September 22, 1939-a CBS feed of Louis Prima, from The Hickory House in NYC. This one was taken from a series of great OTR on disc: WSJV recorded an ENTIRE brodcast day, from sign on to sign off…simply amazing. I can post it if anyone is interested, it’s great. http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KVGIXYSC A bit on The Hickory House from: https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/having-a-drink-at-hickory-house-on-52nd-street/ […]
July 8, 2011 at 7:09 pm |
My family (owners of a large New Jersey restaurant) would go into New York frequently to see shows and shop and enjoy a few favorite eating places. I can tell you that the Hickory House was one of our most favorite. Knowing my father was also a restauranteur, Mr. Popkin would always sit and chat with us about business and always recognized us when we came in. Years later as a musician, I played with Alex Kallao, a blind piano player who recorded his most famous album “Live” at the Hickory House. By the way, the salt sticks were the greatest!
July 12, 2011 at 12:01 pm |
I used to bring my highschool dates to my Uncle John’s Hickory House. I thought I was so cool as my Uncle John would always spend time with me and never charge me a dime. That was’cool’. However, what was really special about the Hickory House was not only the music but the interior design of the place-huge circular bar with musicians playing on the interior, a glass wall that allowed you to watch the incredible steaks being grilled and the crisp white linen table cloths and napkins that were constantly being changed to keep the restaurant look immaculate. Good times.
Doug Popkin
July 12, 2011 at 11:50 pm |
Just to add, Doug, the glass wall revealed not a grill, but the aging room for the meats….I was five or so and the greatest waiter, Mario, would carry me around on his shoulders and then bring me a huge shrimp cocktail. Of course that treatment was under the watchful eye of Uncle John and my grandfather, Bert; his younger brother. I learned how to enjoy great food and Shirley Temples; not knowing enough, yet, to appreciate the great music. Marian McPartland is still going strong with her “Piano Jazz” on NPR. The restaurant eventally became Joe’s Pier 52, but it was never the same…a classic always remains a classic. Thanks, Uncle John and Aunt Julia, for the wonderful memories we all share.
Judy Popkin Passela
July 20, 2011 at 2:31 pm |
sorry, I posted my Hickory House comment on the Subways Are For Sleeping article by mistake.
October 30, 2011 at 3:04 pm |
@Bill Crow – Thanks for your great books and documenting of the jazz life.
April 18, 2012 at 4:00 am |
Let me remind the author that Miami Beach could be a classy place in those days – wonderful artists in the many night clubs.
April 23, 2012 at 5:23 am |
My father played with Louis Prima at the Hickory House in the late 30’s. I have some great photos from those days. I was curious who J. Popkin was, sitting with Prima’s arm around him and Buddy Rich looking like a little kid. Amazing what you can find on the internet. I would love to hear the feed of Prima’s band mentioned in a comment. Daddy played bass and it always sounded like the heartbeat of the band to me. Thanks for posting!
July 12, 2012 at 4:20 pm |
Can you let me know by looking at a picture if that is the Hickory House in the background?
September 6, 2018 at 3:47 pm |
Hello Susan – I am writing a book on 52nd Street and would love to see and use some of your photos in my book, if it is at all possible. You can contact me at leosullivan@rogers.com. Thank you!
July 12, 2012 at 4:21 pm |
I will forward the pic to you.
December 28, 2012 at 11:28 pm |
When in New York on business I made it my business to visit the Hickory house back in the ’40’s.
August 28, 2013 at 7:40 pm |
In 1956 ,I had a friend named “Oogie” that took me to the Hickory House and introduced me to Mary Ann McPartland. I was astounded when she went on break, she just motioned to my friend ( Who I had no idea was a musician) to set in for her on the horseshoe bar.I had just finished playing in a USO Services mans Club down off 5th ave.After we left we were walking and a gentleman in front of us collapsed and “Oogie” caught him and placed him against a wall . The emergency people arrived and we left. The next morning we read that the comedian “Fred Allen” had died from a heart attack walking down 57th ST.
March 11, 2014 at 4:35 am |
In the early ’60’s I used to go from college to NYC to have fun on weekends. I would always go the Hickory House. I found out about the place from the front section of The New Yorker, which always told you who was playing, when, and where. I think drinks were about $1.50 by then. My favorite was Bill Evans—we would sit at the bar and be about 10 feet from him. On night, around midnight, Duke Ellington came in with the singer Odetta to listen and have dinner. Great food there, nice people came there, and very nice employees —treated this college boy and his girl friend just great. NY had a drinking age of 18 then.
April 25, 2014 at 5:47 pm |
http://nycma.lunaimaging.com/luna/servlet/s/k9x21z Nice photo from the 30’s.
June 29, 2016 at 4:52 pm |
Not sure if this is the same family. During W W 2 I lived in Atlantic City, and met a lot of soldiers. One was Hooward Popkin. He told me that if I ever came to N.Y. After the war , I should stop by his father’s club. Many years later, my Husband and I were seeing some shows( we lived in Philadelphia) I remembered the Name Hickory House and stopped in. Sure enough, Howard was there and showed us around. Do I have the right family or place. My memory goes back some 70 years.
Barbara Blum
July 2, 2016 at 8:09 pm |
Hi Barbara .yes you found the right family! nice to hear some kind memories about my dad – heard very few AC stories…. And I was quite young in the hickory house days…wish I remembered more…my mom and I thank you for sharing.
Melanie popkin farkas
July 28, 2016 at 7:51 pm |
I ate at the hickory at lease once a week in Miami Beach with my grandparents. It was a high end restaurant.The food and service were great a little above Ruth Chris. The aging room had a window and you could see the ageing meat from the outside window.
July 14, 2017 at 5:41 am |
Thank you so much for posting this. My grandfather was Jack Goldman, one of the owners. He died before I was born so I never got to meet him, but I love getting to read things like this.
February 25, 2018 at 1:07 am |
You neglected to mention that Joe Marsala and his Chicagoans featuring Adele Girard(the hot harpist) was more or less the house band from 1936-1947 or thereabouts. Jack Goldman introduce Joe to Adele, she was finishing up a run with The Three Ts and needed a job and asked him to put in a word with the next band. Jack was so sweet to Adele and said to her “Do you know Joe Marsala, Adele, like a son I love him!” Goldman put in a word more or less telling joe to hire her! Ane they hit it off and married 3 months later. For more on Adele and Joe go to their Facebook page: Adele Girard and Joe Marsala. I’m their daughter Eleisa.
March 25, 2018 at 3:41 am |
I believe an uncle of mine was involved in the hickory house as either part owner or manager. His name was Ben Katz. Anybody remember this.?
March 26, 2018 at 4:15 am |
Today’s “current” comment is anything but – was posted years ago.
March 29, 2019 at 2:40 am |
[…] from a classically-oriented traditional player through her long 1950s residency at New York’s Hickory House (which codified her bebop style) and her gradual adoption of post-bop styles from the 1960s through […]
April 22, 2019 at 3:12 am |
My name is Barry Popkin, my grandfather was Harry Popkin, John’s older brother. To the best of my knowledge all the brothers, Harry, John, Murray and Bert all had the “curse” of being obsessed with horse racing to the point of “No Return”. Fortunately, my Pop, Harry was the only one of this motley crew that was good at it. Harry, in fact was a bookie and did quite well as gambler, and assumed the task of bailing his obsessed brothers out numerous bad bets. In fact pretty much funded the Hickory House during the war years and after.(Actually, found paper work in my basement after Sandy that shows the whole story). He had a table in the back where he sat almost everyday with a cigar in his mouth, his glasses up on his head, a racing form and grease pen in his hand tryin to pick winners for the next day. Uncle Bert did the same thing when lived upstairs in my house. Glasses high, racing form and radios blasting to get results. Harry move Bert and Soffie in so Bert could drive him to the racetrack in the Dodge he bought as their track car.
I remember a picture of Uncle John on the front page of the Daily News for some crazy gambling mishap. In fact the story of Zelig’s journey to AMERICA was actually Harry’s story and later brought the whole family over when he gambled his way to fame and fortune.
One of my fondest memories is spending a month each year in Florida with my grandparents and going each night to the Hickory House on Liberty Ave. for ice cream with my Pop. On Friday nights we went into the private room in the back with Jack Goldman, his brother Charlie, the trainer of Rocky Marsiano, the Rock himself, Jake LaMotta, who owned a liquor store on the corner, and other cronies of Popkin-Goldman congtingent, to watch the Friday Night Fights. I sat backward on a chair with cigar smoke billowing in the air
and amongst the greatest fighter of all time to see Kid Gavaland fight for the middle weight title. This was back in the mid-50’s when I was about 8 or 9 years old.
For all my “relatives” who want to know more, I have great stories about the Popkin Saga that only I know. I still live in Long Beach and will die here for sure, rember once you get the sand in your shoes you never leave!
April 23, 2019 at 8:04 pm |
Would love to catch up some time. Been in Long Beach often over the years. Have some great stories myself regarding all the cronies including Murray, Ida and others🤣. Reach out sometime to douglaspopkin@yahoo.com or on my cell 954 254 9596. Live in Florida and going to play 9 now. Bobby with us?
Best,
Doug (Popkin)
March 29, 2023 at 4:48 pm
John Popkin was my uncle; his wife Julia was my grandmother’s sister. My mother Lillian Bolotin grew up with Howard Popkin. Like to connect
March 28, 2023 at 9:30 pm |
Loved your story about your relatives’ horse racing “curse.” I am working on a book on bookmaking. I read in Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder’s autobiography that the Hickory House was his favorite place in NYC. He also wrote in the fall of 1954 a high-profile organized crime figure asked him to go to Montreal to check on a bookmaking operation. Do you have any idea (or guess) who that OG might have been who asked him to go to Montreal?
March 29, 2023 at 4:41 pm
John Popkin was my uncle; his wife Julia was my grandmother’s sister. I knew Howard and Arlene and their daughter. I recall fondly celebrating New Year’s Eve at the Hickory House. I have tried to reach out to Howard’s daughter with no success. I live in Washington DC.and would like to renew acquaintances. Reachable at jeffbolotin@gmail.com.
March 29, 2023 at 4:52 pm |
John Popkin was my uncle; his wife Julia was my grandmother’s sister. My mother Lilian Bolotin grew up with Howard Popkin. I live in Washington DC and spend time in Fort Lauderdale. Would like to connect.
February 5, 2024 at 2:35 pm |
Hello everyone. Apparently, according to one regular patron of Hickory House, the big band/jazz singer, and radio/television entertainer, Marcy Lutes enjoyed visiting the restaurant on a regular basis; she still lives in New York City, Manhattan I think, and is 97 years old. This posting where she is mentioned as a patron of Hickory House is on “An American Jazz Lovers Forum,” from September, 2016. Marcy Lutes is my aunt, through her older brother, Wendell Ralph Lutes and his third wife, but she refuses to still speak to any extended family, I’ve tried to email her to no avail. I was wondering if there were any staff, relatives of staff, or patrons of Hickory House that remember Marcy Lutes, and what she was like as a person? Did she ever sing at the Hickory House, because when I did a short biography on her (available on the web through the “Internet Archive”), I didn’t find any mention of her having sung there? I would love to hear from anyone that may have met her personally. I’ll leave my email address attached to this note. hv