What better way to show that eatertainment is a thing of the past than by pointing to Joe Franklin's Memory Lane Restaurant, which had its grand opening in New York last month? Even as many "themed restaurants" crashed and burned over the year or so, Joe Franklin, the long-running talk show host and nostalgia maven, decided to throw his hat in the ring. His 160 seater is located at 713 8th Avenue and 45th Street, in what many will remember as the old Beefsteak Charlies.

Celebrity memorabilia -- including Greta Garbo's shoe -- is present, and Franklin, 70, will occasionally do celebrity interviews from an elevated broadcast booth in the main dining area.

[01/28/2001]