Balthazar opened up in the Spring of 1997 but immediately looked like it had been there always. Keith McNally was the mastermind behind it and it became an instant favourite. The designer Jane Mayle introduced me to it when I interviewed her for Vogue in the late nineties. Her epic shop was just around the corner. I still love Balthazar. We have celebrate my daughter Barbara’s birthday there a number of times and you just can’t beat breakfast at Balthazar (Unless of course you have a bagel to go wrapped in tin foil from a corner joint. They are pretty good too). Prior to Balthazar Keith McNally ran the legendary place Odeon in Tribeca with his then wife Lynn Wagenknect. Go for lunch, have the omelet and thank me later. She also runs the Café Luxembourg on the Upper West. Brilliant and local atmosphere. Book a table well in advance if you want to be sure to sit inside.