Chatting about the Waldorf - Astoria Hotel The Waning Days of Glory. 1969 to 1979 . a Nostalgic Insider View by Arno Schmidt, Executive Chef

The magic is gone from the unofficial palace of New York. The Waldorf - Astoria opened 1931 and hosted kings, queens, prime ministers; it was the home of two presidents and every president stayed at the hotel. It was the glamorous venue for balls, dinner dances, celebrations and political dinners. It was magical place and the apple in the eye of Mr. Conrad Hilton who personally purchased the hotel before it was folded into the Hilton Hotels Corporation. Working as Executive Chef was an honor and a challenge. The book depicts how the system worked, how dedicated employees tooled to make the glamour happen, how to cook for so many people so many different dishes at the same time and how waiters served guests at huge dinners and intimate private parties in The Towers. Unfortunately the Hilton Hotels Company was purchased, sold and resold, the famous name was plastered on hotels all over the worlds and finally the magnificent building on Park Avenue was sold to a Chinese Insurance Company and closed. An important part of New York became history. The book details some of the glory and challenges.