Swifty’s, the intimate restaurant located on Lexington Avenue at 72nd Street, opened in the fall of 1999. It was created by Robert Caravaggi (host/proprietor) and Stephen Attoe (chef/proprietor), the two most popular alumae of the late Glenn Bernbaum’s Mortimer’s, the famed upper East side watering hole.
As an homage to Mortimer’s, the partners named the new restaurant after Bernbaum’s dog Swifty, who had been named after the famed Hollywood deal maker Irving (Swifty) Lazar.
Swifty’s is more than a place to dine. It’s a way of life—a style of eating, a place for socializing, an approach to entertaining and in many cases a way of dressing. The two rooms were designed by Mario Buatta and Anne Eisenhower. They combine the elegance of New York society with the clubby atmosphere of a favorite haunt. Wally Findlay Galleries provides the original paintings by notable artists that are featured on the walls.
And the food? Well, Swifty’s is a magnet for those who appreciate beautifully presented, tasty, home-style cooking. The reasonably priced menu combines American and European techniques, featuring seasonal specialties and traditional signature dishes. In its clubby atmosphere, patrons enjoy dining among friends or those they recognize, knowing that the food will always please. As the headline in Glenn Collins feature in The New York Times proclaimed, “New hope for the rich and hungry.”
Gael Greene, “New York” magazine food critic, wrote, “It’s so terrific. And the food is yummy.” She went on to say, “Because Caravaggi is such a warm, charming host, no one can tell which is The Room and which is the Frozen steppes of Siberia.”
In her column, Liz Smith wrote, “this little hot spot is where the elite meet to eat. How they pull it off, such good food and class in such a cramped atmosphere is a miracle. But Swifty’s works, even if it does only have seating for about 60 people.”
Charles Michner in the New Yorker noted, “The worst thing (Swifty) Lazar could say about someone was ‘He’s got no class,’ and Swifty’s positively reeks of it with old money coziness.” He went on to say about the food, “It’s all so well prepared.”
Chef Stephen Attoe says, “we prepare the food people like, meals that Robert and I want to eat, and we hone them as we go along.”