La Grenouille, the faded but once-fabulous frog of East 52nd Street, croaked for good this week.
Owner Philippe Masson announced the closure on Instagram on Wednesday, posting that he was "moving on to explore new terrain and pursue other dreams," adding that "an enormous amount of love, commitment and dedication went into making La Grenouille such an iconic destination."
It marks the sour end of an era when snooty French restaurants known as the "Le's" and "La's" dominated the haute cuisine scene with restricted reservation lists, antiquated dishes -- pheasant under glass, anyone? -- and high prices given only to men.
Only La Grenouille carried on something of the old tradition. Places such as La Seine, La Cote Basque and Le Hermitage closed long ago.
Philippe's parents, Charles and Gisèle Masson, opened La Grenouille during a blizzard in 1962. John F. Kennedy was president and Robert Wagner was mayor.
The mirrored, red-and-gold-drenched jewel box became a nexus of New York's power players for whom the pricey ($185 minimum at last check) three-course menu wasn't even a rounding error.
Over the years, it drew a host of celebrities and bold-face names, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Yves Saint Laurent, Diane Von Furstenberg, Bianca Jagger, Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley McClaine, Salvador Dali, Sophia Loren, David Bowie, Truman Capote, Lee Radziwill, Madonna, Prince, Rod Stewart, Blake Lively, Adrianne Brody and many others.
It was a "veritable who's who of the world's most beautiful and celebrated," as Philippe wrote on the closing Instagram post.
Famed chef Daniel Boulud told the Post that, when he first came to NYC in 1982, "La Grenouille was the reference of French dining with its old world elegance, charm, cuisine and service that no other restaurant could imitate. It is sad to see it closing."
On my first visit in 1998, I was gobsmacked to encounter Henry Kissinger, Gianni Agnelli and the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen just six feet away.
Around 2000, Charles Masson Jr. -- Philippe's elegant older brother -- took over running the restaurant from Charles Sr. and Gisèle.
He was known for filling the dining room with more flowers than a botanical garden, and he gave his parents' aging institution a second wind, improving the menu and making it more welcoming to younger customers.
But losing the snoots also made the place less special.
In 2014, Philippe replaced his brother as manager for reasons that remain unclear. Their mother passed away soon after. The brothers have duked it out in court ever since..
Locals said everything changed under Philippe, who couldn't be reached for comment.
He made La Grenouille into a sad burlesque of its former self, many longtime customers said, turning it into a part-time cabaret at night for him to show off his singing talents.
Although the pretty flowers and frog legs remained, longtime patrons left in droves.
The concierge of a Midtown hotel not far away who didn't want to be identified said, "Nobody ever asked me for a reservation there in ten years -- not one."
The restaurant was closed for five of seven months last year, supposedly due to a gas leak and vacations.
Philippe finally reopened it this past January to sparse crowds and an air of impending doom, amplified by rumors that he was trying to sell the building.
A usually empty outdoor dining shed added to the gloom.
La Grenouille had one thing still going for it -- its gorgeous dining room. Not surprisingly, nobody wanted to eat in the street.
The vermin-infested structure still stands, a sad headstone for what was once of the city's most iconic, elegant restaurants.
But its time was long past. It gave way to more modern, welcoming French restaurants such as Le Bernardin, Restaurant Daniel and Balthazar -- as well as the newer class which includes great spots such as Le Rock and Le Coucou.