At 47 Fifth Avenue stands the historic Salmagundi Club, one of America’s oldest art societies and one of Greenwich Village’s great hidden treasures. Founded in 1871, the Club moved into this historic brownstone in 1917, transforming the mansion into an intimate and elegant setting for art exhibitions, lectures, concerts, classes, workshops, and auctions.
Inside are three galleries, a library, richly decorated parlors, and a formal members-only dining room. Club members can enjoy a very special dish called “Salmagundi Stew,” while the rest of us can only wonder what it tastes like. Today’s version sounds rather restrained: pearl onions, carrots, red wine, short ribs, and mashed potatoes — a far cry from the original English salmagundi, a chaotic medley made from whatever ingredients happened to be available.
One historic recipe instructed cooks to:
“Cut cold roast chicken or other meats into slices. Mix with minced tarragon and an onion. Mix all together with capers, olives, samphire, broombuds, mushrooms, oysters, lemon, orange, raisins, almonds, blue figs, Virginia potatoes, peas, and red and white currants. Garnish with sliced oranges and lemons. Cover with oil and vinegar, beaten together.”
The Club’s name came from the stew — though indirectly. Washington Irving launched his literary career with a series of satirical essays about New York life known as the Salmagundi Papers. The title proved catchy enough for the newly formed art club to adopt it as its own.
Membership remains private and selective. To join, one must generally be either an artist or a patron of the arts. Membership places you in the company of remarkable figures such as Louis Comfort Tiffany, Winston Churchill, Edward Hopper, Norman Rockwell, Daniel Chester French, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, John LaFarge, Stanford White, and Charles Dana Gibson.
And, of course, membership also comes with the privilege of finally tasting the Salmagundi stew.
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