America is a culture that works extremely hard to glorify excess. It is how money is made, pure and simple. We see this predominantly in the many alcohol advertisements on the TV; however, it wasn't always like that.

America went through a long period of prohibition, where all alcoholic beverages were forbidden to be sold or consumed. As a result, many establishments opened “underground” and were referred to in some circles as speakeasies. One of the most famous speakeasies of the era was the 21 Club in New York - opened on New Year's Eve 1930.

The club had first opened in Greenwich Village in 1922 as a speakeasy, but it wasn't until it reached its destination of 21 West 52nd Street that it adopted its now current name. After the police raided the establishment, the wine cellar was placed behind an extremely large steel door where it remains to date. This raid was the first of many to take place during the prohibition era, but the owners were never caught in possession of alcohol.

Some of the private wine collections in the cellar include selections belonging to Sophia Loren, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis, Jr., Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, and John F. Kennedy, among others.

The 21 Club is more of a bar room with a restaurant included than the other way around. The large bar includes a lounge, a seating area for the diners, and the ambience is made up of various antiques and pieces of sports memorabilia from yesteryear.

The outside of the location is extremely unique, displaying 33 hand-painted iron lawn jockey statues on the balcony directly above the entrance. This plays into the sports bar theme of the 21 Club today.

Although the restaurant isn't strictly formal, men are required to wear a suit jacket. This doesn't mean that all guests must show up in their Sunday best, however; it just means that casual wear is out. Since it is technically a fine dining establishment, no one seems to have a problem with this.

The 21 Club is as popular today as it's ever been. There were plans to expand the 21 Club by owners Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., but those plans were put on hold for the time being. The shortage of credit and real estate developers in today's economy means that the restaurant will stay as-is for at least a few more years.

In late 2006, the 21 Club hired a new chef, John Greeley, who revamped the tired menu and added his flair to the restaurant. He brings a classic American style to the restaurant but employs a new twist, fusing the existing style with a twist of French and Italian in order to pull off something wholly unique.

One of Greeley's creations is the reverse sandwich, where in place of bread two pieces of filet mignon pose in its place. The cost of eating at the 21 Club is rather expensive, but the food and the ambience are well worth the price of admission.