The Maisonette
The Maisonette (1949-2005) was North America's most-highly-rated restaurant before it closed. History 
The Maisonette was opened by Nathan L. Comisar in 1949 in the basement space beneath La Normandie, also owned by Comisar, in the Fountain Square Building in Cincinnati. Comisar named the restaurant after a club by the same name in the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. In 1964 it was awarded its first Mobil 5-star award. In 1966 both restaurants were moved to East Sixth St, with The Maisonette at street level and La Normandie in the basement. The Maisonette was a fine-dining restaurant, but in the mid-1990s it relaxed its dress code. Owners 
 Nathan Comisar (1949)
 Vallie Karrick Comisar and Lee Comisar (1949-1964)
 Lee Comisar and Michael J. Comisar, the sons of the founder (1964-xxxx)
 Nat Comisar and Michael E. Comisar, the sons of Lee Comisar and Michael J. Comisar (xxxx-2003)
 Nat Comisar (2003-2005)

Chefs 
 Maurice Gorodesky (1953-1956)
 Pierre Adrian (1956-1972)
 Georges Haidon (1972-1993)
 Jean-Robert de Cavel (1994-2001)
 Bertrand Bouquin (2001-2005)

Cuisine and recognition 
Serving French cuisine and owned by the Comisar family and located since 1966 at 114 E. 6th Street in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Maisonette received the five-star award (the highest designation given by Mobil Travel Guide) forty-one years in a row, the longest streak for any North American restaurant. Closure 
Opinions vary on the cause of Maisonette's decline. There were fewer customers who wanted to dress for dinner, fewer corporations willing to cover expensive business lunches, operating costs increased, and the City of Cincinnati refused to offer it a tax break. The Maisonette had plans to move to Cincinnati's Kenwood suburb, where it hoped to attract a younger crowd; however, the Hamilton County Planning Commission rejected zoning for the proposed Sycamore Square project, a $60 million development that was to include a relocated Maisonette as the anchor tenant. The Frost Brown Todd law firm purchased the rights to the name The Maisonette for an unnamed client for $35,000 after the restaurant closed in 2005. In 2013, the Phoenix Restaurant Group acquired the trademark. Space 
In 2013 David Falk's restaurant Boca moved into the space formerly occupied by The Maisonette and Sotto into the space formerly occupied by La Normandie. Noted dishes 
The lobster bisque, chateaubriand jardiniere, brill en croute, Dover sole, raspberry chicken and cafe brulot were noted dishes. Awards
 Distinguished Restaurants of North America
 Mobil Travel Guide Five Star Award
 Restaurants and Institutions Ivy Award
 American Automobile Association Four Diamond Award
 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
 Wine Spectator Grand Award Top 100

See also
 Golden Lamb Inn

References

Restaurants in Cincinnati
Restaurants disestablished in 2005
Defunct restaurants in Ohio
Defunct companies based in Cincinnati
2005 disestablishments in Ohio
1949 establishments in Ohio
Restaurants established in 1949
French restaurants in the United States
European restaurants in Ohio