“The Blue Dome.”
“That UFO-looking thing.”
“Horseless merry-go-round for eating dinner in.”
Whatever you call it, that rotating restaurant on top of Downtown’s Hyatt Regency (okay, you should definitely call it Polaris) is reopening next Tuesday after a decade-long hiatus.
And since a lot can change in 10 years, let’s take a look at what was then and what is now...
Then: The dining room was basically one continuous blur of rose-colored carpet, complete with one unobstructed view of the skyline.
Now: Four rather homey areas, including a bar made of petrified Indonesian wood and a library with vintage cameras and a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray on the shelves. Skyline: still there.
Then: In the ’60s, you could order some casserole for $3.75 and a glass of champagne for $1.25.
Now: You’ll order a deconstructed Maine lobster cocktail and throwback mint grasshoppers for... not those prices. Take it up with Bernanke’s replacement.
Then: The hostesses made reservations for the likes of Liberace and Sammy Davis Jr.
Now: They no longer take reservations. They do, however, send you text notifications when your table is ready. Liberace would’ve hated that.
Then: They did not get their honey from the 15,000 bees kept on their rooftop garden.
Now: They do.
It was that or a giant cartoon pot.
“That UFO-looking thing.”
“Horseless merry-go-round for eating dinner in.”
Whatever you call it, that rotating restaurant on top of Downtown’s Hyatt Regency (okay, you should definitely call it Polaris) is reopening next Tuesday after a decade-long hiatus.
And since a lot can change in 10 years, let’s take a look at what was then and what is now...
Then: The dining room was basically one continuous blur of rose-colored carpet, complete with one unobstructed view of the skyline.
Now: Four rather homey areas, including a bar made of petrified Indonesian wood and a library with vintage cameras and a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray on the shelves. Skyline: still there.
Then: In the ’60s, you could order some casserole for $3.75 and a glass of champagne for $1.25.
Now: You’ll order a deconstructed Maine lobster cocktail and throwback mint grasshoppers for... not those prices. Take it up with Bernanke’s replacement.
Then: The hostesses made reservations for the likes of Liberace and Sammy Davis Jr.
Now: They no longer take reservations. They do, however, send you text notifications when your table is ready. Liberace would’ve hated that.
Then: They did not get their honey from the 15,000 bees kept on their rooftop garden.
Now: They do.
It was that or a giant cartoon pot.
