The Four Queens Club

The Four Queens Club was a popular New York City nightclub from 1915 to 1929. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue. The club operated mostly prior to and during the United States' era of Prohibition. While the club was not limited whites-only, it featured many popular black entertainers of the era from Duke Ellington to Louis Armstrong.

At its prime, the Four Queens Club served as a hip meeting spot, with regular "Celebrity Nights" on Sundays featuring guests such as George Gershwin, Sophie Tucker, Cole Porter, and Mary Pickford among others.

History
In 1915, a Jewish antique store owner named Percy Meyers bought a two-story building on the corner of 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue in the heart of Harlem, and opened up the intimate night club called the Four Queens Club. Not long after meeting Al Capone in the months after Prohibition started, the two men arranged a deal that allowed Meyers to avoid paying property taxes while he supplied them a special drinks menu available exclusively to Capone and his friends.

The Four Queens Club was not a racially-segregated nightclub, which is part of the reason that black entertainers were allowed to come and go as they pleased.

Role in the Series
The Four Queens Club is a setting that is used a few times throughout the novel, Golden Girl. During Chloe's investigation, she comes to the realization that Marjorie Dixon likes to frequent this place because of it's cuisine and it's nearly endless supply of alcohol, which is kept in a storehouse underneath the main bar and includes a variety of spirits and hard liquor that is available on request if patrons cannot find what they want on the bar's display case.

This is also the setting where, in the club's parking lot, Chloe Dixon is reprimanded by Al Capone and his gang. When Marjorie Dixon arrives, she makes it a top priority to personally deal with Chloe herself and proceeds to nearly beat her to death only to leave her in the street gutter afterwards. Thankfully, Chloe is found by her father and longtime boyfriend, who take her to the hospital moments after finding her.

After the events of Chloe's investigation, the club remains open until October of 1929, opting to close it's doors on the actual day the stock market crashed on Wall Street in New York City. The club never fully recovers and is eventually demolished by the Spring of 1931.

Appetizers

 * Celery Sticks
 * Shrimp Cocktail
 * Mixed Nut Bowl
 * Club Salad
 * Coupe of Fresh Peaches

Soups

 * Manhattan Clam Chowder
 * Crab & Shrimp Seafood Bisque

Main Dishes

 * Bourbon-Glazed Ham served with
 * Baked Halibut served with Asparagus Spears
 * Macaroni with Cheese and Tomato
 * Meat Loaf served with Green Beans
 * Broiled Lamb Chops served with Julienne Potatoes

Desserts

 * Apple Pie
 * Classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake
 * Fluffy Cranberry Mousse
 * Ice Cream - choice of Chocolate, Strawberry or Vanilla
 * Jello
 * Peach Bavarian
 * Spiced Devil's Food Cake
 * Strawberry Ladyfinger Icebox Cake
 * Old Fashioned Tapioca

Regular Cocktails

 * Bee's Knees
 * Death in the Afternoon
 * French 75
 * Highball
 * Mint Julep
 * Old Fashioned
 * Sazerac

Specialty Drinks

 * Barcardi Cocktail
 * Corpse Reviver
 * Gin Rickey
 * Long Island Ice Tea
 * Monkey Gland
 * Tom Collins
 * White Lady

Reserved Liquor

 * Bathtub Gin
 * Brandy
 * Cognac
 * Gin
 * Rum
 * Tequila
 * Vodka
 * Whiskey

Trivia

 * The Four Queen's Club was mostly inspired by the Cotton Club in Harlem during the 1920s
 * Christine Lange picked a variety of several different features from speakeasies all over New York during this time and incorporated them into the novel. Every time Chloe visits the club, it's a different description each time.
 * Marjorie Dixon was a regular patron there.
 * The "Reserved Liquor" list was created by the club's owner, Percy Meyers. Nobody except the Mob and the occassional bootlegger were allowed to drink.
 * There were live Jazz nights every third Thursday each month, each featuring a different artist.
 * The club had a restaurant portion and lounge area that was only available if a patron had made a reservation.