Elaine's

**Passage cue:** Stuart Woods made Elaine's a recurring stage in the Stone Barrington novels, often beginning with the clipped setup "Elaine's. Late." or close variants. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaine%27s)) **Why it matters:** Elaine's works as narrative shorthand: a room where lawyers, police, publishers, socialites, and fixers can plausibly collide without laborious setup. Woods uses the restaurant as an engine for entrances, gossip, and momentum, while the real place's long association with writers makes the fiction feel self-aware about literary New York. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaine%27s))

1703 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10128, USA ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaine%27s))