Diane Becker, Longtime 'Elaine's' Manager, Inherits The Restaurant

The death of Elaine Kaufman in early December, left many wondering what would happen to her namesake restaurant. Elaine's on the Upper East Side has long been a place where famous New Yorkers have come to celebrate. But without its driving force, would Elaine's ever be the same?

The New York Times reports that Elaine Kaufman left her namesake restaurant to its longtime manager Diane Becker. Becker and Kauffman were quite close and Becker insists that the restaurant and its spirit will remain the same.

Kaufman also left much of her estate to Becker, as well as a monetary gift to the longtime maître d'hôtel at Elaine's, Giovanni Adamo, whom regulars simply call Gianni. As Becker told the Times: "we're going to try to run it as usual," she said. "The only missing link is Elaine."