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FROM THE MOMENT GUESTS walk Into the Russian Tea Room, with its gold-leaf ceiling, gleaming brass samovars and red-leather banquettes, they are prepared to drop a few financial pounds. The menu offers 11 varieties of caviar for as much as $295 per ounce.
But that's not the message its latest owners want to convey.
"We are trying to communicate that you can have this luxurious, unforgettable experience and it's affordable," says Vice President Ken Biberaj, who recently introduced a children's tea menu for $25 per person and a business express menu for $35 per person. He also added an extensive half-bottle wine list.
The conundrum of how to make an expensive restaurant appeal to budget-minded diners is not lost on Mr. Biberaj, nor is his task of refreshing an octogenarian's image to attract more young people like himself - he's 29 years old.
One of a kind
HIS FIRST CHALLENGE since he took on management of the restaurant in 2006 - two years after real estate firm RTR Funding Group bought the 20-foot-wide, four-story building - was dispelling a perception that it was closed, since it has been for eight of the past 13 years.
At a time when New Yorkers are more apt to dine at a local bistro or at the trendy places featured in the foodie press, the Russian Tea...