Last month, the chef took New Yorkers back in time with the opening of Jams in 1 Hotel Central Park. The new restaurant is an update of Waxman’s 1980s Upper East Side hot spot of the same name.

It drew everyone from the mayor to George Michael, before closing in 1989 in the wake of the crash. This is his ’80s New York.

60 E. 65th St., between Madison and Park avenues

“I remember [being there one night with] Paul McCartney at one table, [Henry] Kissinger at another, and [real estate heir] Jerry Zipkin in the middle ,smoking Montecristos and kissing every woman. [Owner] Sirio [Maccioni] was walking around and gossiping about everyone in the room. I’m sure he was gossiping about me as well.”

“It was the most exciting room in New York. [Art dealer] Leo Castelli was at one table, [then-Mayor] Koch at another, Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta at another. Every fashion maven and publisher was there. Change is inevitable, but now that it’s closing I feel like my life is ending in a way. It was the place [my business partner] Melvyn [Master] asked me to do Jams with him and the place I got engaged [to my wife of 20 years, Sally].”

“Andy Warhol came in twice a week. One day his assistant called and said, ‘Andy wants to invite you to lunch,’ so Melvyn and I went down to the Factory and he served us lunch on smiley-face plates. Halfway through the meal he asked if we could barter. He said, ‘I will do your portraits in exchange for food credit.’ I asked how much, and he said, ‘$50,000.’ That was a lot of money at that time, so I turned him down. Am I an idiot or what?”

“[A year after we opened] I did a birthday party for [songwriter] Peter Allen. He had one request: A white Steinway grand piano. I was told somebody would perform. Halfway through the evening a Rolls-Royce shows up with Liberace and his boyfriend wearing matching chinchilla coats.”