What We Know About the New Four Seasons Restaurant
The long and storied history of the Four Seasons came to and end last July, when the restaurant where the power was born served its last meal. Next month, the iconic Philip Johnson-designed space in the Seagram Building will again be a restaurant. Here's what we know about the Midtown institution's second act.
There will actually be two restaurants
"What Have They Done to the Four Seasons?" New York magazine asks in a lengthy article checking in on the status of the institution's transformation. The first part of the answer is: They've split it in two. The whole thing will be known by the awkward name "the Landmark Rooms at the Seagram Building." The grill room will become "the Grill" and the pool room, "The Pool." The Grill will open in April and the Pool is currently scheduled for the fall.
The Chefs Will Be Young
When Seagram Building landlord Aby Rosen told the Four Seasons original partners Julian Niccolini and Alex von Bidder that he would not be renewing their lease, it was apparently because he was in search of that quintessential New York mix of the new and the now. "It was saggy and tired," Rosen told New York. "I mean, I love the creamed spinach and Dover sole, but there’s more to a place."
"There are huge stakes. It's a huge burden."
Rosen began the search "to replace The Four Seasons with something 'younger,'" and, according to New York, met with a panoply of Manhattan restaurant stars, including of Eric Ripert (of Le Bernardin), Stephen Starr (of Le Coucou), Danny Meyer (of Gramercy Tavern), Daniel Humm (of Eleven Madison Park), and Thomas Keller (of Per Se).
Rosen eventually settled on the trio behind Major Food Group. Chefs Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone and their business partner Jeff Zalaznick, who was introduced to Rosen through Julian Schnabel's son, Vito, are all between 33 and 37. Still, they've built one of the buzziest restaurant groups in the city in record time, with outlets including Parm, Carbone, Santina, Dirty French, ZZ’s Clam Bar, and Sadelle’s.
The Food Is Going to Be Classic With a Twist
In its planning process, the Major Food Group team started at the beginning. They hired former New York Times restaurant critic Mimi Sheraton, who had consulted on the first Four Seasons menu with the restaurant's first chef, Albert Stockli, and James Beard.
They also looked to old-school menus from places like Delmonico's and the '21' Club for inspiration for the Grill, which will be overseen by Carbone. Here's a sampling of a few dishes to expect: "filet mignon à la mode," "Amish ham steak pineapple chow chow," Dover sole prepared in the style of "Neptune’s Roast," and "larded squab" (Sheraton's recommendation to drop the word "larded" was ignored).
No Detail Was Too Small for Expensive Overhaul
The reimagining of traditional dishes wouldn't be complete without a corresponding design upgrade. The team has purchased two Viennese dessert trolleys (at a cost of $10,000 each), two flambée carts, a whiskey cart, and a cheese cart. A $253 steak knife, made with a Hawaiian acacia-wood handle and Japanese steel blade, is reportedly under consideration.
You can expect to pay for those nostalgic nods. Zalaznick predicts the average cover at the Grill and the Pool, which will be a seafood restaurant overseen by Torrisi, to run $150 per person including wine. The space is also already being used for pricey parties with bold-faced names, like the Art Production Fund's Bright Lights, Big City Gala earlier this month.
"There are huge stakes," Zalaznick said, and, quoting a Major Food Group friend, Nobu co-founder Drew Nieporent, "it’s a huge burden."
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