Four Seasons Restaurant originally published on Food and Fond Memories on July 12, 2016 by sandyaxelrod 0 Comments (Edit)
Four Seasons Restaurant
Four Seasons Restaurant
Photo Credit: Eater NY
Four Seasons Restaurant
Photo Credit: Eater NY
It made very sad to read that the famous Four Seasons Restaurant in Manhattan was closing it’s doors on Sunday. At the end of the week, the 57 year old Four Seasons will cease to exist inside the Seagram Building. Although proprietors Julian Niccolini and Alex von Bidder plan to revive the restaurant a few blocks away, for many diners, the space is just as important as the experience that the restaurateurs create inside of it. Former New York Times critic William Grimes called it “probably the most important New York restaurant of the 20th century.” I have such fond memories of a fabulous dinner there eons ago.
The Pool Room at the Four Seasons Restaurant
Photo Credit: Curbed NY
Way back in 1972 my husband and I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Manhattan. Living in Philadelphia, New York was only an hour and a half away so we went there often. On this particular visit we decided to dine in style at the already renowned Four Seasons Restaurant and the experience was everything we anticipated. We entered the very modern dining room and loved how sleek it looked with its soaring ceiling. We were seated at a comfy banquette for two and given enormous menus to peruse. It was the first time I was given a menu with no prices. Steve’s did have prices and even way back then, they were very steep, but we expected that. I really couldn’t tell you exactly what we ate because too many years have passed and I have no pictures as it was way before cell phones. I do remember that we ordered baked potatoes with sour cream and chives. The food was all finished table side. The hot steamy baked potatoes were split in half and the flesh was scooped out into a small pot along with the sour cream and chives. It was all mixed together over a burner and then spooned back into the potato skins. We were quite impressed.
JFK $1,000/Plate Menu at the Four Seasons Restaurant
Photo Credit: Eater NY
Another fond memory I have of that evening was so funny that I could never forget it. At the next table from us there was a couple on a date. You could tell that the young man was trying to impress his date. They had ordered roasted chicken and the server was finishing each chicken in a pan with a beautiful sauce. In this very elegant and expensive restaurant he went to serve the first portion and the bird flew out of his tongs and onto the floor. He laughed it off and said “I guess that one was still alive!” We all had a good chuckle. Of course a brand new chicken was prepared. This was, after all, a fine dining establishment.
Four Seasons Restaurant Napkins and Menu
Photo Credit: Curbed NY
Matchbooks from the Four Seasons Restaurant
Photo Credit: Eater NY
When we were through with our meal we were presented with the check which included an entertainment fee of $2.50. Odd, but the service was quite entertaining. The other item we found unique was that the baked potatoes were $1.50 each which was not extravagant even back then. What was pretty outrageous was that the addition of the sour cream and chives added $2.50 per person to the tab. Our total bill came to a whopping $72. Today the same menu would most likely be about $500!!! We thought it was worth every penny. And even after almost 46 years we still remember it like it was yesterday. I still have the little ashtrays that they gave us with a tree from each season in my kitchen cabinet!
