Four Seasons restaurant celebrates 50 years as a New York institution

May 7, 10:50 AMNY Wine Shopping ExaminerTracy Ellen Kamens

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It was truly an affair to remember: a cocktail hour featuring free-flowing Dom Perignon 1999 and wonderful hor d'oeuvres, a diverse and unique cast of characters and a palpable, celebratory energy in the room. You knew this was going to be a magical event. 

On May 5, moguls, foodies and celebrities alike, gathered to celebrate the Four Seasons restaurant's 50th year. This venerable restaurant first opened in 1959 and has been a New York landmark ever since. Designed by architects Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe in the height of the International Style, the restaurant was among the first to be truly designed for its purpose, long before Adam Tihany and David Rockwell were de rigor for opening a restaurant.

Fourteen years ago, Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini took the helm as managing partners of the restaurant and Tuesday night's event centered squarely on their personalities -- Julian's larger than life; Alex's nowhere to be seen.

Emceed by Bill O'Shaughnessy, over a dozen took the stage to roast the pair, Friar's Club style, including: Michael Mondavi, Edgar Bronfman, Liz Smith, Gael Greene, Drew Nieporent, Sirio Maccioni, Jonathan Tisch, Martha Stewart, Cesare Casella, Daniel Boulud, Pete Peterson, Pamela Fiori, Bob Grimes and Peggy Siegal.

Michael Mondavi recounted a visit to the restaurant with his father, Robert, in 1968, noting that only a handful of California wines were listed among the creme de la creme of French and Italian wines. He credited the Four Seasons with being among the first New York restaurants to prominently feature California wines in the wake of the Judgement of Paris.

Beyond the celebrities, everyone seems to have their own fond memories of the Four Seasons. The gentleman seated to my right explained that, when he was in college, he and his friends couldn't afford to bring their dates to the Four Seasons for dinner, but would end the night at its bar, which made quite an impact on the young ladies.

Having first dined at the Four Seasons with my father in the mid-1990's, the Four Seasons quickly became my favorite New York restaurant, to which I return for their magnificent wine dinners and to celebrate special occasions.

If you have not had the pleasure of dining at the Four Seasons restaurant, I urge you to take advantage of their anniversary-inspired, prix fixe menu, which, at $59.00 for three courses, is a relative bargain. It's a chance to create your own magical moments as the restaurant looks ahead to its next 50 years.

For more info: Four Seasons, 99 East 52nd Street, New York, NY; 212-754-9450