Celebrated architects Philip Johnson and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the original restaurant space. It's noted in the book "The Four Seasons: A History of America's Premier Restaurant" that it was a challenge, since the Seagram Building wasn't originally meant to house a restaurant.
The architects built the restaurant with a "less is more" philosophy. Here, in the main dining room — known as The Pool Room — there are 20-foot ceilings and a white marble pool sitting in the center.
The restaurant opened in 1959 with a rave review from The New York Times' Craig Claiborne. "At the Four Seasons, freshly picked rosemary, chervil and sage, among other herbs, are available to give character to dishes on customer demand," he wrote. "In a similar vein, guests may dine on several varieties of fresh mushrooms generally unknown in this country."
In the summer of 1964, their menu offered dishes like egg in tarragon aspic, and Strasbourg toast. The dishes and menu design have changed plenty since then.
These days, you're more likely to find dishes like this house-made spaghetti with sea urchin and bottarga.
The restaurant is also known for their souffles, which can be ordered in a chocolate, Grand Marnier, or rum raisin variety.
Here, a view of the legendary power lunch area, known as The Grill Room. New York magazine dubs this "the city's greatest dining room" in its restaurant listing. Today, the Grill Room's lunch menu offers Maryland crab meat cakes, burgers, grilled fish, a rack of lamb, and the filet of bison.
The restaurant has always featured modern art in its lobby and dining areas. When the restaurant opened, the owners commissioned painter Mark Rothko to create a series of works for the dining rooms. At that time, it was the largest commission ever offered to a modern artist.
The shimmering, rippling curtains are a signature piece in the space. Designed by textile designer Marie Nichols, the curtains were not meant to move, but the visual effect is mesmerizing. Now, more than 100 elements from the restaurant are a part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art.
Though it's a subject of some debate, Esquire apparently helped coin the term "power lunch" when former editor-in-chief Lee Eisenberg wrote about the bustling business lunch hours at the Four Seasons in 1979.
Source: CNN, Grub Street