New York’s most famous green space, Central Park, may be just a few blocks north, but this month the Four Seasons Hotel at East 57th Street became home to an exciting new garden—a vibrant new restaurant called, yes, The Garden. Helmed by executive chef John Johnson, the establishment plans to stay true to its name by focusing on locally grown food. Indeed, 80 percent of the ingredients for dishes on the dinner menu come from within 100 miles of New York City.
“Partnering with farms in a 100-mile radius, I’ve carefully curated an intensely seasonal menu,” Johnson says. “A great dish is no greater than the sum of its parts: simple, quality ingredients prepared carefully by passionate people who know and respect where those ingredients come from.” The menu includes duck with a toasted quinoa pilaf, char-grilled rib steak, melted, spiced short ribs with a bone marrow potato soufflé, and a Montauk striped bass with spinach and a Syrah onion glaze. Sweet tooth will have plenty of options like a tarte Tatin with salted peanut butter gelato and well as a brandy semifreddo with coconut coulis.
“Right now we’re sourcing beautiful tomatoes and corn from New Jersey as well as beautiful strawberries from farms in upstate New York. It shifts more toward squashes and turnips and cabbages as we get toward fall and winter,” says Johnson. “It’s very exciting. We’re in one of the most amazing hotels in the greatest city in the world, and it’s an amazing experience to come to a beautiful hotel that’s really focused on locally sourced products and doing a simple, clean, tasty menu.”
