The first time I had lunch at Michael's was in 1995. Playboy magazine flew me in from Moscow, where I caught an exclusive interview with the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who was running for president of Russia at the time.
With its minimalist design, stunning flower arrangements, and dramatic windows overlooking the tranquil garden at the back, this room felt like it could be anyone and everyone.
In that respect, not much has changed about this now-legendary venue where media moguls, politicians, real estate moguls, and museum directors gather for the purpose of “seeing and being seen.''
On Wednesday night, Michael's celebrated its 35th anniversary. It's still Midtown's power lunch scene (Cobb salad is still a staple). But we've also expanded to power breakfast (coffee, green juice, blueberry crepe pancakes) and dinner (Dover sole).
There's also a happy hour where you can enjoy Chef Kyung Ap Lim's duck confit bao, Korean fried chicken or shrimp, and Korean steak lettuce cups.
Owner Michael McCarty, 71, still presides over his namesake restaurant, rotating from table to table at 24 W. 55th St.
McCarty, who studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, brought his clean, seasonal California cuisine to New York when he opened in 1989. He also helped introduce New Yorkers to a vast collection of Napa wines at a time when Midtown was still dominated by French restaurants.
The interior features art by his wife, artist Kim McCarty, as well as Cy Twombly, David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, Helen Frankenthaler, and Marcel Duchamp. The Robert Graham lobby and gardens feature panel reliefs from the 1984 Olympics. A photo of Dennis Hoppers hangs in the bathroom.
Drinking coffee in a busy, packed room on Wednesday morning, McCarty pointed to a table in the back. Jasper Johns liked to sit there every day for a month while working on his 1996/1997 retrospective at the nearby Museum of Modern Art.
“He would sit in the back with Cy Twombly and conspire,” McCarty said.
This is where George Stephanopoulos and President Bill Clinton once reconciled, McCarty continued, pointing to another table. And Graydon Carter sat at “Table 7, the last smoking table in New York” with Fran Lebowitz, Liam Neeson and the late Natasha Richardson.
“They sat there, breathing and talking for hours,” McCarty said.
At the time, smoking was still allowed in New York at bars and bar tables that were at least 8 feet away from restaurants, McCarty added.
The McCartys come from Malibu twice a month. Michael's in Santa Monica recently celebrated its 45th anniversary.
“Restaurants are like fraternal twins,” McCarty said. “Hollywood types come here to meet their agents and find a place to eat lunch.”
One of the secrets to Michael's success is having a great staff, led by General Manager Steve Millington, who greets patrons by name, Managers L'Oréal Sherman and Joanna Andrade, and Chef Lim. All have worked at Michael's for more than 20 years.
Guest preferences are then recorded on a computer system and discussions are held with guests daily to ensure that their needs are met and that seating arrangements are sensitively made.
“We have pre-shift meetings before lunch and dinner to discuss special guest arrangements and needs,” Millington said. “It can be as simple as not putting lemon in your Diet Coke, or as complex as a gluten allergy or a sesame allergy. Birthdays are also very important.”
Some of the country's top chefs got their start at Michael's, including Nancy Silverton, Jonathan Waxman, Brooke Williamson, Sang Yoon, Miles Thompson and Brian Bornman.
“I think the key is [to staying relevant] It's always evolving,” McCarty said. “You have to be aware of what's going on around you and have your own ideas. Restaurants are an afterthought and quickly disappear. But people go back to the norm. You have to be aware of what's going on around you and have your own ideas. Developing the world's classics and Latin, we are completely conscious of our customers.”
In some cases, that also means “conducting weddings, bar mitzvahs, anniversaries, and memorial services.” Shop at 5 different places with the same people. It's all about evolution, not mutation. Don't change it on a whim. Please put your soul into it. ”
