“Aloha.”
The Hawaiian Room
June 23, 1937–1966
Polynesian
“A romantic atmosphere for Dining and Dancing, an authentic setting complete even to a tropical rain storm – Entertainment – Hawaiian Music – Songs and Dances…Native Hawaiian Dishes and Beverages, also the famed Lexington cuisine.”
Ownership:
Restaurant Associates (Jerome Brody and Joseph Baum, Managers, and Alan Lewis, Director, 1956–?)
Charles Rochester (Manager, 1937–1956)
Executive Chef:
Albert Stöckli (1956–?)
Location:
Hotel Lexington, Lexington Avenue at 48th Street, Basement
Film:
The Hawaiian Room. Documentary. Directed by Ann Kirk. Kaneohe, Hawaii: Hula Preservation Society, 2012.
Publications:
Grimes, William. “The Power Lunch Moves On.” New York Times, July 10, 2016: 23. Published online as “Four Seasons, Lunch Spot for Manhattan’s Prime Movers, Moves On,” July 8, 2016.
Wynne, Bill. “NYC’s ‘Hawaiian Room.’” Ho’olohe Hou Radio. Blog, January 9, 2015. [Features links to various articles on Hawaiian Room musicians, including sound clips.]
Young, Peter T. “Hawaiian Room.” Images of Old Hawai’i. Blog, June 23, 2015.
Sigall, Bob. “Lexington’s Hawaiian Room Showcased Isles in New York.” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, June 15, 2012.
Grimes, William. Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York. New York: North Point Press, 2009: 272.
Mariani, John with Alex Von Bidder. The Four Seasons: A History of America’s Premier Restaurant. New York: Smithmark, 1999: 8, 16-17, 42, 65.
Grimes, William. “Trader Vic Drank Here.” New York Times, November 4, 1998: 7. [Features a recipe for the “Hawaiian Room” cocktail from the cocktail book, Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log, by Jeff Berry and Annene Kaye.]
Berry, Jeff, and Annene Kaye. Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log. San Jose, California: SLG Publishing: 1998. [Includes a recipe for the “Hawaiian Room” cocktail.]
Kanahele, George S., ed. Hawaiian Music and Musicians: An Illustrated History. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1979.
Tucker, George. “Man About Manhattan.” Warren Times Mirror [syndicated column], June 14, 1938: 4.
“If you are one of those to whom refreshing and enchanting things sometimes happen, you will have wandered into the Hawaiian room…”
“Indeed somebody, after a visit to Honolulu, may very well crack: ‘Strike me if Hawaii doesn’t get more like the Hawaiian Room every day.”
Notes:
Early experimentation for the menu of the Four Seasons occurred primarily in the Hawaiian Room kitchens.
Broadcaster Arthur Godfrey regularly hosted his radio show live from the restaurant.
Images of Hawaiian Room tiki mugs and swizzle sticks can be found at My Tiki Life.
Some sources, including the Lexington Hotel website, indicate the Hawaiian Room opened in the late 20s. However the hotel itself did not open until 1929, and as of 1932 the basement space was still occupied by the Silver Grill, which opened with the hotel. (1)
Today, visitors to the Lexington Hotel can stay in the “Hawaiian Room” Suite, featuring tiki-themed decor and original music from the restaurant.
Related Restaurants:
Forum of the Twelve Caesars (Restaurant Associates)
Mamma Leone’s (Restaurant Associates)
Menu:
Drink List (My Tiki Life)
1985 (New York Public Library)
Sunday, September 1, 1940 (New York Public Library):
Recipes:
(1) Young, 2015; “Lexington Hotel Opens,” New York Times, October 16, 1929: 44.
Cover photo: Lumitone Press Photoprint. (c. 1937). “The Famous Hawaiian Room – Hotel Lexington, New York City.” Postcard. [X2011.34.3308]. Museum of the City of New York (Digital Collections). Accessed May 5, 2017.
The New York City Restaurant Archive 