How America’s First Fine-Dining Restaurant Still Shines, Nearly 200 Years Later
April 27, 2026
In the sixth and final installment of “The United Tastes of America,” which explores downtown’s diverse global culinary scene, host Marcus Samuelsson heads to Delmonico’s (56 Beaver St.), the iconic steakhouse that served as the nation’s first restaurant when it opened in 1837. Delmonico’s founders Giovanni and Pietro Delmonico were Swiss-Italian immigrants who intended to open a pastry shop in New York, but were so struck by the new nation’s lack of restaurants that they decided to introduce the concept of fine dining.
Samuelsson chats with Carin Sarafian, Delmonico’s’ director of events, to learn more about the restaurant’s historic impact. Watch the video below, and catch the whole series here.
