Michael Stillman
Photo by Seth Olenick
Despite coming from restaurant stock—his father Allan founded Smith and Wollensky Restaurant Group in 1977—Michael Stillman is not one to rest on his family’s laurels. At 28, the New York-bred Brown University grad is now the president/ founder of Fourth Wall Restaurants. On top of that, his first two fully self-executed restaurants in New York have become runaway sensations. One is the wildly successful Quality Meats, Stillman’s contemporary take on the traditional steakhouse, which has been highly praised by foodie-carnivores and design-lovers alike. The second is the conceptual tour de force Park Avenue, a seasonally-inspired restaurant that closes three times a year and adapts the food, wine, graphics, staff uniforms, music and décor to the season.
