The Four Seasons is always spot on — delicious seasonal food and perfect service, a place that never disappoints.  I recently lunched there with a friend, as the guest of the handsome (okay, debonair) owner Julian Niccolini.

We were seated at the corner table in the pool room at the table next to Julian’s daughter Keiko and her dining partner the Marchesi Carlo Baccheschi Berti.

We started by ordering a glass of Sancerre to enjoy with the warm root vegetable salad, a sunnyside up quail egg and a truffle vinaigrette that was showered in black truffle slices – and the day’s special of perfectly grilled octopus served with peppery arugula topping a pile of warm white beans.

For entrees, we also ordered seafood. But since Julian wanted us to sample a few meat dishes too, he opened a bottle of the Marchesi’s 2005 Carlo Baccheschi Terre di Vico Toscana IGT, Italy, for us.

The wine was perfection with both the braised Asian spiced tender veal cheek over tofu, polenta and fennel tempura and the wild boar — also with an abundance of truffle slices. Don’t miss those tender, succulent veal cheeks!

The Maryland crabmeat cakes with a mustard sauce were just as they should be – all crab with very little filler; they were served with lightly dressed greens. The day’s sea scallop special was also superb, with sweet, delicate scallops sauteed in — and served with — an herb sauce vinaigrette, lemon butter and — again — a  truffle sauce.

We shared a delicate grand marnier souffle for dessert that the kitchen split in half before baking, and a glass of limoncello with our espresso.

Lunch doesn’t get better than this. Thanks Julian!

– bonnie

The Pool Room at The Four Seasons Restaurant
99 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022
212.754.9494
fourseasonsrestaurant.com
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