Walk down W58th Street, and you might miss the brand new, quaint, quiet, and overbooked modern Austrian restaurant calling itself Seasonal. Upon entering, you'll be greeted by two smiling women speaking to one another in German and translating to English only to announce a two-hour wait. But pull up a stool at the bar, and Glenn (the bartender) will take good care of you. Throughout the night, Glenn offered up free tastings of this and that.
The wine list focuses on Austrian wines, with many Gruner Vetliner's as well as some rarer bottles. We ordered a bottle of Gruner recommended by Glenn, because it is the favorite of Wolfgang Ban and Eduard Frauneder - Seäsonal's talented chefs and owners.
The menu (which has changed since it was posted on their website) is compact but filled with wonderful Austrian and German inspired delicacies. I shared the FRÜHLINGSSALAT with
my date - an arugala and microcress salad with grilled asparagus, a perfectly poached egg, and a great lemon dressing. Another grazer-worthy appetizer was the LACHS UND HEILBUTT - similar to a salmon and halibut carpaccio served with a quail egg and a sweet cream sauce.
Next, I had the halibut, which came out crispy on top and flaky in the middle. It was served with pearl onions (which were roasted until caramelized and sweet), sauteed romaine, and more smoky mushrooms. In fact, overall the dish had a distinctly smoky flavor, which I found unique and delicious.The decor - black, white, and gray - manages to be simple, luxurious, warm and inviting. Beautiful fresh flowers are displayed at the rounded bar, which is both social and intimate. Comparisons to Wallse (down in the West Village) are obvious, but Seäsonal manages to pull together an identity of its own. This restaurant - for its wonderful food as well as its staff - is not to be missed.
- The Grazer
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