blogger who brunch – in the garden of the four seasons

After an extremely hot week in New York (even the evenings were in the 90s), we finally got a much needed break on the heatwave; this put New Yorkers in a great mood last Sunday. By coincidence, I was invited to the landmarked Four Seasons New York for a brunch that day.

Simon de Swaan, director of food and beverage for the Four Seasons New York, invited me and a few bloggers to sample new items on The Garden’s menu. These dishes take advantage of local ingredients, which means the menu changes quite frequently based on the produce Chef John Johnson can gather at the farmer’s markets.

Using local ingredients is a common concept for many restaurants these days, but hotels more often have standard menus for their café and bars. It was a challenge for Chef John and Simon to entice their customers with a new menu, yet do not upset their regular clientele, who are fond of routinely ordering the same items.

The Garden, located off the lobby is not your typical hotel cafe–it’s a cross between a bar/lounge and a restaurant. Cocktails are served, but you’ll have to head to The Bar to witness the mixologists in action.

We started our brunch with a trio of tomato themed cocktails, followed by fine baby vegetables in olive “dirt.” (When was the last time you ate fresh vegetable straight from the dirt?) This little vegetable garden not only amused us tremendously, but also set the tone of the dishes to come–surprising and cleverly executed.

By the end of our delightful  brunch, I was able to fully understand this new vision of the executive chef and the food and beverage director.