Tomorrow, Frank Bruni reviews Four Seasons, perhaps the most famous restaurant in NY, certainly one of three or four of the most big-time dining rooms in the city. Today, the Eater oddsmakers have set the action as follows:
Zero Stars: 6-1Four Seasons is presently a card-carrying member of the three stars club (first awarded by Reichl, seconded by Asimov), which is the way it should be. Nothing would please us more than to call it for a three beans three-peat and be done, but the Bruni x-factor is all over this review. The central questions are 1) in the Bruni's experience, has the city changed around this restaurant too much for it to still be a three star venue? And, of equal importance, 2) will the Bruni buy into to the tacit agreement NY has with this restaurant that it is, indeed, a three star venue no questions asked? (We do, by the way.) Pressure points include: the Four Seasons' pricing (astronomical, by a la carte standards), the straight forward nature of most of the menu, and the club-like, very insider, atmosphere. Ultimately, it is impossible to rationally call this one for call this for three stars, but we're going with the sucker's bet today anyway: three for the Four Seasons. Less emotional bettors will want to look at the two star action.
One Star: 4-1
Two Stars: 8-3
Three Stars: 5-1 ??
Four Stars: 15,000-1
· Four Seasons [NYT; after 8:00 PM]
?? denotes the Eater bet.