Seasonal Restaurant & Weinbar

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
October 8, 2009

WIENER SCHNITZEL
132 W 58th St
(6th & 7th Aves)
New York, NY 10019
212-957-5550

Celia Cheng

It may seem strange that I grew up eating wiener schnitzel in Taiwan. But my parents, who had lived in both Germany and Switzerland, were fond of Germanic cuisine. We frequented an exquisite and darling Swiss restaurant in Taipei called Swiss Chalet where bone marrow consommé and wiener schnitzel were staples. Because of this refined food, I grew to love Austrian cuisine when I was introduced to it, and Wallsé has always been one of my favorite restaurants in The City. Now I’m glad to add Seasonal Restaurant & Weinbar to the list.

A modern Austrian restaurant and wine bar, Seasonal is located on 58th Street, a block from Central Park. The restaurant occupies a small space, but the whitewashed walls and dark brown banquets provide an open feel.

As the name suggests, fresh seasonal ingredients comprise the elegant home-style cooking at Seasonal. Appetizers and entrées, all refined and precise, are consistent in quality, and the presentation of each dish is equally pleasing. I’ve returned a half dozen times for the quintessential wiener schnitzel and spatzle. The perfectly breaded paper-thin veal cutlet, served with lingonberry, potato and cucumber salads, is airier and fluffier than most. And the spatzle — egg pasta cooked with seasonal vegetables and Austrian mountain cheese — is always a treat.

Celia Cheng

Lunch at Seasonal is ideal not only because it’s calm and quiet, but also because the three-course prix fixe — soup or salad, chef’s choice of entrée, and dessert — is an exceptional value at $25*. With companions, I order one prix fixe plus wiener schintzel and spatzle. On a recent visit, the lachsforelle, ocean trout topped with sea trout caviar over cauliflower purée, was a light and delicious starter, followed by homemade meatball pasta. Three-courses is a copious meal, but at Seasonal it’s light and always fulfilling.

Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng

Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng

Service can sometimes be off. On a recent visit with my mother, the server spilled my mother’s water glass all over her pants. Though clearly scared of the consequences of his actions, he did not apologize, nor did the manager ask him to apologize. Another time, while I requested tap water, our table was served still water at $8 a bottle. While the food and wine at Seasonal are entirely enjoyable, the service is inconsistent. The restaurant opened about nine months ago, so I hope that the kinks in service will soon be straightened out.

Nonetheless, I can rejoice that fine Austrian cuisine is thriving in my beloved New York City. And congratulations to Seasonal for receiving a Michelin star just this week!

* As of October 12, 2009, the prix fixe lunch is now $27 for a choice of any two items from the appetizer and entrée selections plus dessert. This is still a great deal, especially for those with large appetites as you could select two entrées and a dessert.

Also in Austrian, German, Midtown West, Spaetzle, Veal