Chef Shuffle

Fabio Trabocchi Lands at Four Seasons; Casa Lever Opens October 19

Photo: Patrick McMullan

It’s a fabulous day to be a Fabio. First, news of Fabio Viviani’s TV show. And now, the Feedbag brings word (update: and a press release below confirms) that Fabio Trabocchi, who was left homeless when Fiamma shuttered, has landed at The Four Seasons, which has been without a head chef since Christian Albin died of cancer in June. Trabocchi had been rumored to be involved in the new incarnation of Lever House, but we’re told that will open October 19 with Sant Ambroeus corporate chef Mario Danieli overseeing things. Let’s see if Trabocchi can turn The Four Seasons into a dinner destination once again, rather than just a power-lunch spot that mocks its own eccentricities via kids’ books and videos.

THE FOUR SEASONS RESTAURANT NAMES NEW CHEF
Acclaimed 35-year old Fabio Trabocchi accepts the toque


New York (October 1, 2009) - Today The Four Seasons Restaurant named New York Times starred Fabio Trabocchi as executive chef. Trabocchi was most recently the executive chef of Fiamma, where The New York Times awarded him three-stars. He has cooked in Milan, Moscow, Marbella and Washington, DC.

“After almost a year of celebrating The Four Seasons’$2 50 year history, we’re excited to reveal our delicious future,” said co-owner Julian Niccolini.

“Chef Trabocchi offers the perfect ingredients we need to serve our guests,” added co-owner Alex von Bidder. “He’s smart, creative and sophisticated. And his spectacular food is an innovative celebration of the local, seasonal ingredients that have always been part of the Four Seasons’ history.”

Shortly after he moved to New York, Chef Trabocchi impressed the critics as an internationalist with a melting-pot approach to ingredients and cooking styles - both in re-imagining classics and in creating inventive new dishes.

Prior to moving to New York to run the Fiamma kitchen, Trabocchi was executive chef of Maestro, a Washington Post four-star restaurant. He won a James Beard Foundation Best Chef Mid Atlantic award in 2006, and in 2002 was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “America’s Best New Chefs.”

Chef Trabocchi will begin his work at the Four Seasons next week. His first menus will make their debut later this autumn.

“Since I was a young chef, I have always admired this legendary restaurant from afar,” said Fabio Trabocchi. “Today it is a great honor to be a part of it.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Fabio and look forward to sharing his genius with our guests,” said Niccolini who understands how respected Chef Trabocchi among New York City chefs.

“Fabio’s culinary roots will blend perfectly with Alex, Julian and the incredible legacy The Four Seasons maintains in New York City,” offered legendary Chef Daniel Boulud. “While Fabio Trabocchi is grounded in a rich European tradition, his imagination and creativity make him one of the best rising chef in America today.”

The Four Seasons serves locally grown American food and is credited with introducing seasonally changing menus to the US. It is the first luxury restaurant to celebrate American cuisine and the first to write its menus in English. It is also the first East Coast restaurant to serve California wines.


The Four Seasons is located at 99 East 52nd Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues. It features two public and three private dining rooms. Known for its extraordinary architectural heritage, it was designed by master architects Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe and opened in 1959. Today it is an architectural landmark and a classic example of International Style.


Winner of the James Beard Foundation’s “Outstanding Restaurant” award and named Town & Country magazine’s “Favorite Restaurant in the World,” The Four Seasons is open for lunch and dinner, Monday - Friday and for dinner on Saturdays. For reservations, please dial 212.754.9494 or visit www.FourSeasonsRestaurant.com.
Fabio Trabocchi Lands at Four Seasons; Casa Lever Opens October 19