Autumn Comes Early

Like sands through the hourglass, these are the....seasons of our lives.  As summer departs with some of the most glorious weather New York has seen in months, Manhattanites are nonetheless gearing up for autumn. Park Avenue Autumn, that is. The chameleon-like restaurant, which changes its décor and menu every three months, has taken the wraps off its fall 2009 look and we think you're going to like what you see. (And taste.)

Unlike the seasons, however, which arrive gradually, Park Avenue Autumn went from summer to fall virtually overnight. (Forty-eight hours to be exact.)

And while design geniuses Avro-KO were working magic in the dining room, chef Craig Koketsu was working magic in the kitchen, dreaming up a fall lineup filled with seasonal dishes such as local diver scallops with lemongrass and honeycrisp apples, fig carpaccio with hoja santa goat cheese, lamb shank with saffron cauliflower, mint and pistachios, and grilled swordfish with roasted acorn squash. If you're in the mood for something more familiar (but with a twist, of course), you might try Kentucky fried quail and waffles (left). Were he still around today, the Colonel would be beaming.

There's plenty of dessert to choose from, too, but for our liking, we're saving calories for the carrot cake and brie fritter with chai-tea ice cream.

The crisp-weather inspiration extends beyond the cuisine, of course, with cocktails taking on the spirit of the season, including a drink called the Prime Meridian (Manuka honey-infused vodka, Martinelli apple cider, Equator green tea and tapioca pearls).

Get a jump on the the autumnal equinox by making your reservations now. But don't wait too long. Park Avenue Winter marks its arrival in November.

And to see "Gossip Girl Crazy on Park Avenue," an episode we shot earlier this year at Park Avenue Winter, click here.