Four Seasons

When you're hungry and looking for some good advice

249 Lake Avenue, Worcester
753-4823
Open daily 4-9 p.m.
Full bar
Major credit cards
Accessible

by Jim Johnson

I usually don't identify servers, but I'll make an exception with Mary. First, as soon as I say that she's been working at Four Seasons for 27 years, anyone who's ever eaten there knows it's Mary I'm talking about. And her boss won't mind. Fred -- owner, manager, chef, and bartender (among other roles) -- has been there for 27 years, too. There's nothing I could write about Mary that he doesn't already know.

Take, for instance, how she greets regulars including longtime friends (and they often are). Or how she remembers everyone's favorite dishes and personal preferences.

On many evenings, Mary works the room alone or with an additional server. Soaring past age 75 in great style (but looking 20 years younger), she's cut back an evening or two. On a slow night, she spends extra time with newcomers, sincerely and cordially talking about their lives and her life.

When a friend and I dined there recently, Mary greeted us and pegged us as first-timers. "Don't worry," she said. "I'll take good care of you."

By the time we left, we were full, happy and only $35 lighter. We also became well-informed about Mary's kids and grandchildren, as well as about the restaurant's various incarnations (a stone fireplace goes back nearly a century). I also gained sage advice about where to meet women. My evening-long reconnaissance duty at Super Big Y and Price Chopper should start shortly. I'll be in the produce department.

This was all much better than I'd expected. I had, in fact, tried to review Four Seasons about a year ago and walked out after 45 minutes without so much as a greeting. A large private party (including a tipsy, hyper-amorous priest) had apparently consumed the servers' attention. After multiple fruitless requests for a menu, I finally left.

Also, even the most cursory glance at the building would convince customers that this Four Seasons is in no way connected to its up-scale Boston namesake. Its slightly run-down appearance is actually more akin to an ancient fraternal lodge or the Bates Motel. Indeed, switching film allusions in mid-sentence, my dinner companion looked around and presented his one-word assessment: "REDRUM."

Perception, thankfully, is not always reality. Fred's cooking and Mary's friendly service quickly put our minds at ease.

Although the menu has its share of steak and seafood entrées, basic Italian dishes dominate. For example, you can order macaroni or spaghetti with a choice of tomato, meat, or marinara sauce or with meatballs, chicken, or sausage ($5.50 to $7.95). You can also pick chicken cacciatore ($9.95), breaded veal cutlets ($9.95 to $12.95), or one of several "Tantalizing Italian Specialties" such as stuffed shells, baked manicotti, or baked-stuffed lasagna ($7.95 each).

Sirloin steaks come in three sizes, with the "petite" ($10.95) large enough for most appetites. Seafood includes boiled, baked, or stuffed lobster and shrimp scampi.

We started with two appetizers: standard shrimp cocktail ($3.50) and above average clams casino ($2.75). The three shrimp were no bargain; the eight clams were. Stuffed rather than the traditional full-bellied, bacon-draped style, these little-necks were minced and mixed with herbs in a moist (not greasy) breadcrumb dressing.

I found them slightly bland, but Mary had already delivered the solution: a stack of roasted hot peppers that offered just the right touch of smoke and fire.

My tablemate, intimidated perhaps by Mary's description of the large sirloin, chose the petite. It was indeed huge and broiled to exactly the right color and tenderness. Although not as flavorful as perhaps an aged sirloin, it nonetheless provided a satisfying centerpiece for a basic steak and (oven-roasted) potatoes meal.

I enjoyed the lobster fra diavolo (price varies) served over spaghetti. The lobster meat was surprisingly abundant, as well as sweet and moist. Although mixed with a spicy marinara sauce, the dish still wasn't diavolo enough. Mary's continuous supply of hot peppers did the trick.

A slice each of Boston cream pie (possibly store-bought but tasting fresh, rich, and creamy) added a pleasant close to the evening.