Friday, April 7, 12:00 noon
Members $60, guests $70

Good things come to those who wait. At least that’s what diners and critics have found at August, where chef Tony Liu’s pan-European cooking usually has diners lined up out the door. Though the wait for a coveted table during prime hours can sometimes seem interminable, even the critics are willing to queue for Liu’s flawless ingredient-driven food. “Oh, how I loathe to admit August is worth the wait,” wrote Hal Rubinstein of NewYork magazine. Paul Lukas of the New York Sun agreed, noting, “The food is worth it…August has provided the best meals I’ve eaten this year.”

Tony Liu grew up far from the pubs and tavernas of the continent that serves as his muse. As a teenager in Honolulu, he worked at some of Hawaii’s top restaurants—Roy’s, the Lodge at Koele, and 3660 on the Rise—before moving to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America. Liu plied his trade in several of the city’s most high-profile kitchens, including Lespinasse, Daniel, Tabla, and Babbo (where he was executive sous-chef), and he also spent time in Spain at the Michelin three-star Restaurante Martin Berasategui.

At August, Liu brings together his experiences to create a menu that “reads like a greatest hits of European peasant fare,” according to the Village Voice’s Robert Sietsema, who named August the Best New Restaurant of 2004. “It is a place critics are reluctant to tell everyone about, except that I couldn’t forgive myself for not doing so,” wrote Virtual Gourmet’s John Mariani. “August is a bright little gem everyone should savor.” And Moira Hodgson of the New York Observer added, “It’s not just the ingredients that are impeccable; the cooking has a vigorous personal style that makes you sense a human being’s touch.”

Michael Schachner, contributing editor at Wine Enthusiast magazine, will be bringing a personal touch to the wine selections for this lunch. Schachner, who specializes in vintages from Italy, Spain, and South America, will be pairing wines from Moët Hennessy’s European portfolio with Liu’s dishes.