Let It Snow is back at the Four Seasons Westlake Village! And the Mercato Italiano in the Lobby Lounge is better than ever!

Let It Snow

I visited with my family last year and loved the magical feeling of having snow fall in the evening in Southern California. I’m happy to say the Four Seasons has revived the tradition, with a few updates.

Instead of meandering out and mingling with bar guests, Let It Snow visitors go through an admission check-in and get wristbands that allow them access to the super cute s’mores kits and hot chocolate. The space has expanded this year for more room to enjoy the snow that falls twice an hour (and gives kids more room to run around). Watch out for the fire pits – which are great for roasting your marshmallows, but can be a bit smoky with the wrong direction of the wind.

The outdoor space is freed up because Santa has been relocated into a holiday showroom, fantastically styled and cozily warm. Frosty the Snowman wanders about greeting visitors outside.

photo by Kimball Hall courtesy of Four Seasons

The event is free for hotel guests and $5 for visitors, which includes:

– Admission includes unlimited hot cocoa, apple cider and s’mores (pizza by-the-slice along with other bites and drinks are available from the menu at The Lookout)

– Photo opp with Santa and elves in his regal sleigh

– The magical snowfall occurs between 5 and 9 pm, at the top and bottom of every hour

– On select dates, including this Friday, there will be special guests from L.I.F.E Animal Rescue holding dog adoptions at the event site

(event details on their Facebook page)

 Mercato Italiano

After hanging out in the snow, we headed indoors to the Lobby Lounge which is transformed into Mercato Italiano on Saturday nights. The Mercato is a recreated Italian market, complete with umbrellas around the lavish buffet.

While servers bring an array of freshly made pizzas (veggie pizza with chickpeas, broccoli, and a white sauce was amazing) to your table, you are free to head to the different food areas as much as you want. There is an antipasti bar, a display of bruscettas (updated from the bruscetta bar from last year), 4-5 green salads, a hot pasta bar, a salami stand complete with a leg of ham, and a hot food counter.

Pizzas are tossed by Pizza Steve, but Chef Manny made a special repeat appearance to make some with my kids again. They are his #1 and #2 fans!

Standouts this year included:

Antipasti bar – Heirloom carrots tossed with herbs and oil, it tastes like a Christmas tree! My husband loved the enormous green olives.

Bruscetta – goat cheese, ricotta, and pear with carmelized onions

Pasta – the risotto with butternut squash, sage and a new-to-me vegetable called savoy, cavatelli with shrimp in a cream sauce

Hot food – my husband loved the lamb osso bucco, and my favorite was the lasagna with a meat sauce and fontina cheese whose noodles tasted homemade

Topping off the meal is the dessert bar, of course! This year’s gelato offerings included carrot, which I suggest you try before you order a whole scoop. It’s worth the experience, but might not be for everyone. My favorite is still the salted caramel, but another dessert took the family favorite spot this year – a mouthwatering pumpkin custard served in a little espresso cup.  (Definitely take the cannoli, but the shell-to-filling ratio is too high to move this confection up to #1. I mean what’s a cannoli if not an excuse to eat ricotta?)

Mercato Italiano is $48 for adults and $24 for kids (make sure your kids like food, or else that is one pricey bowl of buttered pasta you’re buying) and certain beverages are extra. I enjoyed my meal with a nice Chianti at the suggestion of our superb server, Dylan.

My family enjoyed Let It Snow and Mercato Italiano on the house to facilitate this feature.