And....we're back! This time we flew down to the southern city of Orlando, Florida. Now Orlando isn't exactly the food mecca of the world (or the south for that matter), but every now and then you can find some true gems in the midst of all the national chains, and Seasons 52 is one of them. Their fresh dishes are for the healthy at heart, as they trample over the misconception that healthy food must sacrifice taste. Every week of the year they seek out the "Best market-fresh products as different foods reach their seasonal peak of taste" (hence, the name). Every item on the menu is 475 calories or less (and you won't be able to tell- honestly!) and is touted to be "nutritionally balanced to include the highest quality lean meats and seafood, good carbs and beneficial oils such as extra virgin olive oil."
Here's a rundown of what we got:
Appetizer: Grilled Steak & Cremini Mushroom Flatbread with spinach and Wisconsin blue cheese
I've found out that I'm a big fan of flatbreads, if done right. We were famished at this point, so the crispy bread topped with savory mushrooms and blue cheese came at just the right time. There was a good snap and crunch to each bite, and the flavors weren't too overpowering.
My dad's entree: Grilled Rack of New Zealand Lamb red bliss potatoes, asparagus, balsamic onions and Dijon sauce
My dad has always been a fan of grilled meats, so it's no surprise that he ordered the lamb. We each got a portion and to be honest, I thought it was almost too tender. Difficult to get off the bone, the pink flesh was just on the verge of being barely cooked. I thought the potatoes, asparagus and onions were cooked and flavored well, but this dish didn't stand out as one of the night's winners.Andrew's entree: Caramelized Sea Scallops grilled and served with roasted asparagus and sundried tomato pearl pasta
I absolutely loved the sundried tomato pearl pasta. The basil flavor rang through loud and clear and you could tell that this dish was made with the freshest of ingredients. The asparagus crunched and snapped with every bite, as if you had picked the stalk right from the field yourself. I'll defer to Fat Cookie Chef for his take on the scallops!My mom's dish: Grilled salmon with guacamole, cherry tomatoes and spinich
Again, I'll have to defer to FC chef for his thoughts on this. As one of the "seasonal items" on the menu, I have already forgotten it's name and description. Hence the reminder for us to write our blog entries immediately after consuming "the goods". My memories recollect that the fish was a bit dry, probably due to the lack of basting butter in order to keep the entree under 475 calories. From time to time, we'll take a little dryness as a toast to good health.
My entree: Mahi mahi with grilled vegetables and cheesy grits
Seasons let the freshness of the "star ingredient" speak for themselves, and what lacks in flavor, is made up for in the surrounding elements. While the mahi mahi was tender and flaky, you could tell there weren't any preservatives, and not a whole lot of salt added in to overpower it's fresh and sweet flavor. The grits on the other hand, were spectacular and held a creamy, savory finish that didn't want to make me put down the spoon. Yummy.
Dessert: Mini trio of Strawberry Shortcake, Pecan Pie, Caramel Banana Pie
I guess "mini" desserts are the new "in" thing in the restaurant world. I've been seeing them pop up everywhere. Seasons has a great way to display these desserts, and a rather clever assembly line. They make literally hundreds of these little guys a night, and line them up in rows so servers can just come and refill their displays whenever they run out. Not the most clever of desserts (I thought they could have been slightly more imaginary than strawberry shortcake or cheesecake), but cute and still under 475 calories (I hope?). The graham cracker crust in the shortcake was really sweet, but the big plump strawberries made up for the overpowering caramelization of sugar. Pecan was also tantalizingly sweet, almost too much for my sweet tooth to bear. Cute concept, but could have been better in my opinion.
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