Seasons 52 – Dining Done Right

by Paul Katsch

Food Advocate, President of DinnerWire

At a recent visit to Seasons 52, I was quite pleased to receive a superior dining experience. The restaurant business is easy – you just have to do everything right all the time. Fortunately for us foodies, Seasons 52 is doing business right. Where others may cut corners, they excel by understanding that dining out is more than eating food, it's an entire experience.

One of the best features of Seasons 52 is that it doesn't feel like a chain restaurant. I don't normally eat at chains, but I must tip my hat to this chain's owners and managers. Each restaurant has a wonderful ambiance, supplemented with an open kitchen and real wood fire oven. Not only was their bar generous with many 2 ounce pours, but it also had a real bar feel that added a nice touch to the restaurant. If you're looking for a quieter place to sit, they have a number of inviting booths or patio dining that is a great place to hang with friends after work. Rather than designing the floor as one wide open and conjoined space, their strategically placed dividing walls which add an intimate feel to the dining experience.

Additionally, the staff and managers do a good job of making sure the restaurant stays remarkably clean. One of the first places I check to see if the management cares is the restroom, because if the bathroom isn't clean the manager doesn't care. It was obvious the managers take great pride in their facility and take the steps to maintain an enjoyable dining experience for all patrons. This was also obvious in the very well trained staff. They were comfortable being friendly with the restaurant guests while also ensuring a memorable dining experience. At the end of my dinner my server told me she enjoyed serving me and gave me a business card and asked I request her by name the next time I came back. This simple yet personal step made me feel welcomed and inspired me to return soon.

The food itself is delicious, fresh, and thoughtful. Part of the menu changes weekly, hence the name “Seasons 52”, while the entire menu gets refreshed 5 times a year. They focus on serving seasonal foods fresh from the farm to your fork. Another pleasantry was that their meals don't make you feel like a gluten. All of the meals served are under 475 calories. Even if you are on a diet, you can't skip desert here. They bring you an array of deliciously sweet choices to choose from, creatively portioned to fit in a shot glass.

Their customer service was also excellently handled. Our table had two lamb dishes, one was supposed to be medium and the other medium rare. Somehow they got switched, but the staff quickly moved to rectify the problem. Both the manager and chef came to our table to apologize, without making me feel bad for the small food temperature complaint. The only miss from my dining experience was the structure of their happy hour. There wasn't the variety of options I would have liked to see as happy hour veteran. They did offer a great flatbread and a small wine tasting, but it would have enhanced the experience to have a broader selection to choose from.

Overall, I was very pleased with my dinner at Seasons 52. They got it right, which is a hard thing to do, especially for a chain restaurant. I'm general an advocate for small and family owned restaurants, but I have become a frequent visitor of Seasons 52, and recommend it with the upmost enthusiasm.