Seasons 52

There’s nothing like having family visit to make you miss home.  As I mentioned in my last post, Vishnu’s dad was in town for a conference this past weekend.

 Like father like son

When I asked dad what he wanted to do while he was here, he responded with, “Whatever you want to do!”  Since I knew his days were packed with conference events, we stayed in on Friday night and watched a movie (The A-Team).  Well, I fell asleep about half-way through while Vishnu and dad watched the whole movie.  I liked what I saw! 

On Saturday, dad insisted that we go out to eat for my birthday.  And again, he wanted me to choose where.  After a quick Yelp search, I decided on Seasons 52.  While Vishnu and I have been before (in Atlanta), I wanted to pick a place that dad would like because he, like me, is very passionate about healthy living.  I figured this was the perfect place for a delicious, healthy, low-key dinner.

Seasons 52 offers four different menus throughout the year, one for every season.  Each menu item is centered around fresh, seasonal ingredients.  If you plan your visits accordingly, it’s like eating at a different restaurant every time.  Pretty neat concept. 

Readers beware – Parita was just introduced to Pic Stitch!

We each started with a drink – I went with my very favorite Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz, Vishnu ordered a Jai Alai (an Indian Pale Ale), and we ordered a Mojito for dad.  It was his first, and I think he liked it!

The flatbreads at Seasons 52 are pretty amazing – incredibly light and flavorful.  The flatbread is crispy, almost cracker-like, while the toppings are very fresh.  And I love that every bite includes a little bit of each topping.  Good to the last bite!

Vishnu and I shared the Ripe Plum Tomato flatbread as an appetizer, while dad ordered the Artichoke and Goat Cheese flatbread as his meal.  We were not disappointed!

For my entrée, I ordered the Vegetarian Tasting, which came with a few different items – a citrus quinoa salad, a black bean soft taco, a veggie stuffed chili relleno, a piece of roasted butternut squash, half of a roasted pear, and a piece of cedar roasted tofu with mango chutney.

I loved everything but the quinoa and the butternut squash.  The quinoa was loaded with parsley, and the butternut squash was just blah…both were lacking flavor in my opinion.  The chili relleno was unique and had a little kick.  The taco was good – nothing out of the ordinary.  And while the tofu was good, the chutney made it great.  It also had a little bit of a kick and reminded me of the tropical salsa Vishnu made the other night.  The roasted pear was a nice sweet surprise.  I’ve never thought to roast fruit…this may be something I experiment with.  Overall, I was happy with my choice.

Vishnu ordered the Caramelized Grilled Sea Scallops for his meal.  He thought the scallops were pretty good, but really liked the sun dried tomato pearl pasta that accompanied his dish.  He just wished the portion size was a little bigger.  Oh well, more room for dessert…keep reading!

Now y’all know I’m not one to turn down a post-dinner sweet treat.  It was my birthday dinner after all!  When our waitress came by with a tray full of 8 different mini dessert cups, I knew exactly what I wanted – Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse.  But then Vishnu upped the anti by picking two little cups, so I had to pick one more.  The Tropical Fruit Cheesecake it was.  Vishnu went with the Belgian Chocolate Rocky Road and the Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. 

Oh my!  These little cups were pure heaven and the perfect way to end our meal.  Surprisingly, my favorite was the tropical cheesecake.  The filling was so incredibly creamy.  I wish I could swim in that little cup all the live long day.  The PB chocolate mousse was a close runner up though. 

And then with full bellies, we went home. 

I miss dad’s presence already (he left last night) but am excited to see my parents in Orlando this coming weekend!   And the fun doesn’t stop there because the following weekend I’m off to London for a week long work trip.  February will be over before I know it!

Happy Monday – make it a good one!

So tell me, if you had to choose a dessert cup from the ones pictured and described above, which one would it be?