Dining out in Atlanta: Seasons 52
1 Comment
Karen Hamilton
March 31, 2008
Hello again from the deep south! I had every intention of describing the Atlanta food scene as I was eating it up, but the lack of photo-editing software on my travel laptop is making it difficult to provide you with mouthwatering visuals. So until I return to Vancouver on Friday, here’s a rundown of the first of many meals enjoyed in this culinary hotspot.
Seasons 52 is located just outside of Perimeter Mall, but don’t label it as mall fare. The Mall’s proximity to the Concourse, one of the larger and more upscale industrial parks in the city, seems to have created a market for nearby dining establishments where one can impress visiting VIPs.
This restaurant caught my eye during my first visit to Atlanta last year. At the time, I opted to try next-door neighbour Wildfire instead, which drew me in with promises of prime rib (it satisfied my carnivorous cravings splendidly). Wanting to try Seasons 52 this time around, I polled colleagues and looked for reviews online. Concerned to find that there was not much buzz. I looked up their website for more information. There, I discovered that the restaurant focuses on seasonal, healthy dining, where each item on the menu is under 475 calories. The diet gimmick didn’t get to me but the seasonal gimmick did. One scan of the appetizing PDF menu and I was sold.
First up: a glass of Trevor Jones’ “Boots” Grenache, from a little Aussie place called Barossa Valley. It was served up in a wine glass etched with “52″ that fascinated me to no end. Not much to sniff at, austere at the sip, but oh, the mouthfeel! It felt like velvet that had been stripped of its fuzz. I enjoyed rolling its rich viscosity around with my tongue until it was time to take a reluctant swallow. This slow savour of my glass meant that it lasted through my entire 3-course meal.
Next was a small offering of spring vegetables for $4.75. A pleasing medley of snow peas, sugar snap peas and its tendrils (which I had for the first time – fantastic), and pearl onions. Each ingredient leant the dish its own brand of sweetness. The highlights were the novelty of the tendrils (quite like a more structured spinach) and the burst of the sugar snap peas as you crunch through its shell.
Chose the caramelized sea scallops for my main, which came highly recommended by my server, Janessa. The scallops were rare (just how I like them) with gorgeous criss-crossings seared into the flesh. Asparagus was sliver thin and deliciously fresh. The pearl pasta was another new experience. It calls to mind the starch of the peas in the previous dish, blended with a tapioca-like resistance to the bite. Couldn’t really taste the caramelization that was advertised. And I’m not typically a fan of sundried tomato. All the interesting textures in this dish made up for the blandness of the scallop of the presence of sundried tomato.
Dessert was presented in a most irresistible fashion. Janessa walked out with a tray full of rectangular shot glasses, each filled with $2.25 morsels of sweetness such as tiramisu, german chocolate cake, and key lime pie. I couldn’t help but order two: the mango-strawberry cheesecake and the red velvet cake. Both were rich, indulgent, magnificent, and for the first time, Karen-sized! It took 4 or 5 of my bites to finish off each one. That probably translates to a couple spoonfuls for you =)
With my meal complete, I thanked my server for graciously attending to my questions and photography, especially when she let me have a few minutes of alone time with the dessert tray while I set up this shot. My ride called to say he was going to be a half hour extra. So I mosied over to the bar from where strains of jazzy piano seemed to emanate.
I settled into a seat at the bar that was directly across from the evening’s piano player. Sipped at a lovely Pacific Rim Gewurtzraminer from Japan while listening to the live music and taking in the elegant ambiance. The bar was patronized by a seeming regular Wednesday night crowd. One of the couples stood up to slow-dance dreamily to Rocket Man. At another point, the pianist sang a custom ditty about the people around him; from his lyrics, I guess his name is Dave and that it was 10:45pm. Soon after, my ride came to whisk me back to the hotel.
Sigh…what a wonderful way to spend a Wednesday night after a long day at work. I understand now why I couldn’t find any reviews of this place—its fans want to keep it a secret! Perhaps I shouldn’t have written this review. Perhaps I should hide this page from Google. But this was too good a place to hide from you, dear reader. Hope you get the chance to try Seasons 52 one day, whether it’s this one by Perimeter Mall or one of the handful of locations scattered throughout in Georgia and Florida.
Seasons 52
90 Perimeter Center West
Dunwoody, GA 30346
(770) 671-0052
www.seasons52.com
Categories: Atlanta, Beyond Vancouver, Food, Restaurants, Travel, USA
Why I love Raincity Grill
6 Comments Karen HamiltonMarch 27, 2008
Raincity Grill does a fantastic job of showcasing the cuisine of the Pacific Northwest while being conscientious of how its operations, supplier relationships, and menu selection impact the environment. Its involvement in the community and its green policies are evident in nearly everything they do. Just take a look at what they’ve got planned over the next few weeks (from Raincity’s March Newsletter).
Upcoming Events at Raincity Grill
Un-Sprung menu: March – April 2008
Featuring “100 Mile” vegetables, Organic Ocean’s wild salmon, and Sloping Hill’s pork, this menu showcases the very best of the bounty of the Lower Mainland. This $90 nine-course menu is available Sunday through Thursday until April 15th.
Dining out for Life: March 27, 2008
“Dining out for Life” is on today, and I’m sad to be missing it. 25% of all food revenue from meals sold at Raincity will go to A Loving Spoonful and Friends for Life, Lower Mainland charities supporting local people living with AIDS.
Tiny Bites note: Hundreds of other restaurants are participating in this fundraiser. For full details, visit the Dining out for Life website.
Earth Hour: March 29, 8-9pm
Raincity Grill will be observing “Earth Hour” on March 29th. Dinner is served by candlelight as the lights are shut off across Raincity Grill, Nu, and C Restaurant from 8 pm to 9pm in tandem with cities across Earth. Enjoy the ambience and be a part of the powerful message about the need for action on global warming.
Quick Atlanta Update
The Atlanta restaurant suggestions have been pouring in from colleagues, Flickr, and the prior post. Thank you and keep them coming–I’m here till April 3rd.
Had a terrific time at Seasons 52 last night. As its name suggests, the menu varies with the seasons. Their seasonal focus is to promote healthy eating as opposed to green eating, but I think they accomplish both. I’ll write up a full review with pretty pictures by the end of the week.
Tonight is happy hour with work followed by a field trip to the Stone Mountain area for some Mexican food. Can’t wait!
Categories: Atlanta, Downtown, Events, Food, Restaurants, Travel, USA, West End
Where should I eat in Atlanta?
2 Comments Karen HamiltonMarch 24, 2008
Grumpy greetings from my hotel room in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s been a trying day of delayed flights and forgotten PIN numbers. I won’t bore you with all the details (yet). What I will say is that Delta Air’s idea of lunch is lamentable. 4 crackers, cheese spread, a pack of raisins, and Oreos? Really, Delta? Really?
As my five six-hour flight starved me of any real nutrients, I was looking forward to a nice meal Atlanta-side. That didn’t work out either. The kitchen at the hotel was closed and all the decent restaurants within a mile from here were shutting down. Wound up having a rushed dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which is sort of like our Red Robin’s, but with a cheesecake fetish. I hope to avoid such chain restaurants for the remaining 2 weeks in Atlanta.
Do you know of any places that I should check out, food or otherwise? Already on the list are the Georgia Aquarium and JOËL Restaurant. I’ll supplement your suggestions with my research from Foodbuzz and The Blissful Glutton.
Thanks, and good night for now!
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Articles by Karen Hamilton
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