Here are some little-known truths about Seasons 52, the chain that lets seasons decide its menu. You'll want to plan your trip there soon.
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00:00Seasons 52 may be a casual dining restaurant, but it's a lot more sophisticated than you
00:05might expect. Here are some little-known truths about the chain that lets Seasons decide its
00:10menu. Trust us, you'll want to plan a trip there very soon.
00:16Fair warning, Seasons 52 may not have your favorite entree available all year round.
00:21But that's not such a bad thing. The wild Alaskan salmon, for example, is only available
00:25between late spring and late summer. And that's because that's the only window during which
00:29it's sustainably caught from Alaska's Copper River. For the restaurant to serve it in
00:33any other season would mean compromising on its freshness.
00:36We change with the seasons.
00:38The use of fresh ingredients is Season 52's number one priority. The idea behind this
00:43policy is that fresh veggies and seafood harvested at the right time ensure great taste, even
00:48without flavor enhancers like fats and sauces. The menu undergoes large changes every season,
00:54while mild alterations are made on a week-to-week basis based on what's fresh. Ergo, you can
00:59say that the chain has 52 menus a year, hence the name.
01:03For a sense of what's available at different times, the summer menu features ingredients
01:07such as cherries and fresh figs. The fall menu includes pumpkin, brussels sprouts, and
01:11mushrooms. And the winter menu features Florida stone, crabs, and Portuguese kale and chorizo
01:17soup.
01:19The Darden Restaurants Group owned around 1,200 restaurants before it conceptualized
01:24the casually sophisticated Seasons 52 in 2003. The chain was born after Darden sensed a trend
01:30in which more and more people were being conscious about consuming fresh ingredients and taking
01:34a growing interest in food that was grilled instead of fried. To cater to this demand,
01:39Darden conceived a chain that would offer low-calorie meals made with seasonal produce
01:43featuring a sophisticated atmosphere complete with an impressive list of wines.
01:48The first Seasons 52 opened at 7700 Sand Lake Road in Orlando, part of Restaurant Row, which
01:54features the best of the city's eateries. It drew in customers who wanted a slightly
01:58more elegant experience than what they were used to. After two years, the sales at the
02:02eatery were ahead of its projections, but there was still a lot of apprehension about
02:07whether or not it would ultimately be successful, as it was nothing like Darden had attempted
02:11before.
02:12But the company pressed forward as the second Seasons 52 was launched in a mall at Fort
02:17Lauderdale, and the third arrived in Altamont Springs near the Altamont Mall to target the
02:22middle-income population.
02:25It's hard to miss the big wall of shimmery wine bottles at a Seasons 52 location. The
02:30sheer size of it conveys that the chain takes its wine very seriously, as they offer over
02:3552 wines by the glass.
02:37The 52 comes from in reference to our 52 wines that we offer by the glass."
02:41The list is curated by Brian Phillips, director of wine strategy at Darden, who is on a constant
02:46lookout for new wines. In the course of his pursuit, he's tasted 500 different wines in
02:51Napa Valley alone. We have to admit that we're a little jealous that that's somebody's job.
02:57Thanks to all of Phillips' travels, Seasons 52 has a curious drink-them-before-they're-famous
03:02menu. We have to say that we approve of that branding, because who could resist the opportunity
03:06to taste a soon-to-be-famous wine while it's still affordable?
03:10Some of the wines that have made it onto this list include ones from the Mendoza region
03:14of Argentina and the Jans' Tasmanian Sparkling Rosé. If you're craving these wines outside
03:19the walls of Seasons 52, you're unfortunately out of luck, as you probably can't get them
03:24at your local grocery store. Considering all this, it's hardly surprising that 40 separate
03:29Seasons 52 restaurants have been given the Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator.
03:34The wine at Seasons 52 is also generously used in the food. Their wood-grilled filet
03:38mignon is doused in red wine, the short ribs are cooked with wine, and wine is also the
03:43main ingredient in the artisan cheese fondue appetizer. Bottoms up!
03:49At Seasons 52, there's no complimentary bread, no french fries, and no butter. It might seem
03:55like a punishment to dine without any fried items, but the chain has nevertheless been
03:59able to flourish without a fryer. Instead of frying, the menu items tend to be roasted,
04:04like Mesquite Roasted Pork Tenderloin, or grilled, as is the case with the Cedar Plank
04:08Salmon.
04:09There's also no traditional pizza at Seasons 52. Instead, they serve a variety of flatbreads
04:14topped with veggies and healthy proteins. Every single dish on the menu, whether it's
04:19mac and cheese, truffle risotto, or steak salad, is less than 595 calories. In fact,
04:25when chef Clifford Plough and his colleague Tony Robertson created the menu for Seasons
04:2952 in 2003, they collaborated with nutritionist Pamela Smith. The idea was to conceptualize
04:35dishes that brought out the freshness of all the ingredients and made for a nutritionally
04:39balanced diet. To achieve this, they decided to utilize cooking methods that are more natural,
04:44like cooking over an open fire oak or mesquite grill, or roasting on a stone hearth oven.
04:50The result was a light menu featuring the likes of grilled jumbo sea scallops, black
04:54mussels in an orange ginger broth, and grilled filet mignon.
04:59At Seasons 52, we specialize in oak fire grilling and brick oven roasting to bring
05:04out all the natural flavors of food.
05:08Seasons 52 was envisioned as a place where you could sip wine and enjoy live music. With
05:13that in mind, in the past, some locations have featured a piano bar. In 2014, CBS Philly
05:18even ranked Seasons 52 among the top five piano bars in Philadelphia. The restaurant
05:23even used to organize month-long music festivals featuring veteran musicians. The King of Prussia
05:28Pennsylvania location, for example, featured live performances by a variety of musicians.
05:34Meanwhile, the Seasons 52 in South Coast Plaza, California featured artists such as Nicholas
05:39Cole, who was one of the top 30 contestants in Season 4 of American Idol.
05:44Piano bars are, alas, not a staple within Seasons 52's walls anymore, which has disappointed
05:49plenty of customers writing reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor. The Florida Seasons 52 locations
05:54at Coral Gables, Jacksonville, and Altamont Springs, and the one in Plano, Texas, are
05:59among those that no longer have a piano bar. Spencer Bates is one of the professional musicians
06:04who've played at Seasons 52 restaurants in the North Bethesda and Tyson Center locations
06:08in Maryland. In 2016, he confirmed on his official website the sad news that the company
06:14was rebranding and wouldn't have piano bars in the locations that he used to perform at.
06:20In Seasons 52's pursuit to use the freshest produce in their dishes, they went ahead and
06:25created an entire wall of edible herbs, including Asian jasmine, rosemary, mondo grass, lemon
06:31button ferns, and mint. The 112-square-foot living wall with 125 types of herbs can be
06:38found at the Seasons 52 in Los Angeles, which was the chain's 23rd location. It was envisioned
06:44by Seasons 52 founding chef Clippard Plough and created by Jim Mumford, a certified landscape
06:50and green roof professional. He's also the founder of Greenscaped Buildings, a company
06:54that specializes in living walls and green roofs. The wall's setup included a glass-enclosed
07:00environment with the necessary cooling system, temperature control, lighting, and water filtration
07:05set in place for the herbs to grow. It was built right next to the chef's table, making
07:09it convenient for the chefs to pluck an herb or two to add to the drinks and dishes.
07:13The produce vendor for Seasons 52, the chef, the produce supplier, and the Greenscaped
07:18Buildings maintenance team all worked together to decide what herbs would be grown in the
07:22garden and what kind of maintenance was required for their sustenance.
07:27At Seasons 52, shot glasses have a different purpose than you might be used to in other
07:32restaurants, as they feature what the restaurant calls mini-indulgences. These dessert treats
07:37include the likes of Belgian chocolate s'more, raspberry chocolate chip cannoli, pecan pie,
07:42key lime pie, and others, all of which are served in shot glasses. Chef Clippard Plough
07:48wanted to create desserts that were light on calories but that at the same time featured
07:51high-quality ingredients. Some suggested that the portions should be smaller, and the end
07:56result was a pie-filled shot glass.
07:59In order to decide what flavors to use, Plough went to a nearby grocery store and browsed
08:03through the bakery and dessert sections to find out which were the most in demand. When
08:07it came to settle on a way to present the desserts, he was inspired by a chandelier
08:11in a hotel lobby. In the same way that the chandeliers held the candles, he created a
08:16tower with holders that held 18 mini-desserts.
08:20Yellowfin tuna is sold worldwide, but alas, it's often overexploited. So much so that
08:26organizations like the World Wildlife Fund have been working toward recovering the depleted
08:30tuna stock and raising awareness about sustainably caught tuna. That includes the one in the
08:35Aji Tuna Tartare that's served at Seasons 52.
08:38The chain's yellowfin tuna is sourced through the Fishing & Living program, which was launched
08:43by Anova Food to promote sustainable fisheries and support fishing communities. The fish
08:47are caught in the Coral Triangle in the western Pacific Ocean, using a sustainable fishing
08:52practice known as the handline method. Using this ancient technique, the fishermen manually
08:57catch one fish at a time using a line that's fitted with a hook and a bait in the end.
09:02This way, only the fish that is required is caught, and the rest of the marine life remains
09:07unaffected.
09:08This is in stark contrast to the industrial fishing method that uses large trawls to catch
09:12fish, and in the process, tends to trap other creatures like sea turtles and dolphins.
09:19Seasons 52 features plenty of indoor plants inside its restaurants. For example, the Altamont
09:24Springs, Florida location has a tall tree in the midst of the dining area. There are
09:28also vases atop the bar counter near the entrance and in front of the open kitchen. This greenery
09:34provides an outdoorsy feel, which is aligned with the type of architecture that renowned
09:38American architect Frank Lloyd Wright practiced. Wright was known for designing prairie-style
09:43dwellings, a technique of designing that takes into account the surrounding environment.
09:47And this prairie-style architecture is the inspiration behind the architecture of Seasons
09:5152 restaurants that sport earthy colors and stone accents.
09:56Inspired by Wright's organic architecture, the restaurant interiors feature tall living
10:00plants as well as massive wine displays. In some locations, such as Beaufort, Georgia,
10:05they form the center wall. Meanwhile, in Garden City, New York, the wine bottles are
10:10stored in custom-made wine cellars. Furthermore, some restaurants use locally-sourced natural
10:15wood for the interior design.
10:18If you're vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-sensitive, you're probably used to poring over restaurant
10:23menus to weed out everything that you can't eat. The scanty options that you're often
10:27left with probably make you wonder why you choose to ever dine out at all. There are
10:32so many chains that are unfortunately seriously lacking in vegetarian and vegan options, and
10:37that's pretty shocking considering the increased interest levels in veganism around the world.
10:42As reported by The Economist, the number of people searching for veganism on Google in
10:46America has doubled between 2015 and 2019.
10:51There's also the new trend of Vegan January or Veganuary, in which people go vegan for
10:55an entire month. Overall, there's a clear increase in the number of people opting for
10:59vegan diets, as well as gluten-free and lactose-free options. Many restaurants are only just now
11:05acknowledging this fact and expanding their menus to accommodate these other diets. But
11:09Seasons 52 has been ready for a while, as they have separate printed menus for vegan,
11:15vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose-free food items.
11:18The lactose-free menu has, at times, included flatbreads without cheese toppings, tuna and
11:22avocado sushi rolls, and sesame-grilled salmon salads without the customary lemongrass mayonnaise
11:28Clearly, Seasons 52 is happy to please all sorts of personal preferences and palates.