SEASONS 52 - Date Night!

So at the last minute, on a Friday night, my husband and I decided to try Seasons 52 at Perimeter.  We arrived around 6:30PM and had no wait (although the restaurant was almost full). The hostess was very friendly and outgoing and seated us in a booth near the bar immediately.

At first blush, it's a glorified California Dreaming atmosphere: big bar to the right, cushiony booths, lots of wood accents.  It was fine, but I wouldn't go there for a special occasion.  Ambiance feels like what it is - a chain.

From their website:

Our Specials Menu features specials and new market inspirations 52 weeks a year. It features the future of Seasons 52, offering guests the adventure of tasting fresh infusions and flavor combinations which feature ingredients at their peak of freshness and flavor profile. Because the Specials Menu is constantly evolving, we keep it flexible and nimble enough to change on a moment’s notice.

So the big sell is that they are serving what's fresh and in season each week of the year.  They have numerous items that aren't on the basic menu that change weekly.

Here's a sample menu:

Flatbreads

Artichoke & Goat Cheese leaf spinach, balsamic onions, roasted peppers Ripe Plum Tomato fresh basil, roasted garlic, melted Parmesan cheese Garlic Chicken balsamic onions, roasted red peppers, mozzarella cheese Spicy Chipotle Shrimp grilled pineapple, feta cheese, roasted poblano peppers Steak & Cremini Mushroom fresh spinach, crumbled blue cheese

Appetizers

All-Natural Beef Chili black beans, cilantro sour cream Sno-Pac Farms Organic Edamame steamed whole soybeans, Japanese green tea salt Grilled Chipotle Chicken Skewers summer corn relish, guacamole, chipotle BBQ glaze Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli organic tomato broth, roasted garlic, fresh basil Maryland Crab, Roasted Shrimp & Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms under Parmesan-panko crust

*Sushi-Grade Ahi Tuna Seared Rare sliced and served chilled, Asian cucumber salad, sesame crisps Grilled BBQ-Glazed Shrimp guacamole, corn salad, tomatillo salsa verde Spicy Chicken Chile Relleno sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, spinach on pico de gallo

Small Salads

Organic Arugula watermelon, grilled golden beets, goat cheese, jicama, toasted pistachios Kalymnos Greek feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced red onions, kalamata olives Organic Baby Spinach raspberries, toasted pine nuts, crumbled gorgonzola cheese Organic Mixed Greens toasted sunflower seeds, tomatoes, cucumbers, white balsamic vinaigrette

Entrée Salads

Summer Vegetarian Tasting “grains of life,” soft taco, chili relleno, vegetables, cedar roasted tofu, mango chutney BBQ Chicken organic field lettuce, corn, roasted red peppers, sunflower seeds, crumbled blue cheese Mediterranean Shrimp organic greens, garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, cucumbers, feta cheese

*Maui Tuna Crunch sushi-grade seared tuna, tropical organic greens, toasted almonds, miso vinaigrette *Lemongrass Salmon organic greens, pineapple, mango, jicama, toasted sesame dressing

E.U. Certified Organic Salmon, $6 Surcharge

Fish & Seafood

Grilled Boneless Rainbow Trout parsley new potatoes, roasted rainbow carrots, broiled lemon Caramelized Grilled Sea Scallops roasted asparagus, sun-dried tomato-mushroom pearl pasta Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Cavatappi Pasta caramelized garlic, organic tomatoes, fresh broccoli Roasted Artichoke-Stuffed Shrimp wilted leaf spinach, pasta pearls, clam cioppino sauce

*Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon roasted sweet rainbow carrots, fresh asparagus, red bliss potatoes E.U. Certified Organic Salmon, $6 Surcharge

Poultry & Meat

Springer Mountain Farms All-Natural BBQ Chicken Yukon Gold garlic mashed potatoes, haricot verts, corn salad *Wood-Roasted Pork Tenderloin soft herb polenta, cremini mushrooms, broccoli, shallot-Dijon glaze *Grilled Lamb T-Bone Chops asparagus, truffle mashed potatoes, red wine glaze *Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon cremini mushrooms, rainbow carrots, asparagus, garlic mashed potatoes

*Piedmontese All-Natural Bone-in Strip Steak, 11 oz. roasted asparagus, cremini mushrooms, Fingerling potatoes

Desserts Mini Indulgences... individual servings of classic desserts

Mocha Macchiato Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Blueberry Cheesecake Pecan Pie with Vanilla Mousse

Key Lime Pie Belgian Chocolate Rocky Road Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cannoli Market Fresh Fruit

Our waiter took a while to bring us 2 waters, but he was knowledgeable and friendly and took our drink and appetizer order immediately.

I decided to try an Organic Strawberry Vodka martini with fresh Basil.  This drink was listed as one of their specials.  It was good, and the presentation was great, as they bring the glass with just a Basil leaf in the bottom of it.  Then the server actually shakes it at the table in a drink shaker, and slowly pours your drink.  Fun.  After a couple of sips though, it was a bit too sweet for my taste, but A+ for looks and presentation.

We ordered an ahi tuna appetizer, and we were told that they unfortunately were "all out of tuna." Huh? At 6:30PM on a Friday night, when they have tuna on the menu 3 different places, they are OUT? Wow.  Nothing else spoke to us for starters so we went with salads and entrees.

I had the arugula salad, and my husband had the mixed greens salad.  They were both good, and they arrived almost instantaneously.  Seriously.  We ordered, took a sip of our drinks, and voila!  There the salads were - almost too fast.  Definitely felt like they were sitting pre-made on a shelf somewhere.  But - they didn't taste that way.  Both were fresh and crispy and delicious.  The arugula was served with golden beets, goat cheese, toasted pistachios and watermelon.  I've never had that salad with those combinations, but it worked!

For entrees my husband ordered the cedar planked salmon, and apparently it's one of their signature dishes.  It might have been the best salmon I've ever tasted.  It's served with a grilled lemon half that just gushes with juice with a simple squeeze - nice touch.  Perfectly prepared.  I'm including a picture from their website, as the picture quality is so much better than my iPhone shot.

And I ordered the Grouper dish.  This dish was advertised as one of their seasonal specials.  It was eh.  It's served "Mayan" style - whatever that means?  It was grilled (maybe past optimum cooking time) and served on a black bean and corn medley.  Nothing to write home about.  It was described as "spicy." Compared to what? It wasn't spicy.  And it was described as being topped with guacamole. The nickel size pat of guacamole was a joke.  IT however was slightly spicy with some good jalapeno in there, but it looked and tasted like the stuff you buy at the grocery store.  Again, not awful, but I expected better.

So, all in all, not a bad experience.  In fact I wish we had gone there with our friends instead of Goldfish a couple of weeks ago.  The cost was very reasonable, and the service and food are probably pretty consistent every visit and aren't bad at all.  But, there are so many other dining options in Atlanta, that I hate to waste a night out for something that's not really great.