Hot Dish Review

Italian food….it’s not my thing. But it was me that recommended Double Zero Napoletana for a group of us last week, due to its convenient location and because of my selfish craving for their authentic Neapolitan style pizza.

The cavernous space is divided by a long bar on one side and a communal table down the center with a single row of bare bulbs encased in glass above it, imparting a warm glow to the dark wood furnished dining room. Full length burgundy curtains add drama.

Our group of six met at the bar, immediately impressed by the stellar service. LC ordered a martini which was shaken furiously, creating those tiny ice particles that LC loves. Plus, they had his favorite blue cheese stuffed olives. Embarrassingly unfamiliar with Italian wines, I was thrilled to see they offered many by the half glass, so I began sampling some different varietals.

With an 8:30pm reservation, we were hoping to be seated a bit earlier, but instead were still waiting at the bar. So we decided to order a snack of butternut squash frittelle, crispy fritters filled with a creamy and slightly sweet squash puree. They were served on a smudge of caramelized onion aioli and a handful of watercress, then drizzled with lemon honey. We devoured them.

Even at 9:00pm, the restaurant was abuzz with folks enjoying good food and wine. Unsure how much longer our wait would be, LC and I ordered the pizza that I was craving, the maiale, a decadent combination of sweet and savory toppings. Braised Nueske’s bacon, mushrooms, goat cheese, garlic, fig-onion agrodolce, olive oil, vanilla salt, and fresh arugula hit all the right notes. Double Zero serves all of their pizzas whole, with scissors to cut your own slices. Love it!

As soon as our pizza arrived, however, our table was ready. The manager stopped by with a complimentary dish of the butternut squash frittelle, a peace offering for our lengthy wait. Nice.

Having perused the menu, RT, who is Italian, commented that authentic Italian food is simple, hinting that the dishes at Double Zero are a bit too complicated. Much like its Spanish influenced sister, The Iberian Pig in Decatur, I find that the menu here suffers from the same overuse of ingredients. Nevertheless, the result at both locations is deliciousness.

A prime example of this overuse of ingredients is the capesante, the seared scallops entree served with corn-arbol sauce, pearl onions, summer squash, seasonal mushrooms, crispy artichokes, and saba vinegar. Both RT and his wife CT ordered them. Each of the three scallops per dish was the size of my palm. LC and I were offered bites and agreed that it was a fantastic dish.

But first, CT had a salad composed of marinated beets, frisee, grapefruit, goat cheese, and candied pecans, dressed simply with a red wine vinaigrette. We tried it as well and found the flavors terrific.

LC and I split the osso buco entree, a roasted pork loin the size of my forearm. The menu described its accompaniments as creamed farretto with dried apricot, pork demi, and crispy parsnips. I really thought it was sweet potato puree and spaghetti squash, but having had five half glasses of red wine, you can’t really rely on my assessment. However, I do know for certain that the meat was incredibly tender.

After we polished off our entrees, the manager returned with yet another peace offering, a flute of prosecco for each of us. Although we were stuffed, I coerced LC into sharing a bowl of gelato with me, pistachio and coffee. Having eaten copious amounts of gelato in Europe, the American version is always too sweet and creamy, as was Double Zero’s, but the flavors were pleasing. It was a sweet ending to a lovely evening with friends and family.

5825 Roswell Road 404-991-3666

Crystal River is the quintessential retirement community in central Florida with lots of golf courses and quaint shops. There are also numerous restaurants that serve fresh local seafood….primarily fried. Charlie’s is one of them, located directly on the bay where their own boats bring in the catch of the day to serve and sell in the market.

Open since 1959, Charlie’s hasn’t changed much, including the plastic tablecloths that mirror the nautical decor. The menu reads like any Andy Griffith era seafood diner….hushpuppies, fried oysters, baked potatoes, cole slaw. You get the picture.

Although I tried to discourage it, LC insisted on ordering the shrimp jalapeno popper appetizer. Sure, it would be fried, but the idea of a shrimp surrounded by cream cheese then stuffed inside a jalapeno sounded rather appetizing. And isn’t that what an appetizer’s for?

The time-warp menu comes with matching prices, entrees coming in around $13. Each comes with two sides of your choice. Completely out of character, I ordered the crab stuffed baked tilapia with fried okra and a baked potato. Normally I would include a side salad but my Mom warned me to steer clear of the 1972 throwback made with iceberg lettuce and packaged slivered carrots….keepin’ it classy. Don’t even think about asking for “field greens” here, it would only confuse your waitress. (I would normally say server, but it doesn’t seem appropriate here).

My parents ordered their regular, unadorned broiled fish, ironically with those iceberg side salads.

LC, always willing to clog another artery if need be, chose the scallops Rockefeller, a casserole dish with plump scallops, bacon, and spinach in a cream sauce, topped with shredded cheese and baked until bubbly. Fried okra and corn rounded out his dinner.

Our waitress brought out our beer order and moments later, the appetizer. Four large shrimp covered with cream cheese, then deep fried. But wait, something was amiss….no jalapenos whatsoever. Strange and not-so-appetizing. LC inquired but it only confused our waitress.

My stuffed tilapia was sprinkled with cayenne and baked until the fish was flaky and white….easy enough. Equally hard to screw up is a baked potato, but fried okra is consistently overbreaded wherever I try it and Charlie’s is no different, hense the small brown orbs decorating my plate, cleverly concealing the green vegetable.

LC’s scallops were nice, but the dish was simply too rich. If you get a chance to visit Charlie’s with your great Aunt Betty, stick with the classics….and stay away from the shrimp “jalapeno” poppers.

224 NW US Highway 19 352-795-3949

La Pietra Cucina in Buckhead is now simply called LPC, a more casual name that corresponds with the restaurant’s revamped interior and more approachable menu.

Not known for my love of Italian cuisine, I had not visited the restaurant in its former incarnation, but was happy to be invited to a media dinner as Concentrics unveiled the new concept and menu, along with its celebrity chef Russell Kook who almost won season 8 of Hell’s Kitchen.

As everyone arrived, we were greeted by Hannah and Michaela of Concentrics PR and treated to a glass of Tuscan chardonnay or the Sardinian cannonau, the rich and somewhat dry red that I chose.

An abbrieviated family style menu made it easy for our large group. The first course was an array of salads and appetizers including luscious scallops with cauliflower puree and fried octopus served atop grilled frisee, white beans, pickled pearl onions, and finished with a smoky arrabiata sauce. My favorite, however, was the bowl of charred fiorello peppers spooned onto our plates by our awesome server.

I was impressed with the numerous vegetarian options available for BG who writes for the impossibly cool, cutting-edge website Urbandaddy. She enjoyed the Brussels sprout salad, a mound of julienned sprouts flavored with pecorino, hardboiled egg, and marcona almonds. I, however, was envisioning roasted sprouts tossed with a vinaigrette (and perhaps some pancetta!), so I didn’t love it.

The selection of entrees was equally impressive. Should I choose the linguini carbonara, the classic pasta dish with pancetta, or the braised short rib with polenta? I couldn’t resist the carbonara, with the poached duck egg on top, to be stirred into the pasta upon serving, creating a rich and decadent sauce.

BG ordered the butternut squash “piramide”, little pasta pockets filled with pureed squash and ricotta salata, in a somewhat sweet brown butter sauce with sage and amaretti. Sure, it’s become a ubiquitous vegetarian Italian dish, but chef Kook’s version was a standout.

Once all of the entrees were delivered, we realized no one ordered the short rib. Moments later, two plates arrived for us to share. One bite of the meltingly tender beef made me wish I had ordered it all for myself! Creamy Anson Mills polenta, cippolini onions, and a generous garnish of pinenut gremolata united to create a meaty masterpiece.

Bob Amick arrived just in time for dessert, pouring the remaining wine for us (hense the blurry photo) and chatting about the renovations and new direction for the location, as well as his multi-faceted project in St. Louis. Chef Kook was seated at our table as well while we devoured a deceptively light warm chocolate budino, a cross between cake and pudding, garnished with a hint of sea salt and a smudge of Nutella.

We concluded our Italian feast with plates of Sicilian zeppole, little fried doughnuts sprinkled with sugar and dipped in espresso crema.

Much like my visit to Davio’s, I found the meal at LPC to be anything but typical Italian food. The dishes were flavored with authentic, Italian ingredients, yet defied classification as such. Looks (and tastes) like another winner for Amick and his team….Bravo!

1545 Peachtree Street 404-888-8709

Driving back from Helen last weekend, LC and I got a call from one of his friends to join him and his girlfriend for dinner at Red Sky Tapas Bar. Despite being full of weiners and kraut from our brief Oktoberfest visit, we said yes.

We rushed home to freshen up and headed back North. I was excited to try a new tapas bar and LC was excited to see (and hear) the dueling pianos, which were in full swing when we arrived. Our friends were already there enjoying the entertainment. We ordered drinks, prosecco for me and a vodka martini for LC, and a few tapas to share, like the grilled jerk wings, fried green tomatoes, and spicy chicken egg rolls. My favorite of the three was the tomatoes topped with goat cheese and a spicy chipotle aioli.

Our next round took on a seafood and bacon theme with bacon wrapped scallops, ahi tuna, and two orders of the lobster mac ‘n’ cheese with bacon. More impressive than the first set, I was particularly fond of the thick scallops, grilled to a golden brown. Delicate ahi tuna was cut into cubes and drizzled with a spicy sriracha mayo. Having eaten Goin’ Coastal’s incredible lobster mac full of claws and chunks of shellfish on many occassions, it was hard to get excited about Red Sky’s version. The lobster was imperceptable, but the dish was saved by the addition of bacon.

I switched to Murphy Goode red zin as we moved on to red meat with the appropriately messy citrus barbecue ribs and shrimp and filet medallions drizzled with whiskey sauce, neither of which photographed very well. Perhaps it was the third round of drinks that caused my camera to malfunction!

Our eating slowed down as we sang along to popular tunes from the dueling piano dudes, one of which is shown laying on top of his opponent’s piano in the photo above. Just good clean fun (except for the ribs!).

1255 Johnson Ferry Road 770-973-0100

Tucked away on a quiet corner in Brookhaven, this restaurant’s name perfectly suits its atmosphere. It is indeed a haven from the manic city, a rustic space that invites conversation over a couple of glasses of wine from their thoughtfully selected list. A perfect date spot.

In the midst of a crazy week, a break from the madness is exactly what B and I needed, so I invited her to join me at Haven to sample some dishes for an article in an upcoming issue of BuckHaven Lifestyle Magazine. We were seated at a comfortable booth and began perusing the wine list, finally choosing their priciest red by the glass, the Laetitia Reserve Pinot Noir at $15.

So wrapped up in our conversation, it took some coaxing from our patient server to extract an order from us. B chose mussels in a smoked tomato chipotle broth to start, leaving only one unopened shell in the bowl. I went with the braised Georgia rabbit, its intense musky flavor enhanced by earthy morel mushrooms and the bright freshness of an herb salad.

The wine went down easily as we caught up on each other’s news, awaiting our entrees. B’s plump roasted Georges Bank scallops arrived atop creamy Vidalia onion grits with some creamed spinach on the side. Nice.

I, of course, ordered the duck leg confit. But not just any duck, it was from Joe Jurgielewicz. Having never heard of this purveyor, I googled it. Turns out Joe’s a veterinarian and takes pride in raising the healthiest and tastiest ducks available. Served with honey roasted turnips, braised greens and a little Vidalia onion puree, the leg and thigh boasted crispy skin and rich, oily meat….tasty indeed! Just wish there was more of the Vidalia puree.

B and I always have room for dessert. And more wine. We ordered two more glasses of the smooth and spicy pinot. For dessert, she tried the creme brulee, a lovely rendition of the classic French pudding. The pear rhubarb crisp caught my attention. For some reason I was expecting a tart, so I was somewhat disappointed when the cast iron dish arrived. More like a deep dish mini pie with a streusel topping, the big scoop of vanilla ice cream made this dessert a bit too rich for my taste.

When the stress of the city becomes overwhelming, take a Valium and head to Brookhaven, where the wine and the wabbit are wonderfully soothing.

1441 Dresden Drive 404-969-0700

I’m a food snob, so it will come as no surprise that I try to avoid chains much like I avoid sick people and crying babies. I cringe at the thought of thousands of containers of “product” distributed to restaurants nationwide, containing identicle crab cakes, egg rolls, frozen cheesecakes.

But sometimes dining at a chain is unavoidable, like at a recent business dinner. The location was negotiated based upon accessibility to the interstate (nearly always a bad sign), and its proximity to all guests.

Don’t get me wrong, I love some chains, like the much maligned Krystals and the simple yet delicious Wendy’s. Fast food chains, however, are a necessity of life, filling a literal void on grueling road trips, providing a consistant product whether you’re in New York City or smalltown USA.

Pappadeaux, and other concept chains, are another story. They thrive on tired themes that appeal to (you guessed it) middle America. LC and I pulled up to the huge stand-alone building, its sprawling deck awaiting warmer weather, decorated with copious neon signs lighting the way to a smorgasbord of Cajun and Creole seafood favorites. At least it’s a theme I like.

Jambalaya, etouffee, and gumbo anchor an extensive menu of every kind of seafood, all available fried, broiled, blackened, steamed, or grilled. Several creative, and caloric, specialties caught my attention, like the Texas redfish, grilled with Maine lobster, avocado, sauteed spinach, and roasted tomatoes in a white wine lemon butter sauce. Another paired grilled jumbo scallops and shrimp with mushroom risotto, spinach, and herb butter. That’s what LC ordered for his entree.

The organizer of the dinner had mentioned martinis and lobster earlier in the day and I was having a hard time steering away from either one, but first, I was intent on having something Cajun. So I talked LC into splitting a bowl of Louisiana style seafood gumbo. We requested hot sauce on the side, fully expecting the soup to be pretty mild. And it was….until we added the hot sauce. But the bowl did contain copious amounts of crab meat, shrimp, and oysters, plus a few chunks of tomato and okra.

Everyone was drinking martinis, mine being the only real one, made with Bombay Sapphire. I ordered my lobster grilled but didn’t care for the mashed red potatoes and broccolini sides that came with it, so I switched them for onion rings and spaghetti squash.

There’s a fine line between under and overcooked lobster, and Pappadeaux unfortunately crossed it. My crustacean was a bit chewy, but had a nice grilled flavor. The stringy texture of the spaghetti squash didn’t appeal and my onion rings never showed up….a blessing in disguise. I was hoping they would offer a comp’d dessert to make up for the snafu….and they did!

LC’s dish was tasty, although there was no hint of New Orleans on the plate. Meanwhile, martinis were being delivered to our table at a furious pace, adding fuel to the boisterous banter.

On cue, our patient server brought out the tray of desserts, each one enough to serve four. I chose the bread pudding, of course. A couple of cheesecakes and a chocolate cake joined the fattening fray. Made with apples and raisins and resting in a pool of creme Anglaise, it was not overly sweet. I was pleased with my selection.

Pappadeaux’ menu states that the seafood is fresh, as in not frozen, as in “swimming yesterday”. Not bad for a chain. I bet the place will be crawling with crawfish and Carnival revelers soon!

5635 Jimmy Carter Blvd. 770-849-0600

Ditto for 2011….

There was a time when Red Lobster was almost fine dining. On weekends the lobby would be full of men wearing suits, waiting for a table with their families, their wives dressed in skirts, well-behaved children in tow.

Well, those days are gone my friend! Foul-mouthed unkempt white trash was the standard as me and my family waited for a table this Christmas Eve. Screaming kids are usually seated next to us these days, but we got lucky this time.

We used to go to fancy restaurants on Christmas Eve but one year we ended up at Red Lobster, and we’ve been going there ever since….sort of a bastardized tradition at this point.

The restaurant’s decor used to be more nautical kitsch, but they’ve toned it down a bit over the last decade. No more enormous plastic fish or nets, just dark wood walls, and tables dimly lit with dock lanterns.

Our dinner began with salads, Caesars with balsamic dressing on the side. A basket of those addictive cheddar garlic biscuits came out. We tried not to eat them, but the temptation was too great.

My Mom decided to go light and ordered the glazed salmon with broccoli. Dad got the rock lobster, shrimp scampi, and grilled shrimp. I ordered the Maine lobster, grilled scallops, and grilled shrimp combo with a baked potato on the side, although the combos now come with rice pilaf….how 1989!

I asked our server the difference between Maine and rock lobster and he said the rock could be tougher at times. However, it turns out that variety is also much larger. Oh, well. Everything was drenched in butter and cooked perfectly. My Mom’s salmon was OK. At least she didn’t leave stuffed like me and my Dad.

Sure, Red Lobster’s reputation has evolved over the years but if you can look beyond the abysmal atmosphere and unsavory fellow diners, you just might get a delicious lobster!

A lovely dinner….
Pour a glass of wine, sit back and relax folks….this is gonna take a while. Nine courses with wine pairings plus a couple of “gifts from the chef” spanned a solid four hours.

Finding the Quinones Room is somewhat of a treasure hunt….BB and I followed the signs, walked through the breezeway, and down the stairs to the door with the big Q. Neutral curtains parted to reveal an elegant seating area furnished in shades of chocolate and cream. The intimate dining room is to the right with only ten tables covered in white linens. Antique mirrors, Venetian glass chandeliers, and lacquered wood frame chairs with a vintage patina lent a quiet air of Southern moneyed aristocracy.

At first, the service seemed too serious for my taste. There was a selection of water and the delivery of four mini cheese bread sticks before our server, Rafael, introduced himself in a barely audible hush. We would be having the prix fixe menu with the wine pairings….a multi-course marathon that began with a kir royale.

Bread service arrived on a wooden skewer. Various sizes and kinds of bread, from sourdough to onion, complimented by soft, sweet cream butter.

Two mini cheese gougeres were devoured tout de suite, as well as a shot of celery root soup with red onion jam, both gifts from Chef de Cuisine David A. Carson. Little bites that packed big flavor.

Krug Grand Cuvee champagne was poured in advance of our first course. I knew it would be a crudo, something ultra-light. Atlantic blue fin tuna, sashimi style, and Kumamoto oysters were paired with tiny cubes of Asian pear, slivers of radish, the bowl decorated with droplets of shoyu, a type of soy sauce. This would be the only dish I didn’t really enjoy.

For lack of a better monicker, the “drink boy” came by with a 2005 sauternes for our next dish, a foie gras terrine. I commented to BB that I usually prefer foie gras seared. I also noted something peculiar….the drink boy once again short-poured my wine. Perhaps that is a standard practice in fine dining? To pour an almost imperceptibly short glass for the lady at the table.

A square plate came out with a square of the foie gras terrine, accompanied by three, questionably four, preparations of Fuyu persimmon and a little mound of spiced cocoa nibs. There was a persimmon puree, a dollop of persimmon preserves, and a slice of candied persimmon. I believe the streak of orange-y powder along the side was freeze-dried persimmon, but I could be wrong. Each little bite of the decadent foie gras was immaculate, with a smudge of sweet persimmon. What could make it even better you ask? Four baby popovers made with a mild cheese and the slightest hint of sweetness. Heaven.

A row of tiny Nantucket Bay scallops sat upon a cauliflower puree, each one topped with black pearls of caviar. Sauvignon blanc, fresh with hints of grapefruit, paired nicely. Rafael had loosened up as I quizzed him about his former employment. Turns out he has always worked for Quatrano and Harrison, the pair that own Baccanalia, Floataway, Abbattoir, and Star Provisions.

Loup de mer, a simple white fish, was made stunning with its toppings of earthy black trumpet mushrooms and baby potato chips made with fingerlings, all resting on a bed of melted Spring onions. Chardonnay was the obvious choice for wine.

Now things would take a turn for the rich, heavy, dark. Drink boy poured glasses of a 2007 pinot noir from Willamette Valley as the dance of service continued with unwavering steadiness. Truffled cabbage and Jerusalem artichoke provided the creamy base for a chunk of braised veal cheek, so tender it fell apart at the mere sight of my fork. But first BB and I sliced into the crispy veal sweetbreads that crowned the meat, lightly fried in a coating with a hint of nutmeg. He loves sweetbreads. If they were always this good and tender, I can see why. Although small, the braised veal was filling, containing quite a bit of fat. It was a very rich dish.

The menu listed loin of loin next. Huh? We chuckled…..was it loin of lion? Hilarious. Turns out it was venison. Louis M. Martini Reserve cabernet sauvignon was poured….still short. Glazed young vegetables like Brussels sprouts, carrots, and beets were scattered beneath two thick slices of roasted venison, cooked perfectly medium rare. Unlike the veal, there was not a speck of fat, yet the dense meat was succulent and smooth, the outside of the roast coated with a spice rub containing a hint of clove. A dollop of caramelized onion stole the show…I savored every sweet bit of it.

On to the cheese course, a segue into dessert. Cumberland, a medium bodied cheese with little holes, reminded me of fontina. It was paired with Ellijay apples, both preserved and cubed, and young arugula.

Time for dessert wine, what appeared to be a Spanish tawney. Our first dessert (yes, there were two!) was a glass cup layered with cranberries, brown sugar streusel, then toasted meringue, providing intense tanginess, crunchy sweetness, and fluffy chewiness, a crazy combo of textures.

Our final course was two dense cubes of Valrhona chocolate ganache with a small scoop of frozen chocolate custard on the side. The best part of the dessert was the thickened sweet potato puree, sprinkled with crispy chocolate nuggets.

Quinones Room lived up to the hype, the seamless execution a study in precision, both in service and in the food itself. Was it the best meal I’ve ever had? Quite possibly.

1198 Howell Mill Road 404-365-0410

The end of Summer makes me depressed….and desperate. I’ll do anything to eat, drink, and otherwise fornicate outdoors while the weather permits! Last weekend I was determined to get my ass on a patio somewhere, drinking something.

But plans tend to change at a moment’s notice when LC is involved. He had invited his buddy JH to join us for a drink and a bite to eat, which would inevitably turn into a late night out.

JH was in charge of the PGA Championship last month at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, so he got to know everyone in the neighborhood, including the owner of Grace 17.20 located at the Forum in Norcross. So he suggested we give their patio a whirl.

Great idea! Patios in the burbs are spacious. This one sported a fireplace, decorative plants and strings of lights. Everyone there was seated outside, where the tables were covered with white linens and service was gracious.

The elegant yet casual atmosphere had me thinking wine, but the guys ordered vodka martinis, so I joined in but got the real thing made with Bombay Sapphire, dry, straight up.

Perfect weather provided an excellent backdrop for dinner. We started with two appetizers, the bleu cheese and caramelized onion melt and spicy chopped chicken and sweet slaw spring rolls. The latter were chock full of chicken, but it wasn’t spicy and I couldn’t detect any of the jalapeno jack cheese listed among the ingredients. I would not have been disappointed had I not read the description, but I did, and that led to expectations. And I know full well the taste of dashed expectations.

But it was the luscious combination of sweet caramelized onions and browned bleu cheese that had me and LC swooning. We cleaned the dish with the toasted pita triangles provided.

Meanwhile, round two of martinis were ordered. Our entrees were a seafood smorgasbord; scallops with corn risotto for LC, the seafood cobb salad for me, and the lobster special served with fettucini marinara for JH.

The three enormous scallops were perfectly cooked, but I didn’t love the risotto. Lobster was evidently delicious as JH cleaned his plate, but I didn’t give it a try. I would have ordered it but the combination of fish of any kind and tomatoes makes me cringe.

Although the colors were vibrant, I was somewhat disappointed with the blandness of my cobb salad. The seafood that was described as “lightly seared” seemed to be boiled with no seasoning. My sweet and spicy chili vinaigrette was neither sweet nor spicy, tasting only of the seasoning used in chili. Bacon and avocado were likewise inexplicably flavorless. I made do with fresh black pepper for some zing. However, the more gin I drank, the better the salad got.

The boys licked their plates and ordered a third martini. I took in a deep breath of the waning Summer air for dessert. Sweet. Amen.

5155 Peachtree Parkway #320 678-421-1720

After spending a day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando riding roller coasters like two hyperactive teenagers, LC and I made an early evening of it, getting plenty of rest in preparation for our long drive home the next day.

Before we hit the highway, we had a lovely lunch with a couple of LC’s business associates at Seasons 52. It had been a long while since I dined at the health-conscious chain’s Atlanta location next to Perimeter Mall, so it would be interesting to dine here, at the restaurant’s original spot. I used to make a habit of getting their steak and blue cheese flatbread to go a few years back…..sorta like a guilt-free pizza.

We chose a table on the patio overlooking the lake, with a view of our resort on the other side, and ordered unsweetened iced tea all around. Our dining companions ordered cedar plank salmon and caramelized sea scallops, while LC chose the blackened fish tacos. It was the duck chopped salad for me….quelle surprise!

CK enjoyed his salmon, served with carrots, asparagus, and red bliss potatoes. LK gave me one of her succulent scallops and a bite of the accompanying pearl pasta….very tasty.

There were three fish tacos on LC’s plate, each wrapped in a small soft whole wheat tortilla. Low-fat taco toppings and some crisp lettuce were cool and refreshing against the spicy grilled fish. Nice flavor.

On my very first visit to Seasons 52, I ordered a duck salad. It was lunch, and it was pretty good. I remember the portion size being noticeably smaller than typical restaurant plates, thereby controlling calories. So I couldn’t resist the Maple Leaf Farms duck chop salad, with jicama , grilled pineapple, toasted almonds and a sesame dressing. The chopped ingredients were served in a clear cylinder which our server removed upon presenting my plate. Clever and somewhat over the top.

My duck wasn’t extremely tender but it was nicely seasoned with Asian spices. Crisp slices of jicama, crunchy nuts, and tart pineapple provided plenty of texture and flavor contrasts. I would have guessed the salad to have around 325 calories. Since Seasons 52 puts all the nutritional info on their website, my curiousity couldn’t be contained, so I looked it up. I was surprised to discover it had 440 calories, and a little dismayed that it contained 1338 grams of sodium….yikes! Another frightening statistic, 35 grams of sugar….what what?

Nonetheless, I couldn’t put my fork down until my plate was cleaned. The four of us found ourselves helpless when confronted with the restaurant’s signature “mini indulgences”, tiny parfait versions of classic desserts.

We each had a different sweet treat; key lime pie and lemon mousse for our friends, pecan pie with vanilla mousse for LC, and mocha macchiato for me. Coffee and chocolate combos always lure me in. Just a tiny, innocent dessert, right? OMG, imagine my shock and horror to discover this mini indulgence was loaded with 42 grams of sugar and 370 calories! Deceptive? Not really. Considering there are 500-800 calories in a single slice of regular pecan pie, their mini version comes in considerably lighter at just 320. Naturally, I chose the most fattening of all the minis on offer.

Although we started early, our lunch went on for quite some time, full of witty conversation. Gallons of iced tea later, LC and I made our way to the interstate, headed back to the big city.

Now I’m sorta craving one of those flatbreads.

7700 Sand Lake Rd. 407-354-5212