Seasons 52, An Orlando-Based Chain - Health-Conscious Dishes in Rockville and Tysons Corner

[Waitman]

Interesting about Seasons 52. A quick look at their website reveals low-calorie meals but salt contents equivalent to dining at McDonalds. 1700 Mgs of salt in a 10 oz. vegetable soup, for example, vs 1000 for my junk fix of choice, a Big Mac (though I usually add more salt). 1100 for a filet mignon vs. 1120 for a 10-piece McNuggets. If you can't use fat, you've gotta torque the taste up somehow.

The real originator of this stuff, though, of course, is Michel Guerard who won three Michelin stars with his famous cuisine minceur in the French spa town or Eugenie les Bains.

Sadly, the English-language site has even less info than the French page -- you can find it if you click around -- the the French page does have pictures of what I want to eat next time I try to drop 10 pounds.

Edit: Oh wait, is this off topic?

Edited June 24, 2013 by DonRocks

[DanielK]

Just for you, JoeH!

Part of the new construction opposite White Flint Mall.

click me

[catharine]

I've visited the Orlando restaurant and I am excited that they're coming to our area. Perhaps they'll expand to VA one day. I appreciate their focus on healthy cuisine, and I have enjoyed the meals I've had there. Not over-the-top outstanding, but good enough to go out of my way when I'm down that way.

[DanielK]

I agree, catharine. At JoeH's suggestion, I did a business dinner at the Orlando location last year, and it was a great success.

Worth driving across town for? No, but a great concept at a reasonable price. I'll be happy to have it 10 minutes from my house.

[mbucher]

Brought to you by the same people that bring you: Red Lobster and Olive Garden....

[DonRocks]

Brought to you by the same people that bring you: Red Lobster and Olive Garden....

Thanks for saving me the trouble.

[jiveturk21]

Brought to you by the same people that bring you: Red Lobster and Olive Garden....

I'm not quite sure why this is relevant. Do Red Lobster and Olive Garden suck? Yes, I have been to both and they both, without a doubt, suck. But, I have also been to Seasons 52 in Orlando and it was very good. Was it Earth shattering good? No, but when you are in the suburbs and looking for a good restaurant, Seasons 52 is heads-and-shoulders above a lot of what we have in this area. Not every dinner can be a destination dinner ($200+ in the city) or have an ethnic flavor (which is what is generally good in the suburbs). Not everything that is owned by a larger corporation/company is inherently bad.

[deangold]

I'm not quite sure why this is relevant. Do Red Lobster and Olive Garden suck? Yes, I have been to both and they both, without a doubt, suck. But, I have also been to Seasons 52 in Orlando and it was very good. Was it Earth shattering good? No, but when you are in the suburbs and looking for a good restaurant, Seasons 52 is heads-and-shoulders above a lot of what we have in this area. Not every dinner can be a destination dinner ($200+ in the city) or have an ethnic flavor (which is what is generally good in the suburbs). Not everything that is owned by a larger corporation/company is inherently bad.

While they may be good or not, I have never been, take a look at their menu. What the fark is seasonal about it? Are they buying from small producers or is it industrial farm production which hurts our economy and environment? If we continue to just go with the corporate flow in this country we will continue to see our health and the health of our environment decline. But to package this industrial crap and corporate think as something seasonal is just bullpuckey.

[B.A.R.]

I'm not quite sure why this is relevant. Do Red Lobster and Olive Garden suck? Yes, I have been to both and they both, without a doubt, suck. But, I have also been to Seasons 52 in Orlando and it was very good. Was it Earth shattering good? No, but when you are in the suburbs and looking for a good restaurant, Seasons 52 is heads-and-shoulders above a lot of what we have in this area. Not every dinner can be a destination dinner ($200+ in the city) or have an ethnic flavor (which is what is generally good in the suburbs). Not everything that is owned by a larger corporation/company is inherently bad.

I don't know about Red Lobster, but the first roll-outs of Olive Garden did not suck. Breadsticks made, proofed, and baked in-house. Pasta made fresh daily, in-house. A menu that had a dozen entrees, rather than 4 dozen. But as they rolled them out, across the country, things changed, and not for the better.

[astrid]

I had an okay meal at one of the Orlando Seasons 52 restaurants this spring. It's basically an upscale version of Bone Fish Grill. It's a nice place to take non-epicurean business associate/in-laws/first date, but I would never go back there for the food.

[genericeric]

I had a positive experience at the Atlanta location last year. Yeah, they won't be at the top of the area's fine dining choices, but it's nice to have a restaurant that focuses on some more healthy options with reasonable portions.

[jpbloom]

When this was a test concept restaurant in Orlando, it was excellent. The menu changed each week (hence Seasons 52) and it was designed to focus on what was fresh at the time. As the concept developed, though, it went to a "seasonal" menu and has now fallen into a corporate sameness that mars their other chains. While they're better than their other chains and they do offer healthy items, they are serviceable and functional and completely unexciting. It's a shame - I had hopes for the concept. I end up going to the Boca and West Palm outlets relatively frequently (the in-laws and co-workers love it) and have been to Orlando and Atlanta several times as well, and they're all pretty much the same. Decent wine by the glass program, though.

[Joe H]

I've been to six or seven of the Seasons 52 outposts including perhaps 30 or more visits to the Sand Lake road original. None of them have anything in common with Red Lobster or Olive Garden or, for that matter, Bonefish Grill. They do vary from one location to another with Tampa overall not as good as Perimeter Mall or Buckhead. I might also suggest that Sand Lake road is better than the northern Orlando location and consistently the best of all. Regardless, I like this place a lot. Great concept with some very good food (cedar planked salmon, garlic and chicken flatbread...) For a single such as myself on business I would rather sit at the bar at Seasons 52 for dinner than any other national restaurant I've found anywhere. With 70 or so wines by the glass, occasionally a decent kareoke singer and several dishes that I really like, I welcome them to the D. C. area.

Now they just need to cross the river. At Reston Town Center they'd put a huge dent into Jackson's and Clyde's...

Thanks, Daniel!!!

[Joe H]

Thanks for saving me the trouble.

Rock Creek has better food. Seasons 52 has a better concept that they do right. Tysons's is desperate for this place; they are the one national chain that will go straight after the steak house market that is there and outperform. No, they are not Inox or 2941 and as others note, not worth going around the beltway or travelling from downtown for. But they are very good at what they do. They were created for a market like the Rockville Pike/Tysons/Reston Town Center.

The bar at the Rockville Pike location will become ground zero for the Montgomery singles market, too.

I also do not believe that all of their dishes are 475 calories or less.

[Joe H]

I have not been to the Rock Creek restaurant but in the article by the chef he noted entering a list of ingredients into his computer and finding that they were under 600 calories, therefore acceptible. I thought that perhaps the restaurant might be similar in concept to Darden Restaurant Group's Seasons 52 which I wrote about in a trade publication last fall. Seasons 52's success has caused it to inspire a number of others around the country modelled after it. Darden, meanwhile, has opened other units but so far none outside Florida. The food is remarkably good for having so few calories.

http://www.seasons52.com/menu/about_menu.asp

Seasons 52 opens in the spring on the Rockville Pike across from White Flint and also at Tysons Corner center. It will take over as the single most popular restaurant in both areas. An ambitious statement but Darden's formula has worked well everywhere they have opened. I should also note that the original on Sand Lake road in Orlando is still enormously popular. http://www.seasons52.com/NRO/default.asp

[rockcreek]

Seasons 52 opens in the spring on the Rockville Pike across from White Flint and also at Tysons Corner center. It will take over as the single most popular restaurant in both areas. An ambitious statement but Darden's formula has worked well everywhere they have opened. I should also note that the original on Sand Lake road in Orlando is still enormously popular. http://www.seasons52.com/NRO/default.asp

Well ... we'll see. This is Rockville (actually Kensington) we're talking about. For some reason, you can't keep people away from P.F. Chang's China BStro or the FatCake Factory.

No, I'm not exactly a fan. To put it politely. :-)

[Joe H]

Well ... we'll see. This is Rockville (actually Kensington) we're talking about. For some reason, you can't keep people away from P.F. Chang's China BStro or the FatCake Factory.

No, I'm not exactly a fan. To put it politely. :-)

11414 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda which is the western side of the road is NOT Kensington. Garrett Park ends on the eastern side of the Pike. I've eaten at both of your restaurants and various locations of Seasons 52 perhaps 30 or more times including its opening year on Sand Lake road when the founding chef who started Disney's California Grill was in the kitchen. It is absurd that you attempt to compare it to PF Chang's or the Cheesecake Factory. Yes, some of what you serve is better and your restaurants are more personal; Seasons 52 is formulaic for what it does. But it does this very well with a number of excellent dishes and a wildly popular supper club ambience whose 40 seat bar and 60 bottles of wine by the glass will score well in Montgomery and Fairfax county's demographics. This is not Citronelle nor Komi nor 2941. But for the Pike and for Tysons it will be a real alternative to a glut of steak houses and other chain outposts.

Why would you suggest by implication that the demographics of the Cheesecake Factory or Chang's are similar to Seasons 52? It will go after the Capital Grille's crowd. And, it will get them.

I am a fan.

[jandres374]

Looks like they are slated to open April 11th.

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2011/02/opening-date-for-seasons-52-set.html

[Joe H]

Will be enormously popular.

[DanielK]

It will certainly be enormously popular, because there's nothing in it's price range in that immediate area (south of Rockville, north of Bethesda) except for Addie's, and there are a lot of people and businesses in that area.

I caught one lunch and one dinner during the soft opening week. I think the food was good, service excellent, and reasonable for the price range, but nothing wowed me. I've been to one of the Orlando locations, and the food was much better there. I expect that this will improve as they settle in.

Pretty impressive (and reasonably priced) wine list for MoCo, and orders by the glass were poured at the table, but the red was *above* room temperature. If they don't figure out better storage fast they're going to cook their entire inventory.

Lastly, parking is going to be a clusterf*ck. Free valet parking, but there's no free self-parking next to the restaurant, and the single garage there is going to be overwhelmed when the Whole Foods opens.

[JPW]

It will certainly be enormously popular, because there's nothing in it's price range in that immediate area (south of Rockville, north of Bethesda) except for Addie's, and there are a lot of people and businesses in that area.

I caught one lunch and one dinner during the soft opening week. I think the food was good, service excellent, and reasonable for the price range, but nothing wowed me. I've been to one of the Orlando locations, and the food was much better there. I expect that this will improve as they settle in.

Pretty impressive (and reasonably priced) wine list for MoCo, and orders by the glass were poured at the table, but the red was *above* room temperature. If they don't figure out better storage fast they're going to cook their entire inventory.

Lastly, parking is going to be a clusterf*ck. Free valet parking, but there's no free self-parking next to the restaurant, and the single garage there is going to be overwhelmed when the Whole Foods opens.

Agree with Dan on all of the above points. Not to mention the annoying corporate required things -- the hostesses always referring to "we" ("Are we all here now?" "Are we ready to go to our table"), servers wanting to address you by name, etc.

Parking is only going to get worse as the condos start filling up and the other retail stores open.

That said, I'm glad to have a business meal destination by the office that is a step up from the pf chang and cheesecake factory in White FLint Mall.

PS - Whole Foods opens tomorrow. Interested to check out the "Burger Bar" they are installing. Stop by the one they are closing in Congressional plaza for the fire sale.

[kirite]

Agree with Dan on all of the above points. Not to mention the annoying corporate required things -- the hostesses always referring to "we" ("Are we all here now?" "Are we ready to go to our table"), servers wanting to address you by name, etc.

Parking is only going to get worse as the condos start filling up and the other retail stores open.

That said, I'm glad to have a business meal destination by the office that is a step up from the pf chang and cheesecake factory in White FLint Mall.

PS - Whole Foods opens tomorrow. Interested to check out the "Burger Bar" they are installing. Stop by the one they are closing in Congressional plaza for the fire sale.

I looked at the online menu but no prices listed. That's a bummer.

[MMM]

We went for an early'ish (7 pm) dinner last night and the place was totally full. I had reserved and waited a short time for our table. Service was quick and affable - moderate noise level - lots of families. I had this: Maui Tuna Crunch Salad sushi-grade seared tuna, tropical organic greens, toasted almonds and miso vinaigrette, and my husband had: Caramelized Sea Scallops grilled and served with roasted asparagus and tomato-mushroom pearl pasta. We started with a Maryland crab flatbread, that was probably a daily special. They did not bring any bread to the table, which was fine with me and the tasty flatbread gave us something light to nibble on. We enjoyed our main courses - everything tasted fresh and properly cooked (the tuna was rare and the scallops were nicely seared and not overdone). They have a nice, not un-reasonable wine list, with many selections offered by the glass. The food prices were moderate.

[kirite]

We went for an early'ish (7 pm) dinner last night and the place was totally full. I had reserved and waited a short time for our table. Service was quick and affable - moderate noise level - lots of families. I had this: Maui Tuna Crunch Salad sushi-grade seared tuna, tropical organic greens, toasted almonds and miso vinaigrette, and my husband had: Caramelized Sea Scallops grilled and served with roasted asparagus and tomato-mushroom pearl pasta. We started with a Maryland crab flatbread, that was probably a daily special. They did not bring any bread to the table, which was fine with me and the tasty flatbread gave us something light to nibble on. We enjoyed our main courses - everything tasted fresh and properly cooked (the tuna was rare and the scallops were nicely seared and not overdone). They have a nice, not un-reasonable wine list, with many selections offered by the glass. The food prices were moderate.

We had dinner at Seasons 52 last Saturday night before going to a concert at Strathmore. When we arrived at 6:00--with reservations--the joint was already jumping. The staff was friendly and efficient. The manager stopped by to chat and, after dinner, took our parking stub to the valet stand, so we could wait inside.

The flatbread was flying out of the kitchen, but we didn't order it this time. We ordered Sonoma goat cheese ravioli, carmelized crab and shrimp mushrooms, tiger shrimp penne pasta, and arctic char (one of that night's specials). The food was very good and very fresh and inasmuch as nothing on the menu is more than 495 calories, we didn't feel uncomfortably full. Our only quibble is that the mushrooms and char were a bit oversalted.

This is a very nice addition to the rather sparse dining scene near Strathmore Hall. BTW, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's performance of Mahler's Song of the Earth was magnificent.

[Joe H]

Seasons 52 opens in the spring on the Rockville Pike across from White Flint and also at Tysons Corner center. It will take over as the single most popular restaurant in both areas. An ambitious statement but Darden's formula has worked well everywhere they have opened. I should also note that the original on Sand Lake road in Orlando is still enormously popular. http://www.seasons52.com/NRO/default.asp

It is not surprising to me that "the joint was jumping" at 6:00PM on a Saturday night. Every Seasons 52 is this popular. They have a formula that is extremely successful. I've not been to the Rockville Pike location yet but elsewhere some of their dishes are truly good by any standard (i.e. salmon on a cedar plank, chicken and garlic flatbread). On the Pike they are taking the place of Houston's. In Tyson's there are far too many steak houses. Their success will remind some of this.

[DonRocks]

It is not surprising to me that "the joint was jumping" at 6:00PM on a Saturday night. Every Seasons 52 is this popular.

FWIW, we called Tuesday night at 7:15 for a table of 5, and they couldn't seat us until 9:00.

[kirite]

It is not surprising to me that "the joint was jumping" at 6:00PM on a Saturday night. Every Seasons 52 is this popular. They have a formula that is extremely successful. I've not been to the Rockville Pike location yet but elsewhere some of their dishes are truly good by any standard (i.e. salmon on a cedar plank, chicken and garlic flatbread). On the Pike they are taking the place of Houston's. In Tyson's there are far too many steak houses. Their success will remind some of this.

Yes, it's a formula, but not an obvious one. We live in the culinary wasteland otherwise known as McLean. The Pike manager told us that the Tyson's restaurant will open in August.

[jiveturk21]

Lunch there this past Sunday was very pleasant. They have a small outdoor patio that we were able to enjoy on a beautiful day. When the restaurant is more crowded, my guess is that people will be fighting tooth and nail for one of those tables. Inside, at least what we saw of it, was very nice. It was a nice setting without being too formal or casual, just the right mix for what most people will be looking for at this price point.

I don't know much about the area, but the complex that the restaurant is in seems about 100 times nicer than the surrounding buildings. When those storefonts are taken, this will be a pretty busy area along Rockville Pike. As of right now, the Whole Foods, Arhaus Furniture and some gym are the only places open in the complex, it will be interesting to see what else ends up in that shopping center.

The food was quite good. The chicken curry mulligatawny that I started with was great. I have no clue what a mulligatawny is, but this was a damn fine soup. The trout special of the day was cooked perfectly and a successful dish, even if the vegetables (carrots, asparagus, red potatoes) were a bit boring. The buffalo burger was also good, although having a burger without cheese was a bit weird to me. Also, having a mixed green salad on the side seemed odd instead of fries, but then again, it would be tough to make a cheeseburger with fries less than 475 calories. We had two shot glasses for dessert - lemon curd with pound cake and peanut butter chocolate. At $2.50 each, I really like this concept to dessert. I absolutely love having something sweet after I eat, but rarely want a big dessert. And, since I have no will power, there is no chance that I will ever wrap the remainder of my dessert "to go", so this is a great compromise.

Overall, it was $75 with tax and tip for four of us. One soup, four entrees, three desserts. Great value for the money, but that is what happens when you aren't drinking alcohol (one good side effect of a slight hangover).

The only thing that was kind of weird to me is that the server gave us her card and requested that when we come back that we ask to sit in her section. She was a great server, but I would never really think of doing anything like this. I like the personal touch, to an extent, but it just seemed odd to me.

By the way, at 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon, the place was empty. But, I tried to make Saturday night reservations (party of 8) on the way out the door for a few weeks from now and they had absolutely nothing available.

Good start, but that was to be expected. This place will absolutely kill in Tyson's.

[genericeric]

Dinner at the new Tysons location last night. All-in-all, pretty smooth for the third day it was open, but I guess that's easier done with a chain. The waiter was explaining that the company has a set menu that each branch opens with, and then after a few weeks of stretching its legs, the restaurant will transition to more of the traditional seasonal menu they offer. My Farmers Market Vegetable Plate ($13) was a nice plate of vegetables for the price, though some inconsistencies in cooking (one carrot was raw while the rest were mushy, some items were cold while should have been hot), the +1's Barbeque Chicken Salad (I believe also $13) was a better choice. I do wish the design of the restaurant had been able to make me forget that I was in a mall a little more than it did.

The one growing pain I did notice was their opening service. They must bring in veteran Seasons 52 waiters from other locations to 'shadow' the new location waiters. Unfortunately the trainer and trainee didn't communicate much after the initial greeting, so we essentially had two waiters. Not a big deal, but one of them was probably at our table every two or three minutes.

It could have been that people don't know its open yet, or the holiday weekend, but there was plenty of room in the bar last night if anyone wanted to try it out this weekend. Pleasant piano player and wine selection made a decent place to grab a drink.

[Joe H]

Dinner at the new Tysons location last night. All-in-all, pretty smooth for the third day it was open, but I guess that's easier done with a chain. The waiter was explaining that the company has a set menu that each branch opens with, and then after a few weeks of stretching its legs, the restaurant will transition to more of the traditional seasonal menu they offer. My Farmers Market Vegetable Plate ($13) was a nice plate of vegetables for the price, though some inconsistencies in cooking (one carrot was raw while the rest were mushy, some items were cold while should have been hot), the +1's Barbeque Chicken Salad (I believe also $13) was a better choice. I do wish the design of the restaurant had been able to make me forget that I was in a mall a little more than it did.

The one growing pain I did notice was their opening service. They must bring in veteran Seasons 52 waiters from other locations to 'shadow' the new location waiters. Unfortunately the trainer and trainee didn't communicate much after the initial greeting, so we essentially had two waiters. Not a big deal, but one of them was probably at our table every two or three minutes.

It could have been that people don't know its open yet, or the holiday weekend, but there was plenty of room in the bar last night if anyone wanted to try it out this weekend. Pleasant piano player and wine selection made a decent place to grab a drink.

Really interesting that the bar wasn't mobbed in opening week. I happened to be on Sand Lake Road in Orlando (the first Seasons 52) and also North Atlanta several years later in both of their opening weeks. I should note they are also free standing buildings but the foremat is essentially the same. Two to three deep around 40-45 seat bars in both restaurants after 7:30 when the piano player started. On weeknights. Can anyone report on the popularity of the bar in MOntgomery County?

FWIW the cedar plank Salmon is considered by many to be their best entree and garlic and chicken to be their best flatbread.

[Ericandblueboy]

It could have been that people don't know its open yet, or the holiday weekend, but there was plenty of room in the bar last night if anyone wanted to try it out this weekend. Pleasant piano player and wine selection made a decent place to grab a drink.

Tysons is a ghost town at night, and I don't think that many people go shopping on weekday nights.

[Cuddlyone]

The bar scene in North Bethesda (in reality, Rockville) is very nice. There's a piano player behind the bar who plays and sings pop standards from the60's to the 80's. She has a very good voice, but is a little sleepy for my taste. The upside is that the noise level is pretty low, so conversation is easy. Both times I was there, the bar was full, but not crowded. It's a very good place for a before or after dinner drink and dessert.

[kirite]

The bar scene in North Bethesda (in reality, Rockville) is very nice. There's a piano player behind the bar who plays and sings pop standards from the60's to the 80's. She has a very good voice, but is a little sleepy for my taste. The upside is that the noise level is pretty low, so conversation is easy. Both times I was there, the bar was full, but not crowded. It's a very good place for a before or after dinner drink and dessert.

And it's a great place to stop before going to the incredibly beautiful Strathmore Hall.

[bookluvingbabe]

Sigh... Semi-decent bread but they don't have butter to go with it.

I get the healthy concept but having butter as an option for people who request it would be lovely.

[kirite]

Sigh... Semi-decent bread but they don't have butter to go with it.

I get the healthy concept but having butter as an option for people who request it would be lovely.

After eating twice at the Rockville venue we tried the new spot in Tyson's. No windows, so it's very dark. We were seated near the front of the restaurant, so it's a long way to the kitchen. The result was cool to cold flatbread. But less defensible was a very undergrilled salmon on a plank.

[wristband]

I must admit I was skeptical at first but was proven dead wrong. I recoil at the notion of eating at large mall restaurants (Yo, GAR) but I was totally surprised today. Service was knowledgeable and excellent, menu offered interesting selections, ingredients were varied with many organic items, presentations were all nicely done. The room itself is appointed in darker shades with many booths. Unlike Coastal Flats & Legal, one does not feel as if you are stuck in a Greyhound terminal. The menu claim is S52 dishes are each less than 475 calories. Yey, if indeed true, its a big plus.

A flatbread chorizo special was flavorful with just enough heat. Two fish entrees - grilled salmon atop a generously mixed salad and grilled snapper atop a SW base of black beans, jicama and green beans (odd, I admit) were winners. Decent wine list. Price points are reasonable.

I would definitely return if going to a movie or seeking a pleasant meal in the vicinity of Tysons. And, yes, I apologized profusely to my lunch date who had to counterpunch to deflate my initial skepticism about going.

[kirite]

Where in Tyson's?

Across from Coastal Flats in Tyson's Center.

[DonRocks]

Across from Coastal Flats in Tyson's Center.

I've been here twice, and I can easily see the luster coming off the restaurant if I became a regular. Calories or not, the quality of food is about at the level of a good hotel banquet (the filet mignon dish in particular was exactly at that level). The wines are workable, but not cheap, and they don't offer half-pours. The flatbreads look impressive (and deceptively large) upon arrival, but be aware that the crust is hauntingly close to matzah (nothing wrong with that, but don't expect more). The Tysons Corner Seasons 52 is packed, and obviously hitting its target, but if you take a step back, the food is really pretty formulaic - small protein, large vegetables, medium starch or grain - and despite an attractive, well-designed atmosphere, there is no culinary magic here (other than at corporate headquarters, where a very good job is done devising these dishes). The seasonality concept takes a back seat to the calorie-count concept due to standardization (the current menu on their website is from June 21st). The next time I was in that part of Tysons Corner Center, I'd give Coastal Flats or La Sandia another visit before going back to Seasons 52 a third straight time, but I do think Seasons 52 is worth a try if you've never been.

[wristband]

Rocks - yours is a very fair and reasoned assessment. I returned for a second visit and agree with your comments for the most part. However, I do not expect a great culinary experience here on par with an individually operated restaurant featuring an auteur feverishly using the whisk. Different caliber and focus = different expectations = different results.

My second visit this weekend comported with my first favorable impression. I was pleased...again. Personally, I will opt for S52 over Sandia and Coastal Flats (been there, did that, no repeats) on my next visit to Tysons 1.

[shadowcat7]

Thanks for saving me the trouble.

Well at the risk of being thrown off of this site, Olive Garden is not the worst dining experience I've ever had. I mean, I don't always want to eat arugula-with-goat-cheese salad or mediocre mesclun greens drowning in bad balsamic vin, and the salad is good at OG. Just like the kind you had as a kid. The soups are good, too. And if you ask them to cook plain pasta al dente they will (whole wheat too). DON'T STONE ME!

[ktmoomau]

Had the vegetable soup and chile relleno the other day. Both were really very very good. The vegetable soup had very fresh flavors and wasn't too chunky, but also not mushy. It just tasted very satisfying now that it has gotten cool. Like the vegetable soup you can yourself. The chile was huge. It was stuffed with chicken and goat cheese and had polenta triangles. The pica de gallo was super fresh. The flavors and textures between the creamy goat cheese and the outside of the polenta being alittle crisp all went well together. It was a much bigger portion than I expected, especially for the price. I thought the interior was a little dark during the day, but really liked the food.

[kirite]

Had the vegetable soup and chile relleno the other day. Both were really very very good. The vegetable soup had very fresh flavors and wasn't too chunky, but also not mushy. It just tasted very satisfying now that it has gotten cool. Like the vegetable soup you can yourself. The chile was huge. It was stuffed with chicken and goat cheese and had polenta triangles. The pica de gallo was super fresh. The flavors and textures between the creamy goat cheese and the outside of the polenta being alittle crisp all went well together. It was a much bigger portion than I expected, especially for the price. I thought the interior was a little dark during the day, but really liked the food.

We've been there several times and thought it was very good. For our most recent visit, I made a reservation through Open Table and mentioned that one of us is allergic to nuts. I also asked about low sodium options. As soon as we were seated we were handed a low sodium menu and our server asked who was allergic to nuts. Very impressive. BTW, most of their items are sodium bombs. Do they add lots of salt to keep their low calorie menu tasty?

[wristband]

I went back for a third visit this week. Fine food wise but agonizingly painfully long for a business lunch. We were seated at 11:15, left at almost 1 pm after repeatedly asking where is the damn food? Our entire orders were placed quickly when we were seated but then a really absurd prolong long wait. I noted on several trips to the rest room during the interminable waitk S52 servers lined up at the kitchen loudly bitching about their wait to get orders. Was the kitchen under staffed? Is S52 inadequately managed for a ful house during lunch? Who cares its not acceptable.

If they were slammed due to a private party, hey, tell us so we customers are not twiddling thumbs wating over an hour during a working lunch.

I thought it particularly lame for the manager to later circulate round the room and crow, once the entrees arrived, "say, isn't that gooood." Yeah, maybe, but I have been sitting here for too long and your failure as a manager made a situation unbearable. Oh, BY THE WAY WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING FOR THE PAST HOUR DUDE? DID YOU MISS ME OR WAS IT THE 20 TABLES THAT WERE ALSO LACKING PLATES?

How can initial positive feelings continue with such an unacceptable delay to get a business lunch? And what kind of manager rolls in after an hour ignoring empty tables, then wants to glad hand? Geesh, beyond incompetent and annoying.

For me, this turned the first two positive vists into a question mark. If you can' t handle the business in a professional manner, then don't extend yourself.

[rockcreek]

Well at the risk of being thrown off of this site, Olive Garden is not the worst dining experience I've ever had. I mean, I don't always want to eat arugula-with-goat-cheese salad or mediocre mesclun greens drowning in bad balsamic vin, and the salad is good at OG. Just like the kind you had as a kid. The soups are good, too. And if you ask them to cook plain pasta al dente they will (whole wheat too). DON'T STONE ME!

Consider this a pebble thrown in your general direction.

[Joe H]

I have raved about Seasons 52 in this and several other threads. Not because it is a great restaurant but rather because I have really enjoyed it as a very good place to have dinner while travelling on business. Especially sitting at the bar which can be very social. I've been to the original on Sand Lake road in Orlando, their north Orlando location and Perimeter Mall outside of Atlanta. All of these are freestanding buildings.

Tysons Corner is not. The entire front of Seasons 52 is open to the mall.

I don't like it. So much so that I haven't eaten there yet. I believe that Seasons 52 needs the escapist supper club ambience found by walking through a door and closing it behind you. The parking lot, garage and shopping mall are left behind.

But not at Tysons.

I have a trade show in Orlando in a month. I'll probably go to the Sand Lake road location three times while I'm there. Twice for business dinners and once on my own to sit at the bar.

I still won't have been to Tysons. For me someone made a very bad decision to leave the front of this restaurant open to the mall. It absolutely ruins the ambience.

[kirite]

I have raved about Seasons 52 in this and several other threads. Not because it is a great restaurant but rather because I have really enjoyed it as a very good place to have dinner while travelling on business. Especially sitting at the bar which can be very social. I've been to the original on Sand Lake road in Orlando, their north Orlando location and Perimeter Mall outside of Atlanta. All of these are freestanding buildings.

Tysons Corner is not. The entire front of Seasons 52 is open to the mall.

I don't like it. So much so that I haven't eaten there yet. I believe that Seasons 52 needs the escapist supper club ambience found by walking through a door and closing it behind you. The parking lot, garage and shopping mall are left behind.

But not at Tysons.

I have a trade show in Orlando in a month. I'll probably go to the Sand Lake road location three times while I'm there. Twice for business dinners and once on my own to sit at the bar.

I still won't have been to Tysons. For me someone made a very bad decision to leave the front of this restaurant open to the mall. It absolutely ruins the ambience.

I've been to both Tyson's and Rockville, and Rockville is superior for the reasons Joe H. gives. Plus the Rockville location has free valet parking.

[Joe H]

I had Extreme Pizza in Miramar, Florida a few weeks ago. It is Extreme, extremely bad. I love garlic, but I could not stomach the amount they put on the pizza I ordered. Over powering flavors and too many going on at the same time. I ordered 3 pies plus sides to try it out, and it was all thrown away. Extremely disappointing.

Hi Raisa! Wonderful to be able to read your posts again. I was in Orlando two weeks ago for a trade show (two hundred miles away?) and had dinner at Seasons 52 three nights our of five. I used to love this restaurant but it has changed. I haven't been to the Tysons Corner version yet but after my most recent Florida experience it won't be any time soon.

Take care.

[Simon]

Is there anything worthwhile to eat here? I have to have lunch here (Rockville location) this weekend.

[DonRocks]

Is there anything worthwhile to eat here? I have to have lunch here (Rockville location) this weekend.

The flatbreads are tasty, but ultimately, so thin (click).

[Tweaked]

The flatbread seemed to be matzo, but then again we were eating on Easter Sunday/Passover, so maybe it was a seasonal thing.

I had mixed feelings about the place. For one thing it smacked of corporate clubbiness and we are trying too hard..."That's my favorite dish" "I had that last week down in Orlando and it's great" "Good choice!" It was borderline "Pieces of Flair"

Most of the food was decent/good...I did have a nice piece of Steelhead Trout. The dessert tray was the best part of the meal.

to quote the gf: "I didn't find objectionable, but I'm not sure why I should eat there again"