Exterior view of Seasons 52 Fresh Grill restaurant with illuminated signage and landscaped surroundings.

Fresh and light every week of the year

By Jim Ayres

I was always curious about Seasons 52, a local outpost of the upscale “low calorie†chain. It’s part of the restaurant group that includes Eddie V’s and Capital Grille, so I had high hopes when I met friends on a recent Tuesday night.

According to its marketers, “Seasons 52 is your destination for seasonal cooking and 52 wines by the glass. Our menu changes with the season to feature 100% fresh produce, and we oak-fire grill and brick oven roast (without a fryer in sight) so everything we prepare is full of flavor and naturally lighter.â€

They speak the truth. I thoroughly enjoyed the Seasons 52 experience.

The restaurant itself is beautiful. Lighting is muted just enough to make everyone look their best. I appreciate the variety of ways you can enjoy your meal — there’s the main dining room, the bar, and then booths right off the bar where the three of us dined.

Service was smooth as silk on a shoeshine throughout the meal. My advice for a starter? Don’t miss the Flatbread! It’s legendary and rightfully so. Tempting flatbread options include Roasted Tomato, and Lobster or Chicken Pesto with Mozzarella.

We chose the Four-Mushroom variety with goat cheese, truffle oil and microgreens. Thoughtfully sliced, each piece of this flatbread was warm, chewy and uplifting. And at 430 calories for the whole thing, divided by three we dove in without guilt.

Ah yes. The “C†word. At Seasons 52, everything on the menu has a calorie count. They’re impressively low — at first. But when you have an appetizer, entrée, wine and dessert, they do add up. Still, these dishes are far healthier than at most chain restaurants.

Consider my main dish: Wood-Grilled Rainbow Trout. The fish was simply grilled and seasoned, bringing out the trout’s naturally nutty flavor. (And it was so large it took me forever to finish it.) Roasted garlic broccolini on the side was scrumptious.

My friends went for a Wood-Grilled Handline Tuna (keeping it local) with mint tabbouleh and preserved lemon hummus, and a Prime Sirloin Bistro Steak in red wine sauce with roasted green beans. How in the world Seasons 52 can produce such flawless dishes at 550 and 460 calories, respectively, I’ll never know.

It’s hard to say no to dessert at Seasons 52. Literally. It’s brought right to you as a flight of shot-sized “Mini-Indulgences†in a swirling stand. Flavors include Key Lime Pie, Mocha Macchiato, Caramel Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and more. Pick one and it’s yours! Each is just the right amount for a sweet ending.

Is Seasons 52 really seasonal? I signed up for their emails, and they do add a few new dishes from time to time, but I’d wager the menu is full of favorites available year-round. I don’t know about you, but I’d hate to see my favorite dish plucked away just because it’s fall. By the way, Happy Autumn, everyone!

Seasons 52
4410 Westheimer Rd.
Houston, Texas 77027
713-621-5452Seasons52.com

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