Tag Archives: mini indulgence

Seasonal Delights at Season’s 52

Ever since I heard Season’s 52 was making its way to Orange County last year, it’s been on my must try list.  Finally, an opportunity presented itself where a group of us were able to go and see what all the hype is about.

Season’s 52 is located inside South Coast Plaza and occupies the downstairs half of the former Clubhouse restaurant space (Capital Grille is upstairs).  Having worked at the Clubhouse many summers ago while in college, I was curious to see how the restaurant would look since it would only be occupying the downstairs portion.  Upon walking inside, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it looked from the bar area to the main dining area and the private dining rooms.   The wine bottles lined up in columns throughout the main dining area were a nice touch as well.

Once we were seated we decided to order some Rosemary and Parmesan Crispbread for the table and a round of drinks.  Since we all know about my love for the martini, I kept it simple with a Grey Goose martini and a few olives.  But I think the table’s overall favorite drink was the Strawberry-Basil infused martini, which was the special for the evening.

If you are not familiar with the Season’s 52 menu, the main concept is that none of the dishes are over 475 calories and the menu changes seasonally.  That’s including all entrees, appetizers, sides, and even desserts.  I personally love this concept because it just proves that food can taste good without all the extra added calories AND you get to eat fresh food that is in season, which is something I try to do at home.

Going back to the food, the Rosemary Parmesan Crispbread arrived at the table and was promptly devoured in seconds.

The Crispbread had a nice crunch, was not greasy at all, and was the perfect little starter before the rest of our meal arrived.

For dinner, everyone ordered something different so we could all sample each other’s dishes if we wanted.  The Englishman and I both ordered two appetizers instead of one entrée, but looking back I probably should have ordered an entrée instead.

I went with the goat cheese ravioli and the mixed green salad.  The mixed green salad was decent but nothing to write home about – it had sunflower seeds, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and was tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette.

The goat cheese ravioli however was fantastic and cooked in a light tomato broth.  Since it was an appetizer portion it only came with 3 ravioli, but I could’ve eaten more of those for sure.

The Englishman went with the beef chili and the shrimp, crab and spinach stuffed mushrooms.  We both agreed the shrimp, crab and spinach stuffed mushrooms were alright, but there was way too much cheese on top taking away from the other flavors.

The chili on the other hand was quite delicious and the Englishman finished every last bite.

While I didn’t taste everyone else’s dishes, I did get to sample the Mediterranean Shrimp Salad.

This salad was delicious, and definitely something I will order next time at Season’s 52.  It came with shrimp, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, peppers and cucumbers and was lightly tossed in a vinaigrette.  It was full of flavor and I loved the shrimp on the salad.

Other entrees that our table ordered included the BBQ Chicken Salad with Edamame:

Artichoke-Stuffed Shrimp with Pearl Pasta:

And Grilled Tiger Shrimp Penne Pasta (anyone else noticing a shrimp theme?)

After enjoying our entrees it was time to try the dessert, or “mini indulgences” as Season’s 52 calls them.  I decided to go with the Meyer Lemon Cake while others went for the Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse and the Belgian Chocolate Rocky Road.

The Englishman and I split the Meyer Lemon Cake which was essentially a tiny dessert in what looks like a shot glass.  While the dessert was good, I would’ve liked less lemon curd filling and more lemon cake.  It was mostly filling with a small bit of cake at the bottom.

The Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse and Belgian Rocky Road desserts were also good, but texture-wise it was very similar to the Meyer Lemon Cake – a pudding base with a small bit of cake at the bottom.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Season’s 52.  I would definitely order an entrée next time (Mediterranean Shrimp Salad!) and pass on the mini indulgences because while they were good, I’d rather save the money and get something else.  I do want to check out Season’s 52 during their lunch service since I hear they have other items such as fish tacos, sandwiches and burgers.

Good food, good concept, yep, I’ll be back.

Season’s 52
3333 Bristol St Suite # 2802
Costa Mesa, CA 92626