Seasons 52, the highly-acclaimed fresh grill and wine bar restaurant, introduced its new spring menu on March 20.
“During the spring, farmer’s markets and grocers are full of fresh, vibrant produce such as rainbow carrots and vine-ripened tomatoes,” said Cliff Pleau, Senior Director of Culinary at Seasons 52. “We are inspired by these bright spring flavors to create memorable dishes that excite the palate. By pairing them with fresh foods, such as Columbia River Steelhead Trout, and using natural cooking techniques like wood-fire grilling, Seasons 52’s menu delivers flavorful, thoughtfully-prepared dishes for spring.”
Guests will delight in new spring menu items including:
Artichoke & Goat Cheese Flatbread – with leaf spinach, balsamic onion and roasted peppers
Artichoke-Stuffed Artichoke Leaves – with organic arugula, Parmesan cheese and balsamic glaze
Tomato & Haas Avocado Salad – with organic arugula, balsamic glaze and grilled bruschetta
Columbia River Steelhead Trout – with spring vegetables, basmati rice and lemongrass sauce
Spicy Snow Peas & Shiitake Mushrooms – with roasted almonds Lamb T-bone Chops – with asparagus, truffle mashed potatoes and red wine glaze
Tiger Shrimp Penne Pasta – with spring asparagus and oyster mushrooms in a light lemon-basil sauce
In addition, two new cocktails will be featured on the spring menu –
Strawberry Kir Royal (Fresh Strawberry-Infused Prairie Organic Vodka, Organic Agave Nectar and Zardetto Prosecco) and Strawberry Basil Fusion (Fresh Strawberry-Infused Prairie Organic Vodka, Fresh Basil, and Organic Agave Nectar).
Master Sommelier George Miliotes has also updated his “Drink These Before They Become Famous” list, a handpicked selection of must-try wines for the season. This season’s selections include: Aveleda Vinho Verde, Portugal ’10/’11 – Crisp and light with just a hint of sweetness and sparkle, this varietal it is the perfect aperitif wine to enjoy with an assortment of flatbreads.
Lioco Indica Rosé, Mendocino ’11 – A totally natural wine with lovely aromas and flavors of ripe red raspberries and strawberries and a pleasantly dry finish; goes with just about everything on the menu.
Zardetto Prosecco, Treviso NV – Everyone loves Prosecco! Produced in the northeast of Italy, this is one of the finest sparkling wines and tastes excellent alone or with a dash of fruit juice.
Botani Moscatel, Sierras de Málaga ’10 – Neither sweet nor dry, this Spanish wine is packed with fruit flavors and a round finish. It pairs beautifully with white fish or shellfish.
Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Corvina Veronese ’08/’09 – Supercharged with a second fermentation from dried grapes, this wine is medium bodied but with a long and potent red fruit finish – a perfect accompaniment to any meat dish, from pork to lamb.
Seasons 52 changes the menu four times a year with weekly fresh features to truly capture the flavors of the season. Each valued guest can be guaranteed the highest quality fresh food, prepared without compromising great taste or a rich and complete dining experience. Nothing on the menu is more than 475 calories, from the signature flatbreads and appetizers, to all entrees and its popular mini indulgence desserts.
About Seasons 52
Seasons 52, which debuted in 2003, is a fresh grill and wine bar that provides guests with a fresh dining experience, enabling them to celebrate living well. The menu is orchestrated by award-winning Chef Clifford Pleau, and is inspired by the seasons and the fresh appeal of the farmers’ market – 52 weeks a year. The award-winning wine list created and developed by Master Sommelier George Miliotes – one of over 180 Master Sommeliers worldwide – is consistently praised for its diverse international selection of 100 wines, including more than 52 offered by the glass. Seasons 52 is recognized as a forward-thinking restaurant concept that is “right for the times” and always offers guests something new to discover.
Thoughts on the new Seasons 52 Menu by Mimi Nguyen
Strawberry Kir Royal: came with a strawberry garnish was semi-sweet but very fruity in aroma. It was a little tart.
All the flatbreads were really good and the balsamic glaze went really well with the Artichoke flatbread. The balsamic onion added a lot of flavor and complimented the artichoke really well. The artichoke leaves were good, but not as much compared to the other two starter dishes. It was a little bit too tart for our tastes. Lavender is in the herb de provence that is used in the cheese of the flatbread.
Aveleda Vinho Verde: crisp, not a strong wine, but it was fresh and light. The arugula from the salad made the wine even more crisp and pronounced
Salad: the tomatoes were ripe and the haas avocados added a really buttery and fatty taste to the salad which balanced out the rest of the dish. The tomatoes were sweet and the glaze was really good. The arugula had the distinct taste of arugula without being overly bitter.
Steelhead Trout: the spring vegetables consist of edamame, snow peas, yellow/red grape tomatoes, and shitake mushrooms. It’s in a lemongrass sauce which helps balance out the fish flavor. The trout is pink in color and almost resembles salmon in appearance but more tender. The skin is still on it and overall it’s very buttery and creamy.
Botani: (My favorite white out of all the white wines) It was very fruity, like lychee but it wasn’t as sweet as it smelled. It wasn’t dry.
Lamb: usually cooked to medium/medium rare which made it really tender. It wasn’t game-y or had too strong of a smell that some lamb has. It came with truffled mash potatoes which was very savory. Apparently, everyone at the table loves truffled infused food items, especially Pauline? (I’m not too sure of how to spell her name but she knew Junichi and lives close to you! She’s really nice).
Allegrini Palazzo della Torre: made in a double fermentation process. It is fermented once and then a little bit of last year’s wine is added to it so it goes through a double fermentation. The wine itself was warm and toasty without a heavy oak taste. It wasn’t dry and it went well with lamb. (The only red wine we had but probably one of the best ones I’ve tasted)
Snow Peas: they are seasoned in an asian manner with almonds. Sesame and other asian seasonings could definitely be detected and it was really good. The snow peas weren’t overdone so they were still crisp but sweet. The roasted almonds added a nice touch to the dish. It doesn’t come with carbs so it’s more of a side vegetable dish that people can order and share.
Lioco Indica Rosa: it’s a rose wine that is natural. Nothing is added to it. Outside of California, it’s only available at Season’s 52.
Mini- Indulgences
Desserts: It was sweet and yummy, lol. I think we were overstuffed by that point.
Riesling: It was sweet and perfect as a dessert wine
