Seasons 52, Chestnut Hill

I recently received an invite from Seasons 52 to try out their new menu.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the date, however, if I am going to be truly honest with you my brain did rebel a little against going to a chain restaurant, which I am aware is totally stuck up and silly.  I recently tried Bonefish in Waltham, which I thought was great, so I am not sure where this anti-chain restaurant brain comes from.  Perhaps I really am a stuck up snob 🙂  That all said, I found myself over in Chestnut Hill last week with my friend, Kathleen so we decided to give it a try. 

Seasons 52, which originated in Florida in 2003 opened its second MA restaurant in the newer shopping area of Chestnut Hill a few years ago.  Their menu focuses on using fresh and seasonal ingredients creating dishes that are all less than 475 calories each, which I have to say I personally need right now. 

We walked in around 6pm on a Wednesday evening to a relatively quiet restaurant.  We were escorted to a booth in the bar and lounge area by a friendly host and no sooner had we sat down, we were greeted by our attentive waiter.  As the evening wore on, the restaurant filled up nicely.

I really liked the look and feel of the bar area which curves around the center of the restaurant in a welcoming fashion.  Warm lighting and dark wood gives it a really warm feel, while the glasses hanging from the shelves give the place a modern flair.  A pleasant and enjoyable surprise was the pianist in the middle of bar singing modern pop songs in a ballad style.  She had a really lovely voice and added a bit of an entertainment factor to our Wednesday evening.

Seasons 52 Bar/Lounge

The menu offers 52 wines by the glass, which makes choosing a perfect pairing to your dinner a nice touch rather than having to buy a full bottle.  We both settled on a wonderful glass of Bordeaux.  Thank goodness they don’t put the calories on the wine list 🙂

Chatéau Parenchere Bordeaux – $11

For our appetizers we shared the Roasted Roma Mozzarella.  Lightly fried mozzarella pairs nicely with sweet roasted tomatoes.  A perfect starter to share.

Roasted Roma Tomato – fresh mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, ribbons of basil (430 cal) – $8.80

Kathleen ordered the mushroom flatbread.  A crisp thin flatbread with creamy goat cheese, truffle oil and earthy, flavorsome mushrooms.

Trio of Roasted Mushroom Flatbread – garlic confit, spinach, green onions, goat cheese, truffle oil (400 cal) – $10.50

I was leaning more to wanting seafood so decided on the grilled rainbow trout.  I have to say it was really good.  Delicately grilled trout with the sweet candy tasting carrots and bonus, the whole dish was just 450 calories.  It just goes to prove you do not have to compromise flavor and taste for wanting or needing more healthy options.    

Grilled Boneless Rainbow Trout – Babé Farms heritage carrots, crushed roasted potatoes, grilled lemon (450 cal) – $17.50

Seasons 52 surprised and delighted me and I would definitely recommend it to others and will be back myself soon.