Good Karma or Rather, The Seasons 52 Spring Menu Preview

Over the past few weeks I’ve been thinking that I did something to have bad karma. I mean, who takes a tumble down the stairs & fractures her shin? Yeah, I know.

I figured my luck was changing when I was somehow invited to the Seasons 52 Spring Menu Preview. I’ve been dying to try this restaurant since they opened up at St. Johns Town Center last fall, but had never made it over there.

I knew I was in trouble when I sat down & saw multiple wine glasses sitting in front of me:

Always a good sign? Never a good sign? You be the judge.

I started off the evening with a glass of the Zardetto Prosecco, a fresh & lively sparkling wine:

The evening begin with a little over a dozen food bloggers & lovers introducing themselves before we moved on to the appetizers & flatbreads. I found myself rapidly falling in love with the Artichoke & Goat Cheese Flatbread:

There’s something truly wonderful about the mating of artichokes & balsamic, isn’t there? The flavor combination is totally a party in my mouth.

While we enjoyed the appetizers & flatbreads, a webcast by Master Sommelier George Miliotes & Culinary Director Cliff Pleau introduced us to our remaining courses along with their wine pairings. The webcast was informative – with more than just information about the actual dishes. Cliff discussed how to tell if an artichoke is fully cooked as well as how to properly de-shell an avocado. I’m always a fan of culinary tips, so they get a huge thumbs up from me.

After the webcast, we moved on to the salad course of the meal. For your viewing pleasure, the Tomato & Haas Avocado Salad:

Once again, balsamic glaze rocks. The dressing was actually made from the rind of the avocado, which I found especially intriguing. In my opinion, the best way to eat this salad is to pile it on top of the toasted ciabatta & let the drippy goodness sink into the bread, thus saving the best part for last. Mmm carbs.

After inhaling the salad, we moved on to the entrée portion of the meal – starting with the Columbia River Steelhead Trout:

Let me preface my opinion with this… I hate fish. Fish are stinky. They taste all fishy & just eww eww eww. I’ll pass.

But this? Wow. Not fishy at all. The lemongrass sauce on top created a crisp & light taste which is perfect for spring. The basmati rice & spring vegetables were also delicious. It’s so nice to go to a restaurant that serves more than broccoli as a vegetable.

This entire meal, I tried to pace myself. I’d heard rumors of the dessert portion. I knew I was screwed on the whole “pacing myself” thing when a glorious platter of Lamb T-Bone Chops with asparagus & TRUFFLE MASHED POTATOES was sat down in front of me:

Come to Mama.

& finally! Red wine!

Red wine makes my soul happy. It’s as simple as that.

The last portion of the entrée service was the Spicy Snow Peas & Shiitake Mushrooms served with a fruity Lioco Indica Rose:

This was easily one of my favorite selections of the night. I loved the flavor combination of the spicy snow peas with the fruity & sweet wine. Once again, party in my mouth. And I always love the crunch of almonds on top of salads and vegetables. Excellent choice.

Then the moment we were all waiting for:

Dessert.

The Mini Indulgence Desserts are individual servings of classic desserts such as pecan pie, key lime pie, red velvet cake (my kryptonite), peanut butter pie, fresh fruit, and other various delicious goodies.

I quickly grabbed the Red Velvet & the Macchiato:

Yes, I've already taken a bite out of the red velvet. Don't act surprised.

I truly believe you can never go wrong with red velvet. Once again, I was proved right.

The meal & the service was absolutely fantastic. The waiter called me “young lady” for goodness sakes. Winner in my book. Executive Chief Partner Stephen Hicks & Field Sales Manager Amy Drafts were friendly, knowledgable & accomodating in presenting the preview. Many thanks for an incredible meal!