Red Lobster is Bringing Healthy Back

Besides being the sexiest restaurant in Times Square, Red Lobster will now also be the healthiest!

Read the article below, courtesy of my friend Erica who seems to love a good cheesy biscuit as much as I do. The article is about how Red Lobster is launching a new website to coincide with it's new healthier menus and fresh food choices. There is nothing I love more than healthy options at a stellar chain.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=66424&Nid=33681&p=293105

I can not wait to go back soon!

The Chains of Atlantic City

I love Atlantic City and I am not ashamed to admit it! It really has all the elements I love about a vacation. The beach, boardwalk, gambling (but I wish they had Sports betting), shopping and most importantly excellent chain restaurants. AC is really a chain restaurant meca. Below is my list of the best chains Atlantic City offers.

1) P.F. Chang's - Located in the Quarter at Tropicana Chang's gets my number one vote. I can go on for hours about why I love this place. The lettuce wraps, wonton soup, mongolian beef, double pan fried noodles. It really is a culinary extravaganza!

2) Carmine's -Also located at the Quarter at Tropicana this family style Italian restaurant is a NY gem that standouts in AC. Their chicken parm is my favorite.

3) Ruth's Chris Steakhouse - Located at Caesar's (not the pier) if you are going to have steak in AC I would do it here.

4) Hard Rock Cafe - Located at Trump Taj Mahal this classic chain serves up some of the best burgers and fries any chain has to offer.

5) House of Blues - Located at the Showboat hotel this fun chain serves up great soul food. I recommend the shrimp! It is much better than the new Southern Hospitality that opened here in NY. Sorry JT stick to stealing Jeter's ladies and singing songs about Brit Brit.

Other chains that did not make the top 5

(Applebee's, The Palm, Hooters, Rain Forest Cafe, Morton's)

Also I was unsure if I could count all the Steven Starr restaurants. Yes many of them have multiple locations but are they really national chains???? I guess they are. Next blog posting will just be about how much I love them all.

LC Loves Pinkberry Too!

OMG did you see the Hills last night?????????????????????

LC and Lo love and eat Pinkberry too. They were eating it in last nights episode.

LC if you are reading this, next time you are in NY, Pinkberry is on me!

Bergen County Restaurant Row - Keep Them Coming

The second of the Northern Bergen County Restaurant Row opened last week. I of course ran over to check it out and I was very pleased. PF Changs opened its doors and from what I saw things were going very well. On Saturday night it was packed. I was lucky enough to get a reservation. The food was like always amazing and the staff was very attentive. This is a wonderful addition to Bergen County. I can not wait for the next one to open!

I think if the Sopranos were still on the air there would definitely be an episode about Tony eating at PF Changs. As king of Bergen County I doubt he would have to wait.

Oh How I Wish I Was in Cali

Tonight is a big night in the world of chain restaurants. Restaurants and Institutions is having an awards ceremony at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, California. What a night, three of my favorite things, chain restaurants, Ritz Carlton's and parites all rolled up in one night. I really wish I was in California because I would go to this event.
Below is a list of the winners. You will see some of my favorites are on the list as well as some of my least favorites. Let me know what you think.
BURGERS:
Culver's Platinum Winner
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Gold Winner
In-N-Out Burger Silver Winner
CAFETERIA/BUFFET:
Sweet Tomatoes Platinum Winner
Golden Corral Steak,
Buffet & Bakery Gold Winner
Ryan's Grill, Buffet & Bakery Silver Winner
CASUAL DINING:
P.F. Chang's China Bistro Platinum Winner
The Cheesecake Factory Gold Winner
California Pizza Kitchen Silver Winner
CHICKEN:
Chick-fil-A Platinum Winner
El Pollo Loco Gold Winner
Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits Silver Winner
COFFEE/SNACKS:
Starbucks Coffee Platinum Winner
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Gold Winner
Tim Hortons Silver Winner
FAMILY DINING:
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Platinum Winner
Bob Evan's Gold Winner
Mimi's Cafe Silver Winner
ITALIAN:
Olive Garden Platinum Winner
Carrabba's Italian Grill Gold Winner
Buca di Beppo Silver Winner
MEXICAN:
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill Platinum Winner
On the Border Mexican
Grill & Cantina Gold Winner
Chipotle Mexican Grill Silver Winner
PIZZA:
Papa Murphy's Take 'N Bake Pizza Platinum Winner
Pizza Hut Gold Winner
CiCi's Pizza Silver Winner
SANDWICH:
Panera Bread Platinum Winner
Jason's Deli Gold Winner
Subway Silver Winner
SEAFOOD:
Red Lobster Platinum Winner
Joe's Crab Shack Gold Winner
Captain D's Silver Winner
STEAKHOUSE:
Outback Steakhouse Platinum Winner
LongHorn Steakhouse Gold Winner
Famous Dave's Silver Winner
TREATS:
Cold Stone Creamery Platinum Winner
Haagen-Dazs Gold Winner
Jamba Juice Silver Winner

(Thanks Shirra for this information)

The Palm is not the Bomb but it is still pretty good.

I recently had lunch at the Palm and I have to say, it is good, but it is certainly not the bomb.

The service is really what brings this place down a bit, at least the one I just went to. Our waiter pretty much told us that because a table of 10 is coming soon he is kind of going to have to pay more attention to them. What, who says that.?? Sadly, he did pay more attention to them

Ok, on to the food. To start I must give props to the bread basket. It is everything a steak place bread basket should be. There are lots of choices like garlic rolls, walnut raisin bread, breadsticks, etc.

There are lots of appetizers and salads to start which is nice because I like options. For my most recent visit I ordered a salad off the special summer menu and it was very eh. It was really just lettuce and watermelon in a light dressing. It was good but not outstanding. Next time I would like to try the shrimp appetizer or a house salad. Those looked good. For my entree I got a small Filet which was very good, cooked perfectly so I was happy with that. The annoying part of the entree portion were the sides. I again ordered off of the special summer menu which I think was a mistake. I got this slaw thing because it said it had apples in it. When it came out it was this weird purple thing that did not taste so great. Note to self, just eat apples as apples, you do not need them in your slaw. We also ordered truffle fries. They were essentially fries covered in Parmesan cheese. I liked them because I like fries and I like Parmesan cheese. Next time though I would stick with the staples like homefries (hmm those looked good) and mashed potatoes.
For dessert they bring out this huge tray with all of the options on it. Wow, everything looked so delicious, especially the carrot cake. I did not get any but it looked good!

The Palm is still family owned, probably one of the only chain restaurants around that still is. I think that is pretty cool.

Pinkberry - A Nice Treat

After a long run on Saturday I decided to treat myself to some Pinkberry. For those of you not in the know, Pinkberry is all the rage in California and is not making its imprint here in NY. What it is, is a pure frozen yogurt place, not fake chemical stuff (not that I mind that). They only have two flavors vanilla and green tea. I of course got vanilla. I love vanilla which is kind of ironic because I think my personality is so not vanilla. So because this is actual frozen yogurt it does not really taste like ice cream, instead it is more like actual yogurt and therefore a little sour. I think it takes a while to get used to it but once you do it is very tasty and refreshing. The awesome thing about this place is all the fresh toppings they offer. They pretty much have every fruit plus granola and cereal, yup cereal. I love cereal!

So, here is the annoying thing about Pinkberry, it is kind of expensive. It cost me close to 6 bucks for a small cup with pineapple and granola. Also because there are only a few locations in NY, the line here can be very long. Luckily I went early and did not have to wait in line.

Ruby Tuesday's Great Bar (Salad Of Course)

I recently went to Ruby Tuesday's and I have to say I was quite impressed. I used to love going to this place with my hetero-lifemate back when I was in college but since then I kind of forgot how good it is. Lucky for me, I was reunited last weekend.

No, this is not a Cheesecake Factory, Houston's kind of place, not at all. I would compare it more to a Friday's or an Applebee's.

The best thing about Ruby Tuesday's is definitely its salad bar. It is a vast bar of great options. I am really not a huge vegetable fan and I was still was able to find many things that I like. They had every kind lettuce to choose from. On my salad I got crasins, sunflower seeds, some yummy brown croutons. cous cous, cucumbers and edamame. I love that they had edamame. It was so trendy of them. For my dressing I got a low fat balsamic that was quite tasty. If you are normal and actually eat veggies they have lots of options for you as well as some fun pasta salads. They only thing missing from this salad bar was chocolate pudding and pineapple chunks. Back in the day I am pretty sure both of these things were on the bar.

A great feature of this place is that you can get some food options with your salad bar at a reasonable price. For example you can get the salad bar and then two mini burgers and fries for 9 bucks. That is great! I got a delicious White Bean Soup and the salad bar for around $8.50. I think that is a great deal.

Of course the menu is not just the salad bar. They had lots of great appetizers like Spinach Artichoke Dip, Thai Shrimp, Dumplings and Quesidillas. The that stuck out to me were the shrimp and salmon dishes as well as the multiply hamburger choices. What is most impressive is that they serve whole wheat buns on the burgers. Really, every place should do that, it is very smart.

Overall, I think this is a great chain. One is opening up very soon in Times Square and I hope to go there a lot! If you are lucky, maybe I will take you. We can sing some Rolling Stones songs along the way. Goodbye Ruby Tuesday. Who Could Hang A Name On You? When You Change With Every New Day Still I'm Gonna Miss You.

Tune In Tonight!!!

CNBC is doing an extraordinary special tonight that is not to be missed. It is a behind the scenes looks at my favorite and of course the biggest and best chain of them all.......McDonald's. This is not to be missed.
See below for a link to more information on the special.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/19168312

The Birthday Meal

I am sure many of you have been checking this blog to see where I had the big birthday lunch. I have to say, I am a bit disappointed in the lack of comments on where I should have gone. I thought more people would have voiced their opinion on what would go into my stomach. Whatever.

Anyway, sorry this posting is a bit late. I was kind of out of commission for a few days but I am back and ready to conquer the chain restaurant world.

Drum roll please, on July 18th I had the pleasure of dining at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse with the Food Snob. I was so excited to try this place because I only heard good things about it.

(side note: why is it Ruth's Chris and not just Ruth Chris, Ruth's is a very hard word to say)

I was very impressed and surprised with the atmosphere here. It is much more stuffy and high class than I imagined. You really feel like you are in a very high end restaurant. We did not have a reservation and because it is restaurant week in NY we had to wait a good 20 minutes for a table which was kind of annoying because the hostess was very vague on how long it would take to be seated. Once I was seated though all my annoyances vanished. To start I had a very simple salad with a vinaigrette. It was good, but not anything totally amazing. I was also kind of surprised with the bread here. Yes, it was very good, nice and hot, crusty outside and soft inside but I expect more variety when i go to a steak place, this was kind of plain. The best part of the meal here is definitely the steak. It really is superb. I got a wonderful Filet that was almost perfect. It was so soft and delicious. The steak is cooked in a sizzling butter. I am sure it is very unhealthy but it really is wonderful. I also got mashed potato's with my entree. They were good, but not spectacular. Again, the steak is what really stands out. For dessert I got a delightful chocolate moose pie. It was a very nice way of ending a fine meal.

All and all, a great meal on a great birthday. Rain and subway explosions do not stop me!

That Special Day Is One Day Away

One more day until one of the greatest days of the year, Joe Torre's birthday, oh and mine of course. This special day brings a huge debate to the table, what chain to I go to for my birthday lunch? This might be more simple if I lived in a suburb and had the luxury of almost every chain at my fingertips. Instead, I am stuck on Manhattan Island and must chose from what is offered here. What I am asking for is your help, my loyal readers, in choosing where I dine on the day I officially become kind of old.

Here is a list, in no specific order, of what the island of Manhattan has to offer me on my birthday.

1) California Pizza Kitchen ( I like it a lot)

2) Del Friscos (Can I handle a big steak for lunch, probably)

3) Capital Grill (Always a soft spot in my heart)

4) Apple Bee's (Two things to celebrate, being bought by IHOP and my Bday)

5) Red Lobster (The birth of me and the birth of the blog)

6) Bubba Gump (Been there, done that)

7) Ted's Montana Grill (Been there, done that, but would do it again)

8) McDonald's (Oh what a treat it would be, my favorite restaurant)

9) Wendy's (Very convenient, in my building and all)

10) Carmine's (We all know it is a chain now)

11) Nobu (OMG such a chain)

12) Heartland Brewery (No way jose)

13) McCormick & Schmicks (eh, rather go to Red Lobster)

14) Morton's (Never been, could be nice to try it)

15) Ruth Chris Steak House (Same as Morton's)

16) Pizzera Uno

17) Rosa Mexicana (I would usually pull for this but I am having Mexican for dinner)

18) Houston's (Almost forgot about that one, hmm that is a good one)

I will just put 18 up, for good luck!

Will Applebee's Serve Pancakes?

Good job NYPost.com! I just read that IHOP is buying Applebee's. I hope that does not bring the quality of the food at Applebee's down. I really like Applebee's, it would be sad to see it lose some it's neighborhood appeal.

Below is a link to the article on everyones favorite news website.

http://breakingnews.nypost.com/dynamic/stories/I/IHOP_APPLEBEES?SITE=NYNYP&SECTION=HOME

Stay tuned for more information about this business deal.

Breaking Carmine's News

Did anyone know that there was a Carmine's in some random slot machine casino in Rhode Island?????

I had no idea. I hope I am not off of my chain game.

Even though I love chain restaurants part of me is a bit upset that Carmine's is really turning into a big ol'chain. I can deal with the outposts in the Atlantis and AC but Twin Falls, Rhode Island? Something about it just rubs me the wrong way.

I guess at least I know now that the next time I am in the middle of nowhere Rhode Island I will be able to find awesome Chicken Parm and Ziti with Garlic and Oil (my personal favorite dishes there).

It's Hot in NY & I Need Ice Cream

Of course I do not really eat ice cream, I mean what NY girl really does. Ha, we all go and love Tasti D Lite. Tasti D Lite is really a NY institution. It might be one of my top 5 things I love about NY. For those of you who do not know Tasti D Lite is a low calorie (so they say), low fat frozen dessert. It is kind of like frozen yogurt, but I think better. You might remember it from a Sex and the City episode when my hero Charlotte was eating it while walking down the street with Harry. Anyway, what is so great about Tasti D Lite is all the flavors they offer. Of course they have the standard Vanilla and Chocolate but they also have just about every kind of dessert taste you can imagine. There are too many to list so I will just tell you my favorites. Drum roll please....................................................

(not in any specific order)

Oreos n Cream

Rice Pudding

Cake Batter

Pistachio

Creme Brulee

Dulce De Leche

Coffee n Cream

I really love this place. There was a time I used to eat it everyday. I am a bit better now, probably more like 3 times a week. One annoying thing is that I noticed the quality and service vary a lot throughout the different Tasti D Lites (there are like 1,000 in NYC). The one closest to my apt is very clean and nice but the servers all have attitudes. I yelled at them once and said come on guys, you serve ice cream (sort of) for a living, be happy, smile, you are making people happy and probably lots of money while doing it. They laughed and gave me a hint of a smile. Ever since they have been a bit nicer.

Nobu - OMG You Are Such A Chain

Really Nobu, who are you fooling, you are a such a chain. Now in almost every city you go you can find a Nobu. I think you were much cooler when you had one location in Tribeca and you had to know some secret number to call and actually get a reservation for 5:30pm on a Monday night. Besides opening a mid-town location to cater to business people like myself, you are also open in Mykonnos (FYI - I totally love Greece so I don't blame Mr. DeNiro for opening one there, I mean any excuse to go to Mykonnos makes sense). Other cities you are chaining yourself to include London, Dallas (umm really, if I go to Dallas I want Tex-Mex or BBQ not Tempura), Miami, Las Vegas (Ok, everything is in Vegas so that is fine), LA (3 locations), Honolulu, Milan (what, why would you eat Sushi in Italy), Melbourne, Hong Kong and by far my favorite Tokyo (give me a break).

Anyway this shows that really Nobu you are no better than P.F. Changs. At least they have killer Lettuce Wraps there, and not just Chicken Terriyaki that is still on the bone. Ok fine, your Rock Shrimp Tempura is amazing, I will give you that.

It Looks Like Chains Are The New Thing

Anyone who ever laughed at my love of chain restaurants, please see the article below.
It seems chains are not only helping my stomach but also helping the economy!
Awesome!
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkyMiZmZ2JlbDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5NzE1OTk3OA==

Ted's Montana Grill - I was Impressed

I have to say I was a bit apprehensive to try this place. Actually maybe I was intimidated. I thought it was going to be a scary meat place with lots of Bison. Oh, I was wrong.

First they have this awesome cherry lemonade. It was one of the most delicious non-alcoholic drinks I ever had in my entire life!
They also have some nice appetizers to chose from. I got the grilled shrimp. I like shrimp as an appetizer, I should get it more often. It is light and flavorful.

What I was most impressed with at Ted's was their varieties of hamburgers and chicken sandwiches. They have around 15 different versions of each. I got a chicken sandwich with avocado slices and a side of BBQ sauce. on a whole wheat bun. It was really delicious and not too heavy at all. The have lots of choices with different cheeses, onions, peppers, bacon, guac, etc. Really, something for everyone. They also have lots of side items. The fries and onion rings looked out of this world but I got the garlic mashed potato's and they were really good.

The entree choices are also good here. Of course they have lots of steaks that I would like to try sometime soon but what really stood out to me was the Beer Can Chicken. I bet I would like that.

Anyway, good job Ted Turner, not only can you revolutionize the way we get news round the clock but you also can make a pretty good chain restaurant!

Breaking News - New Chains in the Palisades

Yup you are reading it here first. The Palisades Center is set to open two new chains. Both of them look fantastic. The first is Buffalo Wild, Wings. I have never been but I know many people who have and I only hear good things about it. The menu looks great, lots of wraps and sandwhichs with many sauces to chose from. They also have what they call Naked Tenders which are Boneless Chicken Wings that are not fried. Brilliant!

Here is a link to the site.

http://www.buffalowildwings.com/index2.asp

The second one also looks really good. It is called Bravo. I have never heard of it before but it seems like a nice upscale Italian restaurant. Nothing really stands out on the menu for me but there are lots of nice Steak, Chicken and Seafood dishes along with some fun appetizers like flat breads.

Here is a link to their site.

http://www.bravoitalian.com/

Anyway this is great news. I am very excited that the Palisades Center is getting some unique chains. I will keep you updated on opening dates.

Kona Grill - Please Open More!

Well I am back from a fabulous stay in Texas. My, my Texas is just brimming with chains. It is really a Rori wonderland. I was lucky enough to sample a new chain I have never heard of. It is called Kona Grill and it is AWESOME!

I will start with the atmosphere. Very chill yet very classy. You walk into this place and you know you will have a relaxing meal.
I would describe the menu as Asian Fusion mixed in with some American. There are so many great appetizers to chose from for example Avocado Egg Rolls, Chicken Satay and Pot Stickers. There is also a full Sushi menu which of course I did not try. Of course I did not try it because Sushi is gross but my co-worker did and he approved.

The entree choices here are great. This is one of those places where I have a hard time deciding on what to get. It is not that it is too large it is just that almost everything on the menu looks good to me. Some that looked best to me are the Chicken Wrap (it has avocado and some pineapple sauce), Jerk Chicken, Macadamia Chicken (their specialty), Thai Chicken Noodles, Basil Pesto Linguine, and the Garlic Shrimp Pizza. I ordered a the Oriental Salad with Macadamia Chicken. It was the perfect lunch salad. Nice portion and light and refreshing! I was impressed. There was not much in the salad besides the chicken, cabbage and some noodles but it was really tasty so I was happy. They also have a nice drink menu which is always a good thing.

Now on a happy note a Kona Grill will be opening in the NY area soon. The website lists Stamford, CT as one of their next locations. That is great! So if you see one in your hood, definitely check it out.

It's Official, It's Open

Yup, you are reading it here first, the first of the three new restaurants making up Northern New Jersey's restaurant row is officially open. Maggianos opened this week at the Shops of Riverside and I recently went to see how this upscale chain is holding up.
The restaurant itself is very nice. It has a casual sophisticated ambiance. They also have a nice bar area with some TVs. I looked at the drink menu and there were some really nice fun drinks as well as a good selection of wines.
For my meal I started with the mozzarella marinara which was essentially just a big mozzarella stick. It was good but not ground breaking.
They also give you bread here. It is rather plain but heated so it makes it nice. They also serve it with a oil and balsamic vinegar. It is good but again not ground breaking. They should add some garlic or something to it.
For my entree I got the chicken pesto pasta. I substituted the linguine for whole wheat penne. I love that you have the option to do that. I ordered the 1/2 portion which was more than enough for a big meal. I was very happy with the dish. The chicken was good and the sauce was tasty. I also sampled the Chicken Marsala which was delicious! Only annoying thing is that it does not come with a side. Next time I go I would order that and share it with someone that is getting a pasta dish. You get 3 big cutlets so it is more than enough to share. I also tried the Chicken Fontina which was a nice choice and the Rigatoni D. I liked it, but the person who ordered it thought it was a bit on the bland side. I thought it had a nice refreshing taste. Another dish that I would really like to try is the 4 cheese ravioli. I have come to really like ravioli in my old age.
I did not order desserts but saw them being brought out to other tables. Everything looked really good especially the chocolate cake the these homemade profiteroles (pastry things) with ice cream all around it.
One last thing to note, they also offer a family style menu that allows you to sample a bit of everything. I would do that if I went with a large party and a big appetite.

The Chains of Israel

I am back from the desert with information on what chains are in Israel.
I have to say that my 10 days in Israel were the worst 10 days of eating I have ever experienced. I actually think I was mal nourished. Unfortunately I was forced to eat mass produced hotel food for the majority of my trip so I could not really sample the cuisine but I did see lots of chains. The one that I was most surprised to see was the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Tel Aviv. Of course I was unable to go in because I was not allowed to leave the group of 19 year old brats (some exceptions of course). Anyway just the sight of it really made me happy.
Other chains were McDonalds (see below for information), Burger King, KFC, Sbarro and Dominos. Mostly fast food of course.
There was also a Niki Beach in Eliat. They have these in Miami, NYC, France and there was once one in Atlantic City. I went here for a drink when I was allowed an hour to leave the group and was really disappointed. The drink was so strong it was undrinkable even for me. Also it took 30 minutes to get a menu and they tried to rip us off on the bill. Not cool!
Anyway I am glad to be home so I can feast again on chains galore!

McDonalds in the Holy Land

So I have this thing. Whenever I travel abroad I have to try the McDonalds. I like to see what different foods they offer. For example some serve pizza and food that is favorable in that country. For example, in Greece they served Gyros. Anyway that kind of annoys me. I mean if you want a Gyro go to a real Gyro place. Let McDonalds focus on Big Macs.
So usually I think that the McDonalds in other countries is better than it is in the US. Nope, not the case in the Holy Land. I got my standard, chicken nuggets and french fries. It was just kind of bland. I think that the US must add more grease or something. I was not impressed yet it was still the best meal I have had thus far.
Some of the unique things that they had on the menu though was this pita pocket of a hamburger. Nobody on the line ordered it. They also offered lots of salads that were different than the ones in the US. You could tell the people what you wanted in your salad like tuna or chicken. They also had walnuts and I love walnuts so I thought that was cool.
Anyway, not so impressed my Israeli McDonalds. I saw a Sbarro on the road. Maybe I will come across it again and will be able to try it.

The Last Supper

Before I begin my journey to bring peace to the Middle East I want to fully indulge on the perfect chain restaurant meal. I am taking suggestions so let me know what you think my last meal should be before I begin my mission (of getting really tan that is) .

Happy Memorial Day - Hello Summer!

Hello Summer, my favorite time of year! Yup because in the summer my suburban lunch favorite, Panera, brings back my favorite salad, the Strawberry Poppyseed salad. This yummy, delicious salad is topped with strawberries, duh, blueberries, pineapples, manadarin oranges, pecans and chicken. Plus it is made with a non-fat special dressing. Perfect lunch on a hot summer day. Have that with their classic iced green tea and it is guaranteed to be a good day. They also add a tomato and fresh mozzarella salad for the summer. I am not a big tomato fan but that salad looks good too. This summer they have added a new low fat strawberry smoothie to the menu that I would like to try and a passion fruit bagel. I think the passion fruit bagel sounds very interesting. The Chicken Pomodoro Panini is another new addition to the menu that I would like to try in the near future. The only thing I am a bit afraid of with that is that the chicken is smoked and pulled. I am not really a smoked chicken fan. I like it grilled.

Seasons 52 - Outstanding

I have been spending lots of time in Hotlanta lately which is really good for this blog because it allows me to sample chain restaurants in other parts of the country. Lucky me. Most recently I had the honor to dine at what I think should be the new trend in chain restaurants. The place is called Seasons 52. It is called that because they change the menu 4 times a year to coordinate with the 4 different seasons and use fresh ingredients in all their food. What is simply amazing about this place is that everything on the menu is under 475 calories. What, that is like a Lean Cuisine meal. I can not believe this. The menu reads like every other chain restaurant menu. Sandwiches, big salads, Entrees, etc. This was not some crazy health food, granola loving place. Oh no, it is a beautifully designed upscale chain. I think I found my heaven.
To start I shared the specialty of the restaurant, flat breads. These are just long, flat pieces of specialty pizzas essentially. We got the Garlic Chicken one and it was very good. It is perfect for sharing among a group of 4 people. They also have edamame on the menu which is one of my favorite foods so I was really happy to see that. The starter salads they offer also look very nice.
I did not get one because I was getting a big salad as my entree. Now, you will not believe what kind of salad I got. It was called a Chicken Parm Salad. How cool is that? It was just grilled chicken, peppers, capers, shaved parmigiana cheese, and a lemon-pepper dressing. It was delicious and very filling! They also offer lots of sandwich's, chicken and pasta dishes, fish and even steak! And remember they claim everything is under 475 calories.
One of the coolest parts of this restaurant are their desserts. Again all are under their calorie guidelines. They are "mini indulgences" So cute! They are fun desserts served in what looks like a big shot glass. I think their are around 8 choices that your waiter comes over and shows you. I got the Pecan Pie with Vanilla Bean Moose. I was in Atlanta so I figured that was a good choice. Others that looked really good are the Red Velvet Cake, Old Fashioned Carrot Cake and Strawberry Mango Cheesecake.
To sum it all up, they need to open up more places like this very soon. If anyone from Seasons 52 is reading this, please open up in NY. I would go all the time.