***** (5 stars)

This is the original, and I think still the best Seasons 52. It’s hard to believe this is a chain owned by Darden, the same people who bring you Olive Garden. The food here is delicious, nutritious, and low in calories; in fact, the original concept was that everything was less than 475 calories, which given its flavorful nature was amazing. Now there are some exceptions, but it’s still pretty healthful.

I like the quarterly updating of the menu. Favorites are all of the flatbreads, the cedar plank salmon, the vegetarian plate and the hummus. Less successful are the burgers.

While many people like the little dessert shot glasses, they’re not what I want in a dessert; they remind me of supermarket pudding cups. But that’s okay, it makes it easy to skip a course that could double the meal’s calorie count.

Although the wine list has been dumbed down since the early days, there are still some interesting offerings, even by the glass.

My favorite thing about Seasons is the architecture, both inside and outside. Drawing upon elements of Frank Lloyd Wright ad the 1950s, it is elegant, interesting and restful. A great place for business lunches, family dinners, single (there’s an active bar scene here) and dates–quite an accomplishment to work for so many different interests.

Seasons 52
7700 Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 354-5212
http://www.yelp.com/biz/seasons-52-orlando