Dining Out - Southeast - Seasons 52, Birmingham, AL

We selected Seasons 52 for our anniversary meal. A blurb from their webpage "Rotating menu of seasonal American dishes alongside international wines in an upscale setting." Here's the link to their website. Take a few moments and browse. if there's a Seasons 52 near you, please try to add it to your "have to try" list.  Seasons 52

They use in-season ingredients and prepare them with rustic techniques such as oak wood grilling and brick oven roasting. They offer a wide selection of flatbreads with numerous toppings. An entire portion of the menu is dedicated to the Chef's suggestions for the particular in-season ingredients they have on hand at any given time. The wine list is extensive.

The decor is dark, intimate and cozy. We never felt rushed and our server, Brandi, was perfect. She was very helpful with menu suggestions and her food delivery time was spot on.

After debating the cocktail selections, I chose the Pomegranate Margarita Martini. Made with 1800 Silver Tequila, Patrón Citrónge & Pomegranate Juice $11.90. This cocktail had the perfect union of tart and sweet. Just a lovely drink.

As soon as he saw the menu, Harold chose their version the Prairie Mule. Prairie Organic Vodka, Ginger Beer, Fresh Lime, served in a traditional copper mug $9.50. After the first sip, he knew to drink this one slowly! He loved it.

For our appetizer, I let him choose with no input from me. I wanted to see which one of the many listed he would pick. He chose very wisely with this one.

Lump Crab, Roasted Shrimp & Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms under a Parmesan-panko crust $9.50. Look closely.  Do you see those two shrimp intertwined on top? I thought the dish as a whole needed just a little more seasoning, but the combination of crab, spinach, mushroom, and shrimp was delicious. The shrimp were not overcooked. I'd like to try to make these at home.

And now on to the salads. As we all know, Harold very seldom strays from the tried and true Caesar salad. But this one had the great addition of baby kale. It was lightly dressed with lots of shaved Parmesan. Ciabatta croutons added a great crunch.

Crisp Romaine & Baby Kale Caesar shaved Parmesan cheese, toasted garlic ciabatta croutons $8.00

I could eat this salad every single day. I promise. If they would bottle the dressing for this salad, I would buy as many bottles as I could. It was light and vinegary and paired well with the mixed greens. The toasted pumpkin seeds were a great seasonal addition. The tomatoes and cucumbers are hidden in this picture, but they were there!

Organic Field Greens cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, white balsamic vinaigrette $5.80

Harold chose the Oak Grilled Flat Iron Steak. Grilled Flat Iron Steak mushrooms, roasted tomato, broccolini, Yukon mash, red wine sauce $16.00. He was nice enough to share a few bites with me. The steak literally was so tender you could cut it with the fork. Melt in your mouth delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly to his order of medium rare. Sorry for the blurred picture. I think he was pulling the plate back over in front of him so he could get started on this beautiful meal.

I chose the Southern Shrimp and Grits. Southern-Style Shrimp and Grits sauté of shrimp, chorizo, bacon and sweet peppers over stone ground cheddar grits $19.50.

The shrimp were perfectly cooked, the grits were cheesy and hot and not gummy as some grits can be when have been prepared for awhile. Everything on this plate was freshly made and plated. The addition of the chorizo added a little heat, but it wasn't overwhelming. I would order this one again.

And now it's time for dessert. Instead of huge pieces of cake or pie, Seasons 52 offers "Mini-Indulgences." $3.50 Each glass holds about 3 - 4 bites. Just enough.

We were presented with a selection of about 10 of these perfect sized desserts. True to form and our personalities, Harold can't resist chocolate and peanut butter and I couldn't say no to the pecan pie. We shared bites of each one and both were amazing.

A perfect spot for a late afternoon anniversary meal. Don't miss an opportunity to dine at Seasons 52.