Seasons 52, Tysons Corner, Virginia

I met some of my friends at Seasons 52, a chain restaurant, in Northern Virginia.  I'm not a big fan of national chain restaurants, but my friends really wanted to try it so I thought 'what the heck.' Seasons 52 restaurants can be found as far south as Florida, as far southwest as Texas and in the midwest in states like Illinois. They describe themselves as a fresh grill and wine bar with a seasonally-inspired menu in a casually sophisticated ambiance. We'll see about that.

This one was located in the Tysons Corner shopping center in Mclean, Virginia. When I got there, my friends were already seated close to the entrance. The restaurant was huge -- it reminded me of a Cheesecake Factory in size, but with a bar area as well. Part of the restaurant was open to the mall, which I didn't like so I was glad we weren't sitting on that side.

They brought me the special vegan menu which included a soup and edamame for appetizers, a few salads, a pasta, and a vegetable plate with tofu.  I went with the Farmer's Market Vegetable Plate, which, while not exciting, appeared to be the best option.

I hadn't expected such a variety of vegetables -- there were mushrooms, carrots, red bell peppers, asparagus, onions, beets, and broccoli. On a separate plate was cranberry-almond tabbouleh along with roasted pears and squash. There was also grilled tofu.

It actually looked better than it tasted. The vegetables were pretty standard - some tasted sauteed and others steamed. The tofu was chargrilled so it tasted like the grill, but there was no other sauce. It was described as ponzu-glazed tofu, but didn't taste like it was glazed at all. There really should have been some sort of sauce with it. The tabbouleh was fine. The roasted pear and squash glazed with maple syrup were pretty good.

The plate was $13, which I thought was overpriced for what it was. The meal was pretty plain, but maybe that is because their concept is to ensure that every entree they serve is under 475 calories so a sauce might have thrown it over. Even so, the dish needed something else. If you are in an area with no vegan options and find a Seasons 52, it is good to know they have vegan options, but I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to find one.

Seasons 52
Tysons Corner Shopping Center
7863L Tysons Corner
Mclean, VA 22102
(703) 288-3852