America West Airlines Magazine - September 2000
"Seasons Rotisserie & Grill" - Dining Guide Feature
As the seasons change, so, of course, does the bounty of the land. Nowhere is that better illustrated than the aptly named Seasons Rotisserie & Grill. The restaurant is celebrated for a culinary lineup that stars the freshest ingredients available. Add to that a superb wine list with an emphasis on Northern California vintages, friendly servcie and one of the lovliest settings imaginable, and it is obvious why Seasons is the most compelling dining destination.
The restaurant feels both spacious and intimate. Walls are painted with vibrant shades of bittersweet and sunflower, and are hung with carefully chosen art and photographs. In the dining areas all seating requirements are addressed with deep, roomy booths as well as cozy tables for two.
But the food and wine are the primary focus of attention here. This is sophisticated "comfort food" –direct, full-flavored and presented with artistry. Meals begin with a bang – a basket of yeasty bread along with garlic-infused olive oil. But the savvy diner holds in deference to appetizers such as lettuce leaves wrapped around a subtly minced chicken misture with lime and chili dip and ruby slices of seared ahi accompanied with sparky ginger remoulade and pickled ginger. Generously cut ringlets of lightly breaded calamari get a double flavor boost from grilled tomato salsa and creamy lemon aioli.
Traditionalists love Seasons' Caesar salad; romain leaves tossed in an assertive dressing with crunchy croutons and nutty grana padano cheese shavings. Another winner in the salad category combines fresh marinated mozzerella with ripe tomatoes and peppery basil.
There may be no better lamb preparation in town than the butter-tender sirloin with mint-kissed jus, served with an unusual and flavorful goat cheese, kalamata olive and phyllo stack. Salmon fans will cheer the pairing of flaky fish with a lemon butter sauce and fluffy corn and chive pop-over. The spit-roasted herb chicken is crackly skinned and juicy; paired with garlic mashed potatoes, this combination is the kind of meal mom WISHED she'd been able to make. Beef eaters won't be able to resist the 22-ounce black Angus bone-in rib-eye with a rich Zinfandel reduction and a toothsome skewer of grilled seasonal vegetables.
On the dessert end, there is the ultimate tiramisu, tall and towering, airy and ideally balanced between sweet and slightly bitter. Another hedonistic option: golden-hued brioche bread pudding with slightly tart blackberry coulis and creme anglais. Or choose a slightly more moderate option, but one that is right in character with the philosophy of the restuaurant: a brimming bowl of jewel-hued seasonal fruit.
This is truly a dining experience for all seasons.
