So Many Dishes

We rarely go out to dinner, but lunch is another matter. Before Covid, we went out for lunch every Wednesday and Saturday. Wednesday was usually “cheap lunch”—a sub at Jersey Mike’s or a pick two at Panera, for example. Saturday lunches were usually at sit down restaurants. Obviously, lockdown ended our lunch routine. We’ve never gotten back to the twice weekly lunches, for some reason. We’re more likely to get lunch out on Saturday.

This week, though, the stars aligned, and we were had two wonderful restaurant lunches in less than a week. On Saturday, we enjoyed eating on the patio at one of our favorite local restaurants, Bonefish Mac’s. I like the fact that they have an extensive and creative variety of salads. The thing is, though, I have a favorite, and I get it almost every time: island salmon salad. Despite my resolve to try something different, I ordered it again. I love the combination of teriyaki grilled chicken over greens, with mandarin orange sections, chow mein noodles, and topped with a grilled pineapple slice. It’s served with a sesame Asian dressing. It was tasty as always.

Today’s lunch was actually a bribe. Ken had planned to change drum heads on the drum set at the church after his doctor’s appointment this morning. He suggested that I go along to help, and offered lunch at Seasons 52 in Palm Beach Gardens as a reward.

I love Seasons 52, as much for its setting as the excellent food and service. It’s right on the Intracoastal Waterway, and we always sit outside. Although the cool front hadn’t pushed through the area, the humidity had started to drop, and it was very comfortable.

I have a favorite at this restaurant, too, that’s my usual order, but I changed things up. I joined Ken in having one of their flatbread lunch pairings. I chose the Philly cheesesteak flatbread with a field greens salad. Ken opted for the roasted tomato flatbread and a bowl of lobster bisque. Everything was delicious. We traded tastes of our flatbreads, and Ken gave me a spoonful of his soup. Our server came to check on us as I was tasting the bisque and commented, “sharing is caring.”

There’s one other thing that is special about having lunch at Seasons 52: it’s the only time when we have a glass of wine at lunch. We both enjoyed a New Zealand Sauvignon blanc. It’s just the perfect place to relax and sip a glass of wine.

As we were leaving, Ken said that we really shouldn’t wait so long to go back. I reminded him that my birthday is in a little over a month, and I think another lunch like this would be the perfect way to celebrate.

Whether you eat at home or elsewhere, happy eating!