Dinner: The Seasons, Appleton, WI
Review — I am about to say something that will vastly conflict with some of my past Appleton food reviews. This was by far the best meal (Jean’s home cooking aside!) I have ever experienced in Appleton. Now, to be fair to Tom’s and Prime Quarter, this was the closest we have come to fine dining in Appleton also, and it showed.
The menu at The Seasons changes periodically to reflect the foods that are thriving during a particular season. The waiter was spot on in all his menu item descriptions, and he was exceedingly on top of things without ever being intrusive. At our table, the lobster tail as well as the lobster bisque were popular items, as well as the sea bass, crab cakes, and tuna. There was not a single complaint heard at the table throughout the night.
Before the meal began, we were served a bread basket (two actually, as there were six of us dining) with flavored butters. The basket contained many different types of breads… if I had to guess, I would say there were breadsticks, seasoned flatbread, sourdough, multigrain, and possibly a few others. I tried the sourdough with the roasted red pepper butter, which was delicious. I also tried a small piece of the flat bread, which had tons of seasonings and was bursting with flavor. The bread baskets were even refreshed midway through the meal!
For an appetizer, I decided to be brave and try the carpaccio. I have never had this dish, and I asked the waiter his opinion. He said it was terrific, so I sucked in my breath and ordered it. When it arrived, it was artfully arranged in a sort of pinwheel on the plate with capers and ground pepper and sea salt on top. It basically just looked like really thin slices of deli roast beef. It tasted very much like fancy deli roast beef, only it practically melted the first second it hit my mouth. It was very good and not nearly as scary as I had expected. Patrick started his meal with the lobster bisque, which I also tried. Unlike the other night at Fusion, it was piping hot, and very good.
For dinner, Patrick and I both ordered the lobster tail. When it arrived, it was honestly the largest lobster tail I have ever been served for a set (not “market”) price. The waiter quickly scurried over and removed the shell from the plate, and we were free to eat. The lobster tail was served with potatoes (skinned and cut into almost football-like shapes… this is one town over from Green Bay, after all!) and very skinny green beans. It was all wonderful. The potatoes were so simple yet very flavorful. The lobster tail, aside from being huge, was perfectly seasoned and served with the obligatory drawn butter (as you can guess, I am a fan).
Sara partook of the sea bass and said she enjoyed it quite well. As she is not the most adventurous eater, that is a high compliment. Pat went out on a limb with the tuna, which was served in the sushi style, and he was raving about it throughout the meal. Crab cakes were a hit with Don (again, the temperature factor so lacking at Fusion was present here). Jean, Patrick, and I all had the lobster tail and they enjoyed theirs as much as I.
We were all too full to enjoy any of the delicious looking desserts on the menu. Our experience here was fantastic even without dessert (the best part in many restaurants), and we departed The Seasons vowing to return soon.