Darden Restaurants Inc. in Orlando, FL, the world's largest casual dining restaurant operator, has developed a new restaurant concept that perfectly suits the trend toward high-nutrition and lower-calorie dining.

The organization, which is best known for its Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurants, opened its first Seasons 52 Fresh Grill and Wine Bar in Orlando, FL, in February 2003. The restaurant proved so successful that it opened two additional locations in 2005: one in Fort Lauderdale and another in Altamonte Springs, near Orlando.

Two more locations, one in Palm Beach Gardens and the other in Fort Lauderdale, are currently in the construction phase and are scheduled to open before the end of the year.

Blaine Sweatt, president of Seasons 52 and Darden's New Business Division, said that the addition of the two restaurants that Darden opened earlier this year provided the company with the opportunity to further test the concept "by evaluating different guest demographics, retail environments and restaurant footprints."

Clifford Pleau, executive chef of Seasons 52, explained that while those involved in creating and delivering the concept are aware of health, fitness, obesity, disease and nutrition topics, the idea was not approached from a clinical point of view.

"We were guided by a 'fresh and seasonal' angle, but one that has a 'it's good for you' advantage, said Chef Pleau. "If you roll with the seasons, consuming what is available as it comes out of the earth, it is already a healthier way to eat.

The theory behind dining at a Seasons 52 restaurant is that a complete meal will not exceed one-third of the recommended daily calorie recommendations for the average adult in the United States.

Although every person's suggested daily calorie intake differs according to height, activity level, current weight and other factors, the average intake without gaining weight is 2,400 calories. No item on the restaurants' menus exceeds 475 calories. A meal can include an appetizer of around 250 calories, an entree under 475 calories and a glass of wine, and still not exceed the 800 calorie-per-meal suggestion.

But the dishes included in the meal are delicious and satisfying. Consider the grilled ahi tuna over udon noodles with miso mushroom broth and fresh young bok choy as an example.

It stands to reason that the menu items depend heavily on fresh produce. Chef Pleau said that coming from 25 years of fine dining experience into a more casual setting gave him an opportunity to bring some ideas to Season 52's concept that had not been done at other restaurants.

"Fresh produce was a big part of what we did at the restaurants I worked at in the past, he said. "I was always inspired by dishes that include pure foods as opposed to processed or packaged items. Blaine Sweatt and I, as well as other staff members, collaborate on the recipes, and the menu changes weekly, so there is a lot of room to incorporate fresh produce.

The Seasons 52 team agreed that menu items should not be so exotic that patrons did not know what they are or could not pronounce the names of the ingredients. They also agreed that the menu, even though it changes regularly, should be concise.

"For example, we will always have salad entrees, as well as small side salads, Chef Pleau explained. "We offer a pizza selection that is served on a 20-inch long by four-inch wide piece of ultra thin flatbread. Toppings vary, but generally include fresh produce.

Double garlic chicken breast flatbread with balsamic onions and roasted red peppers is one example of a Seasons 52 flatbread item. But it's not only the recipes and fresh products that make the company stand out among other eating establishments, it is also about how foods are prepared: Nothing is fried, and as little oil as possible is used.

"We use golden beets, for example, and many people will say they don't like beets, said Chef Pleau. "That is because they automatically think of the red beets that are sold in jars. We take fresh beets and roast them with the skins on in a little olive oil. When tender, we peel off the skins. We use this technique with as many vegetables as possible. The reaction from guests is usually, "wow, this is what a vegetable should taste like." There is no comparison between the flavor of these items, whether served as a side dish or incorporated into an entree, compared to processed products.

Another common vegetable that the chefs at Seasons 52 turn into a delectable treat is fresh corn. Chef Pleau said corn is roasted in an oven. When cooked, the husk is peeled back and the silk removed, and the husk is laid back in place. When ordered, an ear is reheated and served. He said that it sells like "popcorn.

Other vegetables used in abundance at Seasons 52 are asparagus, which is either grilled or roasted; onions; salad greens, including micro greens; lots of freshly chopped vegetables in its tabouli recipe; and many other in-season products. Avocados are used in the Cobb salad, but in limited amounts so as to keep the calorie count of the dish low. Chef Pleau said that he is also focusing on increasing the number of fruit items offered on the menu, as well as coming up with creative ways to use them.

"The challenge is marking the seasons so we know what will be available in coming weeks, he continued. "An example is baby white turnips, which we source from a supplier in Los Angeles. It is a short season, so we have to turn the menu item quickly.

Seasons 52 uses foragers to help it locate the fresh produce items it needs. Chef Pleau said that these buyers go anywhere necessary to find seasonal products.

The burgeoning chain also has a unique wine category. It offers 140 varieties, and about 60 are available by the glass. It also caters to people with dietary restrictions. Servers carry hand-held ordering devices that supply a full list of recipe ingredients, as well as a caloric breakdown. Chef Pleau said that the device is helpful in building customer confidence.

Seasons 52 is being promoted as a casually sophisticated grill and wine bar with a seasonally changing menu. Its parent company, Darden Restaurants, should know what goes into building a successful restaurant chain: It owns and operates 1,325 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones restaurants, has annual sales of $5 billion and employs over 140,000 people.