Now through November 18th, the Autumn-inspired Root & Vine menu at Seasons 52 features three-courses using the freshest ingredients the season has to offer, like mushrooms, apples, pumpkin and more. Entrees are prepared using oak-fire grilling and brick oven-roasting to be naturally lighter and under 595 calories allowing diners to enjoy the robust flavors of the season and still feel good about their choices.

Upon invitation, we sampled the menu and, as always, the cuisine was excellently prepared and presented. Here are the highlights!

Before we started on our meal, we opted to sample the Caymus Autumn Wine Flight ($18) which highlights three notable wines from the Caymus family including:

— Sea Sun by Caymus ‘Tri-County’, Chardonnay, CA ’17
Pairs with fish and chicken as well as richer dishes

— Conundrum, Proprietary, Red Blend, CA ’17
A smooth texture that goes well with our Mediterranean-Style Braised Lamb

— Caymus, Cabernet Sauvignon, CA ’17
Lush berry flavors make this a great match with the Kona-Crusted Prime Sirloin

Each wine was very good, but we both really enjoyed the red blend the best!

For starters, we enjoyed the Cheddar Tomato Bisque and Field Greens Salad. We’ve had both of these before and they are top-notch starters. I love this bisque so much. It has a great depth of flavor and is so comforting. It’s like a hug in a bowl. The Field Greens Salad is so fresh and full of chunky vegetables and perfectly dressed with white balsamic vinaigrette. The nearly entree-sized salad is quite generous and satisfying.

For our mains, we enjoyed the Kona-Crusted Prime Sirloin – served with roasted Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and a brandy cream sauce and Mediterranean Lamb Loin – served with herb, fig & pistachio couscous, sesame yogurt, and a balsamic glaze. We had each cooked medium-rare.

They’re also featuring a Brick Oven-Roasted Wild Cod served with cauliflower and chickpeas, salsa verde and lime butter. It was a hard choice between the cod and the lamb, but I went with the heartier lamb which was exceptionally cooked.

You can’t end a meal at Seasons 52 without one of their famous indulgences. We tried the seasonally-inspired Pumpkin Pie Mini Indulgence and Caramel Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Mini Indulgence. Always a perfect sweet ending!

As I’ve said many times before, Seasons 52 is one of the best chain restaurants out there. While Darden Restaurants owns it, it doesn’t feel corporate. The restaurant at the Cherry Hill Mall is always packed, including at the bar. The staff never misses a beat, though. They provide a wonderful guest experience every time. It’s always a pleasure to dine there.

If you’re looking to take a break from cooking for Thanksgiving, consider Seasons 52. They’ll be offering a complete Thanksgiving dinner — $29.95 for adults and $14 for children. Take a break this year and let Seasons 52 do the cooking!

When you go, by all means, tell them Philly Grub sent you. Enjoy!

Thanks to Seasons 52 for the invitation and the Cherry Hill team for the hospitality. Extra special thanks to Managing Partner CJ Weiss, Beverage Manager Mike Smith, Sous Chef Grant Braeuer, and our server Julia who always do a fantastic job when we visit. Our opinions are our own.