Red Lobster 2004 Annual Report Download - page 17

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17
V
James฀Petraikis฀
Sous฀Chef
Seasons฀52
Joining฀Darden’s฀Seasons฀52฀has฀
been฀a฀180-degree฀culinary฀turn-
around฀for฀James฀Petraikis.฀A฀฀
graduate฀of฀the฀Culinary฀Institute฀
of฀America,฀he฀is฀a฀trained฀chef฀
whose฀career฀has฀been฀spent฀in฀
some฀of฀America’s฀finest฀dining฀
rooms.฀Why฀the฀switch฀from฀dishes฀
with฀rich฀cream฀sauces฀to฀light฀
marinades?฀“I฀had฀worked฀several฀
years฀ago฀with฀some฀of฀the฀creators฀
of฀Seasons฀52,”฀he฀explains.฀“I฀was฀
intrigued฀by฀the฀concept฀and฀felt฀a฀
focus฀on฀lighter,฀healthier฀dining฀
was฀a฀growing฀market฀that฀offered฀
more฀opportunity฀for฀me.”฀After฀just฀
five฀months,฀James฀already฀is฀a฀
manager-in-training฀and฀will฀shortly฀
help฀open฀the฀second฀Seasons฀52฀
in฀the฀Orlando฀area.
Innovation฀
It’s a tall order for any chef. Oversee a kitchen where the menu changes
weekly. Prepare recipes that feature fresh, seasonal ingredients. And,
make sure all dishes are 475 calories or less. This is the mandate for
Sous Chef James Petraikis and his culinary colleagues at Seasons 52,
Darden’s newest test concept that has been in operation for just over
a year in Orlando. “You certainly can’t complain about monotony,”
laughs James. “As a chef, it is challenging and intriguing. You’re
always learning something new.”
Seasons 52 is the creation of Darden’s internal New Business team that
is charged with identifying and developing new restaurant concepts
to help drive Darden’s future growth. Seasons 52 is designed to not
only be a great restaurant with delicious food and excellent service,
but also to help our guests celebrate living well through seasonally-
inspired, healthier dining. “We use no butter and we have no fryers
in the restaurant,” says James. “To impart a special flavor, most dishes
are cooked on an oak-burning grill.” With a constantly changing
menu, the development of new seasonal recipes is an ongoing and
arduous assignment. Every item undergoes rigorous taste-panel test-
ing before going on the menu, and must pass very high benchmarks
for taste and appearance.
Seasons 52’s focus on seasonally inspired, nutritionally balanced cuisine,
combined with a casually sophisticated atmosphere and wine bar has
Darden poised to build a leadership position in yet another segment of
casual dining. It’s an effort that is well underway with the expansion of
the Seasons 52 test to two new Florida locations in the coming months.
17