Seasons’ end
Upscale Davis restaurant closing soon; Hair salon has new ownership
After more than 15 years, Seasons Kitchen & Bar will close at the end of this week, its chef and property owner both confirmed.
The official closing date is Sunday, Sept. 15 but Executive Chef Yekaterina Balagian said the final dinner service will be Saturday. On Friday, the management informed 18 Seasons employees that they would be laid off and lose their benefits, she said.
Presidio Companies owns the Hilton Garden Inn at 110 F St. and Seasons, at 102 F St., and leases out ground-floor spaces to businesses like T-Mobile and Hikari Sushi & Omakase. I contacted Presidio’s Managing Principal Guneet Bajwa, who responded: “After much consideration, it was a difficult decision to make, given how integral Seasons has been to our community. For now, I’ll leave it at that.”
He said the company would issue a news release next week with additional details. Sources say the hotel will likely continue using the restaurant space for catering and special events.
It may not be related but Presidio has plans to redevelop the G Street side of the hotel. The proposed project, called Lifestyle Hotel, would demolish an existing two-story rear structure of the Hilton Garden Inn and construct a new five-story, 104-room rear addition with a rooftop bar.
Since late August, the restaurant has worked with a limited menu, trying to use up its food inventory, Balagian said. “Last Friday’s (Aug. 30’s) dinner service was particularly challenging. We ran out of food around 7 p.m., and I found myself personally apologizing to each table. It was heartbreaking.”
She closed the restaurant for the day on Sept. 1 to regroup. The chef, who has been at Seasons for about a year, is known for her fresh ingredients, often sourced directly from local farms. Her food is always flavorful and inventive.
“I am working on a way to say goodbye to Davis with a community table style dinner service with a limited-yet-thoughtful family style menu next week,” she said, noting that’s the only way it will work. “I’m hoping we can show the community how much they mean to us and also give us one last chance to help our staff make some extra money from gratuities that will help them in their transition.”
The chef said she’s doing everything she can to support her wonderful employees. “I’m reaching out to all my contacts in the industry throughout Yolo and Sacramento counties to help place as many of my staff as possible, or at the very least, secure interviews or make connections for them. They’ve been the heart and soul of Seasons, and my priority is ensuring they land on their feet.”
Balagian is one of the lead chefs at the Tower Bridge Dinner tonight in Sacramento. After Seasons, she plans some pop-ups under her business name The Dolce Diva. She also has other plans she can’t yet announce.
→ Working remotely: I’m posting this from Ljubljana, Slovenia, our third stop in a three-week trip through Croatia, Slovenia and Munich. We started in Zagreb, Croatia, and spent a couple of days in Bled, Slovenia before coming here.
