Season to Taste — Restaurant in Cambridge

Edited to add: After seeing this review, the owner of the restaurant reached out to have a conversation with me and address the issue. He walked me through Season to Taste's allergen protocols and processes in the kitchen and is working to better understand how cross contamination might have occurred that night. I really appreciate Robert's diligence and sincere apology/concern. He also comped our meal. Thanks, Robert!

x posted to yelp

We really wanted to love this place and make it our routine date night spot after coming here to celebrate my partner’s birthday. The outdoor seating, easy parking, and quality of the food had us really excited to come back! However, we ordered dessert to share and after one bite of the flourless chocolate cake, my partner immediately started to swell up. She has a nut allergy, and although there were purportedly no nuts in the cake, she spent the rest of the night incredibly ill. Sparing the details, she was close to needing an ER. There are items with whole hazelnuts on the menu, so we think that there was enough cross contamination to elicit a severe allergic reaction. Typically shared kitchens are not an issue when we dine out.

When I called the restaurant that night (left a VM) and several times the day after, no one picked up. I called from a different number and got some guy on the line who read me an ingredient list (no nuts) which leads me to believe that cross contamination was the issue here. “Sorry about that” was the extent of the apology we received. 3 weeks later, some tertiary signs of the allergic reaction have only just healed.

It ended up being a terrible night, but there were some highlights: -great appetizers (the bone marrow and crudo stood out) -satisfying portions -diligent service -excellent bottle from ovum, one of our fave wine producers

If you have no allergies, try this place out. We won’t be...

Their namesake in North Cambridge used to be one of my top 5 restaurants in the Boston area. The food was amazing and the service was memorable. This new restaurant, unfortunately, has nothing in common with it except the name (and the owner, as we learnt later). I went to celebrate my birthday and ended up leaving thoroughly disappointed and without ordering dessert as we had initially planned. The staff is probably really busy, so we want to be empathetic to that, but they ignored us for a while, instead turning their attention to a couple who arrived after us (perhaps they looked better dressed than us?). When they finally did take our order, my partner asked for a cocktail recommendation - something sweet and creamy, and our server suggested sultana swing, a cocktail that turned out to be not creamy in the slightest and extremely strong. My cocktail, night at the opera, was good. The dishes- Tuna crudo (1 star, didn't even taste like fish, and was incredibly bitter.) Beef tartare (2 stars, tasted odd) Carrots (2 stars, honestly I used to love this dish at their old place but even this tasted completely mediocre and plasticky) Burrata (3 stars, the flavors were good but it was much too cold. Burrata is best served at room temperature) At the end I asked if there was a change from the old management and was told that everything except the owner had changed. Yep. That is evident. Given that I live steps away I was thrilled when I first saw their name here and excited to patronize a local restaurant, but alas, that is not to be. You're better off taking a few more steps and going to Barcelona Wine Bar where the food is better and the service is warm, friendly,...

What had the potential to become my go-to spot for drinks and food in Cambridge quickly turned into one of the most uncomfortable and inhospitable dining experiences I’ve ever had. Despite the lively, loud atmosphere filled with conversation and laughter from other tables, I — sitting quietly alone in the corner, facing a wall/window and on FaceTime with a single guest — was the only person singled out and approached by the general manager (I believe his name is Nick).

Rather than creating a welcoming environment, this manager made it abundantly clear I wasn’t. He told me to keep it down, despite the fact that the noise from other patrons was literally echoing off the walls. It was so loud, I could barely hear my call — yet no one else was told to lower their volume. Why was I the only one targeted? It felt discriminatory, petty, and completely out of touch with how a manager should behave.

I came prepared to enjoy a full meal and a relaxed experience, but that moment killed any comfort I had. While my server, Andrew, was incredibly kind and attentive — a true professional — it’s a shame his efforts are completely undermined by such unprofessional, antagonistic management. Honestly, Andrew deserves a much better place to work, where his talent and warmth aren’t overshadowed by the poor judgment of the person in charge.

I strongly encourage others to think twice before supporting a restaurant where the general manager goes out of his way to make paying customers feel unwelcome. There are plenty of places in Cambridge that know how to treat guests with basic respect — this, unfortunately, is not...