Carlos' Highland Park Degustation Dilemma

[aughmag]

Hello. My husband and I have reservations for Monday night at Carlos' for our anniversary. There are two degustation menus. One is for meat/game and the other is for shellfish/fish. I just spoke to someone at the restaurant who said that as a rule they do not allow for substitutions. I find that kind of odd. Five courses of meat accompanied by five glasses of red wine if you opt for the pairings seems like overkill (no pun intended). I suppose that one of us could get the fish and the other the meat, but as my husband does not drink alcohol, I'd be out on the appropriate wine pairings. Has anyone been here and had a flexible menu? How about recent experiences at this restaurant in general? Thanks!

[Tsulli1]

Hello. My husband and I have reservations for Monday night at Carlos' for our anniversary. There are two degustation menus. One is for meat/game and the other is for shellfish/fish. I just spoke to someone at the restaurant who said that as a rule they do not allow for substitutions. I find that kind of odd. Five courses of meat accompanied by five glasses of red wine if you opt for the pairings seems like overkill (no pun intended). I suppose that one of us could get the fish and the other the meat, but as my husband does not drink alcohol, I'd be out on the appropriate wine pairings. Has anyone been here and had a flexible menu? How about recent experiences at this restaurant in general? Thanks!

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My wife and I went for Valentines day last year and they offered a special blended menu (both seafood and meat/game). Chef Velasquez does a nice job. I believe they also offer an a la carte menu. We enjoyed our meal and the service was great. It surprises me that they would not make substitutions or mix it up on the degustation menus.

[mlarue]

I've come to know Carlos (Nieto) a bit over the past four years or so and one overriding characteristic is his desire to please customers -- far more than slavish adherence to arbitrary "rules". My suggestion is that you simply ask for what you want or don't want and it is highly likely that they will bend over backwards to assist.

[aughmag]

I've come to know Carlos (Nieto) a bit over the past four years or so and one overriding characteristic is his desire to please customers -- far more than slavish adherence to arbitrary "rules".  My suggestion is that you simply ask for what you want or don't want and it is highly likely that they will bend over backwards to assist.

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That's the sense that I get. Thank you for the comments. Looking forward to dinner!