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Tasting Menus

suzz

By suzz
in New Jersey: Dining

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Curlz

Curlz

Posted
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In my opinion, a tasting menu is the perfect solution to the feeling of "I'd like one of everything on the menu, please!" :biggrin:

Fwiw, it's not in NJ, but if you're ever in D.C. (WOW, what a great food town!), Cafe Atlantico has a fantastic one.

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

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adegiulio

adegiulio

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Hey Curlz, I couldn't agree with you more about DC being a great food town. Some of my best meals were eaten there, and I look forward to getting down there as often as possible...

DC Coast, Kinkeads, Citronelle....love 'em

Anthony

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"-Neil Young

"I think I hear a dingo eating your baby"-Bart Simpson

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Curlz

Curlz

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My dad is down there, so between visits to him and a few trips a year for work, I manage to get my fix! I actually learned about egullet by reading Tom Sietsema's food chats on the Wash Post site! I suppose I should thank him for the tip...

And btw, David Greggory, a new restaurant in DC, is also worth a visit on your next trip!

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

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suzz

suzz

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Kim,

At Fascino, the tasting menu is a special event where diners don't know ahead of time what they'll be getting and are asked to give feed back on the various dishes. Sort of a culinary focus group to field test recipes. Thus, the 'surprise'.

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rozrapp

rozrapp

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I realize from the glowing posts that the food a Fascino is first rate. But why would anyone want to pay to be a "culinary focus group to field test recipes"? Shouldn't that be the other way around? :wink: The restaurant Toque, in Montreal, offers a tasting menu all the time with no printed menu. Instead, if you decide to go for it, you receive whatever it is that the chef has decided to prepare that particular evening. In that respect, while the diner is surprised as to what arrives at the table, it's definitely not a field test! :laugh:

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fascino

fascino

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I assure you, it's not really a field test...We called the Tasting "A Fall Fascination" and they were 5 new fall courses that were going to be rolled over to our regular menu. If for some reason some of the dishes people didn't rave about we might not be putting them on thus the "field test". 4 of the 5 dishes are definitely being put on....We would like to open up every season with a new special tasting instead of just adding them to our menu. We think of it as a fun way to open up the season and in return let people try 5 brand new courses from our chef. It went amazingly well and we will have a Winter Tasting in January. Dates have not been set yet. Of course in the mean time we have a 5 course tasting menu for New Years Eve.

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Kim WB

Kim WB

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hmm, my first reaction was that of Roz's..you've got to be joking, paying for food that you have no idea what it will be...for example, a Fall tasting might have beets, my avoid at all costs food...on the other hand, I realized I've done just that at omikazee dinners at certain places.

It is intriguing, I guess if you are very confidant in the general quality of the restaurant. I guess there are a handful of chefs I'd trust..do you give any hints, like "not suitable for vegetatrians" or "undercooked fish served" or whatever?

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Wiener

Wiener

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I have never experienced a tasting menu but would be intrigued if someone could clear up two points:

What if they present you with food items you do not like at all?

I realize that the portions are "tasting" portions, however, it still sounds like a lot of food? Is it?

Heuriger Wein is mein Lieblingswein!

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Rosie

Rosie

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I have never experienced a tasting menu but would be intrigued if someone could clear up two points:

What if they present you with food items you do not like at all?

I realize that the portions are "tasting" portions, however, it still sounds like a lot of food? Is it?

If there are foods that you don't like you need to tell the waitstaff when you order. If you know that you are going to a tasting dinner you need to tell the hostess what you can't eat when you make the reservation. Be sure to get the name of the person you speak to in case there is a problem that evening.

I have had tasting dinners that were 5 courses and at The French Laundry and Tetsuya's in Sydney, Australis I had 14 plus courses. You learn to pace yourself!

Rosalie Saferstein, aka "Rosie"

TABLE HOPPING WITH ROSIE

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menton1

menton1

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depends on the place.  those places like the French Laundry and Aquavit, for example, whose tastings include 14 or 18 courses, generally serve them over several hours.

Better make sure you go with people who can keep the conversation going for that long a period of time!! :biggrin:

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fascino

fascino

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We made sure we had several other items in house in case someone didn't really eat a certain food. For instance, we had a couple of customers who didn't eat Lamb at all. We substituted Filet Mignon and everyone was happy. We also told everyone coming to come with an open mind but definitely let us know if there are

any dietary considerations to be made Overall we wanted to make sure the xperience was great for all who attended therefore we needed to change some dishes for some people. No problem at all for us. We were just glad there was so much interest in a blind tasting. When I first thought of the idea I wasn't sure if there was an appetite for it (no pun intended). Our family loves tastings and figured we would give it a shot.....thankfully there are a lot of other people out there who love tastings....

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tommy

tommy

Posted
Posted
i've enjoyed the tasting menu at the Brass Rail, in hoboken. they don't offer it every night, though. and they offer wine pairings as well. thread (well, just a post from me)here.

update: the Brass Rail is no longer offering a tasting menu. the dolts in hoboken simply weren't ordering it enough.

The Village Green in Ridgewood, however, is offering 3 different tastings, at least for the time being. i hope they stick to this approach.

tommy:eats.com
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