this is amusing

[bilrus]

If we're talking about a restaurant where the extra cost of the amuse raises the overall cost of the meal significantly enough to worry about it, then that restaurant shouldn't be serving an amuse in the first place.

[chefzadi]

Next time I'm tempted to send out an amuse, I'll stop myself. Because ya know it's not trendy anymore and if anything I am a cutting edge chef. I strive for this, this is all that matters. Although the concept of amuse is part of my food culture, long before it was a trend. But now that I've been told that an old tradition has become faddy in America and London, I'll just have to stop. Mezze must go too, because the whole small plates thing has been done to death. If I do send out an amuse I'll be sure to charge for it, because free food is no longer welcome or it is suspect because it might be added to the bill through a back door method. And damn when I put a little lobster butter on toasted brioche or a little creme fraiche and caviar it distracted me from eveything else and the rest of the dishes will suffer. Cause after 2 decades of working I still can't walk, talk and chew gum at the same time.

(By the way if the emoticon didn't signal this, I am totally joking. All in good fun)

[bilrus]

Next time I'm tempted to send out an amuse, I'll stop myself. Because ya know it's not trendy anymore and if anything I am a cutting edge chef. I strive for this, this is all that matters. Although the concept of amuse is part of my food culture, long before it was a trend. But now that I've been told that an old tradition has become faddy in America and London, I'll just have to stop. Mezze must go too, because the whole small plates thing has been done to death. If I do send out an amuse I'll be sure to charge for it, because free food is no longer welcome or it is suspect because it might be added to the bill through a back door method. And damn when I put a little lobster butter on toasted brioche or a little creme fraiche and caviar it distracted me from eveything else and the rest of the dishes will suffer. Cause after 2 decades of working I still can't walk, talk and chew gum at the same time.   

(By the way if the emoticon didn't signal this, I am totally joking. All in good fun)

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A cliche can't really become a cliche unless a lot of people like it or believe in it to begin with.

I still like all those things.

[chefzadi]

As a consumer I really like the amuse I've had at some Italian places

Beef tendon with arugula seaoned

Cured beef, very thinly sliced

Fresh mushroom, parmaggiano cheese, a drizzle of olive oil

At Algerian places maybe some olives and spiced nuts.

[*Deborah*]

In the early 90s, at my family's "special occasion restaurant," we used to get bruschetta on the table while we were ordering, as an amuse...that was before bruschetta were ubiquitous, too.

I think it's a nice touch, but I don't expect it.

[Radio7]

If Steve Cuozzo would like to get those pesky 'amuses' off his hands, he's free to send them to me - I've never had one.

I agree with Pan's comments that amuses are opportunities to experience the invention of the chef, I may not otherwise be privy to. If you don't like something, or are allergic, a polite "no thankyou" would seem to be the obvious answer.

Sadly, this is pure conjecture - Steve, I await your castoffs!

[Raoul Duke]

I see visions of all the back of house staff, betting on and peering through the door to see if you are really going to eat the amuse.

[foodie52]

My heart bleeds for the poor restaurant critic....is it policy that you have to be crabby once in a while? And anyway, I thought "critiquing" meant that you left your bad moods at home and tried to be as objective as possible.

I like amuses. I like those itty bitty plates and cups and what have you. It puts me in a good mood.

[Culinista]

That man sounds like he has severe indigestion.

Some of the best bites I've had were amuse-bouche. And sometimes, if a mediocre amuse came out while we were still examining the menu, it would serve as a warning not to venture too far into the water.

I do have a problem with restaurants that place dishes unbidden on the table, and then charge you if you touch it. I know this is standard practice in Portugal and maybe people there are OK with it, but it feels wrong. It's also not nice to think how long that terrine, etc. languished on the table before there was a taker.