We take a bite out of the myth that only the wealthy can afford a tasting menu.
Gone are the days of two-for-one meals and reverse happy hours. Restaurants are now pushed to ask themselves what they can do to offer diners an experience that they’ll never forget. White tablecloths have been swapped for bare countertops. Let’s take a taste of what’s trending.
Bar as Food Destination
The bar of a fine dining restaurant is often seen as the space where diners pass time before the main event. Today’s chefs and restaurateurs are rethinking the purpose of bars in their tasting-menu restaurants, seizing the opportunity to provide an entirely separate experience for guests. The role of the bar has been redesigned and has now become a destination. The food offers in the bar can be an adventurous test for the dining room and an opportunity to play with and try new techniques and ideas.
From Meat to Mud pie
There’s a difference in atmosphere when dining at the bar.
The humble charcuterie board makes for a great sequence of tasting. Sweet preparations such as jams and confiture are ideal foils to sharper flavors, while acidic and salty items such as cornichons, olives, fresh fruit and raw or pickled vegetables cut through the fat of charcuterie meats and cheeses.
Why shouldn’t those with a sweet tooth have a tasting menu?
A parade of courses ranging from strawberries and sake with vanilla ice cream to cinnamon brioche doughnuts served with a cappuccino semifreddo make for a sweet and decadent tasting.
Our taste buds like small bites
You know you’ve got a winning plate if you make a small dish that’s one and a half bites; a taste of what’s being offered and just enough to enjoy the flavor, but not so much that you can’t go onto the next bite.
