While some might say the tasting menu is not right for them, often it’s people reluctance to relinquish control that inhibits them from having a dining experience to its fullest. The tasting menu is the optimal process for a chef to work his or her craft. If I were to compare dining to the theater. it would look something like this. When the consumer chooses their food, they are getting three (hopefully) good acts. They may be entertaining in their own right, but there is no flow between them. There is no story arch. The tasting menu, on the other hand, is the entire play, with each act leading you directly into the next act. When you are completed, you have a holistic picture of the experience.
While I consider Richmond a competent culinary city, it lacks the star power of a New York, Chicago and even DC. And with this star power comes some pretty impressive and vast testing menus. They are so amazing and over the top that in some ways they become too much. Still, they are worth experiencing a few times in your life. I’m thinking along the lines of Thomas Keller’s French laundry in Sonoma, David Chang’s Momofuku Ko in NYC, Grant Achatz’ Alinea in Chicago, or Jose Andres’ Mini Bar in DC. All these places have too many courses at a very high price tag (deservedly so).Richmond doesn’t have that. The only person who could really get away with it is enjoying his life working side by side with his family.
I’m not saying Richmond is a bad food city. I think it is a very good food city and yet I think it is okay that Richmond doesn’t have this type of high end restaurant. Why? Because it is not sustainable. We couldn’t keep the Frog and the Redneck from closing. We couldn’t keep One North Belmont from going under. While some of you might be quick to point out their flaws, I am not sure that even a perfectly run restaurant with a high price point would still work in this city.
So instead of focusing on what we don’t have, let us celebrate what we do have. We have some good chefs. We have a few great chefs. We have some fun dining options. We have diversity in the city, and it is creeping its way out to the suburbs. Just thinking about names like Walter Bundy, Jason Alley, Dale Reitzer, and Paolo Randazzo, get me hungry and excited. There is another level of chefs that are working themselves into that level. There are chefs on the bench that could be ready for a new exciting project to get them back in the game. There are chefs that are learning in more well known kitchens in order to bring that knowledge back to RVA. Richmond has a bright culinary future, and it is time to start enjoying it now.
So while we have these wonderful dining opportunities, one of the best ways to appreciate what we have is to do tasting menus with some of these chefs. Some of their restaurants (Sensi), will advertise their tasting. Others have it available (Acacia), but they don’t promote it. And for others, it is just a matter of asking. Unless it is feasibly impossible to do something like a tasting menu, I have a hard time believing a chef would say no to the prospect of showcasing their work. At the very least, they would be honored that you asked. So save some money, take a risk, and get out and be rewarded with some of the best food the city has to offer.
Authors Note- I have had tasting menus at Bistro 27, Acacia and Sensi. All 3 have been wonderful and I would gladly do them again.
I think a tasting menu could be fun but may be difficult for some to enjoy. I am lactose intolerant and have to carefully consider my menu choices. While I would love to experience a tasting menu, I am not sure chefs could make it work for people with allergies. Though I’d be happy to be proved wrong.
Sterling… I think you would be surprised. I know when I did Acacia’s tasting menu, they asked if there was any restrictions? Communication is key.