1. I hope the Dillon and many more chefs will do what Charlie Trotter did with the tasting menu. Reading the Third Plate opened my eyes to the need for a menu to not be static. To support the environment and local farmers, they need to say what is available, then the chef’s cook from that. Pretty rare. One of these days I will make it to Dan Barber’s restaurant at the farm.
2. My experience with visiting a chef’s kitchen was in 1990 and I was in my late 30s. A friend and I had 5 PM reservations at Brennan’s on our trip to New Orleans. Because we were one of the first groups walking into the restaurant, it seemed we walked a gauntlet of servers lined up. Our server recognized us as new visitors and toured the whole restaurant. When I told him my traumatized tasting never knew what wines I liked, he brought me a taste of all the house reds. Changed my drinking life! We trusted him for dessert and he brought a sampler plate. Then he asked if we wanted to visit the kitchens. Mrs. Brennan was doing paperwork nearby and the 3 of us had a great conversation about raising money for our charities – The Hunger Project, Hospice Support, Ronald McDonald House (hers). That was my first kitchen tour.
3. When I was 22 I had a similar experience when the owner/chef and wife invited a friend and I (we were the only guests at Priddy Tavern near Bath) to join them after dinner by the fire where a part of a pig was roasting. Recommended by Gourmet Magazine who shared the song he wrote about Mendip snails (served at dinner in a cider preparation) I felt comfortable enough to ask questions about other places where I had eaten and did not understand some of the foods.
Thank you for your great talk with Dillon
1. I hope the Dillon and many more chefs will do what Charlie Trotter did with the tasting menu. Reading the Third Plate opened my eyes to the need for a menu to not be static. To support the environment and local farmers, they need to say what is available, then the chef’s cook from that. Pretty rare. One of these days I will make it to Dan Barber’s restaurant at the farm.
2. My experience with visiting a chef’s kitchen was in 1990 and I was in my late 30s. A friend and I had 5 PM reservations at Brennan’s on our trip to New Orleans. Because we were one of the first groups walking into the restaurant, it seemed we walked a gauntlet of servers lined up. Our server recognized us as new visitors and toured the whole restaurant. When I told him my traumatized tasting never knew what wines I liked, he brought me a taste of all the house reds. Changed my drinking life! We trusted him for dessert and he brought a sampler plate. Then he asked if we wanted to visit the kitchens. Mrs. Brennan was doing paperwork nearby and the 3 of us had a great conversation about raising money for our charities – The Hunger Project, Hospice Support, Ronald McDonald House (hers). That was my first kitchen tour.
3. When I was 22 I had a similar experience when the owner/chef and wife invited a friend and I (we were the only guests at Priddy Tavern near Bath) to join them after dinner by the fire where a part of a pig was roasting. Recommended by Gourmet Magazine who shared the song he wrote about Mendip snails (served at dinner in a cider preparation) I felt comfortable enough to ask questions about other places where I had eaten and did not understand some of the foods.
Loved this conversation.
Entertaining, fascinating - thanks for including us.