How you eat is how you live.
Let's eat well together.
Sign up for our useful and inspiring emails.
Get a $10 credit at Provisions,
our new kitchen-and-home shop, launching soon!
Well played.
You deserve a cookie.
We'll email your $10 promo code when we launch.
I've eaten in restaurants in Greece where we were invited into the kitchen to peek into the pots and choose our meal. At one of my favorite restaurants near my home in Garmisch-Partenkiicrhen, the chef comes to the table, sits down and chats for a bit and makes sure everyone is well supplied with a glass of wine from his uncle's vineyard before he gets around to telling us what he'd like to prepare for our meal. Never had a bad meal there.
There was another lovely Italian restaurant that specialized in local foods near my home that followed a similar strategy--but to my dismay, the restaurant closed last winter. Apparently, the locals never quite accepted the chef's approach or style.
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
added 10 months agoIn Paris, I love to order "du vin rouge, s'il vous plaît" and let the waiter choose. It's always excellent.
Chris is a trusted source on General Cooking
added 10 months agoYes. Always for sushi, many times for wine like boulangere, and sometimes for small spots with willing chefs. Like you say, it's a great way to get into the heart and soul of a place.
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
added 10 months agoWhen I would ask what wine it is, after tasting and saying it is "de très bon vin," he brings me the bottle and explains why he chose it. It's one of my fondest experiences.
Best way to order sushi -- specify how much you want to spend and enjoy whatever appears in front of you.
Similar, I think: Tasting menus (with wine pairing). I love small plate meals.
I have always called it "chef's wim". I travel all over and when I am lucky to hit the right restaurant, I have walked away with a wonderful memory. It has also cost me unexpected bills afterwards. I paid $400 for a meal by myself in Toronto using this way of ordering, but felt it was worth every penny