My Favorite Food Things - Day #11 - Meal Style

My idea of a good meal consists of 3 to 4 hours, 10 plus small portioned courses, great company, and of course a comfortable dining table.

This is also my style of cooking. I much prefer small plates which represent the complete spectrum of the chef’s ability.

The over sized meals that most restaurants serve can leave you disgustingly full and disappointed, not to mention depressed.

I also prefer tables with no more than 10 or 12 diners. Once you get too large of a crowd then the quality and capability of the food begins to diminish.

I am a fan of communal tables, just not serving the food communal style. That is to say, all at once. A chef needs time and space between courses to ensure that the proper level of food is produced.

Chef Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin (NY, NY) has a fantastic chef’s menu with a seafood focus. Salt Lake’s Forage Restaurant’s 10 course meal is worth the 3 to 4 hours. London’s very own Chef Gordon Ramsay showcases his chef’s small plate abilities at Maze. Another great place.

These are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of great, small course style restaurants. One might say that the multiple course is a new trend in the US – regardless there are endless places to find such a dining experience.

Here are some photos from my meals at Le Bernardin, Forage, and Maze (photos are in that order).