Personally, I have started to think of these expensive and long tasting menus as similar to the chalkboard Omakase that are popping up everywhere. Most are not memorable or enjoyable and the selling point is not really dining pleasure.
Great post, and I completely agree. It's almost impossible now to find a Michelin-starred restaurant (or an aspiring one) with an a la carte menu. Some people can eat that much, and others just can't sit in a chair for four or five hours.
Yes, that is right. This piece appears to be written from a diner's perspective. Their interests do not always conflict, but in this case (and depending on who we are talking about) it does.
I cook à la carte, but I completely understand those who don’t. The more options you offer guests, the more daring their additional requests become. À la carte might bring in just enough to scrape by, even when your clientele ranks among the top ten percent of earners. In the end, it all comes down to economic viability.
I own restaurants so I am sympathetic to the brutal realities of the business model - that doesn’t mean that I like it. I don’t offer tasting menus - probably why we don’t make money - and I don’t frequent tasting menus. I love ALC and favor and return to those restaurants. I don’t return to TM restaurants- I wi ll write my next substack on this topic. Thank you!
Personally, I have started to think of these expensive and long tasting menus as similar to the chalkboard Omakase that are popping up everywhere. Most are not memorable or enjoyable and the selling point is not really dining pleasure.
Great post, and I completely agree. It's almost impossible now to find a Michelin-starred restaurant (or an aspiring one) with an a la carte menu. Some people can eat that much, and others just can't sit in a chair for four or five hours.
In most cases set menus are a business model and nothing more or less . Some restaurants simply cannot operate without this as a business model.
Yes, that is right. This piece appears to be written from a diner's perspective. Their interests do not always conflict, but in this case (and depending on who we are talking about) it does.
I cook à la carte, but I completely understand those who don’t. The more options you offer guests, the more daring their additional requests become. À la carte might bring in just enough to scrape by, even when your clientele ranks among the top ten percent of earners. In the end, it all comes down to economic viability.
I own restaurants so I am sympathetic to the brutal realities of the business model - that doesn’t mean that I like it. I don’t offer tasting menus - probably why we don’t make money - and I don’t frequent tasting menus. I love ALC and favor and return to those restaurants. I don’t return to TM restaurants- I wi ll write my next substack on this topic. Thank you!