Friday, July 18, 2008
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Small plates - Restaurant racket or best thing since sliced bruschetta?
Are restaurants just trying to get us to pay more for less food, or should we thank them for slimming down the gargantuan American portion plague and letting us try more of what's on the menu?
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Post a commentInteresting question. I think it varies greatly from restaurant to restaurant. I enjoy Spanish tapas and the small bites inspired by them--they allow me to try small amounts of a variety of quality foods. I don't mind paying $5 or so to try something new.
But the next size up, small plates, tend to confuse me a little more. I appreciate it when it allows me to get a smaller serving of a substantial dish, since I don't usually want to eat a serving the size of my head, and leftovers aren't always desired. I do find myself a little annoyed when I have to order every single thing separately and vegetables seem to be in short supply.
I also like the sharing model employed by restaurants such as Tavolata, where a portion is big enough for two or three people to share one thing. I know that it is really the opposite of small plates, but it still encourages tables to order several things to share.
What really bothers me about the whole thing is when I occasionally end up in a restaurant that seems to have small plates just to follow the trend. Certain foods, especially rich ones that are heavy for daily consumption, do well in smaller servings, but not everything needs to or should be served small.
I like the idea of getting a little taste of everything, but what I don't like is getting hit with a fat bill. Places like Wild Ginger, where the food is good, and the plates are small, but not worth the price IMO.
One place that I really like is Navarre in Portland. They have moderate prices for the quality of the food, and you can either share a small plate or a large plate depending on your group size. The restaurant seems centered around sharing.
Navarre is my favorite place to eat in Portland, and that's a big part of the reason. The food is absolutely exquisite - and opting for the chef's choice tasting menu -- only $25! -- gets you so many dishes it makes your head spin. The value is unbelievable. This is how small plates should be done.
I absolutely prefer to have multiple price and portion options rather than having to "commit" to a single large, expensive entree and risk being disappointed. At a place like Txori, if you end up not liking one dish so much, well--it was only a few bucks, keep trying! Their menu rewards experimentation. American portions in general are definitely too big.
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