Wednesday, June 21, 2017

The Truth About the Chef's Table

So I was on Wikipedia and I noticed something worthy of changing in regards to chef's tables within the information page for "Restaurants." As someone who has sat at the chef's table before, I was unsatisfied with the information that was being displayed to readers if they saw this section on chef's tables. Here is the original version: 

A chef's table is a table located in the kitchen of a restaurant,[2][3] reserved for VIPs and special guests.[4] Patrons may be served a themed[4] tasting menu prepared and served by the head chef. Restaurants can require a minimum party[5] and charge a higher flat fee.[6] Because of the demand on the kitchen's facilities, chef's tables are generally only available during off-peak times.[7

This is wrong for a few reasons. First, the chef's table is not always located inside of the kitchen, although it could be at certain places. Sometimes the chef's table can be located in the center of the restaurant or on an elevated platform. It is also not only reserved for special guests and VIPS. The chef's table can be reserved by anyone who is willing to pay the cost. It is true, however, that the menu is preselected by the chef, usually based on what ingredients are in season at the time. So I went ahead and edited the section so that it now reads like this:

A chef's table is a special table in the restaurant that can be reserved for special events or special guests. In some cases, the chef's table could be located in the actual kitchen. Most of the time, if seated at the chef's table, the patron will be served a themed tasting menu that is preselected by the chef. Restaurants are allowed to require a minimum party and can charge a flat fee that is higher then one would pay sitting at a regular table. Reservations are usually always required for parties to sit at the chef's table.

If you have never eaten at a chef's table before, I highly recommend it. It is a dinner experience unlike any other due to the intimacy between the chef and the patrons. There is something special about watching the chef prepare the food and skipping the ordering aspect of eating out at a restaurant.  

1 comment:

  1. I have actually never dined at or heard of, for that matter the chef's table. This post has intrigued me and I am encouraging my husband to have this experience with me. Thanks!

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