Terrific Tastings

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Bacon-wrapped monkfish with salsify, pepitas and yuzu from Orchids at Palm Court

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aving a choice is good, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to put yourself in the hands of a professional and let him or her do their job. In the case of food, this concept turns up in the form of a chef’s tasting menu — generally small portions of several dishes chosen by the chef. Since most restaurants only change their menus quarterly or yearly — and some almost never— it’s a fun way for them to express their creativity in the most artistic way possible, instead of cooking the same thing night after night. And with the role of contemporary chefs moving from behind-the-scenes food-slingers to cultural rock stars, tasting menus are becoming a more popular way for restaurants and pop-ups to showcase a chef’s vision in a paced, controlled and artfully presented multi-course meal.

If you’re planning to visit a restaurant that offers a tasting menu, there are a few things to keep in mind. Typically, everyone in your party is asked to participate so the kitchen can line up the courses appropriately for an optimal dining experience. Also, if you know that substitutions for allergies or dietary preferences will need to be made, tell the restaurant in advance. Finally, do your research and be prepared to spend and dress appropriately. Some of these tasting menus can be both wallet- and belly-busting. Consider, for example, the menu offered at Minibar by chef José Andrés in Washington, D.C., which consists of 25 to 30 courses for $500 per person — without wine, and before tax and tip. Or chef Paco - Sublimotion in Ibiza, Spain; his 20-course menu for two comes with a bill of $3,377. Chef Roncero also offers a three-hour tasting menu for 20, including everything from DIY cocktails, 360-degree projections and neon dining tables to dishes that incorporate experimental techniques. Fortunately, here in Cincinnati, we have some phenomenal and unique options of our own that are sure to keep your bank budget and your trouser seams intact.

Orchids at Palm Court

: The Vegetarian Tasting Menu

Chef Todd Kelly of the five-diamond Orchid’s at Palm Court offers not one, but two options for his tasting menu, consisting of either a five- or 10-course grand tasting, and both are available as either vegetarian or vegan. Have no fear: Chef Kelly hasn’t just taken his regular menu and removed the animal protein — he has designed dishes especially for those who do not eat meat. Dishes such as heirloom carrot salad, herb gnocchi and chanterelle mushroom strudel make the menu just as attractive to omnivores. “On a typical weekend night we’ll do just as many vegetarian or vegan grand tastings as we do traditional,” chef Kelly says. “In fact, it happens all the time when we have couples that are on a date; they’ll each order one of each, eat half, and then switch.”

The term farm-to-table is bandied about by a lot of chefs, but very few can boast having their own farm from which to harvest meat and produce. Such is the case for chef Vitor Abreu of Vitor’s Bistro, and he takes full advantage of the nearly four-acre Valley Hill Farms in nearby Cleves when planning his daily three- to seven-course tasting menus. The property is owned by a close family friend, who lets Abreu farm it for the bistro.

Pigs and cattle are raised on the farm, as well as vegetables, which provide the restaurant with 25 to 50 percent of its needs, depending on the season. Chef Abreu preserves the produce to stretch the bounty of the warmer months into winter. “We freeze our corn so we’re still using fresh corn that we grew ourselves,” he says, “and I jarred probably around 100 gallons of tomato sauce this summer, so I’ve got jars and jars of freshly made sauce that we made from our tomatoes.”

They also plant as far into the season as they can. “We put in fall crops about six weeks ago, so right now we have broccoli and cauliflower in, we have cabbage and Brussels sprouts and collard greens, so we stay pretty productive.”

The tasting menus are $38 for three courses, $46 for four courses and $55 for five courses. Chef Abreu also offers a private one-on-one, five- to seven-course dining experience with guests at the chef’s table, which begins at $75. Vitor’s is BYOB. 3232 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, 513-481-5333, vitorsbistro.net.

Tasting menus aren’t limited to Western-style cuisine. The Japanese have their own omakase, which loosely translates to “I trust the chef.” Chef Ken Ando and his wife, Keiko, of Ando Japanese Restaurant have been welcoming people to their Blue Ash location since 1998. The restaurant offers traditional Japanese dishes, and their omakase dinners are offered two ways: with either sashimi — chef Ando’s choice of the seven finest raw fish items of the day — or sushi, which includes eight types of nigiri sushi (the raw fish is served on rice) and your choice of one roll, either salmon, tuna, spicy tuna or California. Both start with a salad and miso soup, and are artfully plated; the sushi option comes served in a beautiful Bento box along with tempura-fried vegetables, pickles and other goodies that change daily.

The sashimi omakase is available at market price. The sushi omakase is $30.50. Ando is BYOB. 5889 Pfeiffer Road, Blue Ash, 513-791-8687, andojapaneserestaurant.com.

The Presidents Room at The Phoenix: Wine Dinner

If you fancy a bit of education along with your meal, and you want to taste beverages as well as food, why not try a wine dinner? Recently, chef Jeremy Luers of The Presidents Room at The Phoenix paired with Argentinean winemaker Ernesto Bajda of Catena Zapata Wines, treating guests to five courses of gourmet goodies like lobster-stuffed squid-ink pasta, veal sweetbreads and a trio of beef served with truffles. Each course was expertly paired with wine by Bajda, who explained to guests how and why each wine was chosen.

President’s Club event manager Cat Amaro plans to schedule monthly collaborations with other distilleries and breweries. “It’s our goal to do an event every month, and we want to switch it up,” she says. “Sometimes a bourbon tasting instead of a wine tasting, cocktails even.”