Patios and Pappardelle
You checked your email, you got the Araka newsletter, and because you like to sit around outside like the rest of the indigenous people no matter how sweltering the heat, you rejoiced when you read that the patio is now open. After a winter of clamoring to sit outside and deal with sweat, bugs and wind you can once again rejoice at the possibility of dining on every porch, patio and veranda in St. Louis.
Of course, after reading that new Araka Spring Menu you may also have found yourself craving that pappardelle with braised lamb and pine nut-mint gremolata because it does sound pretty friggin’ good!
And then you might have gone to eat it and been perplexed when it arrived because instead of the braised chunks of lamb butt or shank or whatever cut you thought you were going to receive you ended up with a pile of pappardelle noodles tossed with more of a ground lamb ragu topped with the gremolata and shaved Parmesan.
Perhaps you found this all a bit ho-hum, a bit greasy, and not really what you expected. Though you would have remarked that the pappardelle itself was perfectly cooked and probably the best you’d ever had; making it an even greater shame that the description hadn’t been more in tune with the dish as it would have somehow altered your impression.
I mention it because while I’m no menu-master myself, once you’ve done some serious dining, you tend to have a pretty sound idea as to what will be set in front of you upon ordering a given dish. Sure there are those WD-50 moments where you’re clueless as to what the food will look like because something like foie, beets and pea soil isn’t exactly a classic flavor combination or preparation that conjures up a familiar image. When you think braised meat though-with pappardelle-there’s a certain expectation and it’s not just because you’re in St. Louis and you’ve hammered through several bowls of a similar dish Gerard Craft has been serving in various incarnations throughout winter at Niche.
Putting it simply: when I say braised meat, you more than likely do not think ground meat.
So Araka: You should alter the way you present that dish on the menu because I’m actually not the only one that’s commented on this, and really, when your food succeeds, it does so because of its simple straightforward flavors.
Other restaurants: Think about how your menu items come across to the diner. Unless you’re on the bleeding edge of avant-garde food you’re only doing yourself a disservice by having menu descriptions that conjure up the wrong image. When that happens, even if it’s good, it might not be what the customer wanted and not thinking about that can sometimes lead to a diner’s disappointment.
If it’s simply surprise you’re after, vague descriptions are better than poor or inaccurate ones.
For this example perhaps something like: pappardelle, lamb, pine nuts, mint.
Sure that could lead to a multitude of variations but it means if the customer is not adventurous enough to simply go for it; it’s up to them to ask for more details. Then, if they’re disappointed, the blame rests solely on them.
Oh, and indigenous people: If you haven’t noticed, we’re not in Napa Valley or some other land of temperate climate where even when it’s hot, it’s not hot! While you’re outside getting all balmy, I’ll be inside enjoying the crisp winds of modern cooling because the only thing I’ll be eating outside besides backyard barbecue are hot dogs at baseball games. Especially those Best Kosher ones with the grilled onions and mustard!
*That is not a picture of Araka’s patio by the way. Their’s is super swank. What it is is the Boathouse at Forest Park which many say is the best outdoor dining in St. Louis. I’ve no opinion as I’ve not been.
2 Responses to “Patios and Pappardelle”
Simon hates sitting outside. I really enjoy a cool afternoon drink on the patio…but when it comes to eating a meal…i prefer the in of doors. And most of the time, patio furniture is so uncomfortable.
By Annie on Apr 9, 2008
Ah, but it’s also not Charleston. Living there I learned what hot and buggy really meant! Here in St. Louis sitting outside in the evenings is almost always pleasurable when you have the Southeast Coast to compare it to.
By Amy in StL on Apr 9, 2008