Chef's Corner: The Authorial Nature of a Tasting Menu

One of the most distinctive qualities of a tasting menu is the sense of authorship behind every dish. Unlike a typical dining experience, a Chef and his team are steering the ship while guests are along for the ride. This is a beautiful challenge, a welcome responsibility that requires consistent focus on intentionality, hospitality, and creativity.

So what’s on Chef Aaron’s mind as he designs Surrell’s menus? To start…

• Are we using ingredients in creative ways?

• What makes guests feel comfortable? 

• What might make them feel challenged, excited, or surprised?

• Are there too many common ingredients or flavors?

• Are there too many extreme ingredients or flavors?

• What’s the correct amount of food?

• How should a menu start? How should it end?

• What makes dinner satisfying?

• What makes dinner memorable?

The list. Goes. On. And that’s before any considerations regarding hospitality and our service model! 

We hope this illustrates that when you join us for the tasting menu, you join us for a highly curated, choreographed evening – we’ve done this work so you can sit back and enjoy a unique experience, a fleeting expression of Chef Aaron’s philosophy of cuisine and care, his values and loves translated into a single meal. See you soon!