Just ate at that new 'farm to counter' spot in Bend and their plating felt like a mistake

I was in Bend, Oregon last weekend and checked out the new place everyone's talking about. They're doing the whole local sourcing thing, which is great, but the food came out on these huge, cold slate slabs. My trout looked lost on it, and the sauce pooled in a corner instead of under the fish. It felt like the chef was more focused on the Instagram shot than the guest's actual meal. The server said it was 'part of the concept' when I asked. I get wanting a nice look, but if the plate makes the food get cold faster or harder to eat, you've missed the point. The flavor was good, but the experience was awkward. Has anyone else had a meal where the plating actually got in the way?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim.emma1mo ago

Ugh, cold slate is the worst. It's like they want your food to get cold fast. I totally agree with you, and @tyler614 is right about the hot skillet thing too. If the plate makes the meal worse, it's a bad plate. A normal, warm plate is a basic part of a good dinner, not some fancy concept.

tyler6141mo ago

Yeah, the "part of the concept" line gets me. I had a burger served on a tiny, hot skillet once. Couldn't pick it up without burning my fingers, and the bottom bun was soggy from the grease pool in two minutes. It's like they forget you have to actually eat the thing.