Comments on: Forage restaurant review http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/ for a tastier life, one bite at a time Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:50:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: SLCFoodie http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1498 SLCFoodie Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:38:32 +0000 http://www.gastronomicslc.com/?p=1223#comment-1498 We recently tried Forage and also really enjoyed the experience. I would recommend the 3 course selection. It was plenty of food plus they bring out small bites in between. The amuse-bouche that you mentioned might have been my favorite bite of the evening. Thanks for your detailed post! We recently tried Forage and also really enjoyed the experience. I would recommend the 3 course selection. It was plenty of food plus they bring out small bites in between. The amuse-bouche that you mentioned might have been my favorite bite of the evening.

Thanks for your detailed post!

]]> By: Muncher http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1438 Muncher Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:32:09 +0000 http://www.gastronomicslc.com/?p=1223#comment-1438 Oh yeah, Bar Charlie is where its at! I'm so glad you two had such a special experience there. The food looked truly extraordinary and the descriptions, as promised, were very interesting. I especially liked the hops listed with one of the courses. I also loved the pictures of the (I'm assuming) kobe steak meats. Wow, beautiful! I made it my New Years resolution to read through, and try to the best of my ability, to understand the 2008 Farm Bill and although, as tedious as it seems at time, hearing stories and seeing pictures like yours of truly artisanal and impassioned food keeps me reading and studying. Thanks again for sharing and happy eating! Oh yeah, Bar Charlie is where its at! I’m so glad you two had such a special experience there. The food looked truly extraordinary and the descriptions, as promised, were very interesting. I especially liked the hops listed with one of the courses. I also loved the pictures of the (I’m assuming) kobe steak meats. Wow, beautiful! I made it my New Years resolution to read through, and try to the best of my ability, to understand the 2008 Farm Bill and although, as tedious as it seems at time, hearing stories and seeing pictures like yours of truly artisanal and impassioned food keeps me reading and studying. Thanks again for sharing and happy eating!

]]> By: Stu http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1437 Stu Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:11:37 +0000 http://www.gastronomicslc.com/?p=1223#comment-1437 Actually I wrote a very long winded review for Chow last year, has pictures and all: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/564709 Actually I wrote a very long winded review for Chow last year, has pictures and all:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/564709

]]> By: Wen http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1435 Wen Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:37:08 +0000 http://www.gastronomicslc.com/?p=1223#comment-1435 I'm going to see if Stu can scan the menu and put it here. Like I said though, the meal strayed slightly from what is written on the menu (in the best of possible ways). We had the best tuna ever and told the chef it was amazing, so we got an extra tuna course. Things like that. So, the scanned menu won't do it justice, but you'll get an idea. The service was insanely good too. I’m going to see if Stu can scan the menu and put it here. Like I said though, the meal strayed slightly from what is written on the menu (in the best of possible ways). We had the best tuna ever and told the chef it was amazing, so we got an extra tuna course. Things like that. So, the scanned menu won’t do it justice, but you’ll get an idea. The service was insanely good too.

]]> By: Wen http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1434 Wen Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:32:57 +0000 http://www.gastronomicslc.com/?p=1223#comment-1434 Thanks for the info Danielle. That makes me feel better about calling them in advance. I think Stu has had some email contact with them too, so maybe we will just drop them a line or two. Muncher, We had 14-courses with wine pairing (actually turned out to be cocktail, wine, beer, and sake pairing) at Bar Charlie. But, as we sat down, they warned us they were going to basically feed us and give us booze until we were stuffed and drunk and happy. That they did! The fourteen course thing sort of went out the window and I think we ended up with more like twenty courses including dessert. It was primarily sea food, but included a lamb and Kobe beef course. The dishes were extremely creative and very very intricate. It's a very intimate space. I think it seats 14 or 16 people. It's a bar set up serving a Kaiseki-type menu, so you get to watch Chef Hiro working his magic up close and personally. It's a splurge. They do an 8 course menu as well. They also welcome people coming in and just having a cocktail and sampling a dish or two. It's exquisite, really. Thanks for the info Danielle. That makes me feel better about calling them in advance. I think Stu has had some email contact with them too, so maybe we will just drop them a line or two.

Muncher, We had 14-courses with wine pairing (actually turned out to be cocktail, wine, beer, and sake pairing) at Bar Charlie. But, as we sat down, they warned us they were going to basically feed us and give us booze until we were stuffed and drunk and happy. That they did! The fourteen course thing sort of went out the window and I think we ended up with more like twenty courses including dessert. It was primarily sea food, but included a lamb and Kobe beef course. The dishes were extremely creative and very very intricate. It’s a very intimate space. I think it seats 14 or 16 people. It’s a bar set up serving a Kaiseki-type menu, so you get to watch Chef Hiro working his magic up close and personally. It’s a splurge. They do an 8 course menu as well. They also welcome people coming in and just having a cocktail and sampling a dish or two. It’s exquisite, really.

]]> By: Danielle http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1432 Danielle Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:43:07 +0000 http://www.gastronomicslc.com/?p=1223#comment-1432 Wen & Muncher, My husband and I were along with Corrinne for the dinner at forage. My husband is allergic to shellfish, so we just told them when we made the reservation (a couple weeks in advance) and they served nothing with shellfish in the tasting (although we did discover that he also has an allergy to mollusks-which include scallops!). My experience with other tasting menus in SF/Seattle that I have been to is that with advance notice, most chefs will accommodate allergies/restrictions. Wen & Muncher,

My husband and I were along with Corrinne for the dinner at forage. My husband is allergic to shellfish, so we just told them when we made the reservation (a couple weeks in advance) and they served nothing with shellfish in the tasting (although we did discover that he also has an allergy to mollusks-which include scallops!). My experience with other tasting menus in SF/Seattle that I have been to is that with advance notice, most chefs will accommodate allergies/restrictions.

]]> By: Muncher http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1431 Muncher Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:38:26 +0000 http://www.gastronomicslc.com/?p=1223#comment-1431 Hi Wen, thanks for the recommendation on Bar Charlie. We are not in Vegas much, but next time we go we will make a point of visiting Bar Charlie. I love going places off recommendations from other happy diners. What did you order when you were there? I will be interested to hear how your special requests go over at Forage. I'm guessing the chefs will take the requests as a challenge rather than looking at them negatively as 'too picky', but plenty of forewarning would probably be wise. Please report back with your experience as we have friends with special dietary needs that like to eat out when they are in Salt Lake (specifically Jewish diets). Also, Forage offers a significant number of fish and shellfish dishes if you eat seafood. I do not remember seeing much cheese in the dishes so Stu should be safe. Please let us know how your experience goes. Thanks! Hi Wen, thanks for the recommendation on Bar Charlie. We are not in Vegas much, but next time we go we will make a point of visiting Bar Charlie. I love going places off recommendations from other happy diners. What did you order when you were there? I will be interested to hear how your special requests go over at Forage. I’m guessing the chefs will take the requests as a challenge rather than looking at them negatively as ‘too picky’, but plenty of forewarning would probably be wise. Please report back with your experience as we have friends with special dietary needs that like to eat out when they are in Salt Lake (specifically Jewish diets). Also, Forage offers a significant number of fish and shellfish dishes if you eat seafood. I do not remember seeing much cheese in the dishes so Stu should be safe. Please let us know how your experience goes. Thanks!

]]> By: Wen http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1424 Wen Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:52:21 +0000 http://www.gastronomicslc.com/?p=1223#comment-1424 Thanks Muncher. I think we might warn them of our unique (picky) tastes before we go. I'm not a strict veg by any means, just don't eat any red meat. Stu is worse. He hates cheese. I'm sure people like us drive them crazy! I'm always worried about offending chefs who are practicing their art by asking for something different, but am starting to realize they just want us to enjoy our meal. God bless Thomas Keller and his vegetarian tasting menu! Vegetables he grew himself no less. With that said, trust me, when Thomas Keller offers me duck confit, I take it. Although I've only dined at Bouchon and am sure French Laundry is an experience on another lever entirely. Just a note, if you go to Vegas much, I cannot recommend Bar Charlie at the Palazzo enough. It's just incredible. The way you spoke about Forage and their dedication to creativity and innovation makes me think you would really appreciate the Bar Charlie experience as much as we did. Thanks Muncher. I think we might warn them of our unique (picky) tastes before we go. I’m not a strict veg by any means, just don’t eat any red meat. Stu is worse. He hates cheese. I’m sure people like us drive them crazy! I’m always worried about offending chefs who are practicing their art by asking for something different, but am starting to realize they just want us to enjoy our meal. God bless Thomas Keller and his vegetarian tasting menu! Vegetables he grew himself no less. With that said, trust me, when Thomas Keller offers me duck confit, I take it. Although I’ve only dined at Bouchon and am sure French Laundry is an experience on another lever entirely. Just a note, if you go to Vegas much, I cannot recommend Bar Charlie at the Palazzo enough. It’s just incredible. The way you spoke about Forage and their dedication to creativity and innovation makes me think you would really appreciate the Bar Charlie experience as much as we did.

]]> By: Muncher http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1423 Muncher Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:20:27 +0000 http://www.gastronomicslc.com/?p=1223#comment-1423 I think Forage is so unique for SLC and I am delighted they are doing so well. The food is so creative and always cooked perfectly. I have to comment on the review however. Forage pushes the pallet. The tasting menu constantly changes (even more frequently than Pago) so one will not be able to go back and try dishes enjoyed last time. The cooking is technically advanced, for example, last time I had smoked pasta, yes, smoked pasta! This was not the kind of italian grandmother pop you in the face with flavor pasta (although it was quite flavorful) but unique and inventive, yes! That's why I say Forage pushes the pallet. A meal is an exploration in food, and sometimes combinations are unusual or even disagreeable (although I have throughly most everything I've had the three times I've eaten there). For example, I'm borderline with the amuse egg. I've seen people spit it out in their napkin and others praise its glory. It's excellent food as its prepared perfectly, its just a challenging combination for my pallet. Therefore Forage is striving, in my humble opinion, for a Michelin star path. This is how stared restaurants present meals: creative, unique, inventive, beautiful, perfectly prepared and cooked, and service that matches the quality of the food. That's the goal, and they are constantly tweaking every last detail to achieve it. This is why I give Bowman and Viet so much credit. If one eats their food with this in mind, one appreciates the amount of preparation time, level of skill, effort toward acquisition of top quality/unique ingredients, and hours of innovative thinking and cooking needed to prepare the dish. Really, these guys live, dream, and sweat for food! They are both truly passionate career chefs! I will say through that I agree with Corrine's comment that the flavors tend to be subtle. The flavors are clean and delicate more often than in-your-face bold. Just their style, I think, which I prefer but others might disagree. Usually I try each ingredient by itself and then in combination with the others. I find different flavors and textures that way. As far as vegetarian options, I don't believe they have a full vegetarian tasting menu (I've only eaten at one restaurant that did which was the French Laundry in Yountville) but I'd be willing to guess they can put together options that would treat a vegetarian very well. Not sure about vegan though. Sorry for the long review but I really think Forage taps at the essence of food and eating, which gets me so excited! No one works that hard on food for the money, its a passion for the owner/chefs, bottom line. Luckily they have the talent to match hence I count my lucky stars they decided to move to SLC! I think Forage is so unique for SLC and I am delighted they are doing so well. The food is so creative and always cooked perfectly. I have to comment on the review however. Forage pushes the pallet. The tasting menu constantly changes (even more frequently than Pago) so one will not be able to go back and try dishes enjoyed last time. The cooking is technically advanced, for example, last time I had smoked pasta, yes, smoked pasta! This was not the kind of italian grandmother pop you in the face with flavor pasta (although it was quite flavorful) but unique and inventive, yes! That’s why I say Forage pushes the pallet. A meal is an exploration in food, and sometimes combinations are unusual or even disagreeable (although I have throughly most everything I’ve had the three times I’ve eaten there). For example, I’m borderline with the amuse egg. I’ve seen people spit it out in their napkin and others praise its glory. It’s excellent food as its prepared perfectly, its just a challenging combination for my pallet. Therefore Forage is striving, in my humble opinion, for a Michelin star path. This is how stared restaurants present meals: creative, unique, inventive, beautiful, perfectly prepared and cooked, and service that matches the quality of the food. That’s the goal, and they are constantly tweaking every last detail to achieve it. This is why I give Bowman and Viet so much credit. If one eats their food with this in mind, one appreciates the amount of preparation time, level of skill, effort toward acquisition of top quality/unique ingredients, and hours of innovative thinking and cooking needed to prepare the dish. Really, these guys live, dream, and sweat for food! They are both truly passionate career chefs! I will say through that I agree with Corrine’s comment that the flavors tend to be subtle. The flavors are clean and delicate more often than in-your-face bold. Just their style, I think, which I prefer but others might disagree. Usually I try each ingredient by itself and then in combination with the others. I find different flavors and textures that way. As far as vegetarian options, I don’t believe they have a full vegetarian tasting menu (I’ve only eaten at one restaurant that did which was the French Laundry in Yountville) but I’d be willing to guess they can put together options that would treat a vegetarian very well. Not sure about vegan though. Sorry for the long review but I really think Forage taps at the essence of food and eating, which gets me so excited! No one works that hard on food for the money, its a passion for the owner/chefs, bottom line. Luckily they have the talent to match hence I count my lucky stars they decided to move to SLC!

]]> By: Wen http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2009/12/30/forage-restaurant-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1421 Wen Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:04:14 +0000 http://www.gastronomicslc.com/?p=1223#comment-1421 Corrine, I'm so jealous. Something tells me there is a meal at Forage in my near future though. Do they by chance offer a vegetarian tasting menu? Do you think I could ask for 14 courses of Earl Grey ice cream? They have taken my two favorite things in life and combined them. Corrine, I’m so jealous. Something tells me there is a meal at Forage in my near future though. Do they by chance offer a vegetarian tasting menu? Do you think I could ask for 14 courses of Earl Grey ice cream? They have taken my two favorite things in life and combined them.

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