It’s no secret I’m not a sweets lover. When ordering a tasting menu, we almost always ask if the desserts can be replaced with an extra savory course, even if there’s an upcharge. Besides not loving sweets, there’s the wine issue - the dry wine is done for once you eat a sweet!
So I wonder, does anyone really want/appreciate/value those 2, 3, 4 or more dessert courses tasting menus pile on? Wouldn’t it be funny if, at best, they were tolerated but few people are willing to say so?
Yes we love the dessert courses.
While multiple dessert courses seem too much for me, I’m still in firmly the dessert lovers camp. Personally, I find it enjoyable to end something on a sweet note.
Though I am often frustrated by the timing of it. Like you mentioned, once dessert comes, dry wines are no more. So it’s frustrating when tasting menus bring out the dessert too fast, or even a la carte menus that constantly pressure you to order dessert fast thereby not allowing me to finish savouring the last remains of my dry wines.
I get wanting a dessert for sure, even if I rarely do myself. It’s the multiple sweets that really confuse me.
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and I’m not a huge fan of (unfermented) fruit. My dessert of choice is cheese.
I can see it making sense for people who like to try different desserts. If in an a la carte setting one likes to order multiple desserts to be sampled and shared, then I can see multiple dessert courses making sense for them. But a that point, it’s also highly dependent on the portion size of each dessert, otherwise, it can easily become overly excessive.
I agree on skipping desserts. They should be an option, not a requirement.
My biggest complaint on tasting menus, 12 courses and 4 are dessert???
Yeah, I’m with you. These tasting menus with multiple dessert courses are too much for me as well. Seems they’re trying to make the pastry chef happy and useful. In addition to the sweet courses there are often other sweet tidbits later, sometimes including something to take home. I don’t mind a sweet course at the end but prefer cheese. On another note, I’m having a harder time getting through these large tasting menus period as I get older. I just can’t eat as much, but you wouldn’t think so by looking at me!
I think 2 sweet courses is best. Plus the petite 4
A higher acid dessert like a fruit tart - goes well with dessert wines
A heavier/decadent dessert - chocolate lava cake - goes with coffee
Petite fours - nibbles
Pre desert. Desert. Petit fours.
I don’t care for tasting menus generally though, for western food that is.
Does cheese count as a substitute?
Cheese should always be an available substitute (or cool whiskey) and the number of dessert courses should never exceed 1/6th of total courses served.
For the record I freaking love baked goods too.
The first time we went to Charlie Trotter’s, after many courses, they finally brought out dessert. It came on a HUGE platter, and there must have been a half-dozen full-sized desserts. The server thoroughly described each, and then walked away. My wife and I discussed each, and made our choice. We waited for the server, and he asked, “What was wrong? Well, nothing. We’ll take that one.” And then he said, “No, they’re all yours!”
I am guessing a lot of folks here would/do love Steirereck in Vienna. My fave tasting menu and cheese cart and bread cart worldwide.
With the exception of a really good bread pudding, and perhaps a fruit tart, I am not much of a dessert fan either. I have often in the past skipped dessert. At home now I will either do some cheese, or a dessert wine, or both. Apropos of the other conversation on food and wine pairing, I am much more tolerant of misses with savory food. I find a bad dessert and dessert wine pairing ruins at least the wine and sometimes the dessert also.
A small serving of an interesting sorbet or ice is best in my book. I like some sweets but not as part of a large meal. I do like being sent home with a small chocolate or petit fours for late night treat.
Great place, though I preferred the ambiance of the original location to the restaurant’s current home.
The last few times in three stars in Paris (Epicure and Le Cinq) we have ordered a la carte, and appetizer and a main course. With all the amuse bouches and the mignardises they bring, we seem to enjoy our dinners more. And with the option of a cheese cart, we are fine without the onslaught of so many desserts.
Interesting. I love the river and walking along it and especially the Weinbars along it in summer, but the original location had far too little natural light for me. I find the Stadtpark location to be airy and a wonderful backdrop to the dishes. The various nooks serve as almost private dining rooms for guests. Still though, the feeling of old Vienna vs modern style I can understand.