A Change Of Menu

Change is good , especially when it comes to menus. After all diners get bored with ordering the same old food when they visit a restaurant. Chefs probably tire of making the same dishes day after day, and night after night. That;s why Dave Beran's Chicago based restaurant , appropriately named Next is popular. A dish doesn't stay on the menu for long . In fact the eatery changes all its' dishes to give Next a new feel and does so every four months.

This was the topic of regular contributor Sam Sifton's article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. Eating at Next is more of a theatrical experience than a culinary one. The place never takes reservations. It has no phone anyway.It's by ticket only. The menu is far from being a traditional one. it focuses on certain themes. One recent one was la Belle Epoque celebrating the foods of a turn of the 19th Century Paris where the work of Auguste Escoffier was explored. This was a nine course extravaganza that featured the lush and decadent dishes of the era. There was turtle soup and truffled egg custard. there was also lamb and chicken along with duck finished with a chocolate bombe filled with a coffee semifreddo and mignardiese which were the petit fours of the time. Drinks of the era,port and claret were served too.

The current theme is Thai and with it all the bright colors and flavors that make up that cuisine. However it's not an homage to authentic Thai food but to the restaurants that everyone orders from. There was the famed pad thai, ubiquitous on any menu, with its'silken noodles and crunchy peanuts. Papaya salad was also made as was a delicious beef cheek curry. There was also a Penang take out curry too. Desserts were innovative with a watermelon and lemon grass consomme along with coconuts filled with corn pudding. This menu will only be in place for a few months. The next theme may include a World War II menu or something lifted form a children's book (maybe Alice In Wonderland or Green Eggs and Ham?)

Next is what other restaurants should strive for.It's innovative in its' theme menus and changes. Entertaining as well in the way it can pull it all off and leave guests hungering for more.Let's hope it influences other restaurants from New York to Los Angeles with its' constant changes.