Appetizers over entrees

appetisers entréesoverby Nick Nunes

You’re a foodie on an adventure, a culinary escapade that demands dabbling in as many flavours and fantastic food nuances as personally possible. Maybe you’re on a budget and you’re looking to get the best bang for your buck.

Maybe you’re only spending a limited amount of time in whichever gastronomic geolocation you happen to currently be in. Whatever the reason, you could consider revamping the typical and tired eatery experience by going app crazy rather than sticking to the regimen of one appetiser (apps from henceforth), a main course, and a dessert.

This isn’t an option that can go over well in every restaurant. For instance, if you’re in an especially haughty restaurant, they may be offering a coursed meal. Usually, when the meal is rigidly set into specific courses, the options for each served section is going to be limited. This idea of apps over entrées falls apart when there aren’t enough app choices to engender the curious palate adventure herein suggested.

A fair point to be made going into this idea is that some restaurants, if they be snooty, may curl their proverbial lips and snarl at the idea of turning their dining experience into a Tapas affair. But, if you’re only going there once then who cares?! Let them be appalled while you enjoy your epic adventure in eating.

It’s not out of the ordinary to take a chance in a restaurant that you’ve never dined at previously and unfortunately go home underwhelmed with the whole or just part of the meal. By choosing to indulge in multiple small plates rather than hedging your whole night’s bet on one main, you sweeten the odds of enjoying something palatably intriguing.

Variety is the spice of life and with variety comes a larger line-up of spices. Think about all the times you dine out with friends and family and how the beginning of the sit-down experience goes. Everyone peruses the menu, intrigued at all the dishes, and it always starts with the appetisers.

The appetiser portion of the evening is one of the most communal and socially conscious aspects of the night. Rarely do groups go out together and all get the same appetiser because, for many people enjoying the company of their compatriots, appetisers are going to be shared. Maybe not completely split, but at least a taste is often offered around.

Everyone looks through the list of appetisers and voices their interest in what they may order, and sometimes, compromises are made in changing orders so that variety can enhance the entire experience. This is typically why many restaurants offer appetiser samplers.

Four people go out to eat. After the review of the menu and discussion of possibilities, each of the four get to try four dishes though each individual only ordered one. It’s the best possible outcome of a dining experience, unless you’re Joey Tribbiani from the tv show ‘Friends’, because everyone knows:

“JOEY DOESN’T SHARE FOOD!” As funny as that ‘Friends’ running gag was, Joey was willing to take off the plates of others, or even eat off the ground. Communal dining is just that, communal. Eating out isn’t solely about the extravagance of immoderate satiation. It’s about enjoying the company you’ve chosen to share your meal with.

Tapping into the untapped appetiser array gives you more of that sweet, sweet sharing that works out to be mutually beneficial to all those involved. Not only does the ordering of extra apps or even going overboard with apps in place of having just one entrée broaden the camaraderie of the night and increase the flavour profile you’re exposed to, but it also can cut down on both caloric intake and budget expenditure.

Nachos, ceviche, jalapeno poppers, dumplings—whatever the culinary contours of the restaurant you’re attending, appetisers are a great way to delve deep into the variety that the chef is showcasing while making for a much more interactive and adventurous affair.

Indulging in appetisers alone may not be for everyone. Some certainly prefer having their own plate and sticking to their singular dish, but it’s a nice idea to try once in a while to see where it takes you and how it can electrify an otherwise typical evening out.

ROBERTS MANUFACTURING