Kristian Knutsen
People dining together will have to all walk down the same path.
Beginning June 30, L'Etoile will be switching its menu to an all-tasting menu format.
Diners will first have a major choice from between two main options: a seven-course prix fixe meal or a three-course prix fixe meal.
The full seven-course tasting menu will be chef's choice and items will change daily or almost daily, depending on ingredient availability, says the restaurant's maître d' and sommelier, Ruben Mendez. Dietary restrictions will be accommodated as much as possible. The seven-course dinner will be $125, with wine pairings additional for $45 (four wines) or $65 (six wines).
The three-course option will offer diners three choices for each course ($65, wine pairing for the three courses is $35 more). Mendez describes this as more of an à la carte approach. The first courses, entrees and desserts for this menu will be available for about five to seven days each, says Mendez.
However, people dining together will have to all walk down the same path -- everyone at the table has to order the seven-course option, or everyone at the table has to go the three-course route. That's a practical concern for proper service and timing.
Mendez says it's still an option to come in and order, say, just drinks and a dessert.
Chef Tory Miller, winner of the 2012 James Beard Foundation "Best Chef-Midwest" made the decision to make this switch to augment the restaurant's emphasis on fresh and seasonal ingredients, says Mendez. "He's very excited about it."
"It's a permanent thing," Mendez adds. "It's a new direction for the restaurant."
