Whenever I think of a tasting menu, I get excited. This is an opportunity for a chef to show me what s/he's got. I've been to Palate Food + Wine before and thought the food was good but hated the service. So, when I heard the chef was most recently from there, I started plotting. Finally, I can have the food again.
They have both a regular tasting menu and a veggie friendly one. I had the meaty one, of course. The menu changes almost daily to reflect the farmers market availability. Last night, we were served a duck wing amuse bouche, soup, shrimp, steak and dessert of our choice from a massive menu. I was very happy with my meal and even happier there's this great option in the Valley.
It depends on the person but there aren't many cons to this place. I liked the accessibility to the chef and the server was a funny guy. But if you want stuffy service to go with your serious wine pairing and tasting menu, head Westside for that.
Pros: careful, precisely cooked food
Cons: somewhat casual
more