Should restaurants stop serving entrees?
Dear BA Foodist,
In my dining experience, appetizers always taste better than entrées. What do you think? Is there anything to this?
Angela Lee, Torrance, California
Dear Angela,
The number one reason why so many people say appetizers taste better than entrées is the same reason why you should never go to the grocery store hungry: Food tends to be more appealing when you are starving. Also, because of the "protein, vegetable, starch" format--an unwritten rule of all main courses--many chefs say they feel creatively stifled. Appetizers, by contrast, know no restrictions. You can have a starter of all meat or fish or vegetables--anything you want. The rules are, there ain't no rules. Also, appetizers are a chef's opportunity to get creative and take a chance. If the chef wants to cook sweetbreads, headcheese, or beef cheek, or pair berries with chicken livers, better to present the dish in a modest portion. Also, customers are more willing to try new flavors in small amounts. This is why tapas bars and small-plates restaurants--spots whose menus don't differentiate between appetizers and entrées--are so popular.
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