Omnivore - Angry plates, retro plates

Hector Santiago and Ron Eyester on “plate looks”

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Here are two more statements from chefs about contemporary style in presentation of food. They are from interviews I conducted for a haiku-length piece for Fenuxe Magazine:

From “Angry Chef” Ron Eyester of Rosebud and the Family Dog:

I think chefs are generally getting away from the “vertical architecture” that once defined great looking dishes. I know for me personally, I’m more interested in using larger plates and taking advantage of the plate’s surface area. By presenting a dish in a deconstructed manner (and perhaps a ”cleaner” presentation), the chef allows the guest to “take in all the individual components of a dish” and taste the components of the dish in various orders. Also, I like putting emphasis on the actual piece of china and seeking pieces that are unique to my restaurant and pieces that are perhaps colored (almost accentuating the homey aspect of the restaurant), as opposed to traditional bright white or bone.

And this is from Hector Santiago of Pura Vida and Super Pan Latino Sandwich Shop:

As far as contemporary presentation, I feel the trend is toward nature in a loose sense. Plates that look as if they where crafted with care and precision but not rigid and fixed like in the cuisine nouvelle days. The food speaks for itself, making you want to dig in with all your senses.

I like to present my food in that way, but sometimes I may do something different — something passé or even “retro” to evoke a thought or memory for the customer. It could be simple batter-fried fish in a basket lined with deli paper for a sense of naked goodness or a cheesy rendition of a classic that still evokes that cheesiness and take us back in time.