Sourcing Scrapes

Myers and Casanova Agree: ‘Less is More’ in Menu Sourcing

Victor Casanova of Culina
Victor Casanova of Culina Photo: Culina

Does it drive you crazy when restaurants list their farm sources under each dish? If the answer is “yes,” like one memorable Grub Street commenter, than you are in the same corner as Culina’s Victor Casanova. The chef tells Slashfood he’s tired of the trend, saying, “My opinion is that it’s not important to list every ingredient, just the key components in the dish. I’m easily frustrated when I see long drawn out descriptions. It’s a description not a recipe or a cookbook. Less is more.” But which famous local toque disputes the site’s claims that “that menus are starting to read like a chapter from War and Peace?

Naturally, Comme Ca chef David Myers, a micro-ingredient master whose Sona menu revels in the company of such stuff as daikon radishes, pickled fiddlehead ferns, Vietnamese curry, Siberian rolls, and truffled tiny tomatoes. Myers takes the opposing side of the ring, explaining “I like that chefs list ingredients…Guests are more knowledgeable about where items come from, and it is reassuring to those who appreciate sourcing great product. With that said, it can get a little over the top if every ingredient is spelled out. Less is more when it comes to a menu description, but I like to know where my food comes from.”

So while both chefs agree that “less is more,” both also have differing feelings on wordy menus and the need to know the origins of their food. Now we’re curious what you think. Do you like menus to contain information on sourcing or that list each ingredient? Or would you rather go to a library to do your reading and digest solely the central ingredients when perusing a dish? Please let us know your thoughts in our comments.

Ingredient Overload on Menus? [SlashFood]

Myers and Casanova Agree: ‘Less is More’ in Menu Sourcing