This is not our normal post. It is still about restaurants; we have not gone
completely bananas, just a little butter-crazy while writing it.
When it comes to bread service in fine dining restaurants, some establishments go overboard, while others opt for bread from the local bakery. We are suckers for bread and butter when dining out. So here we go—a little bread circus, like when the bread arrives with the last dish! Or the round sourdough cut into four pieces with a crust so hard only the dentist likes it, but for a very different reason.
Vyn Restaurant – Simrishamn
Tom Kitchin – Edinburgh
These days, round sourdough bread is so common, it is like there is a fine dining manual that says, “Page one: bake a round bread and slice it.” Sourdough here, sourdough there, sourdough everywhere.
The pièce de résistance? When they brag about their 100-year-old yeast strain. Hallelujah! That is when we start dreaming of a Brasserie in France, yearning for a simple Baguette Ordinaire with a smear of butter and a sprinkle of Sel de Guérande.
“Normal bread” at Bouchon Yountville – California
Aizle – Edinburgh
One restaurant served bread as a standalone dish. Like, “Here is your bread, now zip it.” Another place went all out, filling the table with five different kinds of bread, leaving no room for anything else. It is like they are thinking, “Let us give them so much bread that they choke on it.”
Then there is the restaurant who start you off with three different kind of breads. We knew better, but the couple next to us struggled to finish theirs. Just as they cleared their plates, poof, three more appeared. And to ensure you do not starve, they pack some in a paper bag for you to take home.
The gold medal goes to the restaurant that serves you a delicious bread roll right away. When you finish it, they magically appear with a metal bucket filled with petite pain. Like a sleight of hand, there is a new roll on your plate before you can say “abracadabra.” And later in the service, they top it off with brioche, just to make sure you have had your carb fix. Yes, it was a French restaurant.
Once, we asked for the bread; the plate was there on the table, along with the butter. Every time we inquired, the response was, “It is coming, it is coming.” Finally, they admitted the baker did not show up that day.
The Ledbury – London
L´Orangerie – Paris
Hélène Darroze – London
When it comes to butter, some places go beyond what is normal. Whipped, infused, homemade churned butter, shaped like a golf ball, a rosette—you name it. Sometimes it is like a tiny art exhibit on your plate.
But seriously, keep it simple. We get that baking takes time and effort. We are happy just to have some bread with our meal so we do not have to lick the sauce off the plate.
What are your thoughts about bread in restaurants? Share your doughy tales and buttery anecdotes in the comments below—because let’s be honest, we all knead a good bread story!