Dining: Panning the Picky Eaters

It seems that restaurants will do anything to make their patrons happy.

When I was a cook at Jean Georges, a four-star restaurant in Manhattan, guests would not infrequently order a meal that wasn't on the menu. Although we would comply, I never understood why a customer would ask the kitchen to whip up a weiner schnitzel when he could enjoy the original creations of an exceptional chef.

It would be like going to the Four Seasons and asking housekeeping to pitch a tent for you.

Last weekend, I enjoyed dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a farm/restaurant an hour north of New York City. The restaurant provides two tasting menus; the diner's only choice is the number of courses they'd like. The menu lists the seasonal produce that may be included in your meal, but no further description of the meal is provided. ...