Firmly rooted in European-style white- tablecloth dining, personal prep is showing up in family-owned trattorias and even chain restaurants like P.F. Chang's, where servers mix chili, mustard and vinegar sauces tableside to the guest's specifications. There are no hard numbers on the trend, but it goes with the dining public's fascination with all things food, from celebrity-chef shows on TV to grocery-store cooking demonstrations.
This kind of personal attention appeals on many levels, noted Roberta Adamo, executive chef at Penne Restaurant, in University City. "I think guests like the idea of seeing exactly what they're going to eat, prepared right in front of them," said Adamo, whose eight-seat pasta bar is always booked. There, at lunch and dinner, guests can watch Adamo create everything from fava gnocchi to carrot cavatelli. The ever-smiling chef, who also offers private pasta-making classes at the bar, chats with guests as she works, adding intimacy to the experience.
With a dish like pesce al cartoccio, or fish in parchment, which she often runs as a special, guests breathe in the tantalizing aroma of fresh herbs and citrus as the crisp parchment is cut open, an appetizing tease as the fish is filleted and plated.
At Cafe Roberto, a sunny trattoria at 21st and South, brothers Fernando and Roberto Vincenti are expert at deboning and presenting simply grilled and seasoned fresh fish, from Dover sole to pompano and black bass.
"Our customers know we do everything fresh, but they love to see it in front of their eyes," said Fernando. Although the menu includes a range of tasty pasta and meat dishes, the tableside fish is always a hit.
Then there's the "I want what she's having" factor. "People see it, and then they want to order it, too," said Vincenti. "Everyone likes to watch."
