Advertisement

Food

Eat like a critic: Order the special (really, it's OK!)

If you believe folk wisdom, tonight's special is something the kitchen is trying to unload, a sucker's dish made from last Wednesday's tilapia.  Who knows; that could be the case in your local greasy spoon.

But in serious restaurants, specials -- whether scrawled on a blackboard, printed on a menu or described in loving detail by a server -- are more likely to be among the most interesting dishes you can possibly order. Often created by sous chefs, specials might feature an amazing ingredient just in that day (the first Copper River salmon, or some gorgeous squash blossoms, or green almonds with a two-second-long season). Or it may be an opportunity for a chef to play and shine creatively.  Sometimes it's an R & D dish, a cool thing a chef is playing with that will eventually go onto the regular menu. Can't decide? Go ahead, order it. It might be the best thing on offer, and likely as not, you'll never see it again.