impressive packaging, information and complexity - what about the flavors?
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That’s so cool…and delicious looking! I love that fine dining takeout can involve a river rock and no one blinks an eye.
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Lol! I had to step away for a bit after sorting all those photos.
Overall this was my favorite meal of the three I’ve had from Vespertine. They’ve grown more thoughtful and elaborate with every iteration.
I’d say the flavors were there for 95% of the meal, with the two misses being contained to the ON | AVOCADO and TIKIN XIIK’ | DRY FISH. Both were texturally what I wanted but flavor-wise muted. My issue with the ceviche reminded me FTCers reports about the ceviche at Angler, which I agree with as well. It looked like a whole bunch going on but it was almost like out of sight, out of mind.
That SIKIL P’AAK | SQUASH SEED TOMATO was beautiful, right up my alley. Especially with the raw veggies, I would have loved a bowl of those radishes.
I loved that TAMAL COLADO | STRAINED TAMAL. “We’ve kept the tamal very simple.” They did and it totally worked! In the best way possible there wasn’t too much going on.
TOK-SEL | BURNED AND GROUND - Another example of simplicity shining. The fresh fava beans that popped up every now and then were my favorite bites.
KUTZ BOOZ K’OOL | TURKEY BLACK THICK SOUP - The most Vespertine take out thing I’ve ever seen. I could pour that recedo negro on everything.
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Ok, you convinced me! Ordered for Friday.
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Well, to be fair, at least you get to KEEP the river rock. 
And I love how there’s an instruction to NOT eat it.
@butteredwaffles: only skimmed the pics and description, but the meal looks amazing. The plating is gorgeous (and in plastic containers!); glad to hear the food lived up the appearance (for the most part).
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Did this the other night. Thought it was pretty fantastic overall - as anticipated, Yucatecan food is precisely my shit, and chef Kahn’s take was thoughtful and unusual and delicious.
I actually didn’t love the fava beans, though I would call it personal preference and not a technical issue. Found them overly smoky and sort of one note - which others might call clean and simple. I’m just not that into favas. I would also say the tortillas were a weak point for us. The flavors were fine, but they were par-cooked to be finished at home and they didn’t quite work. The blue corn ones were consistently flimsy, and the white ones were consistently rigid. I think he should have cooked them all the way through, for us to simply reheat at home.
The turkey was absurdly good, though, tender and rich as pulled pork in a super complex spicy charred broth. The Sikil Paak was perfectly earthy with just the right hits of smoke and spice. And the salsa roja was out of this world - one of the best salsas I’ve had stateside.
One other note - this was a ton of food, and between all of the reading and plating and stuff we ended up eating for over an hour, not including the break we had to take between savory and dessert (which was also outstanding). Felt like a real tasting menu! And a good value, considering.
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Part of me thinks this could be the future of take home tasting menus? As much as one may scoff at the idea I do think we have to consider all possible realities for what the future of dining will be like post pandemic.
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I actually think it’s a brilliant idea… 
I have to admit that picking up my food in the back alley for Dialogue was strangely pleasurable. I never get to feel like a bad ass otherwise…
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I want his deal. The Southern Meal was listed as $65 per person and totaled $85 per person after tax and service charge.
Lol a great read though.
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French Laundry menu next. Hmm.
This week, Vespertine honors one of the most important and influential restaurants in history.
With the express permission of Chef Thomas Keller himself, I have chosen to create a tasting menu featuring specific dishes I learned from my time working alongside Chef Keller. This collection of recipes hold a special meaning to me, for within each, lies a personal lesson or story recounted from small moments of imparted wisdom, which was always the case when working with Chef.
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Vespertine-bound.
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Is it considered a bang-bang if I got the tasting menu for 2 for myself?
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Meta-bang is allowed.
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slots are going fast so if y’all want in better get in soon.
Vespertine, the next Next.
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And gone…
In case you wanted to set the mood for your vespertine takeout.
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