THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH STARS TO RATE DAMON BAEHREL!!!!! The hubs and I were extremely lucky and fortunate in being able to come here to celebrate my birthday!!! Damon Baehrel, which is named after the chef himself, is probably considered the most exclusive restaurant in the world. It is literally a one-man show, as Chef Baehrel is the one who cooks, serves, and hosts a 5-6+ hour-dining experience for his guests at his beautiful home on his 12-acre property in upstate NY. As most know, this restaurant is booked solid until the year 2026, and they have not been taking any reservations/adding parties onto their waiting list since last year/'14 (this is for an indefinite period of time) - you bet your tootin' bootin' that I felt so victorious for bypassing others on the list by 11+ years!!! (Just note that it really doesn't matter 'who' you are, 'who' you know, and/or if you come equipped with a list of multiple referrals.) Known for his 'Native Harvest Cuisine,' every single item on his menu (besides the seafood that is brought fresh from Nova Scotia from his private supplier) is made/created/raised on the premise - when I mean every item, I mean EVERY item, from the flours, pressed oils, vinegars, breads, to the curing his own meats and aging his own cheeses! This restaurant is the epitome and the prime definition of what 'farm-to-table' should really be! We were welcomed warmly from Chef Baehrel, and I was super excited that we were his only guests for the evening - YES, IT WAS JUST THE 3 OF US, THE HUBS, ME, AND THE CHEF!!! (I think I literally sobbed right on the spot). Our super private dining experience was about 5.5+ hours, but actually flew right on by and was like a total dream - we were given a multi-course menu (about 24-26+ items, including some handful of extras since the Chef was just super excited in having us(!!!)), that featured seasonal, organic plants/fruits/vegetables/trees from his property, in addition to a lovely educational overview of each of the ingredients used for the dish. I just couldn't believe at some of the ingredients that he had used, and how each of them had a distinct flavor (and were all actually edible/okay for human consumption!) - it was amazing to listen to the experimentation, the time spent, the punctuality of harvesting such items throughout the year, and the multiple aging/preserving/curing process that he does. I had a lovely wine pairing with the multi-course dinner (delicious champagne, reds, whites, and dessert wines), while the hubs had homemade juice pairings made from the luscious fruits/tree saps (super delicious and refreshing!). The love, the passion, and the excitement from the chef was just purely an eye-opener, and this literally was the BEST DINING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!!! BELIEVE THE HYPE (of the very few limited ones there are) - Chef Baehrel will change your life and exceed any and all expectations that you may/will have!!! You have to go there to experience it personally, as there are no words to describe such a unique experience - the overwhelming appreciation that you obtain in tasting the raw essence of the ingredients that are found around you was truly truly truly remarkable - Chef Baehrel is a GENIUS! Just note that there is no photography/video/recording equipment/note-taking allowed inside the restaurant, so PLEASE be respectful to the Chef (and, shame on those 'bloggers' who disregard/circumvent around this request/policy!). I cannot wait to go back! :D +BEST DINING EXPERIENCE EVER!!! +Chef Damon Baehrel :D +Native Harvest Cuisine :D +5.5+ dining experience :D +no photography/video/recording equipment allowed inside the restaurant - please be respectful! read more

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Much has already been written about Damon Baehrel so I will try and be succinct. I put in my reservation request in August 2012 and fully expected a 5-year minimum wait but to my delight I was able to snag a "special seating" on a Sunday at 4pm. It helps to be flexible with your dates and within driving distance. 20 courses (!), 4.5 hours. 5 hour round trip drive. 1 car rental. Completely worth it. Damon Baehrel is the ultimate host, completely charming and engaging. My wife and I were the only guests and it was awesome! Not awkward at all. What I loved about the meal, besides his "Native Harvest" dishes, was that by the end of it you can start to understand his botany heavy food lexicon, as certain themes started to emerge. Stevia and clover as thickening agents, all sap everything, powders galore, nut flours, fermentation trickery, homemade cheese. Homemade everything! (except some salt and the seafood/wine). Hearing his insanely detailed and clever course preparations makes you feel guilty about eating all of these small bites in less than 30 seconds. Damon paces the meal perfectly, always happy to chat and answer your questions at length. He takes great satisfaction in his cooking and sharing his techniques. This meal is about learning the process as much as it is about eating, and both are better for it. There were some items that sounded cooler than they tasted, but overall each dish was solid. The highlights for me were the teal duck and the duck egg "creme brulee". I guess I like duck. If you are fortunate enough to get a reservation here come with an open mind and don't expect a rich fancy-pants food experience or you will be disappointed. PS - Leaving a one-star review for a restaurant you have never eaten at just because you can't get a reservation is pathetic. read more

"Profound, Delicious, Perplexing, Mind Boggling, Life-Altering, Magical, and FUN!" Went to Damon Baehrel with friends for my birthday on October 5 of 2019. We had the privilege of just the four of us and Chef Baehrel for a 27-course 7.5 hour experience with fabulous wines and special non-alcoholic juice and sap blends. Damon did it all, and it boggles the mind just what we saw in the service. Our drinks never ran empty, one dish after another came out with such distinct and original flavors, such sublime tastes and smells, seven hours felt like an hour went by. Just one of the courses was a beautifully plated charcuterie dish featuring craft meats and cheeses prepared from scratch by Chef Baehrel. We found Chef to be warm, witty, funny, articulate, intelligent, charming, just one of the greatest hosts imaginable. I've been to a number of three-star Michelin experiences including Noma in Copenhagen and Noma's pop-up in Mexico which Time Magazine referred to as the "...meal of the century." Damon provided a once-in-a-lifetime experience that was equivalent in some ways, but almost on another planet when it comes to his Native Harvest cuisine. It was like watching a magical alchemist, some have said like a visit with Yoda or Willy Wonka. He's been at this for 35 years, and as we were also in the company of a friend and Owner/Chef at our best Italian restaurant in Gainesville, we all marveled from course to course at the experience in this beautiful home. Naysayers be damned, this man and this restaurant and this warm and wonderful presentation would have been worth it for twice the price. It was one of the very few top birthdays of my life. Just what was set up in advance for our engagement boggles the mind - absolutely spotless glasses lined up at the ready, table settings in the front room where we sampled many bite-courses and delicious palate-cleaning little iced slush balls of vegetable, fruit, and sweetness (no sugar, no cream) the endless beautiful presentation plates and unique utensils, the impossibly clean clever details, even the ice came prepared in a variety of ways and in a variety of concoctions - sap, fruits, syrups - just so impressive. The courses range from seafood to meats, cheeses, little bites of heaven on crackers made of pine, a profundity of techniques and methods, sauces so delicious we went in with fingers, and only one person to look to in the end - Chef Damon Baehrel. We felt we left meeting two new friends: The Chef of course, and when we got home, our own back yards that we hadn't given proper consideration to. What wonders there are to be found in nature. I dare say dinner with Damon is in some ways a life-changing event. If you can go, go! We continue to live the experience in our minds, this special time still resonating, and if food is magic, wonder, nature, and heart, this is the man and the place. read more

Just go. It's Amazing. Ask him to give you anything extra he has, do the wine paring, do the juice paring. Do everything! I'm going back ASAP. read more

Truly amazing 4 and half hour meal. 10 courses all grown on the property or raised on the nearby farms. Chef Damon Baehrel is the chef, host, waiter, busboy and dishwasher. He presents each course to you with a short description and his love for each ingredient is apparent in every word. He talks about the spirit of produce and of rutabegas and cat's tails and cheese. I thought this review got all the nuances just right: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2009/01/when-farm-to-ta.html#more This place gets about three thousand reservations a year and each of the guest who I dined with had called every week for 3 months to get a reservation. read more

One of the top 2 or 3 dining experiences of my life. 6 hours and 31 courses (tho went by fast and were bit size, to perfect portion). It was dinner, theater, natural history, story telling, art and mind-blowingly good food. The vast majority of Damon's supplies come from his 12 acre "farm". Cooking with cedar, acorn, hickory, sumac, goldenrod, roots and more. Drinking various sap. Heating on stones. What do you call it when someone is using native and naturally occurring ingredients to prepare refined food? Locavore doesn't do it justice. Highly recommend if you can get in. read more

This dining experience was everything we hoped it was going to be and so much more. Chef Damon truly made the Native Harvest experience an over the top experience we will never forget. He is one of the kindest, humblest, and most gracious people I have ever met, not to mention one of the most talented chefs I've ever encountered. I can't imagine anyone being able to pull off a feat in which diners are kept fully engaged, captivated, and fed constantly for more than 5 hours straight successfully, yet that is exactly what we experienced. It was truly incredible. I learned so much about the abundance of nature's bounty and how nature can inspire the meal that ends up on your plate from even the tiniest detail; full disclosure: I now definitely want to learn about what is available from nature around me and start incorporating it into our meals on a more regular basis. Haha. For instance, on our table was a pitcher filled with sycamore sap instead of a pitcher filled with water (sap is like 98% water when it comes out of the tree); it was possibly one of the most eye opening and mind blowing aspects of our entire meal when viewed from the perspective of the entire experience Chef Damon created. I would give this 10 stars if I could. The man is truly a culinary genius. read more

I've not eaten at the restaurant but have been on "the list" for more than 5 years. Ouch. I finally got "fed up" and removed myself. The truth is, it was far too difficult dealing with the pretense. When someone who had been there mentioned "The Emperor's New Clothes," it all clicked in. Proceed with caution. read more

If the MacArthur Foundation gave their "genius grants" to restaurateurs, Damon Baehrel would get the first. We ate at a small (6 people) seating that started at 4:45 and ended after 9:45. After a complementary glass of excellent sparkling French wine, we were treated to fourteen courses that used almost exclusively items grown or foraged and prepared on the grounds of the restaurant. There is a well chosen wine list and all wines were available by the glass. The unusual local ingredients ranged from acorn flour to burdock root to cattail shoots. We were treated to such unusual and intensely flavored dishes as Riesling granita and sumac sorbet. There were three exceptional freshly baked breads and eleven artisanal cheeses made by Damon from milk from his cows, sheep and goats. Each plate was artistically presented and adorned with herbs, reductions and powders (e.g. rhubarb powder). Standouts included the "fried egg" with a yolk of slow cooked yellow tomato and white of slow cooked turnip with a crunchy little "hash brown" made of radish that tasted nothing like radish. The nasturtium flower "tempura", and the chocolate beet "pudding" were also exceptional. Each course was a surprise and delight. The flavors just explode in your mouth. It's no surprise that the waiting list is anywhere from three months to a year. read more

Yes it takes a long time to secure a reservation, but for good reason, everyone wants to go! Indeed Thomas Keller called Chef Damon one of America's best chefs. I've personally written a few reviews on Trip Advisor and elsewhere, proclaiming this experience to be life changing. It is a must for serious foodies. And what a shame that one Yelper was frustrated with the reservation policy and felt if appropriate to leave 1 star. That's when Yelp should filter... read more

There is no rating system good enough to describe the Basement Bistro and it's genius chef Damon Baehrel. To start off it took us 2 years to get a reservation. Any other restaurant after eating there I probably would've told you it wasn't worth the wait. Let me tell you this - it was 100% worth the wait and in fact I've put my name back on the waiting list and can't wait to go again. Not sure where to begin but... My wife and a few friends were the only 6 people in Damon's basement (it's literally the basement of his house) although he can fit up to 15 people we had the unique experience of eating alone. It turns out our Chef Damon Baehrel is also the maitre d', the waiter, the sommelier, the bus boy, the prep cook and oh yeah - the amazingly talented chef. He is the only person you see all night as he pours your water (the water is a surprise in itself I'll leave out for you to experience on your own), fixes your napkin, serves your food and in his spare time cooks up some of the most amazing dishes you've ever eaten in your life. Our dinner was 5 1/2 hours and 15 courses. Almost everything you eat is grown on his 12 acre land with some fish being brought in and some meat from a nearby farm. Every single thing you eat is unreal. All his flour, butter, bread, cheeses, sopressata's and so much more were all home made. To describe Chef Damon Baehrel is to say that he truly has a passion for what he does and considers it a privilege to cook for you in his basement. This alone is such a refreshing twist from most great chefs who feel that they are superior because they can prepare a great meal. Damon is funny and kind and did I mention his food is UNREAL!!! It's so hard to write in a yelp review how unbelievable this meal was. I have traveled all over the world. Have eaten in the best restaurants in New York City, Westchester, New Orleans, California, Connecticut, Las Vegas, France and Italy. This was honestly one of the greatest experiences of my life (and the same held true for my wife and our guests). You need to eat here. You need to experience the wonder that is Chef Damon Baehrel. You need to put your name on the list today. You will not regret that you did!!! read more

We dined with Damon on Columbus Day 2016. We were contacted about a week prior and notified of a "small seating this holiday" and asked if we would like to dine. After being on the waiting list for nearly 4 years we answered an enthusiastic "yes"! I first submitted my name to the reservation list in February of 2013. Not long after that we were contacted and given an opportunity to share dietary restrictions. It got a little tricky at that point because while my dining partner doesn't have any restrictions, I have many. I don't eat fish, seafood or anything else that lives the majority of its life in water nor do I eat cheese (with the exception of some goat cheese). Those are BIG restrictions. They're not allergy related; my taste buds simply cannot get down with any of those foods despite many attempts. I wanted to get the most out of the dining experience but also didn't want to be so restrictive that we'd never get a table! So I decided to not breathe a word about my dietary restrictions and just roll with whatever was placed in front of me. We signed up for the Columbus Day seating and that's when things got really serious in my brain! I'll say right off the bat that I do not have the language or experience to discuss what I ate and drank. I won't be regaling you with my take on flavor profiles, palates, whatever other words food bloggers and culinary masters use. I'm sure you can find blogs and articles out there that can provide you with this. What I was utterly preoccupied with from the moment we booked the date until we finally stepped foot inside the dining room were logistics! Will it be cold in the dining room? Will we be at a communal table? What is appropriate attire? Do they take credit cards? Will I offend anyone if I don't eat absolutely everything that lands in front of me? I could barely take the pressure my own brain was putting on me. A long nearly-four-year wait was coming to a head and I didn't want to blow it. So for any of you who may be plagued by the same types of worries, let me put your minds at ease. I decided on a patterned dress from Boden, tights and a pair of heels. My dining partner wore "nice" jeans, a sport coat (which spent the evening on the coat rack) and a pair of Allen Edmonds. Another couple arrived just a few minutes after us. They both wore slacks and a shirt and sweater combo with the gentleman in a sport coat (which also spent the night on the coat rack). So, no need to go out and buy a new outfit to dine there. Just go in something you already have. Next, we did not sit at the same table as the other couple. We also weren't cold at all. You don't have to ring the doorbell either. Once the gate opens, just drive up the driveway, park and go in. No frills. They do accept credit cards and yes tipping is also expected despite the fact that the chef is also the waiter. It was the five of us for a little over five hours. And no, I did not leave hungry nor did my dining partner. And even though I off-loaded my fish/seafood tastings to him I still left completely full. This brings me to my next point. If I did offend Damon by not eating the fish/seafood tastings (although I did try a few bites of some of them), he didn't let on. I respectfully passed them to my dining partner once he was finished with his plates so they got eaten - but by only one of us. We opted for the juice beverages instead of the wine. We were served sap and juice varieties throughout the evening. I'd say somewhere around 6 or so juices and a couple of saps. The food was unlike anything I've experienced or will ever again. Bark, pine needles, plants, weeds, roots, flowers, leaves, berries, meat, cheese, fish, seafood, apples and one variety of potato. There wasn't a broccoli flourish to be found or any other vegetable we might prepare at home. I can't imagine there's any place else on earth that offers a comparable experience. Each tasting was accompanied by a description of how it was prepared and often how Damon discovered it. His enthusiasm for his work is infectious. He's down to earth and completely accessible. Oddly enough, my dining partner knew the other couple. We live local to Damon and so do they. I had done some research on Damon and read tales of people flying from the four corners of the world for an opportunity to dine so I was surprised at the coincidence of both couples being local and knowing each other. It made for a lovely evening of conversation and comfort. My point of view on the evening was that it was a once in a lifetime experience. A hefty price tag but when all was said and done it was well worth every cent. read more

Simply the most amazing dining experience in the world. We have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed the pleasure of Damon's food, wine and company several times. Each experience has left us in awe and planning our next visit. 1 million stars!!! read more

This restaurant and experience has made eating like a regular person extremely difficult. My mind is blown. Damon is a gentleman and a true genius. read more

We are local and have been there several times. It is easily the best dining experience that we have ever had and that includes NYC and international destinations. You will be fed, entertained and educated by Chef Damon. The only bad news is that the restaurant is presently not taking new reservations, because of a multiyear backlog. Be patient though, they will eventually catch up. read more

This is the first restaurant review I ever written. I have been on the waiting list for over 5 years, and my wife and I were lucky to get a reservation to dine with Damon last Monday. It was THE BEST MEAL OF MY LIFE!!! We arrived at 4 PM, and left after 10 PM, had approximately 25 courses, and the meal start to finish was wonderful. I have been to most of the best restaurants in New York City and around the world, and this was the best dining experience I ever had. Damon does not cook with butter, cream, sugar or flour, yet his foods have unbelievable tastes. The cheese plate had about 15 cheeses, each with its own story (i.e.: this cheese was made 33 days ago). In addition to my wife, there was a second table of three people. Damon would tell us how he prepared each dish, and then we would eat them. Damon is charming, as he is the cook, waiter, and a one man show, and he added to the experience. On of the other diners summed it up best at the end of the evening when he said I hope this will not be a once in a lifetime experience (meaning he hopes he gets to eat there again). All five diners said the meal exceeded their expectations, which was already high read more