It's important to note that Row Fourteen is astounding...even considering the hype built up before our arrival. My friend and I were visiting numerous wineries throughout the day, and from the start, the recommendations flowed.
"Have you heard of Row Fourteen?"
"Do you have a reservation for Row Fourteen?"
"Are you going to Row Fourteen?
"Why aren't you at Row Fourteen now?
And so on...
After seven hours in Keremeos Wine Country, we finally reached the climax of our day. We sat down and were presented with the smallest menu in the history of menus. Okay, that's hyperbolic, but the options ultimately came down to only two--a tasting menu with or without protein. Like many top-end restaurants, at least the new ones, Row Fourteen takes pride in being farm-to-table, gleaning produce from around the province. Initial courses proved impressive, from the buttery chicken pate to the pea carpaccio.
However, the meal took an unfortunate turn when the protein arrived....but that requires a disclaimer....which will probably discredit my opinion, but here it goes.
I know I'm open to a lot of cuisines. But I don't think it's wrong to say certain foods are disliked. I mean, it's not from the lack of trying. So, when I get a tasting menu like this, I want to say that I will eat anything...and I will. I'm allergic to kiwis and related foods, but I have never seen a tasting menu feature them in my life.
But apparently I need to add the caveat, "If you bring me whole fish or shellfish, I will eat it, but I will not enjoy it."
I mean, I try to be a good foodie; I try. And I get egotistical people saying, "well, you just haven't tried it my way," and I become an optimist and want to be proven wrong.
And I never am.
I don't enjoy it, and I feel it's my fault for not stressing my tastes. And I dove into that fish like a champ, and the first few bites were terrific...but halfway through, the texture threw me off and it became inedible. I spat out a piece, and I threw in the towel. It sullied the sumptuous meal, and I feel I have no one else to blame but myself for not being honest.
It's not a complete hatred of seafood. I love sushi in almost every capacity. But I dislike almost all shellfish, especially when it's still in a shell. I have a severe aversion to eating meat off bones, including if it's a whole fish, and if a head is included, I check out.
And there it was that day, a whole fish with the head staring up at me.
But ignoring my aversion to the look of the dish, with this fish, halfway through, the texture and the flavor completely turned me off. Row Fourteen did show me that I can no longer be silent when it comes to tasting menus, which I believe will probably upset chefs when given that sort of provision. I feel the need to make that disclaimer because if I am paying for a meal, I think I get to say, even if a tasting menu. Yes, some chefs may take that as a challenge. And I am okay with that but know that you may and will likely fail.
That's why I will from now on state very specifically: "I have no dietary restrictions and will try everything you present before me, but just so you know, if you give me seafood, especially shellfish or whole fish, I will not enjoy it."
And before you criticize my score, let me also talk about the beet dish. While it appeared appetizing and offered the promise of being transcendent, it was nothing of the sort. The problem with beets is that you have to overcome the impediment...that you're serving beets.
Beets... aren't very good. Just on their own...they don't offer much complexity because of the overpowering flavor of it. They're fine in salads, but even borscht is an acquired taste. And, alas, this dish felt like a chef trying to make a point and failing to do so. You can accent a beet dish with cherries and nuts, but in the end, I'm tasting nothing but cooked beets.
So, that's Row Fourteen... undoubtedly good, but also disappointing at the same time. read more