I love menu tastings: smaller portions, more variety. It’s the epicurean experience featuring the best creations from the resident chefs. I kind of wish every fine dining restaurant would offer “The Experience,” so I don’t have to make tough decisions.

I tend to stick with what I know. On a rare occasion, I may vacillate between two or three appetizers, a soup, a salad, maybe a couple of entrees. I whittle down my choices, and I scan and re-read the menu. I listen intently to the specials offered, then weigh them against my tried-and-true favorites. I take my selections seriously, as if this may be my last meal or something.

Menu tastings are designed to get you out of your routine. Even if you shy away from certain mainstays, you are encouraged to branch out and try new things. You just might find that, when prepared a certain way by someone who knows what they are doing, you discover a dish you’ve never had and a whole new level of enjoyment of one of “life’s little pleasures.”

We’ve been fortunate to be invited to several menu tastings, and we try to attend every one. Our friends at Great Southern Restaurants, owners of Jackson’s Steak House and Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano, recently had back-to-back Spring/Summer menu tastings on consecutive Wednesdays in Pensacola. Marketing director, Maria Goldberg, serves as host, and there is a purpose to the event.

Maria begins by welcoming guests, who are representatives of the local media (stop laughing…), and explains why we are here. “To try new things” is the short answer, and to offer honest feedback to the chefs, restaurant, and bar managers in attendance. We go around the room and introduce ourselves, and we’ve attended enough of these events now that we’ve made some new friends, but there are always a few new faces. 

After the chefs and bar managers explain what’s in store for the evening, Maria lets us know that this isn’t just a dog and pony show. At the end of our meal, we will go around the room, and each guest will share exactly what they liked best, or didn’t like, and why. At the conclusion, Collier Merrill, CEO of Great Southern Restaurants, greets the crowd and gives us some general updates about what’s happening in Pensacola. I always feel happy and smarter when we head home.

Since we live in Fairhope, we are not in Pensacola as much for evening dining, but these menu tastings are worth the trip. We do love all the offerings Great Southern Restaurants have, including Five Sisters’ Blues Cafe, Atlas Oyster Bar and the original, The Fish House restaurant. We learned that the Atlas Oyster Bar, adjacent to The Fish House, is being incorporated into The Fish House so that the outside seating will be available for lunch. That’s welcome news!

Back to our two menus tastings, after a few years, there is just so much you can change to a menu that people already love. Staple items are a part of the success story. In the case of Jackson’s, you will always have select choices of prime beef, freshly caught seafood, and lamb chops, a favorite. How you prepare a dish, and what you pair with it, can change seasonally, so it looks and tastes unique.

This is the beauty and challenge for Chef Irv and his team, including Jeremiah Taylor and Sous Chef Michael Roane. A lot of thought and creativity go into changing things up a bit. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard after a tasting, with Maria’s encouragement to try new things, guests say, “I don’t usually eat such and such, but this was outstanding!”

People also have a different take on the same dish. At Jackson’s, we were served fresh Grouper in a coconut-milk Thai red curry sauce over jasmine rice that was perfect. When I see curry in the description, I think, “What level of hotness should we expect?” This was just right, not too overpowering and full of flavor.

We started the evening with a beautiful watermelon salad. It was a nice slice of watermelon that had been vacuum sealed to keep it from becoming mushy. The team explained the process, and I must say, it was excellent. The “compressed” watermelon was accompanied by pickled watermelon rinds, radish, feta, seasonal berries, balsamic vinegar, and basil “caviar”, which were like little flavor pearls, and micro arugula.

Next was a Seafood and Vegetable Bucatini pasta dish. Hollow noodles, jumbo lump crabmeat, fresh sugar snap peas, corn-off-the- cob, baby spinach, baby heirloom tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil and butter in a corn cob-Parmesan broth with fresh Gulf Shrimp, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven!

We were also served a nice Achiote-spiced salmon served over quinoa with grilled corn off the cob and asparagus, blistered grape tomatoes, charred jalapenos with cotija, aji Verde, and micro cilantro. Two specialty drinks were created for our meal: a Verdant Bayou with Lemongrass-infused Ketel One vodka, pineapple puree, ginger syrup garnished with a sprig of cilantro. 

Before being served double-cut New Zealand lamb chops to conclude our tasting experience, our second cocktail for the evening arrived. It was called a Sunahara Lassi made with Astral Reposado tequila, a mango lassi, coconut, triple sec, agave (instead of sugar), and lime juice, garnished with a tajin rim. All very refreshing and perfect for a summer evening.

Knowing we were returning to Angelena’s the following week, we left satisfied, happy, content, and excited for what was in store. Jackson’s Steak House is always a good choice, and we find ourselves there for Friday Lunch, where they help get weekends off to a great start.

Angelena’s on the following Wednesday evening was a smaller group, but equally enthusiastic. After the introductions and a preview of what to expect, we knew we were in for a treat. Beginning with fresh Tuna Crudo, everyone was oohing and aweing, savoring every bite. The fried capers added a delicious crispiness I had never experienced before.

Our first specialty cocktail was a clarified gin concoction infused with elderberry, named Spello. The process for clarifying was explained, and it takes up to 18 hours to prepare. It’s become a popular drink, so preparing enough ahead of time to meet demand is paramount. Our second cocktail consisted of Rye whiskey, Italian rum, Aperol, and orange cream soda called a Copper Union. It was equally satisfying.

Next was handmade Ricotta-filled Ravioli Alla Sorrentina served with lemon, basil, and a rich l tomato sauce. The presentation was beautiful, and it tasted even better. It was one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth. 

The next two dishes did me in. Seared Sea Scallops served over sweet corn risotto, corn and herb salad, with a lemon-chillibeurre blanc, and crispy Prosciutto. Again, the crispy prosciutto was a first for me, and it set the dish apart. 

The final main entree was a Chianti Braised Short Rib served with grilled peaches (Chef told us he placed an order from Italy, but when it didn’t arrive in time, he scoured four different stores in Pensacola to procure the peaches). The short ribs melted in your mouth, and the salsa verde, asparagus, and baby squash were perfect complements.

The piece de resistance was Angelena’s lemon sorbet served as dessert. This was added to the menu at Maria’s insistence. Think of taking an Amalfi lemon, known for its thick skin and sweet pulp, and removing all the pulp to make a fresh sorbet, and adding it all back into the elongated peel to create what appears to be a whole lemon. This is an art form and an incredible way to conclude a fine dining experience.

The staff received rave reviews, and I texted Maria the next day that the evening was exceptional. Truly, it was. On our way home that evening, we felt fortunate to be included in such an epicurean delight. “We need to make plans to spend more evenings in Pensacola,” Linda said.

Indeed, we do!