TASTE DAILY: Smell Test
When I go out on a reviewing meal, I strive to keep the situation favorable for accurate tasting and observing. I bring a companion who will follow my ordering instructions. I steer my server to the table that offers the best view of the operation. I eavesdrop on my fellow diners to gauge the crowd. And I sniff, a lot.
Because, as anyone who has ever tried to enjoy food with a stuffy nose knows, smell is 90 percent of taste. Aroma and flavor are inextricably linked. Nothing throws a bigger roadblock up during a review meal more than a nearby diner reeking of perfume or cologne. Diners are asked to follow some rules with regard to smoking and dress codes. Why not a fragrance ban as well?
The tongue-in-cheek “House Etiquette” section on the menu at Midtown Village’s Apothecary playfully remonstrates patrons whose perfumes and colognes interfere with other guests’ olfactory experience. But it’s a suggestion diners should take seriously. For the sake of your meal and mine, I beg you, refrain from fragrance when dining out. It’s enough to make garlic mashed potatoes taste like they’ve been seasoned with rosewater.
July 24th, 2008 at 9:07 am
There should be a law:
Government could situate official sniffers, paid with tax payers money, as hosts/hostess at the front of every restaurant.
While handing potential patrons the menus with ingredient/nutritional information, they could ’sniff’ these potential patrons. If the intended diner smells of perfume or another olfactory misdemeanor they could be barred from entry into the establishment.
They could of course order take-out, as long as they enjoyed their meal at least 15 feet away from doors and windows.