Josephine's Tasting Menu

June 02, 2015
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A Tasting menu (appropriately named as you get a small bite of each course) gives a chef an opportunity to experiment and play, a bit more than with their standard menu. Such is the case with the new xIx Tasting Menu at Josephine in 12th South. Chef Andy Little combines spring flavors, his German heritage and his Pennsylvania roots with Southern foodways in his whimsical, yet refined tasting menu, which previewed May 1st at Josephine. 

Here is a quick Q&A with Chef Andy: 

What do you like about doing a tasting menu? What does it enable you to do, that you can't on the standard menu?

I really like being able to offer another type of dining experience at Josephine. This type of experience affords me the opportunity to personally interact with guests throughout the course of their tasting experience. 

The big thing that the tasting experience does for me is it opens up another set of ingredients. I can concentrate on sourcing ingredients for 20 guests a week (10 on Friday and 10 on Saturday) and can use products that maybe I wouldn't choose to put on the a la carte menu or simply couldn't put on the a la carte menu because they aren't available in the volume we would need. 

What is the significance of the board for serving? 

When we were starting to talk about doing a tasting menu, I immediately started to think of different ways we could present the food. One of my pet peeves about some tasting menu experiences is that the 'snack' portion of the menu seems to take so long, so I wanted to be able to present those courses all at the same time and also in a way that would be different that a constant parade of plates. I also really like the idea of people eating with their hands and picking your snacks(or candies or bread) off the board seemed like a cool thing to do. I also like the theater that's built into the presentation of the board. It just seemed like a super cool way to start a meal.

Chef Andy Little will be offering this new tasting menu, the x|x experience, on Friday and Saturday nights only. Seating is at the community table which has 10 seats. 10 courses will be offered. Begins Friday, May 1. 

The x|x experience will be cooked, narrated and served by Chef Little; his wife, Karen Little, who will be offering a beverage pairing; and Kayla May, pastry chef at Josephine.

Per person cost: $85 with an optional $35 beverage pairing -- food will be paired with wine mostly but also beers and cocktails. Reservations must be made by calling the restaurant at 615-292-7766.

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