Have You Experienced This “New” Dining Trend?
What's old is new again! Tableside service is experiencing a major comeback, and we're here for it. Check out these elevated tableside preparations at restaurants throughout the South! Image: Emily Dorio
Some culinary trends come and go, while others become permanent fixtures. One service concept that’s seeing a surge in popularity has been part of our cultural fabric for centuries: tableside preparation. Officially called guéridon service, it has technically been around since the Middle Ages when royal feasts featured meat carving carts for monarchs and their guests. These days, tableside dining experiences are more sophisticated, but no less captivating. From pasta wheels and fresh guacamole to classic Baked Alaska, check out some of the clever tableside preparations that are delighting diners around the South.
Atlanta, GA
Whole Salt-Crusted Fish at The Betty
The old-school art of tableside service is alive and well in Atlanta. At The Betty, adjacent to the Kimpton Sylvan Hotel, you can enjoy a happy hour martini cart on the terrace with small bites like tandoori-spiced nuts or ham and cheese croquettes. But the real star of the show is the whole salt-crusted fish, fileted at the table in front of guests.
“We’ve been serving the whole salt-crusted fish since we opened the doors on February 10, 2021,” says Brandon Culpepper, Kimpton Sylvan Hotel’s Assistant Director of Food and Beverage. Wrapped with collard greens and packed in salt so it can steam in its own juices, the fish is brought to the table, fileted, drizzled with braised fennel, leaks, and turnip roots, then finished with sauce. “Fileting the fish tableside provides several advantages,” Brandon says. “It allows for a beautiful presentation and a show for the guests, as well as allowing us to provide the product at its peak tenderness and flavor.”
The Toasted Old Fashioned and The Peach Pit at Gunshow
Atlanta’s Gunshow is driven by tableside presentation, but it’s the cocktail cart that will put the cherry on top of your dining experience. Part of the restaurant’s standard service since 2014, it features everything from a seasonal tonic to an exotic black walnut and lavender negroni.
“The most popular cocktails are currently the Toasted Old Fashioned and The Peach Pit,” says Cocktail Director Jeramie Eubanks. “The Toasted Old Fashioned has been on the menu since the very early days of Gunshow and is definitely a crowd favorite.” The cocktail preparation entails making a burnt simple syrup, then mixing the cocktail in front of the guests. After that, the mixologist lights a sugar-coated cinnamon stick on fire and expresses an orange peel to release the fragrant oils. Yum!
If bourbon isn’t your thing, try The Peach Pit, for which the bar team smokes local peaches with applewood to make a syrup. The tasty beverage also includes cachaca, lime juice, housemade dandelion green liqueur, and house-fermented ginger beer. Beautifully curated cocktails, indeed!
Highlands, NC
Brunch Cocktails at Oak Steakhouse Highlands
Located inside the newly renovated Skyline Lodge, Oak Steakhouse offers some pizazz with its brunch cocktail cart — featuring festive Bloody Marys and mimosas. From feta or sun-dried tomato-stuffed olives to deep-fried bacon, you can select from an array of embellishments to level up your Bloody Mary. For mimosas, choose between cava, sparkling rosé, and champagne, then add a seasonal juice like classic orange or even strawberry.
Jeff Gates, Director of Outlets of Skyline Lodge and Oak Steakhouse Highlands, tells us, “Witnessing the creation of the beverage you ordered right in front of your eyes emphasizes the freshness of ingredients and the immediate satisfaction you get — like when you choose all of your garnishes and toppings at a frozen yogurt shop!”
Maryville, TN
Pasta in the Wheel at Bella
At Bella in Maryville, TN, ‘Pasta in the Wheel’ begins with the chef wheeling out a hollowed-out round of Grana Padano cheese (which weighs around 20 pounds!) — an aged Italian cheese similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano but with a milder flavor. Cognac is then heated, set aflame, and gradually ladled into the wheel of cheese. This creates a divine, cheesy sauce that’s tossed with pasta and finished with freshly grated cheese. This tableside preparation will have your senses reeling! (See what we did there?)
Memphis, TN
Tableside Guac at Babalu
Babalu has several locations throughout the South and has become a go-to for guacamole. A staple since the beginning, the tableside guacamole is not to be missed. “Guests rave about it, and it certainly keeps them coming back,” says Jesse Robertson, the eatery’s director of operations. The upside? Tableside prep means fresher product.
“Avocados have a very short shelf life once cut,” explains Jesse. “To ensure we provide Babalu guests with the freshest guac possible, we make it tableside.” Plus, it’s customizable. Choose from toppings like green onions, cilantro, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, and jalapeños, then enjoy scooping it onto housemade chips or fresh veggies.
Miami, FL
The LOUIS XIII Baked Alaska at Papi Steak
A relatively recent addition to the Papi Steak menu, the Baked Alaska is a showstopper. “Like everything we do at Papi Steak, this dessert brings the ‘wow’ factor,” says David “Papi” Einhorn, restaurant partner and namesake. Presented tableside, the dessert is topped with cognac and lit aflame. “Then,” says David, “the highly luxurious spirit LOUIS XIII is poured into two custom Papi Steak Baccarat crystal glasses … It’s an experience that thrills all your senses.”
Throw in the fact that you won’t find the dessert listed anywhere on Papi Steak’s menu, and you have a dish filled with deliciously mysterious intrigue. “We like to bring new meaning to ‘dinner and a show,'” explains David. Rumor has it the price tag is pretty intriguing too — to the tune of $1,000. But if there’s money burning a hole in your pocket, this is one memorable way to spend it!
Nashville, TN
Prime Rib, Pâté en Croute, and Vanilla Bean Custard at The Continental
The Continental by Chef Sean Brock has spent the last year and change offering not one tableside service but several! A throwback to the classic (and more formal) fine-dining of years past, The Continental is reminiscent of early 20th-century hotel restaurants — with Chef Sean’s contemporary touches.
Signature dishes like prime rib (sliced tableside and topped with horseradish cream and natural jus) and pâté en croute are culinary art delivered to your table via custom carts handmade by Nashville-based Aberdeen Studio. If you have room for dessert, indulge in the vanilla bean custard cream cart, which offers a selection of shaved ices and toppings.
Bananas Foster at Le Loup
Sister to The Optimist, Le Loup is one of several brag-worthy Ford Fry restaurants. We could wax poetic about the extensive cocktail list and bar bites, but those aren’t the only standouts. For a memorable dessert, order the Bananas Foster. “Since we opened to the public on January 27, 2022, the Bananas Foster tribute has held the prominent place of being Le Loup’s only dessert offering,” says Beverage Supervisor and Lead Bartender J.A. Harrison.
You can look forward to housemade vanilla bean ice cream accompanied by a heavenly sauce and a side of theatrics. Brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg are added to sliced bananas, then flambéed and drizzled over ice cream with a pinch of Maldon salt. J.A. says it’s all about enhancing the guest experience. “Tableside presents an opportunity for diving deeper into conversation. It’s a more intimate experience of hospitality and the chance [for guests] to become the social media story envy of all their friends.”
Greektown Saganaki at The Electric Jane
Inspired by Detroit’s historic Greektown district, the Saganaki at The Electric Jane is a tribute to restaurant co-owner Jason Scoppa’s childhood nostalgia. “This was a place I regularly spent time with Grandma Jane throughout my childhood,” he tells us. “Saganaki – the flaming cheese — was always such an exciting part of our dinners with the family. This tableside experience is one of the ways we pay tribute to memories of her.”
Kasseri cheese is lightly dredged in flour, preheated in a cast-iron skillet until golden, then brought tableside. “A high-proof brandy is poured over the cheese, ignited, and the server exclaims, ‘Opa!,” Jason says. Served with housemade flatbread, the dish is both impressive and tasty.
New Orleans, LA
Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé at Commander’s Palace
Ask anyone from New Orleans; Commander’s Palace is an institution. Open since 1893, the landmark restaurant owned by the Brennan family has been serving up high-end Creole cuisine that has earned three Michelin stars over the years. And while it’s known for several dishes on its menu, the Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé might be the best-known of them all.
“Commander’s Palace Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé was created by Chef Paul Prudhomme and my mom, Ella Brennan, for Commander’s 100th anniversary during the American Cuisine Symposium that took place in the early ’80s at Commander’s Palace,” says co-proprietor Ti Adelaide Martin. “This stunning and decadent dessert was aptly named ‘The Queen of Creole Desserts’ and was so popular it has been one of our signature desserts ever since.”
While not a classic soufflé, the signature dish combines Creole bread pudding with the light texture of meringue. “It’s the single most sought-after dish in our family’s restaurant history,” says Ti. “The whiskey sauce itself is divine, but particularly when generously poured over the piping hot soufflé. It’s the definition of what we do — Haute Creole cuisine.”
Houston, TX
Sizzling Tofu at Phat Eatery
Phat Eatery is the highly acclaimed Malaysian restaurant from 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist Alex Au-Yeung. It has been going strong since 2018, in part due to the Sizzling Tofu — a fan-favorite dish that has wowed diners since day one. Featuring housemade egg tofu and minced chicken, seasonal vegetables, or shrimp, the entrée is simply exquisite.
“We bring it out to the table with our house brown sauce and pour the sauce onto the tofu tableside,” says Chef Alex. “[That] lets our guests see the crispy homemade tofu we take pride in. Plus, nowadays, it’s all about Instagram-worthy moments!”
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Jenna von Oy Bratcher
Jenna von Oy Bratcher is StyleBlueprint's Associate Editor and Lead Nashville Writer. The East Coast native moved to Nashville almost two decades years ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a lover of dogs, strong coffee, traveling, and exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.