Senza Rolls Out Strictly Prix-Fixe Menu

An all-gluten-free restaurant is impressive enough, but now there's an all-gluten-free restaurant with a rotating nine-course tasting menu. Executive Chef Noah Sandoval's East Lakeview gem Senza has done away with every a la carte item on the menu in favor of two tasting menus, a four-course and a nine-course. Sandoval says that the size of the 42-seat space, specifically in the kitchen where there's no storage, no walk-in and very limited freezer space, is forcing the change. The nine-course menu will morph perhaps daily, depending on what ingredients are available and what's in season.

Partly influenced by his experience in the kitchen at the inconspicuous yet legendary Schwa, Sandoval keeps changing the perception of what can be done with gluten-free dishes. And tasting menus, which used to be reserved for the most decadent dining experiences and special occasions, keep trending upwards, receiving press from the New York Times and Vanity Fair. Will they keep spreading or not? Sandoval thinks both, saying "people will go back to doing what they do well."

· Senza [Official Site]
· All Coverage of Senza [~ECHI~]
· Chefs Weigh In on the 'Tyranny' of Tasting Menus [~EN~]

Photo: Noah Sandoval [Credit: Senza]