Gourmet Selections Are Becoming Regulars On Some American Bar Menus

That special sauce or slice of artisan cheese simply isn’t enough in today’s bar food sales for many independent operators with a high-end bent. The plate has evolved to parade a higher set of standards much as the glass is now the goblet of spirits hailed as “premium” and even “super premium.”
    For many independent and chain operators, the bar menu is now an
outlet for showcasing class and culinary aptitude, while at the same time being the vehicle to as much as 50 percent of a night’s monetary take. One shining example of incorporating the kitchen’s brawn in a more laid-back bar setting can be seen nightly at Opus Restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, Calif.

The Opus Outlook
Adjacent to a full-service restaurant offering sophisticated entrée options and stately décor is the enclosed smoking patio and bar space at Opus that may serve up to 120 people at a time.
    “My food is heavily American freestyle,” says Executive Chef Josef Centeno. “All of my menus are driven by ingredients. So my bar menu reflects more of my personal liking.”
    While the menu fluctuates between tastes and offerings, sometimes even daily, Centeno understands the mentality of today’s bar customers. Adhering to their need for a faster meal with a smaller portion, he never views taste or ingredients as a sacrifice for the outcome.
    “That is kind of the whole concept here,” he says. “My whole back ground is fine dining. When I moved to Los Angeles and realized … for the most part, you need to have a casual atmosphere, (but) I didn’t want to have casual food.
    “I wanted to open up this level of ingredients to this level of client. I wanted everyone to get exposed to ingredients in food, and they don’t have to have deep pockets to get exposed here. Nothing on our bar menu is more than $15. If people want to come and have dinner, they can get ours for $35 in food.”

Communal Cuisine
    Another ideal that Centeno lives by when creating his bar plates is the attitude of sharing and simplicity. While the premise of a “sit down” dinner is just that, bars typically are places where people remain mobile throughout the night, often switching locations, dancing and generally mingling with others. At Opus, there is a focus on serving food that couples well with a patron’s mindset inside of a bar.
    “I do try to make it more user friendly, as far as easier to share,” Centeno says of his menu. “I am not going to have dishes that are too messy or too intricate to eat.”
    This however does not send the food backwards in style or composition. On the latest menu, patrons may choose from selections such as the lamb meatballs with smoked jalapeño for $9, the melted cheese sandwich with queso fresco and tomato for $8 or the vermicelli with cauliflower, dried blueberries and pine nuts for $12. “I found typically that people like to share,” he says. “And, then again, some don’t, but it is available if people want it.
    “Everything is constantly evolving, and I don’t consider it your typical bar menu. I have some safe bets on there like a burger –– some things you have to have in Los Angeles. But one of our best sellers is the fried pork belly sandwich. It is a different take on a BLT, but instead of using bacon, I use pork belly served with a fried egg.”               NCB