By OWEN MORRIS
Jonathon Dallen, the chef behind the restaurant/"ultra-lounge" Tonic, has bought the space from its previous owners and turned it into his own concept called Taste. Taste, which is located at 7938 Santa Fe Drive in downtown Overland Park, officially opened for business this Monday, although Dallen says he's still taking it slow and not advertising yet until he trains the admittedly young staff.
He's also completely reworked the menu from his time at Tonic. As the name suggests, Dallen wants diners to focus on having small tastes of lots of different items. The dinner menu lists thirty appetizers and only nine entrees. The idea, Dallen says, is that customers don't have to order an entree but can order two or three appetizers instead. "We have a cheese plate with several different cheeses on it. We have a meat satay with lots of choices on it. I want customers to experience four or five different things when they come in."
All of the entrees are standards like grilled salmon, rack of lamb, peppercorn KC strip, and surf- and-turf, but Dallen promises the appetizer menu is much more creative. In addition to chef plates, there are plum-wine-braised short ribs with fresh berry sauce, tuna tar tar, chili-and- coconut-scented chicken breast with peanut sauce, Thai chili-scented chicken wings and many others. Dallen says he plans on mixing up the menu constantly and making use of the Overland Park farmer's market which is right next door.
As for the nightclub element that was such a big part of Tonic, Dallen says he appreciated it but it just isn't for his new restaurant. "I want the focus to just be on the food. Not on a DJ or somebody but what's on the plate.... We hope to still be a late-night destination but for relaxing with a glass of wine, not dancing."
Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sundays except for private parties. Full lunch is served Monday through Saturday. Check out the (work-in-progress) website here or call 913-766-0321.
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I miss the times when that location was a nice neighborhood pub, but I hope Taste can do well.
Indeed and if you're tired of small plates then you really don't want to read the next restaurant opening I'm writing about on Friday.
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