Actually that is a very common way of presenting fruit in Europe--the whole fruit and just a knife. I have eaten some amazing pieces of fruit that way and never felt ripped off. Perhaps the menu description could have been clearer.
Wow! That's an awesome article. In fact, it's so good that I wrote the exact same piece for the NEW YORK SUN about six weeks ago. I know no one reads the SUN since it's essentially the print version of Salon (you know: under-read and largely irrelevant) but it's exciting to be knocked off so shamelessly. Here's the identical piece I wrote a while back just for reference:
http://www.newyorksun.com/arts/britains-dream-americas-nightmare
This is what they do in Rome, Italy. When I was 11-1/2, we went to Italy for some of the summer. We went into a trattoria in Rome and I asked for a peach that I saw in a display in the front. They brought me the peach and a knife. I sliced it and ate it. It was the juiciest and most wonderful peach I ever ate! One bad point - it gave me the worst case of gastrointestinal distress I ever had! It was worth every second of it though - I can remember how wonderful it tasted!
Maybe these are the most wonderful nectarine's on the planet. The only way to know is to try one! Yes, it is a bit obnoxious to just give you a nectarine on a plate for $8 when I can buy 4 of them at $2.98/lb at the farmers market - but if it is really outstanding in flavor, then Zuni must feel it is worth it to do that. I've never been to CA so I have no idea.
I'll stick to the $2.98/lb farmers market white nectarine's that I have been getting lately. They are absolutely awesome.
Nor is it original. Alice Waters invented this Dadaesque approach to desserts many years ago. I sat and watched the jaws of a young man and the girl he had intended to impress drop as the waiter (Probably Pigrim at that date) placed the $8 peach plus knife in front of them. "But," stammered the young man, "I thought it was a *dessert*. It's just a peach!." The waiter looked the length of his nose at the kid, pulled himself up to full height and hissed, "It's the *perfect* peach."
There are a number of birthday suit clad emperors prancing around in a Alice Land, where Gordon Pilgrim and Judy Rogers got earned their stripes. It's not surprising that they picked up a few tricks there. In fact, knowing what the cadre is willing to pay for "perfect", $8 may reflect the standard product markup.
Some of us have learned, however, that perfect is second to best tasting most times. Those of you who visit farmers' markets may have noticed that the better fruit you bring home is never quite as good as the sample..and if you look closely at the sample, it's usually one with a brown spot or two.
the poor lonely nectarine, rolling around on the plate getting bruised
in it's final moments.....
i understand the cost and value of "pure food" ... but that said, honor the nectarine with at least a cushion prior to its being devoured.... a eulogy proclaiming it's special importance would have seemed appropriate.
i'm not familiar with zuni -- but i'm a little fed up with these high end
places that charge so much money for their food and act like they're
doing you a big favor.
i believe in respecting the customers as well as the food.
I love white fleshed nectarines though it seems a little pricey for one plain nectarine uncut to be served as a dessert. Presentation is sorely lacking in my book.
For the sum of $4.50 I would have preferred the nectarine slices fanned around the pit with a small dollop of flavored whipped cream. Flavorings could range from a crystallized ginger mixed in with the whipped cream or vanilla bean whipped cream or even a more traditional flavor which compliment nectarines such as cinammon whipped cream. It's not as if simply partially slicing a nectarine is all that labor intensive and it does make for a more visually appealing dessert whether it's whipped cream or simply heavy cream.
Now that I live alone I've found I enjoy a small amount of heavy cream which has been lightly sweetened with either sugar or honey and poured over fruits such as nectarines, strawberries or white fleshed cherries. (something I'd never had before until my small grocer purchased a flat of the white fleshed cherries).
@paulh: You're right, the nectarine was only $4.50.
The original Chowhound post was in error, as the actual price for this pristine, though unsliced, nectarine was $4.50, not $8. I still this is taking ingredient fetish a bit too far, but it isn't a complete rip-off.
Damn...typical SF gag...yeesh. :( Why don't you give the patrons a coupon for farmer's market instead?!
Chefhorn, poiting out that even more ridiculous things happen somewhere else doesn't make this any LESS ridiculous; it just means that someone in Japan might consider this a bargain.
Was the pit of the nectaring pure gold? Did it perform some magic trick? There must be more.
Perhaps the nectarine IS that good ... the menu should've mentioned it. This may be customary some places ... generally not in the US.
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