Ever close your eyes after a particularly delicious bite of one of your favorite foods so you could savor the taste without distraction? Don't be shy - of course you have. Now imagine sacrificing your sight, and inhibition, in the name of enhanced taste throughout an entire meal.
Emphasizing the power of taste over the other four senses, Dining in the Dark is a new trend currently taking residence at the San Diego W Hotel. Allowing patrons to enjoy cuisine in a pitch-black dining room, this unique experience ensures that guests are never distracted by décor, music or the other usual elements of hospitality environments. Instead, Dining in the Dark asks guests to focus entirely on the flavors of the food. Opaque, the name given to this particular experience, offers a three course dinner menu by Chef Vik Katoch, and is served by trained blind servers from the San Diego Center for the Blind.
Choose from four savory menus, all priced at $99 per person, that include the following entrees: Airline Chicken Breast with soft cheddar potenta and spring vegetables, Herb Marinated Grilled Swordfish with mango mousseline sauce and baby vegetables, and Spice Crusted New York Strip Steak with herb roasted truffle potatoes and grilled baby vegetables and - as a vegetarian selection - spring vegetables en croute on fillo with tomato concasse. Appetizers and desserts that tickle the tongue nicely round out the evening.
In the midst of the 2008 W Hotel renovation, RICE remains the epitome of a classically cool upscale dining and lounge environment. Opaque, however, is held in the second floor Great Room every Saturday with seatings at 7pm. Reservations are required and can be secured online at darkdining.com. Visit the Opaque Dining in the Dark experience at RICE and give your taste buds something to talk about.
Insider Tip: Also, come back when the lights are on and check out other dining options at the W Hotel ... the warm RICE interior is one worth seeing.
Discover San Diego Hotels