Tamme McCauley of Pacific Palisades is a food connoisseur and restaurant critic. In the following article Tamme McCauley explains how restaurants use aesthetic plating to enhance the dining experience and keep people coming back for more.

As any chef worth their salt will know, food isn’t just about nutrition and sustenance; it’s a luxurious experience. Creating atmospheres and eliciting emotion through food keeps customers returning. And while the taste is essential, carefully considered presentation sets the tone for the entire place.

Tamme McCauley of Pacific Palisades says whether for practical or aesthetic reasons, the plating can draw attention to specific ingredients. Having a solid foundation of these techniques is vital for any chef’s professional development, especially if they want to stand out.

Food Presentation: Engaging All the Senses

Perfect plating is often hard to come by. But even the less experienced foodies out there know when they’ve experienced an expertly presented dish.

How? Because the right presentation engages all five senses for a truly unforgettable dining event. From color contrasts to shape differences to texture distinctions to taste changes, chefs who’ve mastered the art boast excellent customer loyalty. After all, who doesn’t want a wholly immersive mealtime?

Tamme McCauley explains that immersion stays with diners much longer than meals presented adequately. And it’s this kind of memory creation that the top chefs garner every day.

Boosting Restaurant Awareness Through Social Media

The world is only becoming more digital, and chefs understand this more than the average person may believe.

According to the brains at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, strong food presentation makes dishes more likely to be photographed and shared on Instagram and other social platforms. Thus, the chef and their restaurant get their name out there by providing engaging, aesthetically pleasing dining experiences.

Naturally, Tamme McCauley says that there are solid pros and cons regarding the prevalence of pre-meal shots shared online. But such platforms aren’t going away, and many restaurants have begun to rely on the modern virtual world for generating attention and increasing sales and notoriety.

How Chefs Craft Aesthetic Dishes

Unbeknownst to hungry customers, the creation of aesthetic dishes requires careful thought and skill. From choosing the plate to the arrangement to the textures to the size to the color of the food, no stone is left unturned.

It’s this thorough consideration that assures certain chefs stand out from the crowd and enhance their customers’ dining experiences.

Often, professionals start by picking a plate, then deciding how to arrange or layer the food. Afterward, they’ll use sauces to create shapes and contrast before finishing their dishes off with garnishes.

Tamme McCauley explains that drilling down into the process further unlocks the artistic concepts and techniques that allow these food masters to craft the perfectly present plate.

Color

Color doesn’t just apply to the food; it also applies to the plate, garnishes, and sauces.
Generally, most chefs follow the “bright colors on dark plates, light tones on white plates” rule when plating for boosted visual interest. And for dishes without beautifully contrasting food items, they’ll take advantage of spices, sauces, and garnishes to add a dash of color.

Size

The food-to-plate ratio is a challenging skill to learn, but when mastered, elevates dishes to all-new heights. Artistry, particularly composition, comes into play here, allowing food masters to realize their creations.

Tamme McCauley says that while plating trends are constantly changing, serving small portions on large plates or dishes in miniature vessels has stood the test of time.
The trick, says the experts, is to balance artistry with practicality. Customers won’t revisit a restaurant if their food is difficult to eat.

Texture

Almost all dishes have a star item. Typically, this will be the biggest portion on the plate to avoid visual crowding or competition.

The best chefs consider height, too, when enticing diners. Thinking in three dimensions enables layered or scattered looks to create more aesthetic appeal and excitement.

Food Is the Key to People’s Hearts and Eyes

Mastering the art of food presentation elevates restaurants to the dizzying heights of success.

Tamme McCauley of Pacific Palisades reports that in today’s fast-paced world, tasty food isn’t necessarily enough to keep people coming back time and time again. Thus, top chefs use texture, height, space, size, color, and plates to attract (and retain) diners. Creating memories that last lifetimes through plating provides restaurants with the revenue they need to keep on bringing foodies together.