Food for Thought: Moto@The End of the Aughts

Food for Thought: Moto@The End of the Aughts

A Neologism to Suit the Occasion

So, I’d been invited by Chef Cantu to a preview of the food he’s been teasing on Twitter and elsewhere for the past few months.

He’s set up a site that suggests the direction he’s taking with “disruptive food,” a not very felicitous word choice, I must admit, conjuring associations with dysfunction, upset, rupture and other things you don’t want to have in or around your stomach.

But I’m not sure how much my stomach has to do with Moto.

The way places like Moto, and even Alinea, are conceived, the needs of the belly seem very much secondary to the needs of the mind.

Belly want food.

Mind want stimulation.

One goes to Moto to be challenged, provoked and amused with what I’m going to call “foodietainment,” which I put forward as no more infelicitous a gastro-expression than “disruptive food.”

With foodietainment, the consumption of food has less to do with the satisfaction of hunger and taste and more to do with engaging the mind, frequently in clever, amusing, entertaining ways. Basically, it’s mental.

As the ability of food to please the buds and fill the belly takes a backseat of Moto’s last chance power drive to the future, you have to ask, “Is there anyone who’d actually prefer a paper-based/edible ink-printed pizza to a real slice of cheese and sausage?”

Yes. Me. But probably only once. Because after that first nibble, I get the idea.

It is inconceivable to me that anyone would actually say, “Boy, you know what I have a taste for? A big ball of carrot puree shaped by a nitrogen bath into a semi-hard sphere!”

But as we concluded before, at Moto, taste may have little to do with it.

This is not in any way to disparage what Cantu and Achatz are doing, not at all. I think it’s some of the coolest, most fascinating food experimentation going on in the world today, and it’s happening in Chicago, but…

Are These Guys Serious?

When I see video clips like Future Food Explosion, which Chefs Cantu and Roche put out recently, I ask myself that question.



When they say, “We are the Chefs of Tomorrow, here to save the world one dish at a time,” are we really supposed to take that as a mission statement? Maybe we’re not, but either way, that’s okay, because foodietainment is all about entertaining the brain with food. Filling the belly with food is simply a very acceptable collateral benefit.

However, if the “food of the future” is going to be paper images of pizza rather than pizza, then maybe you should shoot me now…and you might want to give Pizza Boy a call and see if he wants to go next.

But, again, taste is not the issue here. It’s conceptual, it’s performance art, and it’s the kind of thing that really pisses off civilians – non-foodies – who quite understandably do not understand why anyone would pay money (“ a boatload of money,” was I believe the way Cantu guesstimated the cost) for food that seems like it’s not necessarily supposed to be that tasty.

Not that Cantu couldn’t make things tasty if he wanted to: he did time at Trotter’s and kicked Iron Chef Morimoto’s ass. But, as mentioned, taste seems not to be his priority. It’s taken into account, for sure, but it’s not the main thing he’s after.

As Roche said at the end of the video linked to above, “We’re going to change the way you think about what you eat.” Not, I must note, we’re going to tickle your taste buds, fill your belly, sate your hunger. We’re going to make you think.

That’s cool. Thinking is good.

Still, as I mentioned to Cantu, though, in in my typical blowhard fashion , with the kind of buildup this dinner has received, “It’d better be fucking good.”

So, I go to dinner.

At Table

The Wife was pretty excited as she did not join me at moto during the last foray.

First, the bratwurst course.



Our server (who it turns out The Wife has known since he was in preschool, which was the evening’s first surprise) explains that everything on the plate contains bratwurst. There’s a bratwurst sausage (of course), but this sausage had been previously burned to a twisted cinder so that what resulted is a sausage made of “wrecked food” that you’d normally throw away. The burned sausage was churned up, put back in a casing and served. There was also bratwurst in the bread, the cheese, presumably everything on the plate had some degree bratwurst in it. This was a really a tasty sausage sandwich, more satisfying than many of the dishes that I recalled having at moto years ago, a fistful of serious food…and yet, really (?), here, in this fancy food place, a bratwurst? I felt I was being played with, and I liked it. That’s why people come to moto and probably come back with friends (I ran into Doug “Hot Dog” Sohn and he’d mentioned he’s been to moto a few times…and I’m just going to guess with different people every time so as to introduce new folks to this food funhouse; I don’t think moto gets a lot of return customer (nor does Alinea), and I sincerely doubt that anyone except Mike “Skyfullofbacon” Gebert has ever gone there alone.

With the chili fries…



…I had a mini-epiphany. These were not crunchy fries, the way I usually like them, but soft, made from reconstituted potato skins (another traditional waste item) and baked (I think) and so more absorbent of the truffle oil splashed upon them. I like that – given the truffly topping, the almost-squishy softness of the fry was actually a better sponge, and improvement (!) over regular fries in this particular applicatoin. And the chili as well as the “milkshake,” also made of potato skin, was lightweight, making for a very flavorful and yet light basket of fun.

Then, then, a dish that was clearly a comic reference to a now legendary platter Cantu and crew prepared for an LTH dinner in 2005:



I erupted with laughter for 30 seconds or more when I saw this. I was crying. It was purely hilarious. I could not eat for laughing. Cantu is playing with edible/inedible in a very funny way…though there were disturbing elements, like, you know, you’re eating road kill, a splattered piece of meat covered with rice puff “maggots,” and in the background, a yellow-line highway heads into perspective infinity against an angry Jackson Pollocky abstraction mounted by silverware pointing aggressively at us, the eaters. So, there’s an overall feeling of discomfort below the humor, kind of like watching a standup comic who’s making you laugh but, because you’re seeing some anger there, is also making you feel a little uncomfortable. Not for nothing it’s called “disruptive food.”

As I was beginning to eat, Cantu came to the table and I had to tell him that ideal dinner guests for this repast would be two ten-year-old boys…naughty boys (like him), to be sure, because mischievous kids would love this stuff, though I doubt many kids go to Moto, but if they did, they of all people would see that at bottom, this food is all about fun, whatever the high falutin’ ideals about saving the world, it’s basically a good belly larf. Kids would “get it” immediately, where as presumed adults such as myself spend most of dinner pondering what the heck it is we’re eating.

Our dessert was a modified “apple”:



This gelatinized apple was made of apple cores and skins, things you might normally throw out (I assume you’re tracing the through-line theme of this dinner by now). Got to say, I'm no fan of fruit dessert, the pulpy sweet mass sits on top of dinner uncomfortably, but it’s with equal discomfort that I say that I actually preferred this artificial apple to a real apple: it was lighter, softer, more easy to digest, it seemed, than the real thing: I dug it.

So Let’s Save the World…After Dinner

Before we were served some of the more standard items (e.g., a Cuban sandwich that looked like a cigar in an ashtray), I was interviewed by the Planet Green/Discovery Channel folks, and they asked me what I thought of the reuse aspect of dinner. Wow, I thought, reusing burnt bratwurst, potato skins, apple cores and skins sounds great, but it’s very impractical, I mean, without a particle recombination transmogrifier and a zero gravity crockpot, how could the average home cook hope to duplicate this kind of cooking? Then I got the joke (I’m slow, okay, don’t judge me): it’s not about recycling and reusing this specific stuff, it’s about recycling and reusing all the stuff chefs or home cooks might otherwise throw out. Those carrot greens I tossed today could have gone into a soup. Soft turnips, ditto. I got some soggy Queen Esther rolls I meant to toss…croutons. Lots of other stuff, that goes in the compost pile. If I cleverly reused half the stuff that’s going bad in my refrigerator, I’d be making better use of the planet I’m gifted to be living – and eating – upon.

So, my conclusion is that despite what might sometimes seem to be goofball antics, there’s a lesson beneath the considerable tab of a dinner at Moto (which I didn’t pay as I was “talent” on this excursion). You can take what others consider to be garbage and turn it into something pretty cool and enjoyable and even delicious.

But aside from the lesson, eating at Moto is a riot, a disruptive experience that appeals to the ten-year-old in all of us…a ten-year-old who might grow up someday to make soup from old vegetables, turn old bread into croutons, or start a compost pile.

this post makes me excited for dinner tonight at Moto! my husbundt and i are actually "return customers", visiting at least once a year. our naughty inner children can't get enough, and i do sometimes crave a nice cup of donut soup. i eat things i never thought i would, and have the best time doing so. sadly haven't been able to sway any of our friends to come dine with us there.

dollbabytina wrote:this post makes me excited for dinner tonight at Moto! my husbundt and i are actually "return customers", visiting at least once a year. our naughty inner children can't get enough, and i do sometimes crave a nice cup of donut soup. i eat things i never thought i would, and have the best time doing so. sadly haven't been able to sway any of our friends to come dine with us there.

Just picked up your post, but if you get this before you leave, you might want to ask Omar specifically for anything here that tickles your fancy (and how could the roadkill diorama not?).

Hi,

Some years ago, I took some friends from Moscow on a "See the USA" road trip. They didn't have a good command of food English. Often made dining choices by checking out other customer's choices and favored restaurant menus with pictures like Denny's.

One dish they were attracted to by checking the neighbor's table were stuffed potato skins. When they understood what was being eaten, they were beside themselves with laughter. They could not imagine paying for a dish made from potato skins. They overcame their resistance to try it once and found it quite to their liking. These potato skins became a running joke with their bursting into laughter everytime it entered their mind.

Now back to Moto, kinda. I recall a friend burning dinner, which I still thought could have been rescued. When I walked into another room to get something, the burnt portion was tossed down the disposal. I was shocked at the frivolous waste of food. I'm not sure we would have ground it up and pressed it into a sausage casing, either.

Another friend has taken food rejected by her kids, wrapped it in an eggroll, fried and served to same kids who fought to get their fair share.

Frugal food preservers will take apple skins and cores, cook them in water and pass it through a Foley rotary sieve. The resulting paste is often made into apple butter. If you do it right, you toss very little.

I met an associate of Moto's once at the Botanic Garden. When we both recognized we knew Homaro, she wanted to know the context. When I advised I was the "Raccoon lady." She said, "You're for real? I was just talking about you last night." Who knew a gift of coon for Hammond would turn into dish still discussed today.

It struck me this series of comments kinda emulates what happens at Moto. Familiar stuff is reworked in a way that is both real and fantastic. Strategies to get food past your inspection and into your mouth is something parents do every day with their children. Homaru and friends have never left their inner child and yet have parental need to get it down your gullet by painting pictures in your mind's eye, too.

I'm beginning to sound a bit pop psychology. I like the show they offer and the conversation it generates each and every time.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Regards,

Omar and Ben weren't present, but Darrell gave a tour of the new kitchen/lab areas. the remodel looks great. they have revamped the menu as well to only one choice, a 15 course dinner. It was odd because when we reserved they asked us if we were going to have the 10 or the GTM. none of the above items were part of our dinner last night, but we have had the "roadkill" in the past, which we loved. heh! my husbundt was really looking forward to the GTM, and was disappointed when his belly wasn't full enough at the end of the dinner. it was just right for me, everything was delicious, but the service was somewhat lacking . some of the servers were less than genial, and weren't sure what they were serving. i asked what "old fashioned foam" was, and the answer i got was "it's old fashioned". ok? (went home and googled it) the good service far outweighed the bad, hoping it was just a few "off" moments, rather than the new norm. looking forward to future food!

You see, for most places bad service is something to try to correct. But at Moto, rather than get rid of the bad service, they embrace it and repackage it with wine pairings. Sure, you could complain about the bad service, but those in the know see it as a conversation piece that enhances the whole intellectual dining experience. Remember that surly substitute teacher in grade school that seemed like she'd rather be anywhere else besides that classroom? The service at Moto is designed to induce nostalgia, and bring out that inner grade school student in all of us.

dollbabytina wrote:but the service was somewhat lacking . some of the servers were less than genial, and weren't sure what they were serving. i asked what "old fashioned foam" was, and the answer i got was "it's old fashioned". ok? (went home and googled it) the good service far outweighed the bad, hoping it was just a few "off" moments, rather than the new norm. looking forward to future food!

One of our servers (the one The Wife had known since he was 10 years old or so) said he'd been with Moto like two weeks. I believe the place was closed for the remodel, so perhaps they lost some staff and had to hire some newbies.

Lack of knowledge, I might understand; "less than genial," I'd probably mention it (especially as it sounds like you're a regular).

I am thinking about going in a couple of weeks with my 15 year old son. The wife will be out of town and she doesnt have the patience for more than about 6 courses. We are planning to take the train down, but there is a very limited schedule on saturdays. How long does the new, 15 course only, tasting menu take?

Thanks, Will

WillG wrote:I am thinking about going in a couple of weeks with my 15 year old son. The wife will be out of town and she doesnt have the patience for more than about 6 courses. We are planning to take the train down, but there is a very limited schedule on saturdays. How long does the new, 15 course only, tasting menu take?

Thanks, Will

I'm guessing it's probably at least three hours or so, but I'm betting if you tell them you need to be out in two hours or so, they'd do that for you.

I'll be interested in hearing how your son likes the place.

My son and I ate at Moto last night, and it was an interesting experience. To sum it up, I guess I am glad I did it, but i dont need to do it again. It is definitely about entertainment, not eating. There were fascinating elements, such as the scrambled eggs that was really gazpacho, and the urban garden, a tomato and mozzarella salad served under "dirt" in a flower pot. There were some that tasted very good, such as the duck in mole and the rabbit maki. Overall though, it was like going to a modern art gallery, which for me can be interesting, but I dont really get it. My 15 year old son was pretty much in the same camp. He was very entertained by some of the courses, particularly when I was blowing nitrogen smoke out my nose while eating the "cereal," and he liked the taste of some of them, but he was not blown away by anything. I think it is telling that his 2 favorite tastes were the pulled pork in the cuban cigar, and the reuben lasagna, which tasted like, well, pulled pork and a reuben. I dont need to spend $600 for us to eat good pulled pork.

I guess this is the main problem that I have with Moto. At $195 for the grand 20 course tasting (they are back to the choice of 10 or 20), and $95 for the wine pairings, I am paying for dinner and a show, but I feel that I can have a better dinner and watch a better show if I do them separately. A place like Moto needs to either make really good food, or completely wow me with the techno-cuisine, or ideally both, but last night fell a little short on both counts. The course that sums it up for me was the "loaded fries." We got the explanation about how they did all these whiz bang things to potatoes, but in the end, it looked and tasted like decent mashed potatoes. BFD. There were some interesting wines served, though some if the pairings fell flat, and the service was very good and friendly. My biggest complaint of the night was something that I dont think the restaurant could do anything about. About 1/3 of the way into our dinner, they seated a couple next to us who reeked of cigarettes. The guy was a good 400 pounds so there was a lot of clothing to carry the odor. This really took away from our experience for at least for the next several courses until we got used to the smell.

The only meal that I have really had like this was a 25 course tasting at Trio when Achatz was there. I enjoyed that more because both the food and the wow factor were better. Better than either for me is the 10 course tasting at Bank Lane Bistro, which for less than half the price gives you a real meal with tasty, interesting food, without all the gimmicks.

-Will

WillG,
I'm thinkin' that the 400 lb. cigarette smoker was planted next to you on purpose! This would give the nitrogen smoke coming from your nose a proper aroma and also approximate the scent of the Cuban cigar menu item. You gotta appreciate attention to detail like this.

Future Food starts airing on 3/30 @ 9pm central time on Discovery Networks Planet Green
Hope all of you get to enjoy the show, was one heck of a ride getting here!

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/future-food/
New Sizzle Reel is Here
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos ... iuses.html

and some more goodies here:

http://disruptivefood.com

Cheers,
-Homaro Cantu-
Chef and Owner of Moto Restaurant
Chairman and Founder of Cantu Designs
http://motorestaurant.com