Savory Starters Upending Expectations

Subverting expectations is a reliable way to make a dish pop, but shock value alone won’t carry a concept to success. All elements, including flavor, texture and presentation, must be properly calibrated to signal creative intent—not a failure of execution.

The Churros Bravos at Macarena in Palo Alto, Calif., walk this tightrope to flavorful effect. Here, the savory profile and potato base of patatas bravas are super-imposed on churros. “Everyone recognizes the reference to churros, which immediately creates curiosity, but the savory execution makes it surprising,” says Toni Santanach, chef/partner. But beyond building appeal, the appetizer is an exercise in moderation. “Another important realization was restraint: letting the potato remain the protagonist while using the sauces to add contrast, rather than overpowering the base,” he adds.

Italian fine-dining restaurant Mileta in Lexington, Ky., also flips the script on tradition with its Sourdough Pancake. The pancake leads with Western ingredients—sourdough starter, mozzarella, ham—but toppings like dehydrated kimchi and honey-miso butter tie the dish back to its Korean roots. Like the Churros Bravos, the Sourdough Pancake eschews the standard dough in favor of something less expected. “There was some initial hesitation around how it would land, especially on a menu focused on modern handmade pastas, but the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Alex Green, executive chef/partner. “It’s an umami-forward dish that hits every texture and flavor note.”

Both Best of Flavor entries challenge assumptions about what a specific dish is and should be, but they go about it in very different ways.

Perhaps more so than any previous face-off, this particular match is less a competition and more a case study in challenging the status quo. Both dishes spark guest interest by presenting something familiar in an entirely unfamiliar way. One turns sweet into savory while the other infuses Italian flavor into a Korean carrier.

Want to see how other exceptional menu concepts stack up against each other? Check out our previous Flavor Face-Offs.