The menu at Taste is simple and delicate, with dishes of the same manner. Upon receiving a plate at Taste, a guest may be taken aback at the small portion size, but will only continue to be positively surprised by the rich, bold flavor of the tiny dish, and the impeccable presentation.
One of the first dishes on the menu is a four bean salad, tossed in a light vinaigrette with mixed herbs and toasted naan . The dish sounds almost too simple, but is actually quite unique, flavorful and well-prepared. The vinaigrette dressing makes the otherwise bland bean blend enough to stand on its own, while the mixed herbs and vegetables help round the delicate spring dish into a perfect opening course or small side snack to go with a round of drinks.
Another dish on the menu is the tomato and spinach tart with crumbled feta. The spinach seems to be lightly soaked in a simple, sweet dressing, while the tomatoes are only cooked slightly. The feta cheese completes the dish with a strong, distinct flavor-perfect with the other more delicate ingredients. Lastly, the crust that cradles these colorful, ripe pieces is crispy and dense-similar to something that comes fresh out of grandmother’s oven.
One of the best aspects of these small, delicious snacks is that they are all under $10. The same rule goes for the fruit dominated drink menu. The drinks have various names including razz-tini , lemon drop, strawberry-basil and sparkle-tinis -available in four different flavors.
Not only is the food and drink menu innovative and unique, the restaurant also has a trendy city atmosphere, with local art and photography decorating the walls and bright red napkins lining the dark wood tables.
According to Alex Unger and Edward Haag, co-owners of Taste, the restaurant opened Feb. 6 and held its grand opening March 13. Unger and Haag met in Syracuse, NY, and eventually moved down to North Carolina. Unger is the main chef for the restaurant and created the menu, while Haag takes care of the restaurant’s business side.
The duo said they had many reasons for opening the restaurant-some personal, others more about bringing diversity to Raleigh dining.
“I wanted to prove to myself I could do it and challenge myself with something I’ve never had to do before,” Haag said. “I wanted to use my wealth of knowledge and resources for something great like this.”
Unger agrees with his partner, but also wanted to open a comfortable restaurant with a downtown feel.
This is what attracted them to the location on Medlin Drive off of Dixie Trail.
“We really liked this neighborhood and wanted to open a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, while not having to compete with [the businesses on] Glenwood and Hillsborough,” Unger said.
They also hope their establishment will bring some diversity to Raleigh dining options.
“Feel-wise, neighborhood establishments are something Raleigh is really lacking,” Haag said.
The pair’s goal behind Taste was to have a cool neighborhood spot where people could “not feel so stuffy,” according to Unger . “[People] could dress up if they want to or come as they are, and get downtown food at affordable prices,” Unger said.
Haag received degrees in criminal justice and probation and parole, thus proving the restaurant an unexpected accomplishment.
“Criminals are bad people, and I didn’t want to surround myself with bad people,” Haag said. “So I got into the service industry so I could surround myself with good people.”
Together the two make for a diverse pair, with Unger receiving a culinary degree from Paul Smith’s College in New York. His cooking credentials thus made him the mastermind behind Taste’s delicate menu.
“I just wrote the menu down in one day and it sounded good to me,” Unger said. “I like to try to do new things.”
The team’s personal favorites are currently the tomato with spinach tart and the balsamic marinated bistro filet.
As innovators, Haag said the menu will probably not stay the same for very long, so visitors can expect diversity with each visit.
For Raleigh diners looking for affordable, decorative dishes and drinks paired with an easy-going neighborhood company, the small restaurant on Medlin Drive is the best of both worlds – where they can find the perfect little Taste.
The chefs at Taste use few, but high quality ingredients in their dishes. This pan-seared salmon is one of their best selling dishes, and costs $9.50. Photo by Jordan Moore
