How do you know if you’re visiting a quality restaurant?
It’s not always the case, but you can often get some idea of how good the food will be based on the decor, lighting, and appointments. It tells you if this restaurateur understands eye appeal. Done right, it creates a slow-burn anticipation.
Smell is also important. The sense of smell is really just an extension of taste, or maybe it’s vice-versa. Regardless, the two are intertwined so tightly that we barely notice any separation. So when you walk past the kitchen — really, it should be soon after you walk in the door or maybe even before — savory scents will tickle your nose and tease your taste buds awake.
The eyes come back into play with the presentation. Doesn’t matter if its appetizers, the main course, or dessert, how it’s served sets the stage for the final act and ultimate test.
If you’ve made it this far and checked off every box, tasting the food should be a delicious but expected climax. Sometimes it goes beyond that. And sometimes the combination of sensory input creates a holistic experience you simply weren’t prepared for.
Such was our experience at Kasper’s in Clarksville.
We sampled several dishes from a fresh salad with house dressing, to a roasted red pepper bisque, to salmon sliders with coleslaw, to arguably the best ribeye we’ve ever had, to sweet and tangy cheese cake shooters, and every one was perfection. The next dish was as delectable as the last. The total experience… simply sublime.
