If you love the taste of gourmet food and the thrill of an awkward experience, then be sure to check out Ventana. You’ll be waited on and cooked for by the graduating class of the Texas Culinary Academy. The staff is a tad nervous, but cut them some slack — this is their final exam. Soon enough, you’ll forget the way your waiter rearranged the forks at your table for no reason as he dropped off your $5 escargot, because you are, after all, eating $5 escargot. And don’t forget: It’s all prepared by the future cuisine masters of Texas.
Both a restaurant and a classroom, half of Ventana’s appeal lies in the possibility of a experiencing a small social trainwreck moments before your $4 Crème brûlée arrives. Each budding graduate has so much passion for their craft that patrons can’t help but feel for them. It’s as if every waiter is the protagonist of some coming-of-age movie, and each guest watches a live performance while dining on cheap, gourmet duck.
But this isn’t a place to hit up after a night on Sixth Street. It closes at nine and demands to be treated like a real restaurant. So make reservations.
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