Dining in the Dark Austin Style

I once attended a charity dinner at the old Alamo Drafthouse downtown. Jeff Liu of the late Bistro 88 was the chef and the attendees watched Eat Drink Man Woman, a foodie classic movie along the lines of Big Night and The Grand Buffet.

As usual, we were a bit late arriving and it was pitch black when we sat down, just as the first course arrived. I thought that it was a very tasty pork tenderloin. Later. as we were leaving I ran into Jeff and he asked, “How did you like the duck?” And that was my first experience in sensory deprivation and how it can significantly alter your perception of taste and flavor.

There is an event called the Blind Cafe which was begun in Boulder by a singer/songwriter named Rosh who stumbled across such a dining experience in Iceland while he was traversing the country giving a series of house concerts. Austin has its own version of the Blind Cafe (along with Portland) which will take place this fall at the University Ave. Church of Christ on Thursday-Saturday evenings. The dining is done in total darkness, is vegetarian, and is hosted by blind wait staff who later discuss the experience with customers.The idea is not to create empathy for the sightless but rather for the sighted to open their minds to an entirely alien universe and learn to experience foods on a different level. The tasting is not the only thing that the pitch black atmosphere alters. The conversation changes as well. People tend to gradually lower their guard as they acclimatize and some genuine honesty can begin to flow. By necessity, the menu consists of tapas and other finger foods. But it’s amazing how your other senses: taste, smell. touch, and even hearing can change in this unusual environment.

I attended one of the dinners in Boulder a few years ago and was blown away by the quality and authenticity of the food: all locally sourced when possible. There is live music by the aforementioned Rosh whose given name is Brian Rocheleau. And the proceeds of these dinners are all earmarked for local charities. After a couple of hours of sipping, noshing and chatting with people you can’t see, it’s amazing how introspective you can become.

To get on the Austin mailing list for this fall’s events. visit theblindcafe.com. I recommend this experience for every Austin foodie who wants to see things from a different perspective.