Dishes of the Year: Beef Carpaccio at Restaurant Tallent

By Ryan Nelson of Late Harvest Kitchen

Between owning a restaurant and having a small child, my wife and I rarely dine out. But for our most recent anniversary, I knew that another special occasion spent at Late Harvest wasn’t going to do. So I booked a table at Restaurant Tallent (208 N. Walnut St., Bloomington, 812-330-9801). We were treated to an amazing multiple-course tasting menu.  Chefs love to cook for other chefs, and Dave (Tallent) takes that thought to a very high level. I lost track of the number of courses—I think it was a total of 12.  

My favorite course of the evening was a beef carpaccio with a savory parmesan budino, typically a sweet custard or pudding. I really enjoy it when foods that are typically sweet are made as a savory dish. The rich, umami flavor of the parmigiano and the raw beef was balanced perfectly with the peppery greens. Fantastic!

See more Dishes of the Year here. This article appeared in Menu Guide 2014.