Intimate Fine Dining specializes in gourmet meals with a personal touch

Instead, the former personal chef decided to offer a gourmet menu in a dining room that makes guests feel like they’re eating in their own homes.

“As a personal chef, I really enjoyed the personalized interaction with my clients,” Espaniola says. “When you’re working in a restaurant, you’re mass producing food and you don’t know who you’re making it for.”

At Intimate, guests get to know who’s cooking their food. Their first encounter comes through the telephone, as Espaniola takes all reservations. But that’s not a cost-saving measure; he wants to talk to guests so that he can develop a menu.

“I ask them if they have any dietary concerns, allergies or foods that they don’t like,” he says.

Espaniola changes menus every day of service. He shops for the evening’s meal on that day.

He serves a six-course meal, with every diner receiving the same meal with a choice among several entrees.

To ensure the dining room does indeed feel intimate, Espaniola has eight tables. He’s open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for dinner, offering one seating a night.

“I try to touch every table, I greet every guest when they come in, I go over the menu with them personally,” Espaniola says. “Each guest has half an hour, 20 minutes to spend with me through the meal. If they want.”

A weekend brunch, served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, is more traditional, with Espaniola serving homemade crepes and other brunch items a la carte.

Reservations are required for dinner, but not brunch. The price for dinner is $95 per person; wine pairings cost an additional $50 per person for six glasses of wine.

Here’s an example of a dinner menu:

First course: Tomato porcini truffle custard served in a shell

Second course: Pan-seared fois gras with a homemade crostini and apple dill slaw

Third course: Barbecue shrimp crepe

Fourth course: Lamb ravioli in Southern Comfort cream

Fifth course: Choice among cashew and sweet chili rice-stuffed quail, braised halibut with orange champagne beurre blanc or elk filet mignon

Dessert: Chocolate mousse

Information/reservations: 270-3463

By SONYA PADGETT