Sensorium

You’re paying for the dinner theatre as much as you’re paying for the food. I go into a little too much detail, so don’t continue reading if you want to avoid spoilers. Fresh market ingredients of the week, a few gimmicks here and there, and as many props and costume changes as they can fit in between courses and wine carafes. Diners are encouraged to participate in the interactive experience– singing along, mingling with your neighbors through the yarn of communion, dancing with your date. Actors doubled as servers and were friendly all around, willing to reseat us together at our request. David London breaking out a few signature card tricks was definitely a huge highlight.
I thoroughly enjoyed the glass of sangria as we wandered in pitch darkness outside around the dome. I had half a mind to drift back towards the trapeze school, but fortunately we didn’t have to wait much longer. The interior was surreal: somewhere between an interrogation room on a UFO, and an aquarium set up with a planetarium’s layout.
Pop rocks and gel were an amusing shtick, though I’m wary when instructions on consumption are required. The reveal of the first course was cute, but the fennel salad suffered from over-​advertisement. While good, it didn’t send me to cloud 9 as per nomenclature. Disappointment continued as the plates of gnocchi arrived; artistic slash of ground black pepper aside, several of our plates were clearly missing the ham described and included on others’. The protein definitely improved the taste of the dish.
Beet gazpacho was nice, but the goat cheese ice added a dissonant textural note despite cursory stirring. Braised rabbit over caramelized onion was okay, if a touch greasy. Fried eggplant was executed fine, but had all the excitement of a healthy french fry. Asparagus, sweet potato, and pork belly were presented in a near-​virginal state, relying on plating to impress past base quality. No complaints about the shrimp and clam with lemon air over caper polenta, nor the vegetable ensemble with balsamic reduction. The oxtail ragout beat out the rabbit as the star of the night for me; the yucca stick adequately complemented the richness of the meat, and the chimichurri sauce won me over.
Lemon pops setup was snazzy. A definite attention-​grabber, and lots of fun when we talked DinnerBell into feeding each of us at the red table. Clearly not as tasty as the ricotta donuts with shattered dairy and dollop of chocolate sauce elevated by the hint of cayenne pepper. The night truly ended with a Matrix-​esque option to try the Miracle Fruit pills under the curved glass window, with carefully peeled wedges of lemon and grapefruit waiting to be toothpicked in the hallway out.
TLDR: fun, but the dinner lacked consistent finesse. Portioning was appropriately light, I didn’t leave hungry thanks to the start of my diet the previous week. I’m not sorry I did it, but not sure I’d recommend it to just anyone. Thanks anyways to Kara for passing the word around.

Sensorium was an interesting experience. The geodesic dome was an amazing space for dining, voices bounced off the dome from one end to the other, it gave us an outer space experience being starkly dark and spot lights dotting ceiling. For $$$, you dined 12-​courses with wine pairings however they were bite-​size portion and, be entertained by the very artistic crew. The crew was appropriately accessorized to create a whimsical experience. Chef Brown was the guy behind this concept. This was all about the senses which included our sense of taste.
The level of enjoyment was dependent on your past experiences. IF you were completely unconsciously of who you were as well as if you were not in touch with your senses. This would be make it a far better surprise. IF you were a foodie who had experimented modern cooking methods and fine dined frequently, this might be disappointing leaving you expecting more.
The courses were designed to delight your senses and surprise you in way you wouldn’t expect. That aspect was well-​designed and executed. There was a continuous flow of courses and entertainment. You wouldnt even noticed 2 hours had passed.
Overall, the 12-​courses were very simplistic and mainly vegetables. As far as I recalled, I had a small rabbit leg, a cube of pork belly and some oxtail ragu spread on a plate? Other courses were: pop rocks amuse bouche, fennel salad, gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce, chilled beet soup, fried eggplants, grilled artichokes, lemon pop palate cleanser and beinets. There was a surprise at the end. I was expecting more proteins for $$$. There were only 4 – 5 wines pairings not for every course like for example at Volt’s Table-​21. I definitely expected more from the food preparation. For the most part, it was whimsical in presentations but whims didn’t last past the first few minutes. There was a lack of depth and sophistication in the food courses. Perhaps Sensorium was not meant to be the apex food experience. You might be paying equally for the food and entertainment elements that completed the Sensorium experience. I had paid similar $$$ at Citronelle, Craigie on Main and Volt but I had amazing food and a food coma at the end. In fact a couple of friends whom I dined with went to McDonald’s after Sensorium.