Forget the Menu—Find Hidden Culinary Delights Just by Asking

If your usual restaurant routine is to order from the menu, then you might not be getting the most from dining out. Independent restaurants, particularly those specializing in ethnic or world cuisines, often whip up experimental treats, specialty items or other dishes not on the regular menu for regulars who know what to ask for.

Occasionally these are dishes that used to be on the menu, but did not prove to be popular enough to remain there. Sometimes they're family recipes, or sometimes, as in many Italian restaurants, customers simply ask for pasta dishes they love which aren't on the menu. Other times, chefs stock specialty ingredients that might not appeal to the average diner, but are available to those in the know.

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"It's not so much that these dishes are available to only a select few. It's that only a select few even know to ask for them," says New York Times food critic Frank Bruni.

This is particularly true of ethnic restaurants, whose menus can suffer from the Americanization required to appeal to a Western audience. If you're looking for a departure from the routine dishes, don't be shy—check out what other diners are ordering, or simply ask the server if something might be available that's not on the menu. You might get the memorable experience of sampling the chef's true culinary interests and expertise.

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