After the recent "Commander's Wild Side" dinner at Veranda on Highland, Executive Chef Tom Robey made a point of giving us a tour of the restaurant's new wine room, which also boasts a chef's table. You see, when we reviewed the restaurant in late summer of 2007, one of the few things that disappointed was the temperature of the red wine, which was very warm. According to Robey, the owners took that review to heart.

The result is a beautiful wine room on the second floor with its own temperature controls, with cabinets made of California redwood, stocked with a variety of wines, including some high-end French reds for those holiday splurges.

This is also the site for chef's table dinners. Traditionally a chef's table is in the kitchen, but the Veranda kitchen just does not allow the room for that. Here, parties of between six and eight enjoy a six-course tasting menu of the best Robey has to offer, with each course paired with wine, for a flat price of $125 per person. 

Chef's tables are a special experience. One of our most memorable meals ever was the chef's table at the now-closed Local restaurant in Vestavia last year. Here are links to a couple of articles about chef's tables:

• "The Best Chef's Tables," Forbes Traveler, July 2007
• "When at the Chef's Table, You Never Know What You're Going to Get," The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., September 2006