My first dining experience at Restaurant Tallent did not leave me with any desire to return. My boyfriend and I made a reservation through OpenTable for our sixth anniversary because we knew of its reputation and we've tried most of the other upscale restaurants in town, including FARM, Scholars Inn, and Finch's. Â
My boyfriend ordered a beer and I ordered a glass of wine, our server seemed somewhat pushy about getting our orders, asking for them almost immediately after we were seated. This isn't terribly surprising given that we were seated by the hostess, brought menus by another server, then greeted by the woman who would be our server in a flurry that didn't indicate much coordination. We ordered the pesto arancini to start which was incredible, we asked for plates to make it easier to share but we didn't receive them and decided to just go ahead and eat them. We also ordered a half portion of the butternut squash risotto to share, which was, in my opinion, the highlight of the meal. We did receive plates to share for the risotto after asking two more times. My boyfriend ordered the lasagna and I ordered the pork for our entrees. When we were brought our entrees, more than forty minutes after we received our second course, two separate individuals came to ask if we needed extra plates. Apparently they got the memo that we wanted plates to share a couple courses too late. Â While both entrees were good, neither was memorable and they did not compare to the two prior dishes.
As much as I wanted to love everything, we were both really disappointed in the service we received. Everything seemed to be moving very slowly and our food was brought to us and cleared by several different people, none of whom were our server. Our server didn't check in to see how we were enjoying our meal either, which seems unusual. We heard countless apologies given to tables surrounding ours because of how backed up the kitchen was, but we didn't receive an apology despite the delay we also faced. We chose not to have dessert not because we weren't tempted, but simply because we didn't want to wait thirty minutes for a panna cotta.
Overall I'm glad I tried Restaurant Tallent because it's often revered as an exceptional dining destination, but I do not have any intention of returning. The service did not make us feel welcome. No mention was made of our anniversary and we seemed both rushed at the start of the meal and ignored during the course of the meal.
i'm going to be tough on this one given the price point on the food. It ain't cheap.
We came here in a large group to celebrate my friend's milestone birthday. All of us had been looking forward to coming as we had heard great things about Tallent.
Service: The table was ready so we were seated right away. We all arrived within five minutes of our reservation time. They put water on the table pretty quickly. But then we waited for a while. The birthday boy ordered some wine but it took 30 minutes to place our orders. Our waitress was nice but given the size of our table, they should've put two servers on us. She had to walk around and explain things on the menu over and over again. Some of us got appetizers. It took 20 minutes to get these. Then we waited close to 30 minutes to get our entrees. So we ate our main courses over an hour after we were seated. I understand having a large group you have to wait a bit more but I think it could have been speeded up with having another waiter. I took a peek into the main dining room and it was only about half full and got less and less full as the night went by. We had other waiters helping our waitress out but mostly in putting out the food.
Food: I started with the crudo of the day. Finding fresh, tasty sashimi in this area is impossible so I really enjoyed it. It was light and fresh. For my entree I had the bison osso bucco. This definitely needed salt but overall the meat was cooked really well. I enjoyed the little crouton type things in the sauce as well as the bone marrow - I may have stolen my friend's  bone and eaten every bit of marrow. Yum. My other friends got the pork and a pasta dish. Their dishes were good but not outstanding. There was definitely room for improvement on them.
I removed a star for the amount of time it took to take orders and get our food and another star for the other dishes at the table that weren't as good as mine. Given the prices the service and food should be perfect. It's a nice space and I love that I could see into the kitchen from our table. Also, the bathroom is nice. I would go back and try other dishes and also go in a smaller group to get a feel for the main dining room and service for a smaller table.
I had such a fantastic meal here, Â one that convinced me that I really ought to treat myself to more nice dinners, definitely more wine pairings, and that the meal is so much better when you have fun with it. Â I'll attempt to be brief.
I came with a friend expecting to do tasting, because, why not?
1) When asked if you'd like to do the wine pairing, say yes. Â
The tasting was not, as far as I could tell a totally separate menu as you'll find at many places, but rather for the most part a sampling of whatever the menu is at the point which changes seasonally. Â Additionally the wine pairings aren't set, but seem to have much to do with whatever the waitress wants to give you and what's in the back.
But more on that later.
We had over the course of it 5 items a light slaw-type salad, pasta, fish/pork atop grits and some kind of foam (of course! foam makes it fancy!), duck and a pastry / ice cream dessert combo (photos are up on Yelp). Â
And a glass of wine with each. Â Well 6 glasses of wine. Â
Portions are small, so the plates come out quickly. Â In most cases, this meant wine came out before the last glass had been finished. Â About glass three this game was dubbed "Shit, she's coming around with more wine!" and we would have to finish up what we had.
Our waitress was amazing and I think appreciated our casual attitude toward all of it and we all had fun with it. Â The crowd that night was mostly older couples and there weren't many at that anyway. Â Because of this it was quiet.
And we were easily the most fun people there. Â The round after round of wine certainly helped. Â By the time we got to the duck we were both very full, acceptably boisterous, and very happy with all of the food. Â Each bite was followed by exclamations like "This is so good" and "I'm so full but I have to eat it."
Dessert almost posed a logistical problem of being too full to eat it.
Our waitress on the other hand posed us a question. Â If we wanted "something bubbly, something stronger, or...something fun?" to go with our final course.
2) If given the option, at any point in life really, go with 'something fun'
So she brought us both. Â 6 glasses for 5 courses. Â And a good night was had by all! Seriously, after that amount of time, and that much wine, you'll love it. Â But it was on a (somewhat) serious note a great meal, both in terms of the quality of food, wine and the service, served with a much-appreciated smirk along with a smile. Â The best meal I've had this year.
Another reviewer, Franks, says he's "always seen Bloomington as having three upscale new-American cuisine restaurants: Finch's Brasserie, FARM, and Tallent." Â He ranks Tallent third. I beg to differ - I'd rank it first, easily; theres just no comparison with the other two. Â I've had uniformly mediocre experiences at Finch's and FARM. Â At both those two restaurants, there are a couple items you can order that guarantee quality results; but with the rest, good luck! Â "Inventive" at FARM can often translate to greasy and oversalted, with an unfortunate mix of strong flavors. Â Finch's is much more conservative, almost to a fault. Â Tallent suffers neither of these shortcomings. Â Its dishes can be daring, but the risks are well calculated. Â Even with a seasonally changing menu, the preparations are consistently fantastic. There are other points to recommend it too: The service has never been anything but outstanding, and the wine list is one of the better ones in town. Â (I do wish they wouldn't card me though.)
If you're going this fall, I highly recommend the rye tagliatelle carbonara, the viking farms lamb, and the butterscotch semi-freddo.
My husband I visited for the first time to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. I had emailed them twice to make a reservation (with more than a week's notice) for a Friday night, as well as to order a lactose-free dessert for my husband, and they didn't contact me to confirm until the day of. Â That made me a little nervous, but I got over it.
I told my husband if we spent less than 90 minutes in the restaurant I was going to be very unhappy. Â I knew we would spend a lot of money on dinner and I didn't want to be rushed. Â Our server introduced herself and knew who we were (knew that we were celebrating our anniversary and that my husband is lactose-intolerant). She helped us select a bottle of wine which was expertly and swiftly delivered, opened and poured. Â We each ordered a first course - my husband had a tuna crudo and I had the burrata. Â Amazing. Â For dinner, my husband ordered one of the pasta dishes from the seasonal/featured menu. Â I had a whole roasted fish. Â Amazing squared. Â Service was quick and unobtrusive. Â There was a server dedicated to clearing plates and another for refilling water. Â For dessert, he had a glass of port, I had an espresso. Â The chef prepared a vegan chocolate cake for him with coffee sorbet; he was in heaven. Â I had zeppole, which reminded me so much of my Italian grandpa that I teared up.
$195 including alcohol, tax and tip for a memorable 3-course meal. Â Best $200 I've ever spent. Â We're already planing on making dinner there a twice-a-year thing.
Second time here for our anniversary. Â We are big fans of tasting menus and Tallent has one during the week. Â Chef and staff work hard, thus recommend dressing up for dinner. Â The team will adjust the tasting menu for preferences, allergies, etc. Â I am a non-drinker and they let my wife do the wine pairing without charging me the pairing price. Â The pace of courses was very comfortable and the portions were generous for a tasting menu. Â The menu had lots of local ingredients.
We have had tasting menus across southern France, NYC, Yountville (French Laundry), Hunter Valley in Australia, Greenbriar in WV, and assorted places in the USA. Â At all of them there were courses we loved and others we did not care much for. Â The point has always been, and will continue to be, to experience the creativity of the chefs to see what they can do and how they interpret the available ingredients. Â Among our experiences we would rate Tallent a 3.5. Â However, given the available options in Indiana, we believe the 5-star rating is appropriate.
Make a reservation, dress up, and go.
I was in Bloomington on business alone and I wanted some fine dinning. I searched around and found restaurant Tallent. What sparked my interest was the fact Mrs. Tallent worked at Canoe in ATL after attending CIA. Canoe is in the top ten best restaurants in the USA but thats another story. So, I hate eating by myself. It usually means bad service. However, I was very well attended to during my meal. A big thumbs up to the wait staff. I had the prix fixe and all the dishes were great, and on par with any fine dinning in a "big city". The pork belly was sooooo insanely rich. I hesitate giving the full five stars because I am writing this a few weeks after my trip. But, I promise when I am back in Bloomington to come back and revise the review as needed.
Review Source:The food is fine, but the atmosphere and overall attitude of the staff makes this feel very uncomfortable. I understand that "fine dining" in a small town may not always measure up to what you'd find in a big city, but don't try to be what you're not. And they need more vegetarian options!!
Review Source:I've always seen Bloomington as having three upscale new-American cuisine restaurants: Finch's Brasserie, FARM, and Tallent. Out of those three, Tallent ranks third.
That's not to say that Tellent isn't a good restaurant- because it is. Its ingredients are fresh, the rotating menu is exciting, and the wine list robust. However, considering the restaurant's underlying pretentiousness, the other two restaurant options, and the fact that Tallent is located in a glorified strip mall, its not worth the high price to dine there.
I took a visitor along with some colleagues for a dinner last week (3/1/12) and was quite disappointed. Though the staff behaves professionally and tries hard, it can't do much when there is no food to serve. We were seated around 7:20; our appetizers arrived about an hour later, though there was little traffic in the restaurant. (Some of the appetizers were good, others only so-so.) The main course was served at around 8:45. By this time, everyone had had so much of the bread that there wasn't much appetite left. I regretted not having gone across the street to Samira, which is not nearly as fancy, but consistent, well-paced, and a third of the price. Too bad, since there is much potential here.
Review Source:This was our second trip to Tallent and it has been a fantastic experience each time. Tonight we each had the foie gras (preparation varies weekly if not daily) which was prepared exquisitely. I had the local pork entree while she had the ribeye, both were cooked perfectly. The pork chop was served with pork belly over robuchon potatoes and brussel sprouts with a cherry glaze and tasted fantastic. I was too focused on the pork to notice how the ribeye was prepared but she was raving about it so I know it was great. The service tonight was a significant improvement over before, Dustin was prompt, professional, and knowledgable. We have absolutely no complaints.
Review Source:Simply put: the best. Â If you're accustomed to restaurants serving only the finest for their customers along with impecable presentation and a wonderful pairing of flavors, this is the only place in Bloomington you might want to try. Â Restaurant Tallent prides itself on serving only the finest organic and/or naturally raised ingredients in an unparalleled artistic fashion. Â This establishment is one of the finest that Bloomington has to offer, albeit one of the most expensive, but nonetheless the best.
Review Source:If you're into the absolute best tasting food products available and won't settle for less, then this is the restaurant for you. Â I can honestly say that the Osso Buco was the best I've ever had in a restaurant, aside from probably in Italy.....but even still the flavors where outstanding. Â The desserts also are worth mentioning because they were to die for. Â I think it's truly remarkable to find a restaurant of this quality in a small city such as Bloomington.
Review Source:I don't know what I expecting here. I knew it's reputation of serving local fresh organic food. Which they do. But I felt the food was rather bland. Even the pate was lacking that extra something you look for in a restaurant that people rave about. I'm not raving. Bland bland bland. My scallops were overcooked and the sauce drizzled over then did nothing to enhance them. I do give then some kudos for the portion size being just right. Not too big and enough to feel full.
I can see why Btowners love the trendy modern decor and the tasteful presentation of the dishes. But the meal was 100% forgettable. For the food skip it and go to FARM. For modern bright decor go here. Just don't expect your tastes buds to be happy ecstatic.
Very impressed indeed. Â My fried oyster appetizer was outstanding, with wonderful flavors. Â The smoked pork chop was tender and flavorful and I even liked the sauteed Brussels sprouts. Â I hate Brussels sprouts. Â The persimmon bread pudding could have had a more assertive flavor -- our only criticism of any item.
The service was professional and prompt (on a busy Friday night), and the waiter did not introduce himself to us. Â In the U.S., this practically merits five stars all by itself.
We will definitely be back.
Disappointed. Â Truly. Â
I went last night and ordered two of the nightly specials. Â My dining companion ordered the other, the soul food dish of the night. Â My first course was a Spinach salad which featured a nice dressing but was not as wonderful as I expected. Â I did not like the bread it was served with (poor flavor match and texture issues).
My main was the red fish which was good but not great. Â I don't know if it was high expectations (Tallent had been on my 'too try' list for months), the atmosphere (there were some wine dealers at the table next to ours), or the crappy Indiana weather outside. Â The fish was cooked well but the accompanying bok choy and other items (potatoes in a former life) did little to pair or hold up against the fine texture and flavor of the fish.
We ordered two of the deserts; one was Butterscotch (alright) and Persimmion pudding (meh). Â
The waittress was funny in an awkward way. Â She was not the quickest (empty glasses and fruitless flagging down with my arm).
I might go back but given the price (expensive) and my enjoyment of other restaurant with the same cache (Finch's, FARM, and Michael's Uptown), maybe not.
Tallent was acceptable, but by no means outstanding. Our first course was a yellowtail crudo that was a little bland. It was advertised as being served atop pears, bringing in a bit of sweetness, but there were merely a few julienned slices of pear within the mixed greens.
The pear and beet salad had a decent flavor, much of it coming from the pistachio goat cheese, which was tasty. It was a bit puny, but I think that criticism was exacerbated by the fact that we had just ridden the first day of the Hilly Hundred and were ravenous.
The stand out was the squash tagliatelle. Great autumn flavors that complemented each other nicely.
Our server was friendly and steered us rather well with wine choices, but seemed a tad lost on the food special offerings. Food also came out a little too slow, but I believe that was because we were a 2-top competing with many large parties that evening.
Drove to Bloomington last night to see my student son and take him to dinner. Â We were looking for something different and just happened upon this place. We both ordered the 5 course tasting with wine pairings and were both blown away. Â Each course was spectacular in its own right, and perfectly paired with unusual wines. Â (I never would have chosen a Pinot Noir to accompany Walleye, but it was perfect). Â It's been a long time since I've been this impressed with a restaurant, but my hat's off to this chef and the wait staff for making it a memorable experience. Â I'll be coming back here with my wife soon!
Review Source:Went here for the first time last night. Â The menu is creative, the food is platted elegantly, and the dining room has a nice ambiance and is well decorated with works from local artists. Â Unfortunately, I just wasn't blown away by the food.
The Arancini came as three fried risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella served atop an aioli. Â This was an interesting concept, but it didn't work for me. Â The taste of the mozzarella was completely lost in the risotto.
The Gnocchi is prepared with spinach and ricotta, giving it a lighter consistency than is typical of gnocchi. Â The tomato sauce is robust. Â This was the best of the three dishes.
We also had the Beef Cheek Brasato. Â The beef itself was nothing special and the au jus was bland. Â I didn't find the gorgonzola grits to be complementary, but maybe I just don't like gorgonzola, Â The tangerine gremolata was fun.
It's nice to have fine dining options in Bloomington, but the food at Talent did not live up to the price or the hype. Â I will probably give it another try, but I think Scholar's Inn is a better option for the price range.
There is simply no better fine dining in Bloomington, perhaps in the entire state of Indiana. Â If you have the chance I'd urge you to go right away while they are running an Italian menu inside of the restaurant. Â Italian? Â Yes, the real deal Italian. Â Hand made pastas (including half sizes)- get the buccatini with saffron wine broth and crab meat or the goat cheese agnalotti, killer appetizers- get the meatballs- one made of duck, one of pork and one of lamb, and thoughtful salads- get the brussel sprout salad. Â
The wine list is excellent and has plenty of great values (virtually the entire wine list is full of values). Â Service is excellent especially for Bloomington.
This is the best restaurant in Indiana, and possibly a substantially broader area than that. Â Dave Tallent is a wizard at cooking food that is savory, substantial, and local while remaining elegant and often playful.
It's hard to go wrong here. Â Corn soup is famous for a reason; virtually any smoked meat or house-made bacon is likely to be one of the chef's personal favorites, and I would snap up anything you see made with parsnips, rutabagas, or other root vegetables. Â Do note that the dishes that seem like they will be very intense and rich--are. Â
Worth a trip from a long distance away.
This was the perfect place for my last meal with my parents before school started. The staff was patient and helpful and, at the end of the meal, the chef visited our table. The mussels are the amazing because there isn't too much sauce but plenty of flavor. Honestly, the serving of soup was too much for me
as an appetizer (even though it was delicious). The pork is the chef's specialty and it's the bet pig you'll ever have in a restaurant. The Indiana ribeye is also incredible. Overall this place pays tribute to the beauty of  Indiana produce and highlights the uniqueness of this overlooked state.
What a phenomenal place. I just returned from a delicious five course prix fixe meal at Tallent. It was easily one of the best meals that I've had since arriving to Bloomington. We were especially pleased that they made an exception for us to be able to have the prix fixe on a weekend.
We got an amuse bouche, five courses of food, plus a cookie at the end for $60 per person. While pricey for Bloomington, it was worth it. We started off with mussels and fries which were delicious. Next, was a steak tartare and beef carpaccio dish. After was a pork belly and seared scallop on top of a bed of risotto. This was my favorite dish of the night. The main meat dish followed afterward. It was elk with a black truffle sauce. The last course was a dessert of butterscotch semifreddo.
Overall, it was a great meal and confirmed the high expectations I had going in.
The service was very good and went along with the quality of the meal.
I would recommend this restaurant to anyone (with the cash) with out any question.
I hate to be the one negative review here of Restaurant Tallent - especially when so many others have praised it as being the best restaurant in Bloomington. Â But my husband and I really had an extremely disappointing experience there on what was supposed to be a wonderful celebration. Â We dined at Tallent on November 6th, and I only regret that I waited so long to write a review.
I made a reservation several weeks in advance, and noted that we would be celebrating both our first wedding anniversary and our last fancy meal out before my husband deploys to Afghanistan for a year, causing us to miss our 2nd anniversary. Â When we arrived at the restaurant, we were seated in the bar area, at the table directly next to the kitchen. Â While the rest of the restaurant is beautiful with great ambience, our table was flooded with light and noise from the kitchen. Â The main dining room was relatively empty, so I asked our waitress if we could move to the other room. Â However, we were told that every table was spoken for, and therefore we could not move. Â Definitely a disappointment. Â I was hoping that since we were celebrating such a special occasion, it wouldn't be an issue for us to move to a good table.
We ordered the Heritage Pork Trio for an appetizer. Â My husband ordered the short ribs, and I ordered the duck. Â We also ordered a bottle of wine. Â Since my husband was a full-time graduate student up until his deployment, we dine out very infrequently - this meal was very special for us. Â
Our waitress brought the bottle of wine to the table and wrestled with opening it for several minutes...however, as I myself have worked as a server in a nice restaurant, this did not bother me as much as it could have. Â
After a significant amount of time, our entrees were brought to the table by another server. Â My husband and I never received the appetizer we ordered, and we were unable to mention it to the server until we had completed our entrees, as she did not come back to see how our food was until our plates were clean. Â The food was mediocre, but certainly not fantastic. Â After moving to Bloomington from Washington DC, we have very high food standards...and I guess Tallent just didn't meet them. Â I am hoping they just had an off day, as so many people I know have enjoyed their meals. Â Either way, nothing tasted unique or interesting, and we spent most of the time wishing we had spent our anniversary at a different restaurant - especially considering the expense of the meal.
When our waitress finally came to the table to check in, we had finished our entrees. Â We mentioned that we had never received our appetizer. Â Her response: Â "Oh, the pork trio? Â Did you want that?" Â We said that we did still want to try it, so she put in the order. Â It came to our table 30 minutes later, and was mediocre at best.
We ordered dessert when we completed the post-dinner appetizer: Â Persimmon bread pudding for my husband, and spiced buttermilk doughnuts for myself. Â Once again...they were both mediocre.
We got the bill - and were relieved to see that we were not charged for the appetizer, which we were very pleased about. Â We paid and left. Â At no time did anyone mention our anniversary.
I would like to think that we dined at Tallent on the wrong night...but unfortunately, I highly doubt we will ever go back to give it another try. Â For far less money, we can get a much better and more unique meal at several other restaurants in Bloomington. Â I should note that the expense was not the issue - we have no problem spending money on a fantastic meal. Â This one just fell far short of our expectations.
Tallent is amazing. Being a poor student it was definitely a parents-in-town-special-treat, but so totally worth it. We had the mussels for an appetizer and they were out of this world. I had the Fiddler Farms pork chop and it was also excellent. Great service, amazing local food. Best restaurant in Bloomington!
Review Source:The best restaurant in Bloomington, hands-down. The chef-owners David and Kristen Tallent, both CIA grads, are solicitous and down-to-earth while turning out plate after plate of surprising yet comforting food. I have never eaten anything here that I did not immediately want another serving of and have ordered everything from rabbit to mussels, sweet corn soup to black pepper ice cream. Much of their menu is seasonal, local, and/ or organic, and all of it is fresh and lovingly crafted.
The service is outstanding. I can only afford to go to this restaurant every few months (the prices are really a value compared to similar quality in Chicago or Louisville; I'm just poor!) but the last time I went, my server remembered me and asked how my dad and sister (my usual dinnermates) were doing. All of the waitstaff are knowledgeable but never snooty and very sensitive and kind about budget.
Restaurant Tallent is the best restaurant I've eaten at in Indiana. Â We had a fantastic meal last night, that was perfect from beginning to end. Â Here's what we had:
Roasted Veggie Salad -- beets, sweet potato, onion, brussels sprouts & walnuts roasted & tossed in a delicious truffle vinaigrette
Arugula Salad -- arugula, beets & goat cheese with a yummy pomegranate/poppy seed vinaigrette
"Ruben" Fois Gras -- buttery fois gras on top of rye & brussels sprout kraut
Skate -- on a bed of heirloom potato & leek risotto with brussels sprouts, turnips & curry vinaigrette. Â Tasty!
Scallops -- on a spaghetti squash carbonara with caramelized cauliflower & cider gastrique
Everything was fantastic. Â The wine list was comprised of a great selection of wines grouped by price. Â $26, $36, $46 & "second mortgage" bottles. Â
For dessert we had the chocolate sticky bun with chocolate chip ice cream. Â
Yum, yum, yum, yum! Â I will definitely go back.
Our service was perfect. Â
I highly recommend Restaurant Tallent!
My Girlfriend and I went here and decided to do the five course tasting with wine.
...Simply fantastic. Â I apologize if my review is lacking in detail, it was just one great experience after another, so I just stopped taking mental notes and enjoyed myself. Â Most of the dishes were based on fish, Barramundi being my favorite. Â My girlfriend, who actually fears seafood, found this to be a fantastic experience. Â Everything was served with great professionalism, and the wine pairing also worked very well with each course.
I highly recommend the tasting, I believe with wine our total bill came out to around 120, which is actually a good deal considering the quality of food/drink. Â As indicated by the price, this isn't too big with the college kids, but is popular with the faculty and guest lectures/alums.
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