8 High-End Off-The-Menu Dishes To Try

Unless you're friends with the chef, the menu at most high-end spots is limited to the card placed in front of you. But, there's a loophole—as long as you know how to find it. It turns out that some of the country's best restaurants, like New York's acclaimed Daniel and Philadelphia's modern Israeli dining destination Zahav, keep secret stashes in their walk-ins, ready to be made only when a guest knows to ask. Say the magic words, and you may be rewarded with Paul Bocuse's legendary truffle-stuffed chicken or a special foie gras skewer, proving that it pays to know before you go. 

While this Michelin-starred restaurant changes its selections daily, at least one dish can be guaranteed with a special advance request: a decadent foie gras, topped with brandy and brûléed. And, as a bonus, it's even prepared tableside for your viewing pleasure.

To complement all the vegetables at his new restaurant, chef Dan Kluger is cooking fatty tuna belly over a wood grill, then dressing it with basil, mint, chilies, orange zest and fried garlic. The off-the-menu item is limited to the amount of tuna belly the chef can get, so it's best to order this one early in the evening.

Between mouthfuls of freshly made hummus and lamb shoulder dressed in pomegranate and molasses, find a moment for foie gras shishlik, or skewer, served over fresh laffa, an Iraqi flatbread drizzled with sweet carob molasses and topped with pistachios.

At Fabio Trabocchi's flagship restaurant, you'll find elegant dishes like Spanish turbot with honey mussels and saffron crema and morels with black truffles and egg. But the team will also happily whip up an order of the chef's signature Vergara meatballs upon request. Beef, veal, pork, confit garlic, egg and two cheeses go into this homey treat.