Diets and Recipes - restaurant

Ordering "healthy" foods

Sun, 21 May 2006 11:06:13 +0000

Filed under: Restaurants , Trends , Light Food According to a survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association, people say that they want to eat healthier than they really do, especially when it comes to eating in restaurants. In fact, only 36% of people ask for healthier substitutions and fewer than 50% of diners will order off a "healthy" menu when it is offered. People eat more meals out of the home than ever before, diminishing the idea of a restaurant meal as "special occasion" food, which may have once justified indulgence. 63% of diners do not want to see nutritional information on the menu, looking for permission (by omission) to eat whatever they want to.

11th Earl of Sandwich has a chain of restaurants

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:09:03 +0000

Filed under: Restaurants , Business , Southern States , America Following Nicole's post about the new Dagwood sandwich restaurant, it seems only fitting to mention the recent opening of a new Earl of Sandwich restaurant in Tampa. The Orlando-based chain is operated by Lord John Montagu, the 11th Earl of Sandwich, a descendant of the 4th Earl of Sandwich (right), the British naval commander who supposedly invented meat between bread back in the 1700s. Also involved in the venture are Montagu's son Orlando and Planet Hollywood founder Gary Davis. This is the second EOS location to open since 2004, according to a recent story in the St. Pete Times (scroll down). On the menu, of course, are sandwiches, including roast beef, which was reportedly the filling of choice for the first sandwich back in 1762. Permalink Email this Linking Blogs Comments

Designs on dining

Wed, 17 May 2006 09:02:57 +0000

Filed under: Restaurants Does design matter when you dine? Or perhaps more importantly, does it impact where you dine? Travel + Leisure gave their 2006 Restaurant Design Award to Mix , in Las Vegas. Pictured here, it isn't a design that would work just anywhere, but for Vegas, its over-the-top glamour is simply perfect. And that is how design comes into the dining experience.

Does money equal love when dining on Mother's Day?

Sat, 13 May 2006 07:04:10 +0000

Filed under: Restaurants , America Apparently, some "experts" want Mother's Day to be canceled on the grounds that there "should be no such thing" and mothers should be appreciated every day. True enough, but in my experience, everyone likes to feel special sometimes, and having one day that is a little extra special is a very enjoyable thing. It's like treating yourself to an ice cream cone on a hot day instead of just having a Coke to cool down. It is possible, however, that things are getting a little out of control - especially when it comes to dining out.

A real Dagwood sandwich

Thu, 11 May 2006 14:03:14 +0000

Filed under: Restaurants , Business Taking a business idea straight from the comics, Dean Young, who draws the comic strip Blondie, is going to open a small restaurant called " Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppe " in Clearwater, Florida, this August. Unsurprisingly, they will specialize in sandwiches.Young plans to make the shop into a chain with at least 100 locations, 25 of which are already spoken for.

McMakeovers for McDonald's

Mon, 08 May 2006 06:55:24 +0000

Filed under: Restaurants , Business McDonald's is looking to improve its image - literally. The company has recently rolled out a plan to overhaul and update all of its 30,000 global locations. The goal of this makeover is to refresh the look of the brand, which company officials say seems dated, not having had a makeover since the early 1990s. The company will keep its signature red and gold colors, but will tone them down and add olive and sage greens to their color scheme. The stores' roofs will now be flat and slanting, with a leaner, more modern look and a lot of the bright plastic features will be replaced with brick and wood but the golden arches will still be prominently featured

All you can eat, not all you can waste

Sat, 06 May 2006 09:01:33 +0000

Filed under: Dinner , Restaurants , Midwest Cities , America A few weeks ago, I posted about a restaurant in England that had imposed a fine (donating all profits to charity) on people who took too much food at a buffet because the owners were sick about the amount of wasted. Several commenters thought that this was a great idea or knew of shops that did a similar thing in their neighborhoods. Perhaps more buffets will take similar action now that a Des Moines family was kicked out of an all-you-can-eat restaurant for wasting too much food.

Finger found in food at TGI Friday's

Mon, 01 May 2006 15:03:51 +0000

Filed under: Restaurants A diner in Bloomington, Indiana found a finger alongside his hamburger when he dined at a local TGI Friday's. A member of the kitchen staff had cut off a portion of his finger and, in the confusion that arose when people rushed to help the man, the finger ended up on a plate. It was only a small piece of finger, but the diner noticed it immediately. The police were called, but told the customer that it was not a criminal matter.

Heston Blumenthal does tradition

Mon, 01 May 2006 10:04:48 +0000

Filed under: British Isles , Restaurants , Magazines , Food Oddities Known for his cutting edge experiments, er, cooking at one of the world's top restaurants, The Fat Duck , chef Heston Blumenthal is not a man to shy away from a challenge. When he bought a pub, the Hinds Head , he thought he would have to leave his chemistry set in the car and cook more traditional pub fare . While some of the dishes are quite ordinary, what the diners didn't realize is that Blumenthal has a more unusual definition of "tradition" than most.

Pizza in 10 minutes or less

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 11:02:39 +0000

Filed under: Lunch , Restaurants , Business , New Products Papa John's is planning to roll out pizza to consumers in 10 minutes or less! The third largest pizza delivery chain in the United States is releasing what will be the fastest made-to-order pizza ever. Guaranteed.

Batali to close Bistro du Vent

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 10:03:39 +0000

Filed under: Closings , East Coast , Restaurants , Business It looks like Mario Batali is giving up on one of his New York eateries, Bistro du Vent, only 15 months after its opening. The Bistro is located on 9th St. in midtown Manhattan. It received reviews ranging from " not bad " to " deeply satisfying " and Frank Bruni gave it two stars , so the food isn't what is causing the sale. Its downfall was probably helped by the scandal that occurred last year, in which "four employees - including a chef - were caught on [security] videotape in a steamy after-hours sex romp" in the restaurant. Though the employees were subsequently fired, it's not the sort of thing that necessarily enhances a restaurant's reputation. Bistro du Vent has 12 years left on the lease and a $13,500 monthly rent.

Decoding Ferran Adria

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 08:03:47 +0000

Filed under: Restaurants The kitchen at El Bulli, recently chosen again as the best restaurant in the world, is at the forefront of culinary innovation. Diners wonder how the food is done and chefs take sabbaticals just for the chance to visit. Without dropping everything and going to Spain, you can take a tour of the kitchen, too, via the Decoding Ferran Adria DVD . The DVD is hosted by Anthony Bourdain, who visits the "lab" in Barcelona and tracks the progress of food at the restaurant from a mere idea to a plated dinner, a process which can take up to 6 months.

Top Chef Episode 7 recap

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 17:44:53 +0000

Filed under: Restaurants , Television This week the competition on Top Chef got even more intense as the contestants faced one of their most difficult challenges yet. Not only did the chefs have to cook, but they had to come up with a concept and start a restaurant from scratch. The needed a name, decor, tableware and, most importantly, time, which they didn't have. As an unusual twist in this episode, the incentive of immunity was eliminated from the quickfire challenge and instead, a prize was offered to the winner. There was no guest judge, either. Chef Tom Colicchio stepped up to offer the challenge and the prize.

Have you ever faked it?

Sat, 22 Apr 2006 09:13:27 +0000

Filed under: Restaurants , Trends With very few exceptions, I have never had a problem getting a reservation at a restaurant that I wanted to eat at. Holidays like Valentine's Day can pose their own problems, of course, but I am speaking of an ordinary night out. If I have not been able to get a reservation, I go somewhere else. If the restaurant is closing when I walk in, I go somewhere else. Some people don't want to go somewhere else, though, and either bribe the hostess or outright lie to get in. They have fake reservations . A fake reservation is what some diners use to get into restaurants that are full or closing, knowing that most restaurants will not question their claim. But here's something they may not know: they're not fooling anyone. The restaurant knows that you're faking.

Zagat's top 100 hotel restaurants for your iPod

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 18:24:26 +0000

Filed under: Newspapers , Lists , America The folks at Zagat recently compiled a list of the top 100 hotel restaurants in America for an article in USA TODAY. Ratings were based on food quality, décor and service. The French Room in The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Texas, made the top of the list, which is available here . The list, complete with reviews, addresses and phone numbers, is also available for download as a notes file for your iPod. I went ahead and loaded it onto my iPod and, indeed, I was able to browse the list with my little scroll wheel. I'm not sure why this list needs to be on anyone's iPod, but nevertheless, it's available. Of the 100 restaurants listed, 20 are in California and 13 are in Massachusetts. At number three on the list is The Dining Room at Little Palm Island Resort (right), a luxury resort in the Florida Keys that can only be reached by boat. More complete Zagat guides are also available for other mobile devices like PDAs and cell phones. Permalink Email this Linking Blogs Comments