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Archive for category dining out

Tea Party Leaves

Feb 24

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe, health

OK, got ya at the newly resurrected “tea party” language. That usage is of different importance; mine is of a true tea party with a beautiful spread of little sandwiches and sweets and a lovely floral cup and saucer presentation. Does not have to be that particular place setting, but the look is important, it lends dignity to the event. If you have never hosted a tea party, or even attended one, nothing is more trendy now: The good old fashioned food and beverage one.

In this stressed-out society with the economy still in neutral, we look for ways to entertain and dine out in fun, affordable ways. Sitting down to a tea event is one such way to take a break and breathe a sigh of reality relief. Check out your local, upper tier hotels, or one of the many tea stores that have literally popped up throughout the country for an elegant, fun afternoon.teafairmont

While you’re cupping and sipping, let’s add another health note to the mix. A lot has been written about green tea and its healthy antioxidants. Another study just demonstrated the power of this pour in staving off glaucoma. That’s a serious eye disease that seems to be lessened by drinking green tea.

A final tea caveat for today: Go for whole leaf teas when you purchase them. That’s the purest form of tea so any benefits one could derive would not be mitigated by a collection of chopped up tea that has lost its potency.

Enjoy the tea party.

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Do More Than Shut Off the Ringer

Feb 20

Posted by admin in dining out, lifestyle

B2C_devour_ThumbHospitality: That’s the word that translates our dining out experiences. We want someone to extend the hospitality of good food and beverages and an environment that is welcoming. We can ruin the experience with the flash of a scroll or a button.

Yes, we understand about shutting off our ringers and plenty of menus say no cell phones, but what about texting or emailing? How do you like eating out with a dinner companion who can’t take his eye off the gadget and his finger from the button?

More often than not the texter or writer is a visible dinner companion. If you are dining alone, then quietly scrolling through emails may make a fine dinner companion. Returning calls or sending long tapping messages does not elevate the experience for anyone: Don’t.

Yes, if you are “ON Call” your situation is different, but for the rest of the universe, it’s time to soak up the hospitality and lose the gadgetry. Vibrate is no better. Hit off or quiet and settle in for a fine dining experience no matter the venue or the price point.

Relax.

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Here’s A Tip

Feb 18

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe

When travelers from other countries dine in the US, they are often confused by our restaurant system. “Tip not included” is a phrase they frequently see printed on menus and hear staff tell them that piece of info when they get the bill. Most people understand that restaurant workers in this country are underpaid and depend on tips. Since a tip is seldom included in the US, except for large parties, the system sometimes works to a server’s disadvantage.reserved

Many higher-end establishments do not add the customary large-group 18-20% tip in the hopes that the serving staff will excel that expectation and earn what the diner/host believes is an appropriate amount. Those places are often right, and servers benefit from the customer doing the math. After all, good service deserves recognition, which in this case amounts to an appropriate monetary tip. There’s the rub: The definition of appropriate can vary considerably.

Let’s step back a moment. Tipping should be the customer’s decision and not merely an expectation. Slovenly service which often involves favoring one table over another or more simply stated, not working each table uniformly, often leads to an end-of-the-meal debate among the guests. There are those who tip, no matter what. They often tip the same amount in the belief that the wait staff needs and depends on the tip. That’s true.

It’s the guest who takes out his angst on the server for not getting his food to the table expeditiously or even correctly that often makes restaurants rethink the need to include a tip in the bill. Stories abound about angry diners who are harassed by wait staff for not leaving a tip and then they create their own tirade explaining away their reasoning. It often translates loudly in the dining room with words such as I ordered a hot breakfast, not cold eggs…

The tip dilemma will not end here, but diners need to remember that they are being served, waited on, and not all fault rests with the person who brings the food to the table.

Remember the economy and the work force and consider your decision accordingly.

It is about the service.

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Small Plate Action

Feb 11

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe

As we hold on to the big dining out bucks, more restaurants are feeling the pinch and fixing the leak by meeting us halfway. The popular food-laden drink game, affectionately called the happy hour, is back. Back in a big way as many places have extended it to daily happiness instead of just Mon-Fri. Also a number of spots are saying, be a night owl, have we got a deal for you!

We’ve noticed an increase in Mediterranean-type dishes whether you call them tapas, mezzes, or street food, the small plate revolution is thriving. Look at how many Indian restaurants, which have thrived well with lunch hour buffets, are now changing their menu to include common, Indian snacks, street food. The concept clearly has legs and crosses all dining borders.smallplates

California Pizza Kitchen has even figured out how to join the trend. They just introduced the Small Cravings menu with affordable ($4-7) pricing and a full range of menu options including dips, and the trend I see taking over menus: The Wedge. The company wants to fill the (small) plate and create a little buzz so they also have a new wine craving menu of half glasses for $5 and less.

Small plates and happy hours: Two trends that seem to have large, happy followings throughout the country.

Let’s just put a little squeeze on that to match the other time-starved notion: One-handed food on the go.

If it’s just a splash of a condiment, Heinz believes they have the solution: The new Dip & Squeeze Ketchup container. This should help them win over restaurants that do brand wavering! You can peel back the lid to dip or tear it off to squeeze: Double usage possibilities without excess packaging. A green approach to eat-and-go! BTW, the company is increasing its available sizes for the sugar, non high fructose corn syrup bottles.

Keep your eye on the prize: You’ll enjoy dining out more at this more affordable and fun price point!

All good news.

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How Do You Want Your Coupon?

Feb 10

Posted by admin in dining out, grocer, news

officescissorsIt does not take rocket science to analyze what food establishments whether they be cafes, full-service restaurants, quick shops, or grocers are doing to capture our attention and our food dollars. We have to eat, and it seems we continue to figure out ways to economize the approach.

Restaurants have special dining out nights and chains, even those with just a few locations in a city, have frequent diner cards. Sometimes those benefits get extended into doubling or tripling their value on certain slow nights, that used to be translated as Mondays but midweek is starting to look a lot like a Monday! All this in an attempt to reward the faithful and expand the inner circle of loyalists.

These are just like frequent shopper cards which offer a reduced price on set items to the loyalists. Just scan and save is their mantra.

Does it work? Does it fill the tables? Depends who you ask and the price point of activity. The dollar:value equation becomes the heart of the analysis. Most people like a deal.

As for newspaper inserts, some weeks the number of coupon books weighing down the delivery is astounding, as in 4-5 different coupon catalogs. So it should come as no surprise that we ended the decade with increased coupon usage. The question always remains: Will the consumer trade up to a brand with a cents-off incentive and a doubling-off strategy from the market or stay with the new shopper’s friend, the house brand?

Then there’s the whole social media approach to couponing regardless if it’s for a restaurant or a grocer. If you become a Facebook fan, give over your email, or join their special mobile coupon connection, you will be inundated with money-saving offers. You name the service or the business, they want your fan loyalty and in turn, you will be rewarded, or turned off. You decide.

Clipping still has its friends, but new strategies are making more immediate inroads.

Smart eating has an infinite fan base.

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Burger Business Piling Up

Jan 27

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe

It’s fun to walk the neighborhoods and find signs that indicate a new restaurant is in the works. One of my favorite taped messages says: “Coming as soon as we can.” Think that summarizes a lot of our dining emotions. We’ll be there if the price is right, if you can do a good job, if you understand your product…as soon as that is all in place, set our table.

Sometimes the news comes via an awning. Not every new enterprise has the money or feels the necessity to cover up the old tenant’s signature so the awning sends the message; this is especially true when a sibling is about to emerge across town. With burgers, the news seems to be most eagerly anticipated. As we’ve noted, the burger concept is alive and well and seems to have little difficulty welcoming the latest entrant. In this case, burgers are just a part of a rather extensive menu!IMG_1072

The number 5 seems to be a magical information conveyance. After all The Five Guys chain took over the Washington DC region before rolling out nationally. Not everyone favors the same 5 toppings so they offer free peanuts while you wait for their cooked-to-order menu. The strategy of filling cooking time seems to work if you judge the space by the crowds!

Plenty of big name chefs have found a second life in the burger business (let’s add to that list Michael Landrum, Marcus Samuelsson, Michael Mina, Hubert Keller, and…the list is long). Why not? After all we’re talking about one of the country’s most hyped food groups. Not everyone serves just the beef variety; there’s the lobster, the lamb, the turkey, the veg, and the house specialty, whatever that is. The price seems to go from reasonable to stratospheric. Plenty in the middle!

No reason not to be a participant in this trendy space. Bring on the toppings.

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More Food Highlights and Trends

Jan 22

Posted by admin in dining out

The one thing about predictions is that you can never go wrong: It’s just a prediction. You can always hide behind the change and blame barometric pressure as a contributing factor or whatever else comes to mind!

Following on the heels of the just concluded 35th Winter Fancy Food Show in SF, some of the trends that emerged from the large show with over 80,000 products are nothing new to readers of this blog:

–Gluten-Free, exotic citrus, coconut, good-for-you foods, and nostalgic foods. These are all topics and categories (check the search part of the site) we have seen evolve over the past year. Good to know we are on the right track!

The National Restaurant Association just released its Industry Forecast which has a more upbeat tone than last year with an anticipated increase of  2.5 percent in sales spending. Everyone in the industry has his fingers crossed for that to occur. Some other items of interest include:

–A greater emphasis on locally sourced food, sustainability, health, and nutrition will be the top trends on restaurant menus this year. Individuals say they are more focused on eating healthy in restaurants than they were even two years ago.whatshot8_thumb

–More restaurants are stepping up their efforts to go green and 4 in 10 consumers say they choose restaurants based on their conservation practices.

–Ethnic cuisines and flavors continue as a hot menu trend including regional ethnic cuisine and fusion cuisine. Interesting to watch the fusion idea which has come and gone any number of times! As for ethnic menus, they may also qualify as a more affordable price decision. I believe, price and value will continue to permeate much of our decision-making.

No matter which trend list jumps to the top of the pile, the most important takeaway is that diners are more savvy in terms of what they look for when dining out. Many arrive at restaurants after they have read reviews and studied the menu.

Expectations are high. The diner wants value and the restaurants need to focus.

That’s how tables get full and the buzz stays positive.

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Here We Go Again: Restaurant Specials

Jan 20

Posted by admin in Economy, dining out

If you want to measure the strength of the economy or its improvement out of the recession cellar, then look at restaurants or more specifically, restaurant specials. They are starting to come in again. Maybe they never stopped fully, but they are multiplying again. It feels a lot like last year at this time when you look at some of these offers.

–The Palm has paired a 9 oz filet with a 1-1/4 lb crab stuffed lobster, accompanied by asparagus. Good until the end of March ($47.95)

–The Capital Grille has a 4-course menu (appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert). Good until the end of February ($49).

–P. F. Chang’s makes every afternoon (3-6 P) a happy time with reduced priced liquids and solids ($3-$6). That’s simple pricing easy to remember!margarita_wraps

–Chili’s offers 3 courses (a starter, 2 entrees, and a dessert) for $20. The entree choice includes the new mini taco menu. Remember this is really a $20 deal for 2 people to share.

These are just a few of the national players getting in on enticing menus with early seasonal specials. The list can easily be updated regularly.

Don’t forget the smaller guys: The sandwich places, the local happy hours, and the numerous choices for lunch deals.

Time to take a break and dine out.

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What’s the Deal with Pepper?

Jan 12

Posted by admin in dining out

In my meat universe, a great piece of beef is just that: A Great Piece of Meat. It needs a heavy char, a rare, warm-to-the-touch inside, and little else. One over-condiments a product that is not of high quality. A superior piece of beef, Black Angus, dry-aged, or Certified Prime, needs no doctoring, just an attentive grillmaster. Why are so many consumers now saying, “hold the pepper”? Why did pepper become such a major flavor profiler whether it is with top-quality meats or sushi-grade tuna?

Both those fine foods need little outside interference. It goes back to purchasing quality, preparing it simply, and not ruining it by fussing with unnecessary seasonings.

Just yesterday attention was on the salt crisis: How we are oversalting everything and our health is paying for using too much of this seasoning. Black pepper has been making the research rounds as a positive, but encrusting a steak with pepper (unless you ordered steak au poivre) is a negative in my book. It can overpower a food and make the taste get lost under its weight. Plenty of people like salted and peppered food. I am a believer in top quality products that need little extra attention. If the quality is good, you have nothing to hide. Inferior cuts of beef will take more than salt and pepper to solve.

Hold the pepper, bring on the 12 oz beauty. I can handle it.filetmig_sm

OK, I promise to take  some home for lunch tomorrow.

Who made pepper King, anyway?

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Breakfast: The Most Important Meal

Jan 8

Posted by admin in Economy, coffee, dining out

For years nutritionists have been saying kick your metabolism into gear by having breaksfast. Start your day with fuel and the rest of the day will move along nicely. Puns intended.

Plenty of restaurants and quick-service spots have obviously heard the rallying cry–it translates as Ka-Ching as dollars are going into the register with record speed as breakfast has become a bigger stop than just for the all-mighty cup of coffee. The examples speak volumes.

–Chick-Fil-A: They just introduced a new breakfast menu with with a low-calorie yogurt parfait (Theyogurtparfaity quickly decided this item would be a popular all-day choice so its availability extends beyond 10:30AM) and mini nuggets–(Chick-n-Minis)–you know, a hand-held slider. Judging by the early morning drive-thru line, the concept must already be working.

–IHOP: Breakfast anytime is their concept as they move into the new year with the return of the All-You-Can Eat Buttermilk Pancakes starting at $4.99. It’s not just a plate of pancakes on this special as the combo accompaniments of eggs, hash browns, and meat are part of round one. Pancakes can keep on coming until it’s time to roll yourself out the door.

–McDonald’s: They  took on the breakfast brigade with the national rollout of the $1 menu (sausage biscuit, burrito, or McMuffin, and, of course, hashbrowns).

–Sonic Drive-In has several breakfast choices on the dollar menu including the Junior Breakfast Burrito with Sausage. They subscribe to the breakfast anytime motto.

All-Day Breakfast and price-competitive menus seem to be the theme starting the New Year. That, of course, and the big shout out about new, better grinds for truly enjoyable coffee!

With all the drive-n-go or eat ‘n run options, is anybody really focused on the Breakfast Metabolism starter or just finding filling food at affordable prices?

A little less food; a better cup of coffee.

Thank you.

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