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Archive for category dining out

I’ll Do It My Way: Chefs Say “NO”

Mar 15

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe, New York Times

Thanks, Frank (as in Frank Sinatra for the hip-hop focused), but that concept of doing it Your Way seems to be fraught with pugilistic intent when we speak of restaurants. Yes, chefs, want to be supreme and create what they want, how they want it, and often without adjustments. Diners, on the other hand, have become more than just restaurant novices and recognize that there are numerous ways to prepare a dish and having it only one set way may not be that appealing or healthy. Let’s play out the basic house salad scenario as an example.

Have you ever sat in a dining room and listened to table talk. I can almost guarantee that if you are in the axis of five tables and someone at each of the tables orders a house salad, not very many will accept it with the designated salad dressing, even with truffle oil! You’ll hear can I have it on the side, or, how about a different dressing. Who’s right? Who gets to make the decision? A significant part of that answer rests with price point. High-end chefs believe more fervently about their decisions.

Diners want some control, and chefs want to maintain head toque control. Last week the New York Times ran a front page article about chefs who absolutely, positively refuse to make adjustments. A few days later, the paper ran opinion responses. We’ve all been in the situation when dining out where we love what is described but have a small, wee, minor change we’d like to make. Not everyone is pleased with this strategy.B_2_3_Technische_CM_02

So who’s right? The issue is far greater than placing a simple order. There are ever so many people who either through preference or dietary restrictions want to dine at the best, the very latest, the top places. They want to experience what they have been reading about and do not want to be left out of the dining frenzy that is making all the headlines.  Not every chef welcomes the diner who needs adjustments or wants to tweak a dish. Should top restaurants be off limits to guests who want the experience but may be unable to have it as the chef envisions? Should chefs bend or diners skip?

Yes, it is the hospitality industry, and yes, diners have become particular about their flavors and specifics, but should top tier chefs have to accommodate everyone, of every dining ilk, health or otherwise? For many of these restaurants it is not about the customer is always right, but rather a fact of life: This is the way I create. Come to my temple and experience what I can do.

Sorry, many chefs say when they are unable or unwilling to accommodate. Is the ability to pay and to pay handsomely enough to be able to experience almost all the ingredients the chef envisions.

This is a complicated issue on both sides of the table.

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A More Careful Fish Selection

Mar 2

Posted by admin in dining out, Environment, food universe

Following on the heels of environmentally unfriendly containers, it’s time to have a good news story about a company that has taken the plunge. I’m talking Costco. They have decided to join the ranks of purveyors of socially acceptable fish. No longer will they sell those varieties that have been listed as overfished. They will instead continue to grow their farmed fish purveyor program and offer customers fish that meets the guidelines set forth by the World Wildlife Fund. Their further involvement with sustainability in the seafood arena will benefit us all.

The specifics are important. First of all they will stop selling (yes, first they have to finish their stock and commitment orders) the wild species they call at the greatest risk of being overfished. That list includes Atlantic cod and halibut, Chilean sea bass, halibut from Greenland, grouper, monkfish, orange roughy, redfish, shark, skates and rays, swordfish and bluefin tuna. They do not plan to reintroduce these fish into their lineup unless the sources are certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The Council identifies itself as “the world’s leading certification  and ecolabelling program for sustainable seafood.”image_small

Secondly, Costco has expanded its relationship with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a non-governmental organization that works closely on sustainable aquaculture issues. Costco has charged them with determining how well the Thailand-based companies that supply farmed shrimp are working to meet the defined standards for shrimp farming. That same approach is being studied with farmed Atlantic salmon. As any Costco shopper knows, Atlantic salmon is a majoone who visits a Costco knows is a major fish product for the company. Again Costco is working with suppliers and making certain that standards are being adhered.

What does this all mean for consumers? Maybe the first step is to applaud Costco’s decision (and other companies that are taking these bold steps) and follow that strategy into our own shopping, regardless of the marketplace. Similarly, when we dine out and find these overfished varietiess on menus, we need to question the establishment. Chefs have plenty of fish to work with that meet sustainability standards and can become beautiful center-of-the plate entrees.

Let’s applaud companies that have solid sustainability programs and likewise recognize restaurants that demonstrate responsible, sustainable performance.

We will all be better off with these actions!

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The Lighter Grocery Bag

Feb 22

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe, lifestyle, restaurants, shopping

Remember the good old days when a bag of groceries cost about $20? Really that wasn’t that long ago, but now that single bag is more apt to hover closer to $50. Food costs are skyrocketing. Every department; every store. What’s the consumer to do?

Simple rule of thumb: Know your prices. If you know the cost of the basics, then you know when an item “on sale” is truly a sale-priced item.

Step two: Plan menus around the sales. If this is the week that avocados are reasonable, then guacamole proves tastier. You can follow that rhythm through each department. Chicken thighs on sale; chicken thighs, it is.

There are few other strategies that work as well during the upward creep. Maybe the process is faster than a creepy crawl as a week does not go by without another commodity escalating upwards.

Coffee prices are up. Eggs are more expensive. Bread products continue to rise (pun intended). Name a food, a basic commodity, and you understand how the shopping scene has changed.10-Keurig-B40-Lg

Besides the bread basket costs of grocery shopping, another effect is on restaurants. Consumers have only so much of their budgeted money for food, whether at the market or at a restaurant. The end result is the fast food and casual restaurants do much better while the mid-tier suffers. The end result is that the restaurant picture continues to struggle as many restaurants with higher price points cannot survive the slack sales.

As we all hold on tighter to our wallets, grocery shopping and dining out become the precious commodities. Increased pricing hits all of us hard.

We can’t afford heavy lifting.

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Policy Shifts: The Shrinking Plate

Feb 10

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe, lifestyle

You can always tell when an industry starts to feel some strength under its wings. When promos start to slide and prices start to creep upwards. Another way to watch the food and beverage industry is to see how the center of the plate changes. Sometimes a restaurant tries a campaign and discovers that it is a losing proposition. For instance, take the issue of sides.

Giving them away as an all-inclusive price does not necessarily succeed for a long-term, non restaurant week basis. Yet when a restaurant decides that they can adjust their prices by eliminating the “included” in favor of charging for sides, the diner is left with an important decision. The prior $24 meal with two sides now costs over $30. The restaurant benefits. The customer needs to decide. This side-no side entree scenario is becoming more commonplace in the mid-tier market. Restaurants feel the same food pinch that home chefs and families feel: Rising food costs. Making this type of menu shift where the diner decides about an additional plate item can especially benefit a mid-tier restaurant.

Other changes a customer might notice is the center of the plate concept. More restaurants are shifting to increased garnishes as in a larger handful of chopped lettuce so the plate does not sit empty. One tiny piece of parsley does not do the trick! We know how everyone can save some money: Skip the tomatoes until they are again tasty and bursting with flavor. Not now!

Eliminating included sides or salads, increasing garnishes, and switching cuts of meat are three strategies becoming more prevalent in the current restaurant climate. The meat industry has plenty of so-called lesser cuts that work as well in maintaining price. We are seeing more hanger and flat iron steaks, for instance, for nightly dinner specials as they can be made juicy and tasty with the right cooking technique but save the restaurant and the diner an appreciable amount of money.banner2

All these trends are at work almost simultaneously as the diner continues to watch his dining out dollars and restaurants find themselves struggling with spiraling food costs and potential waste.

The improved dining out scene still faces tumultuous times. We can survive together.

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Thank You, Oil Companies

Jan 24

Posted by admin in coffee, dining out, food universe, news

I’m not talking olive oil, safflower, or canola, but the big guys. The oil companies as in Exxon, BP, and their kindred spirits. I’m sure you’re well aware how much money that fill-up is costing, but the spillover effects are even more noticeable. Have you watched your grocery bill start its skyrocket spiral? How about your daily extra special coffee treat? Or, your restaurant meal? Everything food-related is going for the stratosphere and predictions are that whatever we are experiencing now will only continue to escalate. Swell.

Yes, few people will notice the difference between a 5 or a 6 oz serving of a chicken breast, but will notice that the plate is filled with an assortment of other foods so the main protein does not look so lonely. A handful of lettuce, although its price has gone up handsomely, too, is still less expensive for a restaurant than sticking with the larger ounced protein.

Portion sizes are not the only items shrinking. At the grocery store, many companies have left a product’s price the same, but reduced its size. Tricky, eh! Add 10 minutes for additional label-reading.

Maybe food delivery services will continue to thrive (Amazon is planning a major new national program roll-out) as consumers  feel more secure trying to make that $4 a gallon gas last longer and take advantage of delivery specials! The program worked in Washington state so why not Washington, DC? The East Coast awaits.41IodTSAjVL._SL160__SS120__SS100_

Some of the obvious jumps are in foods from Florida or California and the end result, as in orange juice. Way up. Grain prices are way up so bread costs are higher which means your favorite sandwich will be a more precious commodity.

Every business is struggling to figure out how to make money and not raise prices too much. It’s kind of a good news-bad news scenario. As in hotels which have been holding prices down and offering lots of sales, but now that consumers are traveling more again, you guessed it: Prices are up.

The consumer is at the other end of the equation trying to figure out what to buy and what needs to be shelved. This equation has few easy answers. As some would say, time will tell or it’s time to make lemonade!

In the meantime, watch how the price of gas, the cost of products, and the sheer energy involved in production affect our bottom line! Not pretty.

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Support the Farm; The Farmer

Oct 8

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe

The American Farmland Trust inaugurates its first Dine Out (“Dine Out for Farms“) event from October 10-16. Here’s an opportunity to support a sustainable venture and at the same time acknowledge a restaurant’s commitment to quality, fresh food. The list of participants is impressive but still in an expansive state as additional restaurants continue to sign up.

For a good deed, go to your local, neighborhood spot that believes strongly in its sourcing and get them on board. The site has a sign-in area for restaurants. (No, I do not work for the organization, but I do love all the opportunities we as diners have to champion those restaurants that participate in a give-back approach to life).

After a summer of conversation about farm markets and CSAs, and local products and food miles, and the list goes on, we can stand back and recognize how important freshness is and how we strive for healthy eating. Here’s a chance to look at the suppliers and award the restaurants that are committed to finding the best, non-commercial purveyors.

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Time for all of us to thank the farmer, and this special Dine Out event enables us to marry the farm and the food or as the organization’s motto says, “No Farms, No Food.”  Make your reservations now.

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The New Hotel Restaurant

Aug 29

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe

There are a million ways to judge the economy and uncover how life is improving, or not. How about numbers that indicate business travel is improving somewhat. That’s an important barometer! The upcoming Fall market will tell.

One hotel brand is not sitting by and waiting for guests to fill their dining room. That would be Marriott’s Courtyard brand. Not one to do commercials for a property or a restaurant, I still need to applaud the new bistro concept. The re-energized approach has solved a number of problems, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

As an aside it should be noted that I have eaten in a broad-range of hotel restaurants run by famous chefs and those that exist merely to service guests. Not all are destination restaurants and many hotel chains have gone out of their way to dismiss the dining experience at hotels.images

What used to be pro forma for a Courtyard has changed. All new properties are designed with an open feel and dining is no longer the boring breakfast buffet, but a bistro-type experience that extends its offerings into all meal parts. Staffing needs are minimal depending on the time of day, and guest requests are easily served.

The breakfast restaurant/buffet concept has been replaced by a much more user-friendly approach that incorporates a grab-n-go philosophy with a limited hot order menu. Another plus is that service is available through the three meal parts, and tables are ready with free coffee urns ready to make any wait a more pleasant experience.

How about several computer stations adjacent to the table space and a more casual adjacent living room! All pluses and major improvements over the older format.

Why does this work? First off, the food options are manageable in terms of execution and price. If you want a cup of fruit or yogurt, that’s an option just as a scrambler breakfast choice. For those who have special coffee needs, ahem, me, they can make a Starbucks espresso or cappuccino, or your favorite combination. No need to take your money out of house!

Concepts are only as good as the times. The times have changed. More travelers are on limited travel budgets with greater receipt scrutiny. The Courtyard’s open environment makes such an adjustment a pleasant one.

Now if they would only change all of their older properties into this new, more welcoming approach with its accessible food option, then the words hotel and restaurant would not be approached with a scowl.

This proves it can work, and the traveling public has an affordable food-friendly option.

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A Great Time of the Year

Aug 11

Posted by admin in beverages, dining out

August is a month with emotional roller coaster issues as the end of summer concept looms large, but there are numerous good news ideas to smooth out the edges. Take the Summer Restaurant Week notion. Plenty of cities join the August parade of opportunities and extend the offers well beyond a single week. Look for deals in Washington, Baltimore, and Boston as starters. Remember reservations are most critical as the multi-course, prix fixe selections are natural enticements for dining out. The best strategy: Make a reservation at a spot you’ve wanted to try but hated the price point. During the special week, this type of restaurant may wow you and become more than a once-a-year destination.

If you’ve missed the restaurant week promotions, check out individual specials at top-tier restaurants. These are locations that cannot afford the August doldrums drop-off business and need to create promotions to keep guests dining. When everyone heads to the beach, you can head to the restaurant. There are plenty of food and beverage trend-setting ideas with happy hour and dog day promotions to keep you within budget. There are numerous lunch specials, early dinner deals, and specially themed events. You can even find the win-win situation at Louisiana Chef John Besh’s aptly named restaurant, August.beshrotation-meat-sq

As for making reservations, more cities have multiple online promotions to smooth the experience. Pick your city and see what specials Open Table has listed. This makes restaurant shopping easy!

No doldrums; just exciting dining options.

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Two Eggs, Hold the Toast

Aug 5

Posted by admin in dining out, news

Have you been eating breakfast out lately? A lot of diners have helped drive breakfast business and more restaurants seem to be expanding their offerings for the “most important meal of the day.” At the same time there’s a new upcharge that’s starting to make waves: Wheat bread has become a more expensive commodity. What’s doubly interesting about the shortage of wheat products and the expected spike in price is that for the first time wheat bread has reached the top tier of bread choices.wheattopgraphic1

Yes, inroads have been made. According to the Chicago Tribune, wheat bread sales have finally surpassed those of white bread. Pretty impressive data considering it was not that long ago that the bread options were more limited and more consumers preferred the old standby, white bread. We have become more attuned to our health issues and the importance of fiber-rich foods. Yes, we should give plenty of credit to the food writing pioneers that addressed the white v wheat issues and helped turn the tide.

Now the expense part of the bill. Commodity prices for wheat, orange juice, and coffee have risen considerably since June. If you haven’t seen the increase reflected in your grocery or dining out bills, you will. At the same time, weather issues (extreme heat, drought, flooding, wildfires–take your pick) are playing havoc with the future pricing outlook.

So what is one to do? Stock up? That won’t solve the dining out portion of the discussion. As with most commodities, as consumers we are in a wait-and-see period. Maybe the ban by Russia on wheat exports will not have the disastrous affect on multiple products. Or, we will just once again adjust to rising prices in multiple store aisles and at our restaurant tables.

We’ve already seen the coffee increases, now expect the other hard-hit commodities to take money from our wallets.

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Manager Mayhem: Restaurants

Jul 25

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe

What exactly is the role of a restaurant manager? Is this the person locked in the office doing paperwork or the one walking the room making certain everything is going smoothly? I prefer the latter, the hands-on one. Office work needs to be done, charts need to be filled out but the floor manager, the one on duty, needs to be focused on the room. One can learn a lot by reading faces and listening to guests prior to an explosion of chaos.

When you witness a restaurant stuck in place, when nothing is operating in a timely manner, you wonder who’s in charge. Anyone? Having just barely survived such a situation, I think it’s important to go over what happened and why it all could have been avoided. First, the good news: The restaurant was packed. Now the more critical piece of info: Orders were taken, but then little else happened. It was odd that dinner salads arrived before appetizers which were ordered almost immediately upon being seated.

The waitress performance began at that point. Are the appetizers in process, we asked? A grimace, a murmured “yes,” and a quick exit. Probably been a good time to seek out the manager. The troops were getting restless. Everyone. Should the manager be visible and notice a table’s frustration or should the meal go from bad to worse before a managerial introduction?

Only two people of a party of six ordered meals that had accompanying salads. Tick, tock, more time elapsed. Some sweet water server kept appearing and doing his job, but the slow-mo process had the apps arrive after about an additional 35 minutes. Nothing complicated; nothing that takes time to get off the line. Again, should have tracked down the manager.waterglass

This is where restaurant dining gets confusing. Had the manager stepped out from the bar area and surveyed the dining room, he might have saved a lot of money that evening. Only when our dinners arrived–did I mention they were cold–that we had the table meet and greet. When we finally were able to locate the waitress and tell her that the food was inedible, did she say anything. “I’ll get the manager,” was her response.

We were tired, cranky, and hungry. OK, frustrated, too, but it was now too late to want to put ourselves through another round of ordering. Time to leave. The manager’s visit included the sentence, “You were one of about 70 complaints I received this evening.” Costly, disappointing performance. I believe there were steps that could have been taken to have prevented the complete meltdown.

Comping dinners is an easy solution. The restaurant lost a lot of money the other night and gave guests little reason to consider returning. Talking to the kitchen staff the next day, of course, has some value, but being a visible manager could have saved a lot of confusion.

Let me revisit an important restaurant mantra: It all starts and stops with training. Training at every level. The wait staff was ill-prepared to deal with the disappointed guests, and the restaurant itself was better at pouring water than anything else. Time to start at Square One and make the experience operational.

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