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Archive for category food universe

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The breakfast restaurant/buffet concept has been replaced by a much more user-friendly approach that incorporates a grab-n-go philosophy with a limited hot order menu.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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Cash-Strapped States Can’t Cut It

Aug 25

Posted by admin in food universe, news

Bottle tax: Nothing new there. Sale-priced cases of bottled water get a steep return policy as each bottle adds a little more to the state coffers. Maybe someone should go through home recycling bins and see what a good job the plastic water drinkers are doing about recycling. They don’t even get the nickel back!

What about the person who walks into a bagel shop and wants the bagel to go, but “please cut it first.” No problem: There’s a tax for that! Yes, New York legislators (AKA, Albany) have figured out a way to add more dough to the tax pile. A whole bagel is only free of excise if you take it to go. If you’re thinking a bagel, a schmear, and some wi-fi, you’re adding money to the limited state coffers. BTW, sliced loaves of bakery bread are free of this extra change charge; at least for now!

How else is everyone coping? Lots of small restaurants, which are struggling considerably during this personal cash-strapped economic doom and gloom, are posting signs that the days of credit cards are over. Cash only, please. That’s an easy one to get. Small businesses wind up giving away huge chunks of money to credit card companies. This is their private crusade. Consumers can find their local ATM branch (otherwise, the “other” bank will add insult to injury) and get cash to help the small guy stay in business.

In a city like New York, cash only has been a common refuge for many small businesses over the years, not just now during this latest downturn. Often the surprise of no credit cards comes at the end of the meal when the bill is stamped, Cash Only. Nothing new with the policy just the increased prevalence!

Let’s think about some other taxes we can help states implement:

–One that would have an immediate following is the sit tax as in, hey, you’ve been sitting at that table too long, and I have nowhere to sit and eat lunch. Unplug and go or cough up $10. That has real possibilities.

–How about charging people for sticking their fingers in the olives at the olive bar, double-dipping at the chip and guacamole taste platter, or ignoring the clean implement pile and tossing the used toothpick on the platter instead of the trash can? Maybe a tasting fee with a little napkin might help the store avoid the health police.

The free lunch is over. Slicing my bagel, seriously, do you just have a plastic knife?1-2-berkel-mb-p-24-countertop-bread-slicer

Hard times. Thanks, Dickens.

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Competition Makes Business

Aug 21

Posted by admin in food universe, news

A single good idea often sits alone, but invite a competitor to the arena and things can change. Look at how smart Starbucks was when they scouted out locations. They applied real estate models to determine which corners would explode with customers and create long lines. In many cities, vacant nearby spaces quickly became rival coffee shops. Why not! If the coffee shop explosion proved anything, then the old maxim, competition makes business applies to the current turf wars.

Yes, the explosion of truck-based food emporiums has been a major draw for many cities this summer. Even Chicago which has been happy with its red hot concessions now has an ordinance up for discussion. Food trucks may become a reality for that food-obsessed environ, but why are they waiting til the snow is piled up?

This past week Washington DC showed its appreciation for the lobster truck. After numerous delays, the Brooklyn business, the Red Hook Lobster Pound Truck, finally opened the flood gates of just arrived, trucked-in Maine lobster. Long lines were de norm but complaints were few. Anything beat the constant litany of discussions about the oppressive summer heat.redhook-header

With good news, sometimes chaos follow. It seems truck turf wars have become a problem in some locations. What happens when a lunchtime truck regularly sits on a set location? Is there truck etiquette for the newbie to move away from the spot or is this new gold rush location logic taking over? According to a recent post about such an event in New York, prime real estate proves to be prime real estate.

Remember the old days, OK just a year or so ago, when the main street food option was a hot dog or ice cream stand. That has changed considerably with the broad range of gourmet offerings and the ability to be on the move. Twitter feeds make it easy for the truck food fairs to join “hot” neighborhoods at varying times of the day. Why be in the middle of DC when the action later in the afternoon has shifted corridors? Tweets make it all happen and alert everyone to the where.

Lots of company; lots of competition. Lunch never has to be boring again. So many food options. So many spots.

Tweet.

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RIP, Foodie

Aug 2

Posted by admin in food universe

innlittlewSo many times we take a word and overuse it. We create a trite connection and all meaning is lost. Such is the life of the word FOODIE. It has been used and over-used and now has become redundant. Maybe the point hit home the hardest with a recent New York Times Crossword Puzzle. Foodie was the answer for eater. So begins the death of a trend.

Hardly does the simple act of eating define one as a foodie. Surely one who eats, eats food but foodie had taken on a more reverential, exalted status. I like the older definitions where one who knew about food and worshiped at its temple could accurately be so labeled as a lover of food, a foodie. An eater as a foodie. Hmm. If everyone is a foodie, then the word loses its significance and hidden underpinnings. No knowledge of the ingredients or concept of preparation gets identified with the simple construct of the act of eating. The love of the overall experience is lost.

So many times a foodie has been one who could simply explain his love of food without anyone even imagining an act so banal as eating. The word implied an understanding, an almost spiritual base of the love and lore of preparation and ingredient identification. It would be safe to call James Beard, Craig Claiborne, and Julia Child true exemplars of the potential movement. Julia would have scoffed at such a word and hooted at its usage, but she clearly carried the mantle of knowledge, the love of food and all that encompassed.

The humble, regular eater is hardly one who should be applauded with special terminology. It’s a meal; not a devotion. Over the past several years, the death of this word has been approaching as it was becoming too commonplace an attribution. Too many foodies were spoiling the broth.

Whether dining in or partaking of a beautiful restaurant experience, those who know food appreciate the entire experience. As the Crossword acknowledged, the word has taken on a Plain Jane quality and its demise is now at hand. No more foodies, just knowledgeable aficionados who have taken the basic and created a specialized field of knowledge and interest.

Food, glorious food.

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Eating Healthy on the Road

Jul 26

Posted by admin in food universe, healthy eating

It’s always a bit of a challenge to eat healthy when traveling. Sure there are plenty of guides pointing out edible food spots at a few airports and train stations, but what about those who take the roads? Plenty of reports indicate that the car vacationer is operating at full speed. No shortage of fast food stops along the Interstates, but what about the healthy options? The vegan, the Gluten-Free, and the basic eater who wants the best of what’s local should start stressing right about now.

Why stop along the road if you are stressing about the options? Roadsides are littered with multiple fast food options with a sprinkling of signs pointing to a diner which at least lets you believe the food is being prepared individually for you. Then, the options stop. This is especially true when you leave the Interstate for the scenic bypass routes. Leaving the road and exploring a small town can often yield little. Traveling into a larger town offers the best little secret: Try the local grocery store. You can at least find something that borders healthy, even if it’s not your favorite market, farm stand, or Whole Foods.

As the Interstates reveal, people are traveling again and judging by the numbers at picnic tables, frugality still dominates many of our dining decisions. Matching our budgets and desire to eat healthy poses numerous challenges which need great will power.

It can be done, but after your first opening of the Coleman, you might need to get creative.coleman

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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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The Burger: It’s The Economy, Stupid

Jul 12

Posted by admin in food universe, lifestyle

With the nationwide proliferation of burger restaurants, are we merely responding to the peculiarities of the economy? Do diners still gravitate to a burger spot when they have more money in their wallets? With so many chefs wanting a piece of the burger action, are we not conducting a symptomatic analysis of the mood of the country? One fact is certain: the basic burger has plenty of relatives as the concept is only limited by one’s imagination. Pile it on high and grill the onions.

It was not that long ago that the slogan, “It’s the Economy, Stupid,” carried an election. Maybe the current restaurant malaise and burger elevation should help bring back that mantra. When you see the growth of a local DC area hamburger chain into one of the largest franchised companies in the country, you know what’s talking. Money and burgers are the winning order at Five Guys–you don’t need that much  money to get a decent, never frozen burger, Maybe the fact that they sell over 250,000 a day should convince you of that ratio! If you’re looking for the old-fashioned burger spot where you can cool your heels with a scoop of peanuts, you’re part of the restaurant’s growing popularity. Who would have figured their slow nationwide roll out would have such a positive, long-term effect? Maybe not me. They did!

High-end burger spots are just as common and dot many a commercial corridor. Bobby Flay, of Food Network fame and Laurent Tourondel, better known for his earlier BLT steakhouses have happily joined the burger brigade. The irony is that the basic fast food burger is still there, but when you study their lines, you hear customers selecting a wide variety of foods.  Plenty of homegrown chefs and restaurant owners have keyed in on the possibilities and find the translation does nicely in the cash register. The basic burger can easily be upscaled for a lot less money.laburger

It’s the Burger, Silly that tells us the economy is still the pivotal point of dining out.

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Gazpacho: The Essence of Summer

Jul 3

Posted by admin in food universe, lifestyle

Oh, sure, you can make gazpacho at any time of the year, but why would you? Why use less than perfect tomatoes? Wait until they have the perfect glow of ripeness. If you give in too early, you’re a glutton for punishment or you can’t control your waiting time. Rest easy. The East Coast farm markets and stands are brimming with tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers that are ripe and ready for the dance.

As there are an almost endless list of tomato varieties, there are no shortage of gazpacho recipes. You can make the dish as complicated or simple as you prefer. For some, it is merely a combination of the 3 veggies, a little garlic, some olive oil and red wine vinegar, and tomato juice or V-8. Nothing complex; lots of variations. A hot day+ a cold soup= perfection: A melody of soothing tastes.

Here’s an obvious suggestion: Now is the time. Grab your bag and go for the freshest vegetables. Be creative. It’s hard to go wrong when you are working with just-picked produce. Chop, mix, and chill. Some like chunky; others prefer more of a liquid base. Again, not a problem. The season has just begun to offer its bounty. Plenty of time to experiment.250px-Tomato_gazpacho

Here are a few simple recipes to tease you into action. Top the gazpacho with some fresh garlic croutons and you’re well on your way to celebrating summer.

Can you guess what we’ll be having tonight?

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Grill ‘Em

Jul 1

Posted by admin in cooking, food universe

It’s that curious time of the year when weeks get shortened into weekends and traffic is always on escape mode. Welcome to the upcoming weekend, the Fourth of July, which seems to begin this year on the 1st and conclude on the 6th! Party.

According to the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association, the Fourth of July grabs the top spot as America’s single biggest day to grill outdoors with 80% of respondents planning to keep with tradition this year. Burgers top the list of most commonly grilled foods with ketchup repeating as the number one condiment. Probably should begin with a refresher course on food safety as many of us partake in our food ventures off premise as in picnic spots, tailgating, or camping. As always food handling should top the list of concerns and include the magic food safety words: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. No matter the menu, the rules apply and make everyone safer for the experience.

For so many of us, keeping the charcoal lit and hot proves to be directly proportional to how much lighter fluid we have on hand. I know you’ll miss the smell of the endless squirting of fluid, but here’s a fun gadget that takes the guesswork out of the operation and more insures the possibility of success: The Looftlighter. (Makes me imagine an air-lifting experience that transforms an ordinary pile of coals into a full-blown campsite)! OK, I admit it looks a little like a hair straightener, but this product seems to have little difficulty starting a fire. Also great for hardwood chunks added to the grill to infuse different flavors. Such love of grilling does not come inexpensively, but the neighbors and the environment thank you!

I know you’ll miss the lighter fluid taste, but some sacrifices need to be made! What if you’re planning a road trip and still want to grill, then there are full range of portable grills to make this a possibility. Since I’m such a coffee person, I was interested in seeing what the Bodum folks (known for their full line of coffee makers and accessories) came up with. Don’t worry, they are serious BBQ players with a full line of what they call “Toys for Grown Ups.” Am sure that phrase is debatable, but they have a nifty portable grill and all the necessary tools to make the outing a true holiday. You’ll have fun with the Ikea-like names as the FYRKAT, a picnic charcoal grill, solves the grill-on-the-go experience. Anyway the palette of fun colors makes this an uplifting purchase.Web_PictMedium_10630-106bodum

When you’re thinking about what to grill, take a moment and think about the foods you purchase and consider the humane farm animal care program. The website can direct you to purveyors and farms that are part of the certified humane movement. You’ll find no shortage of selections and at the same time know that your food has been handled better and will often prove tastier.

Let’s begin the long weekend!

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Food Snack Safety

Jun 21

Posted by admin in food universe, healthy eating

It’s that time of year when school bells have been quieted and camp buzzers sound the wake-up call to the true beginning of summer. Keeping campers nourished always poses its own parental dilemma. First off, what does the camp provide? How about the ones that give kids chocolate milk as an option for AM snacks? Did they not question the popularity of that decision (from campers) and its unpopularity from parents who wondered if the camp was clueless about childhood obesity. Anyway spiking hot temps and chocolate milk do not sit too well! Too vivid an outpouring. Sorry.

So how do we fulfill our parental role of providing good, healthy snacks and lunches while avoiding the easy-out pitfalls? Think this is the time for low-sugar drinks and fruit slices and bars. Eliminate the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from the diet and find a healthy solution.

Now here’s the caveat. Much of what we see on the front of the package belies a hidden problem. Take some of the organic snacks that do a shout-out about their 100% natural fruit without additives and preservatives, but when you examine the package more carefully, you find the product is manufactured for a US company but is a product of China.

We have talked extensively about food safety and food recalls. Why are we trusting that food safety standards are being upheld by China? We shouldn’t. A recent USDA report examined these organic certifications and questioned whether the USDA Organic certification is being properly upheld. The USDA went so far as to drop the food inspector in China. It’s time for us to do the same thing with our purchases.

Let them eat healthy fruits that are made and inspected in the US. Go with USDA Organics that fulfill the pledge without worrying that someone is sliding off the page. This is not an issue that will go away quickly.

Here are some suggestions. I’ve tried them all; these are at the top of the current, first week of camp list.

–Go with HonestKids‘ no high fructose corn syrup drinks. Easy to chill and cool ‘em down quickly.

If you worry fresh fruit will go all mushy before snack or lunch, consider these:

–Archer Farms real fruit strips.

–Clif kids Twisted Fruit.

–365 Organic Fruit Strip, or

Some without the USDA Organic label, but are USA products:

–Stretch Island Fruit all-natural fruit strip, orphpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg

Go with the new mini bars from Luna or Clif or honor the EnviroKidz Organic line.

We don’t need the sugar; definitely not the HFCS, or the worries of overseas inspections.

Our little scampers need to be safe. Food safety starts with trust.

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