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.

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

–National Ice Cream Month. You have President Reagan to thank for this luxury of edible delights. In 1984 he decided the country needed a sweet focus. Don’t worry if you can’t celebrate the whole month, there’s even a special day, the third Sunday of the month, is National Ice Cream Day or what true aficionados would call a double scoop: A Month and a Day! Can’t go wrong with this sundae! OK, this year July 17th is the day. Here’s a few factoids: Vanilla is the most popular flavor, and chocolate syrup is the favorite topping.

–National Hot Dog Month. With all the effort we are making to keep the kitchen cool, the grill is in overtime mode. So many dog choices and different city traditions (Chicago, Coney Island), it’s no wonder that the hot dog is the summer cause cé·lè·bre. Now you can find turkey dogs, tofu dogs, and just about any other kind if you are trying to talk about a healthier food. Just think what would baseball stadiums do without the hot dog stand! Here’s your dog factoids: LA residents eat more hot dogs than any other city, but Chicago’s O’Hare Airport wins the airport battle. Big time win with 6 times more hot dogs consumed there than LA and La Guardia combined! They know their red hots!

–National Blueberry Month. If you’re missing the grocery or farm market cues about the blueberry, it just means you haven’t been out of the house! Those little blues have met their big city cousins as the local crop has finally arrived and has plenty to demonstrate. Sure Maine takes credit for the wild, little pearls, but North Carolina and New Jersey do a mid-coast dance demonstrating their size and juiciness. They’re here. No better time to consider freezing a few as fresh frozen from your stash tastes fabulous on cereals during those less fortunate winter months. Factoids: The blueberry muffin is the most popular choice (also the official muffin of Minnesota) and the blueberry is the state fruit of New Jersey, easy one to guess! If you follow the fruit/pesticide list, blueberries rank near the top (or at the bottom, depending on how you list a list), and should convince you to consider the organic path!

That’s probably enough to digest after a rollicking Independence Day celebration that continues for many into today. Know I’ve whet your whistle!

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.

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?

How about a one-calorie chocolate you inhale. Yes, merely inhale: Make that Le Whif, a small tube that lets you literally breathe chocolate into your mouth. You even have a choice of flavors: pure chocolate, raspberry, and mint. OK, now the really big news. Yes, chocolate is of special interest, but what about coffee: Le Whif Coffee, a breathable coffee powder with the equivalent caffeine as from an espresso or closer to a double may solve those times when you want a spot of coffee but don’t have time to make one!

Is either product as tasty as having a piece of chocolate or holding a cup of espresso? No, of course not. It’s more like a party trick. Something fun to savor without worrying about a messy cup clean-up or chocolate bar stickiness.

These lipstick-like inhalers do the trick and demonstrate what happens when you combine the talents of David Edwards, a professor of biomedical engineering at Harvard, with design engineers:  You get a good-looking product that uses particle engineering. This product is part of his artscience labs where creativity has taken on an exciting definition. Pick a flavor, choose a tube, and enjoy.

Take a breather has a wonderful new meaning!

OK, I confess I love the appetizer radishes at New York’s Prune Restaurant where chef Gabrielle Hamilton serves them with a side of butter and Kosher salt as a dip. Simple and good. Pick your special cocktail or beer and you have a great treat.

This year I took them to a whole new level with Melissa Clark’s New York Times recipe for roasting them with anchovies. Read no further if anchovies are not to your liking. I tried them once and then became a farm market radish lover. I admit I needed to tweak the recipe and cut down on its olive oil and butter but that little tweak did not affect the overall taste: Delectable. I never served them on bread but on corn thins, a light, puffy crisp of a cracker (and G-F). I think of all the times I scoffed at trying the simple, humble radish! What a shame; what a taste waste!

Maybe my composter will be the saddest of us all as the green tops have played an important role in adding depth to my soil and fulfilling my soul!

Oh, seasons. You come and go, and now my energy is focused on local strawberries. Talk about sweet, mouth-poppers!

Yes, a few more weeks of these beauties.

Time passes quickly in the fields.

Nintendo has the very popular WiiFit Plus and the Wii Sports Resort games which will form the basis for this program to get people active. The benefits of moving and exercising are well-known, but accessibility often proves a deterrent. The new campaign is called “Get Informed,” “Get Empowered”and “Get Active.”

Research indicates the average person spends more than 8 hours daily just sitting down. That is about to change if this partnership has its way. Later this year they will jointly host a summit of leaders from a variety of fields to find ways to create synergies and benefits of active-play video games and physically active lifestyles. Beginning this summer they will host an information website with a component (www.activeplaynow.com) to help people conduct personal assessments of their lifestyle. Speculation abounds that a new Wii Sensor will be available to measure pulse rates.

Any approach we take to help us get off the couch and on our feet has to be given serious attention. Combine the acitivty with a heart-healthy diet, and you’ve got a winner.

I’m a gamer–Check out the tennis ball machine!

–65% like “to dress it up” when it comes to grilling. Translation: sauce, marinade, or seasoning while 21 % “strip it down”, grilled food au naturel!

–More men than women prefer to add a spicy sauce.

–As for toppings, more grillers use ketchup on burgers or other grilled meats; mustard comes in a very close 2nd.

–Cheese is a frequent topping (over 60%), and over 70% of respondents say they want a bun for their sandwich, a traditional bun.

As for grilling’s popularity, the largest number of respondents said they like the way grilled food tastes.

No matter how you vote or what you like to grill, it is obvious that the outdoor cooking method makes kitchen clean-up an effortless process.

If you’re stuck without a clue how to get that perfect flavor or what to do with veggies on the grill, for instance, check out the Association’s website. BTW, if you don’t have a grill, but are thinking about buying one, they have advice and guidelines to streamline the process and help you decide whether to get charcoal, gas, or electric: All good options.

So many choices. So easy and delicious.

Did they really have to change their formula on the light syrup and add gluten? Nowhere on their website do they address this issue. There have been casual references that if you are gluten intolerant, you should pay attention anyway since so many drinks are made on the same equipment. These are poor excuses to addressing the issue. In this day and age when we recognize how gluten allergies are often misdiagnosed and celebrate the new range of gluten-free choices and the impressive marketing roll-outs, it is surprising that this formulation needed to occur. Why did Starbucks need to make a U-Turn? It is a meager explanation to say it’s only on those with light syrup. Why at all?

Better yet, why not make a formal announcement so there is no confusion? We are left with more rumor and inquiries of individual baristas. Read their blog and you’ll see how people really feel.

C’mon, Starbucks, you have a responsibility.

With anticipated annual double-digit increases, G-F products are becoming mainstream. Why is this? Are we eating too many foods that cannot possibly agree with us? Are we better off returning to the unprocessed world of centuries ago?

All good questions. Obviously individuals with Celiac Disease need to remove themselves far from products with gluten. Then there are all the other people who have digestive issues or have wheat allergies. As more people become aware of the ease of possibilities to be gluten-free or embrace a reduced gluten lifestyle, the numbers of subscribers to this food universe logically will continue to increase.

The downside risk of adjusting is minimal. Reading labels may be the most arduous task unless you move yourself to a market that clearly identifies its G-F products. It may surprise you how prevalent the glutens are as oat, barley, and rye accompany the wheat tree. These grains are far more prevalent in products than a quick shrug might indicate.

With the increase in products and the ability to eat foods that mimic their gluten cousins, changing over to more of a G-F existence may prove far easier than anticipated. Being aware makes shopping that less painful. Making the switch may accomplish the same digestive reward.

With all the landfill anxiety about plastics and especially plastic bottles, it’s no surprise that one of my new darling pieces of info centers around a reusable water bottle. Yes, I know we all have plenty of reusable containers for water and other beverages, but this one’s unique feature is its ability to provide filtered water in the container. No need to carry your Brita or Pur along for long days to replenish yourself, the Hydros Bottle is a filtered, reusable BPA-free water bottle with a built-in, fast flowing filter that turns water from any source into a safe, drinkable solution.

The filter (filters last several months) removes chlorine, chloramines, and particulates. BTW, it takes just 20 seconds to fill the 24-ounce bottle with odor-free, good tasting water. Such products do not come inexpensively ($29.99), but think of the environmental savings and the opportunity to have water on the go.

The company also points out that last year alone consumers spent over $15 billion on disposable water bottles! To help countries without potable water, they have an impressive give-back program (Operation Hydros) that helps communities in need of safe drinking water, and there are over a billion people worldwide who do not have access to safe, drinkable water!

It’s spring. Get ready for your run, hike, or bike. You now know you can stop anywhere and fill up your container with water that will be transformed into a safe drink.

It was not that many years ago when the concept of a reusable bag was left to a small part of our population. No more. You see people everywhere holding their bags for any type of shopping excursion. Some stores trade your smaller bags for their larger ones; smart marketing and advertising on their part as long as they don’t throw away the bags!

Target has a plastic bag promotion: They want you to turn in your plastic bags by submitting them to TerraCycle, and they’ll give you a coupon to use for one of their reusable bags. Following the lead of Whole Foods Markets and others, Target recently added recycling bins near the checkout area. That’s a boost to one-stop shopping and avoidance of extra mileage trips. Starbucks hopes this Earth Day helps people understand about bringing their own tumblers for coffee so the company can lessen its use of paper cups. They’ll reward you.

Numerous grocers, restaurants, and other merchants want to be heard during this day. Get out and celebrate and make changes in your everyday routines.

Our work has just begun. We’ve learned. We still have so much to learn. It’s our only Earth.

If you can have a rice pudding place in NYC, then any concept seems possible. The latest trend that’s in an expansion mode is the cereal place. Seriously when we have to go out for cereal, we have reached some sort of new low. Get a bowl, sprinkle some O’s in it, add milk, OK, add a banana and you’ve got it. What is this spot called The Cereal Bowl? Sometimes you can’t make this stuff up!

A Florida concept has spread its wings and opened its newest location in DC. What makes it work is the Maggie Moo principle of cereal; it’s about more than just a scoop. Sure, there’s ice cream but people want it fluffed up a little. That’s what the new cereal restaurant does. It can be a breakfast option or an anytime visit when the cravings for a something a little different takes over.

It’s really less about cereal and more about creativity and fun. It becomes a destination; a place to hang out and linger over the organic coffee and your own creation. Rather than buy 10 different kinds of cereal, you just pop in here and go wild. An all-day stop: They’ve got you covered with yogurts, smoothies, and parfaits.

Coke, please.

Tone. Training. Service.

One of my favorite questions comes from people asking me for a restaurant recommendation. I need some specifics. What are they looking for? What matters? Is it style of food or type of restaurant? When a place bills itself as kid-friendly, a 45- minute wait can quickly undermine that concept. When a restaurant menu covers every corner of the world without giving you a hint to its strengths, you might have a problem. A hodgepodge of menu options may not spell dining success as in overwhelming the kitchen by needing to wear too many hats to meet the menu options!

When a customer walks into a semi-empty restaurant and the one person on duty barely raises an eyebrow, you get the sense that your presence may be more of an annoyance than an exciting moment in an otherwise quiet period. Training. Attitude.

How can a restaurant be all things to everyone? It can’t. Nor should it need to be. A restaurant model is not that complex. Front and back of the house training is essential and must be an ongoing effort. Attitude can easily be conveyed incorrectly, but with proper training these instances will be minimized.

Yes, the customer is always right, but the customer should not take advantage of the restaurant. If there is a problem, voice it. Voice it when it occurs. Do not go home and put your complaint out to the neighborhood. Solve the problem at the source not in the listserve. Do not kill a business with an issue that could have a simple resolution.

Allow the restaurant to deliver what it promises. A successful restaurant benefits everyone.

The message seems simple; the execution often proves tricky.

Mexican, Thai, and other nationalities have plenty of choices Here’s a start: A masa-based Pupusa. The El Salvadoran dish or the version from Honduras is quite simply a delicious choice, a corn pancake-like dish filled with meats, cheese, or beans, similar to the more common Mexican tortilla. Rice noodles that work their way into Pad Thai is another simple solution. Being gluten intolerant may enable you to be more of an adventuresome eater, one with an interest in dishes from other countries, those that use more rice or corn than heavy gluten-laden wheat flour.

Some new snack foods are coming into the market that will please the G-F group. If you’re planning on visiting the Mets this season, they’re ready for you at the beautiful new Citi Field. Kozy Shack puddings are gluten free and now the company is sponsoring a G-F food cart that will be easy to spot and take the worry out of baseball dining.

Batter up.

Naturally the bars and pubs are ready and some will be pouring green beer to make the day an especially memorable one. Plenty of corned beef and cabbage to round it out.

Here’s a big garden tip: If you live in the mid-Atlantic, tomorrow is a perfect day to plant peas. Nothing greener or sweeter when they’re ready. Just watch the ground and try not to step on the wet soil, use a plank or a board to avoid squishing down the ground further. The weather’s ready for that first crop of spring.

Go green: A good day to add an environmental thought to the food mix.

–T.G.I. Friday’s believes the boneless wings will be winners with their new 1/2 price promotion. These Buffalo wings will be available in the bar which will be television-focused game-watching venues. Check your calendar and match up with Fridays during the select March and April bar days.

–Maggiano’s has a dinner special for two: A Fixed Price 3-course menu for $40. Diners have a choice of a shared appetizer or salad, then each person gets his own entree, and dessert becomes a shared event. This is the type of menu that needs little sports encouragement.

–Pizza Hut has a unique approach: Support the underdog. They are looking for an upset and have great plans to give away 10,000 slices to those students. What about the rest of us? No problem: The $10 Pizza, any size, any crust, any topping. Here’s your chance to root for top dog or underdog!

–Dunkin’ Donuts. If it’s Monday and it’s March, then it must be time for a free medium sized coffee, hot or iced. Hopefully before the end of the month, we’ll be straw sippin’.

Busy day; hectic week: St. Patty’s Day a’comin’.

The school lunch program continues to be under the microscope. Numerous reports are out indiciating the postive effects of removing sugary drinks from the building and replacing them with less sweet choices including bottled water. With the First Lady so heavily focused on obesity issues, watch the attention grow on the lunchbox issue.

Spices are under scrutiny this week with more pepper recalls and an FDA focus on the number of spice recalls over the past few years.

On the trend side of the spice world is the annual Flavor Profile from McCormick, the 10th annual forecast of pairings and new, emerging flavors. Here’s a good example: Pumpkin Pie Spice and Coconut Milk  with an accompanying recipe to make the pairing easier: Caribbean Chicken with Mango Coconut Sauce.

Now for the most important news of the week: to celebrate the first day of Spring, Rita’s will be hosting its 18th annual First Day of Spring Giveaway, next Saturday from noon til 10P. Those who visit one of the 500 franchised operations that day will get to choose their favorite flavor and get a free regular sized Italian ice. Don’t forget that Rita’s has partnered with PEEPS from March 20-April 4 for a perfect combination. Just so you know, you’ll have lots of company, Rita’s gives away about 14 million ounces in this annual promotion.

Bring your Saturday paper and enjoy a true Spring welcome!

I’m ready. They’ve got a good lineup.

Did I mention that this promotion has a great price point: $1.50. Hard to beat and certainly not one that should cause any pricing complaints. If this is the new Starbucks, then this is another example of a company that has spent time listening to consumers and responding to purchasing patterns. Until March 14, you can get a passport and each week when you purchase the featured beverage, you get a sticker stamp. A completed passport, 8 stamps, gets you a free pound of your favorite blend. This is my kind of brew.

For a complete list of the featured weekly coffees, visit the website. Before you worry that they’ve eliminated Pike’s Place Roast, allay your anxiety. That pour will be available during the promotion.

In the meantime, shake off the winter blues and get ready to lose the jackets and enjoy your bold blend in the outside shine of a warm spring. I’m hoping.