Food Trends for 2008

Thought this was interesting from a recent NPR broadcast:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17880731
Deb

I believe that "dark dining" is going to keep coming on strong in 2008. Apparently this is big in Europe, and now places are popping up out west. They say that dining in complete darkness enhances your sense of taste, smell, and touch. I may give this a try the next time I am out in Cali.

http://www.darkdining.com/

One of my best friends is totally blind, and she has a very acute sense of taste and smell. Very interesting indeed!

I know someone who likes to read while eating; she'd hate such a place.

I know someone who likes to read while eating; she'd hate such a place.

Does she like to eat while reading at a restaurant?

I've taken books, newspapers and even work with me to restaurants when dining out alone.

I don't think that's shocking.

So have I. That doesn't mean I'm holding a magazine or a novel in my left hand while eatting spoonfuls of soup with my right. Bringing it doesn't mean your reading while eatting. It's something I might do at home, but not at a restaurant. At least not at one that isn't very casual, such as a pizza parlor, or sandwhich shop.

I read while I'm eating solo. I don't see anything different in doing it at a white tablecloth place...Only problem on occasion is dim lighting, and then I ask for a table with good lighting if possible.

I also tend to read food-related things (Gourmet, Heat, etc.) which has led to some great conversaytions with the waitstaff.

Deb

I know someone who likes to read while eating; she'd hate such a place.

Does she like to eat while reading at a restaurant?

Yep; she has for years.

[Robin Garr]

I read while I'm eating solo. I don't see anything different in doing it at a white tablecloth place...Only problem on occasion is dim lighting, and then I ask for a table with good lighting if possible.

I also tend to read food-related things (Gourmet, Heat, etc.) which has led to some great conversaytions with the waitstaff

I'm with you on this, Deb. When I worked in a day job that involved a lot of travel (many trips around all 50 states over three or four years), I was doing some very intense and sometimes emotionally draining work with homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries and such. By nightfall I was ready to relax, and being a foodie, that meant eating out, either at interesting ethnic places or decent white-tablecloth joints. I'd be dining alone, and I didn't want to eat at the bar or chat up the bartender. I invariably brought a book and enjoyed a quiet dinner <i>and</i> something to read. I don't see anything impolite or inappropriate about this.

Heh, that's fine, I can be the weird one. Not the first time and certainly won't be the last!

Eating and reading- two of my favorite things- even better together.

I have no problem with eating and reading when dining alone. I would have a problem with eating in the dark. I think a large part of the enjoyment of food is seeing it, plate presentation. Let's hope this is just a fad and passes quickly. One of my more frequent complaints in restaurants is that the lighting level is too low to be able to read the menu. Maybe I should put a penlight in my purse . . .

I'll tilt my dining preferences to include places that carry Leo and or horrors! Velocity, so I can read while waiting for the food or eating it. I also do this out of town so I'm reading the Dayton city paper or other local alt weekly.

GG.