10 worst dining trends of the last decade

Pretty funny stuff.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertain ... otogallery

1. Deconstruction
2. The chef as media whore
3. The menu as book
4. Foam
5. Knee-jerk online reviews
6. Proudly obnoxious fast food options
7. The communal table
8. The $40 entree
9. Molecular gastronomy
10. Fried onion blossoms

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. I once had a deconstructed beef wellington. I felt I should have just ordered it in the proper courses. Pate for app., fillet for dinner and puff pastry for my side. There is something about an onion blossom that makes me happy though.posting.php?mode=reply&f=1&t=7888#

[Robin Garr]

5. Knee-jerk online reviews

Say what?

[Robin Garr]

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. I once had a deconstructed beef wellington. I felt I should have just ordered it in the proper courses. Pate for app., fillet for dinner and puff pastry for my side.

In fairness, though, some of this stuff, like molecular gastronomy and deconstruction, can be foo-foo and silly, but in the hands of a chef who knows what he's doing, it can be something else entirely.

At Babbo in NYC, one of my favorites (although way too expensive to go very often), deconstructed classic Italian dishes can be amazing. I still remember the experience of a pig's trotter (!), meat carefully separated from bone and gristle so only clean chopped meat remained, formed into a thin patty and served over polenta. It definitely gave new meaning to "pig's feet."

They forgot "11) truffle oil on everything".

Yeah...I've been guity of a few of those things. My menu descriptions can run on as I like to name the geography of every item I used in a dish. For an example....Creekstone Farms Woodford Reserve Braised Short Rib with Wiesenberger Mill Grits, Wild Foraged Willamette Forest Morel Mushrooms and Hart County Chard. Garnished with Tobacco Onions....

However, I came up with a de-constructed paella for a tasting menu once that I personally thought turned out quite nice and looked pretty slick.

[Robin Garr]

Wiesenberger Mill Grits

I hope you look 'em up before you print 'em up.

Oh, another fine example of I before E except in Weisenberger ....

Funny story, Right before I left Big Spring, I had a local foodservice company make up a poster sized menu for the snack bar that is open in the summer. I sent out the menu with my usual "creative" spelling and thought for sure that someone would proof the thing before they sent it off to print. Well, it came back with a couple of mis-spellings that no one else noticed either until we had it framed and hung up for business. A couple of weeks went by until one of the "Pool Moms" noticed they had spelled Graeter's Ice Cream , "Greater's"

NY author David Sedaris covered this topic in a chapter of his book "Me Talk Pretty One Day" I can't remember which chapter in the book but it covers everything from 25 word menu items to exotic ingredients. It is RIB-SPLITTING!! Anyone foodie or restaurant person will love it. The chapter is only 6 or 7 pages long.

NY author David Sedaris covered this topic in a chapter of his book "Me Talk Pretty One Day" I can't remember which chapter in the book but it covers everything from 25 word menu items to exotic ingredients. It is RIB-SPLITTING!! Anyone foodie or restaurant person will love it. The chapter is only 6 or 7 pages long.

When he came to the Kentucky Center a couple years ago, I had him autograph the end of that chapter for me. He wrote: "To Marsha - I wish you were MY pastry chef. David Sedaris"

It should have included "lists in which every item is on a different web page".

Oh wait, thats from worst web trends of the last decade.

It should have included "lists in which every item is on a different web page".

Oh wait, thats from worst web trends of the last decade.

Rob, that wouldn't include any of the threads on this forum, right?

I vote for the Chinese Buffet syndrome... especially those that serve sushi.

/sigh

The return of fondue. Will Lancer's make a comeback as well?

Chedder's....nuff said

The return of fondue.

I agree generally, but L&N does it right.