Restaurants

The Decade in Ingredient Trends

by Hanna Raskin, Posted Dec 28th 2009 @ 11:00AM

In a decade during which adults proudly ordered comfort foods that were once listed only on children's menus (think mac and cheese, hot dogs, cupcakes and sliders), it's perhaps no surprise that most diners didn't go gaga for any crazy new ingredients. While industry observers predicted mangosteen, saffron and quinoa would all hit it big in the aughts, eaters instead huddled around their bacon and butter. Sure, a small subset of foodies tortured their bellies with sideshow-style eating. Lamb tongue tartar, anyone? But most Americans ate like Pilgrims, shunning anything with an unpronounceable name or chemical origin. Here, a quick guide to what we kept in our pantries:

2001: Black Truffle Oil

Black truffle oil was a relative newcomer back in 2001, when white truffle oil was still the reigning indicator of luxury. The subject of a January 2001 article in Bon Appetit, home cooks were soon wild for the intensely fragrant oil, which was stirred into risottos, poured over popcorn and served on ice cream.

2002: Butter

Fat didn't seem so scary in the wake of 9/11, when all eaters wanted were dishes that felt like warm hugs. That meant rice pudding, creamed spinach, seafood bisques and just about anything that called for lots and lots of butter. Nothing said 2002 like a plate of fettuccine Alfredo served with a slab of heavily buttered bread.

2003: Green tea

Green tea wasn't just good enough to drink. In 2003, it was added to dish-washing detergent and hand soaps. But, as Restaurant Business noted that year, "it is the tea's presence on the plate that is quickly gaining steam... Its delicate taste makes it an excellent choice for ethnic dishes and desserts." Diners apparently liked the flavor – and that research showed the stuff could reduce blood sugar and increase metabolism.

Filed under: Trends, Restaurants, News

Kim Kardashian Stars in Latest Carl's Jr. Commercial

COMMENTS 8

by David Koeppel, Posted Dec 21st 2009 @ 11:00AM

kim kardashian in carl's jr salad commercial Photo: YouTube.

Carl's Jr. likes its commercials as spicy as its barbecue burgers -- with plenty of sexual suggestion on the side. Paris Hilton, Audrina Patridge (in a bikini on the beach) and Padma Lakshmi have all flaunted themselves in sexy ads for the company's Western Bacon, Spicy Barbecue and Teriyaki Burgers. Who can forget the 2005 ad starring Paris Hilton in leather and high heels, hosing down a Bentley while at the same time devouring a spicy barbecue burger?

Now it's Kim Kardashian's turn. But instead of burgers, she'll be shilling salads. The reality star is promoting Carl's three new entrée salads in a commercial that debuts on Dec. 28. With a "Who Says Salads Can't Be Hot?" campaign tagline, the company is counting on Kardashian's sex appeal to sell what many fast-food fans find decidedly unsexy.

Judging by the behind-the scenes video preview, Kardashian is giving everything she's got to change that image. In the ad, Kardashian is lounging on a bed, eating a Carl's Jr. salad with only her fingers. A far more suggestive shot shows the dark-haired beauty wiping salad dressing from her cleavage with what appears to be an apple slice.

Filed under: Fast Food, Celebrities, Restaurants, News

Arizona Teacher on Leave After Taking Students to Hooters

COMMENTS 144

by Jennifer Lawinski, Posted Dec 18th 2009 @ 6:30PM

hooters Photo: THEMACGIRL*, Flickr

A Phoenix high-school choir director is on leave after taking students to a downtown Hooters restaurant after a performance last week.

Mary Segall, choir director at Paradise Valley High School, took 40 students to Hooters after a performance at the Arizona Center. Segall told the principal that the Hooters, famous for its buxom wait staff in skimpy attire, was the only restaurant that could accommodate a group of that size, the Arizona Republic reports.

But the school administration sees things differently.

"There were many other restaurants available in the downtown Phoenix area in easy proximity to the Arizona Center and I know that because I called about them," district spokeswoman Judi Willis told Slashfood. "I called 20 and 17 said yes they could accommodate the group."

Willis said the school had received complaints from both parents and students who were unhappy with the Hooters outing, citing the waitresses' attire as the cause for concern.

Filed under: Food News, Restaurants, News

Would You Pay $72 for a Taco Bell Taco?

COMMENTS 20

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Dec 18th 2009 @ 6:00PM

taco bell taco Photo: Tacos Por Vida, Flickr

Would you shell out $72 for a 79-cent Taco Bell taco? Apparently one man did this week.

The 20-something man offered to pay $72 for a taco at a Perkins Township, Ohio, Taco Bell late Monday night, the Sandusky Register reports.

"He said 'Merry Christmas, all I want is a taco,'" Aaron Ohm, the manager of the restaurant, told the paper. The unidentified customer was drunk, according to Ohm, and slapped $72 on the counter.

The customer refused to take his change, so Ohm called police. They're holding the money for six weeks to see if someone claims it, the paper said. If not, it goes to Ohm.

[Via Sandusky Register]

Would you ever pay $72 for a single Taco Bell item? Let us know in the comments below.

Filed under: Food News, Fast Food, Restaurants, News

Ohio Restaurant Gives Discounts for Grilled Cheese Tattoos

COMMENTS 3

by Jennifer Lawinski, Posted Dec 18th 2009 @ 5:30PM

Photo: Courtesy Melt Bar and Grilled

How dedicated are some people to grilled-cheese sandwiches?

In the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood, Ohio, customers of Melt Bar and Grilled love the restaurant's 31 varieties of grilled cheese enough to permanently mark their bodies with tattoos of the gooey comfort food.

In return Melt reward you with a 25 percent discount for life.

Since he kicked off the promotion on Sept. 1, more than 50 loyal customers have come in with tattoos of variations of the Melt grilled cheese logo, owner Matt Fish tells Slashfood.

"I'm assuming we'll be well past 50 by the end of the year, and next year I can see us having 100 or more," he says.

Filed under: Food News, Restaurants, News

Restaurants and Groceries Leap to Salvation Army's Aid

COMMENTS 1

by Hanna Raskin, Posted Dec 17th 2009 @ 2:00PM

salvation army bucket Photo: gruntzooki, Flickr

A well-known Dallas restaurateur is pushing an underground eatery as an antidote to fundraising woes afflicting the Salvation Army, which this year has seen some stores officially shoo away its bell ringers.

Smoke owner Christopher Jeffers recently told the Dallas Morning News that he plans to open a guerilla restaurant in a former taqueria, offering two dinner seatings on Monday and Tuesday nights. All proceeds from the venture will go to three local charities, including the Salvation Army.

"We're trying to get all the chefs in the area to get on board with this," an enthusiastic Jeffers was quoted as saying.

He might first want to consult the agencies he's proposing to help: Dallas-Fort Worth Salvation Army spokesman Patrick Patey says he didn't learn of the project til he read about it in the paper.

"We haven't even met with them," Patey sighed. "Everything you do has a certain amount of logistics involved."

Filed under: Restaurants, News

Applebee's Lets You Contact Your Server From Table Computers

COMMENTS 6

by Jennifer Lawinski, Posted Dec 15th 2009 @ 5:30PM

applebee's Photo: Omar 2080, Flickr

A new table-top computer device installed at several Central Florida Applebee's franchises this fall allows customers to summon their servers at the touch of a button.

"It puts the guest in constant contact with the server," James Whyte, general manager of an Orange City Applebee's, tells the Orlando Sentinel.

The system, designed by ESP Digital Media, based in Charlotte, N.C., was first installed two years ago in Tampa Applebee's franchises owned by Casual Restaurant Concepts, Inc. It is being piloted in other markets, the paper said.

Casual Restaurant Concepts, based in Tampa, owns Applebee's franchises across Central Florida. The company didn't respond to Slashfood's request for comment.

Filed under: Food News, Chefs & Restaurants, Restaurants

What Can I Get You Folks? - Applebee's Lets Guests Electronically Summon Servers

COMMENTS 17

by Hanna Raskin, Posted Dec 15th 2009 @ 5:00PM

Photo: saschapohflepp, Flickr

Remember the Omnibot? When Radio Shack first introduced the short-lived 1980s sensation, it promised buyers could "astound and impress their party guests" by relying on the personal robot to deliver their drinks.

Now Applebee's is borrowing the Omnibot's shtick, employing a newfangled electronic system that's designed to downplay the human element of service. In restaurants across central Florida, servers are now outfitted with watches that vibrate whenever their guests press tabletop buttons.

Applebee's diner Virginia Wesson this week told the Orlando Sentinel she loves her button, since she often has trouble getting her server's attention.

"This way, they have no choice," Wesson said. "They make sure you can't be ignored."

Filed under: Chefs & Restaurants, New Products, Restaurants

Steak-Out Mounts Revival in Texas

COMMENTS 0

by Hanna Raskin, Posted Dec 14th 2009 @ 3:00PM

steak Photo: Roland, Flickr

A steak delivery chain that's closed half its outlets is pinning its turnaround hopes on a state that seems perpetually starved for beef.

"If you can't make a steak delivery system work in Texas, then something's very wrong," concedes Mark Kime, who opened the state's first Steak-Out in Fort Worth late last month.

The Steak-Out concept -- summarized on the company's Web site as "from our grill to your door" -- was created in 1986 in Alabama by David Martin, who helped grow the chain to 70 stores. There are now a mere 30 outlets spread across a dozen Southern and Midwestern states.

According to a recent story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the chain shut down 10 stores over the last 18 months for under-performing and failing to comply with company standards. Chief Operating Officer Peter Petrosian told the paper that Steak-Out plans to revitalize its operations by recruiting more franchisees like Kime, who's spent 17 years in the restaurant business.

Filed under: Chefs & Restaurants, Restaurants

'Real Cajun' - Cookbook Spotlight

COMMENTS 0

by Jacqueline Terrebonne, Posted Dec 14th 2009 @ 2:00PM

real cajun cookbook Photo: Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc.

'Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana.'
By Donald Link with Paula Disabrowe
Photographs by Chris Granger
Clarkson Potter 2009
Buy it on Amazon

Although Donald Link's restaurants, Cochon and Herbsaint, are located in New Orleans, these recipes are not the food of that city. Far from the touristy restaurants, his food comes from a place off the highways and byways that run along Louisiana's bayous. The book lives up to its title-serving Cajun food at its simple and rustic best. This collection is filled with family recipes that have been honed and perfected with the skill of chef but without losing site of how people cook at home.

In creating this book Link said he set out to "preserve a way of life and give people an idea of how it really is." He's repairing the misconceptions of Cajun food that came with the blackened craze that swept the country in the '80s, and his recipes demonstrate and explain the wide variations between Cajun and Creole.

Along with the recipes, he shares insight into Cajun traditions and the country cooking that can usually be made in just one pot and never requires any fancy kitchen gadgets. There are plenty of recipes that make wonderful week-night meals, such as the Post-K Meatloaf that separates the flavor base of brown sugar and a generous portion of bacon from the actual meatloaf. But the real magic happens in those recipes that call for hours at the stove-perfect for this time of year when the warmth of a simmering pot keeps away the chill.

Filed under: Chefs & Restaurants, Books, Restaurants, Reviews, Cookbook Spotlight