"restaurant" news and stories

Frank Sinatra was a man who loved to dine. Indeed, he was many a restaurants' favorite patron, from the neighborhood pizzeria to more upscale spots. Additionally, his picture hangs in hundreds, probably thousands of places he never even set foot in because Sinatra means Italian food.

The ultimate in Frank-revering restaurants has opened in the new Encore casino in Las Vegas, where Sinatra (Well, what would you call it?) is the first restaurant fully sanctioned by Ol' Blue Eyes' family. So sanctioned that it's bursting with enough memorabilia to stock a museum; not only photos, but gold records, Grammys and Frank's Best Supporting Actor award for From Here to Eternity grace the dining room, which puts a glossy, post-modern spin on Sinatra's signature Palm Beach style.

Heading up the kitchen is executive chef Theo Schoenegger (formerly of LA's Patina) whose Italian cuisine eschews red sauce and Mama Dolly's pasta for dishes possessed of a more minimalist elegance with a few simple, fresh ingredients applied to maximum effect. Order up a chairman-approved cocktail and toast the good life.

Swallow, a Philadelphia BYOB, relaunched their menu today and their new offers are specifically designed to take the current economic downturn in mind. They've ditched their previous modern Italian menu and have replaced it with an entire menu of macaroni and cheese.

The menu allows you to design your own entree. You first pick small (base price $5) or large ($7) dish and then determine which two cheese you'd like. For an additional $2-3, you can choose three veggies, meats or herbs to mix into your mac and cheese. In addition the build your own menu, they have a selection of favorites that you can pick from if you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of choices.

This is the first time I've heard of a restaurant scrapping an entire menu in response to the economy. It could either be a brilliant move or a tragic misstep.

[via Meal Ticket]

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Minneapolis is my hometown. I'm currently visiting for the upcoming turkey day, and last night I dined at a very special restaurant which, year after year, wins "Best Restaurant" awards in local publications right and left.

What does "best restaurant" mean, really? There are so many variable traits a restaurant can have. Also, I have long been in love with Cafe Brenda, a gourmet vegetarian and seafood restaurant in Minneapolis' warehouse district. The mushroom pate is to die for. Or what about Ecopolitan's vegan fare, or the delightful lunch at French Meadow Bakery? What about Zelo? How could La Belle Vie be "better" than that?

Well, for one, the atmosphere is enchanting. You walk in, they sit you down, and a server approaches with menus and says "welcome to dinner." You relax. You settle in. You know you are in for a dining "experience."

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Cafeteria rocks.

Cafeteria is a restaurant in New York's fabulous Chelsea area. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Cafeteria caters not only to its trendy local neighborhood, but to the nearby Meatpacking District where people party till all hours, and to the rest of the night owls (and jet-lagged) in the city.

P-Diddy is reportedly a fan, and celebrity spottings are not uncommon. Most importantly, the food is great. Sometimes you need meatloaf (pictured) at 6am. And that can be hard to find.

According to manager Lori Kistner, the two must-try items on the menu are the Meatloaf and Mac and Cheese. They offer three Mac and Cheese varieties: Original, Gouda & Bacon, and Truffle Oil. And don't miss the desserts. Deep fried Oreos? Breakfast of champions!

See all three, as well as some other delicious-looking items and an interior shot in the gallery below. Cafeteria is located at 119 Seventh Avenue on the corner of 17th Street in Manhattan.

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Ever seen the phrase "corkage fee" on a restaurant menu and wondered what it meant? Here's the 411: some restaurants let you BYOB, but they charge a small amount ($5-35) to cover the glasses, service, etc. While $20 might seem like a hefty fee for the server to spend 15 seconds pulling a cork, the corkage fee is really just a gentle reminder to you that your BYOB is cutting into their profit margin. Restaurants make a lot of money from drinks markups, including wine, and when you bring your own they aren't raking in the dough.

BYOB is a good dining strategy whether you're a connoisseur or a cheapskate. As a connoisseur, you can bring a special bottle the restaurant wouldn't possibly offer. As a cheapskate, you can save money by paying the corkage fee instead of exorbitant markups.

Just remember the rules of etiquette when you BYOB:

• Call ahead and ask first so you don't show up with your $8 Merlot only to find out the corkage fee is three times that.
• Don't bring wine that's on the restaurant's list. It's rude.
• Offer your server/sommelier a taste. (He or she may say no, but it's the right thing to do.)
• Don't stiff the server: factor the wine in when you calculate the tip.