Archive for the ‘Diners’ Category

Dining Trends for 2010: Next Year’s Menus Will Feature Feel-Good Food

Monday, November 30th, 2009

2010 Dining Trends Dining Trends for 2010: Next Years Menus Will Feature Feel Good FoodIt’s hard to predict every dining trend that takes hold in restaurants around the nation, but Restaurants & Institutions magazine has come up with a list of things you’re sure to spot on menus in the upcoming year. You may already have seen a lot of these movements and trends gaining momentum in your neck of the woods, but you can expect them to become far more ubiquitous at restaurants in big and small cities and towns in the U.S.

Things to expect include affordable comfort food (think Mom’s pot roast), Asian-Latin fusion (see truck, Kogi), bigger beer menus, old-school desserts (Retro root beer float, anyone?), eggs in everything, vegetables as entrées, fried chicken (make room, Colonel Sanders), environmentally efficient restaurants, local liquors (like LiV Vodka), wheat-free foods (Take that, Celiac!), and more chefs and restaurateurs embracing the Little House on the Prairie lifestyle at their establishments (i.e., pickling, curing, smoking, and canning products in-house).

Read the full list here, and tell us what you think we’ll see more of at restaurants in the next year — and decade — here or on Facebook.

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Restaurant Websites: Fun or Flawed?

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Restaurant Websites Restaurant Websites: Fun or Flawed?The San Francisco Chronicle’s Michael Bauer shines a spotlight today on restaurant websites, pointing out the aspects that are most frustrating to him as a diner. His primary complaints are the lack of a current menu and the difficulty in locating a restaurant’s hours of operations. What I find vexing are Flash introductions (often with silly music!) and menus being available only as PDFs (I fear my MacBook will soon burst into flames from all the menu PDFs sitting idly in my “downloads” folder).

What frustrates you most about restaurant websites? And, what are some examples of the very best restaurant websites? Chime in here or on Facebook, and check back for our expert tips on creating an effective, diner-friendly restaurant website.

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Last Supper: What’s Your Ideal Final Meal?

Friday, October 30th, 2009

When world-renowned chef Thomas Keller (Ad Hoc, Bouchon, The French Laundry, Per Se) lost his beloved father in 2008, he was able to find a bit of comfort in the fact that he’d prepared, carefully and lovingly, his father’s final meal. Keller didn’t know it at the time, but the simple dish of barbecued chicken, mashed potatoes, and collard greens — followed by a seasonal strawberry shortcake — would be his dad’s last.

While Chef Keller doesn’t reveal what his last meal might be in this article, he did so in the entertaining and appetite-inspiring My Last Meal, along with other famous chefs, including Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Wylie Dufresne, and Daniel Boulud (who wants his last meal prepared by Alain Ducasse).

Last supper Last Supper: Whats Your Ideal Final Meal?My last meal would probably be cobbled together from a number of different restaurants. I might start with an ice-cold vodka Martini with Michael Mina’s truffled popcorn. Next, the oyster foie gras from Morimoto. Also, crispy poached eggs with caviar from Perry Street. It would take me a bit more time to narrow down my entree selection as it’s so hard to pick just one protein, but I would certainly want whatever it is with a side of craftsteak’s highly addictive Parker House rolls (I crave them fortnightly). Dessert is easy: anything from pastry chef Dominique Ansel at Daniel.

Which chef or restaurant would you want to prepare your last meal (many, many years from now, naturally!) and why? Share your thoughts on Facebook or right here!

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Essential Utensils for Your Domesticated Dining Partner

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

essential dining utensils Essential Utensils for Your Domesticated Dining PartnerYou can ensure a smooth al fresco dining experience for you and your pet if you’ve got the right gear in tow. Check out these five must-haves for your restaurant-loving pet.

1.    The Popware Travel Dog Bowl: This 1-cup+ travel disc pops up to provide your animal companion with its own drinking bowl. It easily clips onto a leash, belt buckle, or knapsack and comes in pink or blue.

2.    REI Adventure Dog Pack: Going out for the tasting menu? Make sure your dog is prepared for the long haul with this practical pack. She can carry her own bottled water, treats, and toys – and perhaps even a doggie bag on the way home.

3.    Florence Bella Bag: Dog owners never know when nature will call, but no one wants to carry plastic baggies into a fine-dining establishment’s outdoor seating area. The Florence Bella Bag is designed for pet-owners (and diners) who are interested in fashion and discretion.

4.    Buddy Belts Dog Harness: No matter how well behaved your dog (or other pet) is, most restaurants will ask that you keep him leashed during your meal. Instead of tugging at its neck all night, set your pet up in a Buddy Belts dog harness designed for style and comfort.

5.    Hang Loose Hawaiian Cooling Top: Even though it’s fall, dogs can still overheat easily if they’re seated in the strong sun for too long. Help your pet remain cool with this cute shirt that holds a 65-degree temperature for three days after being dipped in water.

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The Best Restaurants to Feast with Your Furry Friend

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

pet friendly restaurants The Best Restaurants to Feast with Your Furry FriendNow that the dog days of summer (and the hot and humid weather that usually accompanies them) are behind us and National Dog Week is about to begin, it’s a great time to take your pet (or two…or three) out on the town and to your favorite restaurant. Not every dining establishment will accommodate pets.  But, typically, those with outside seating can. And many go out of their way to welcome your four-legged or two-winged dining companions. Of course, some folks take more exotic companions out with them. Our fans on Facebook have reported seeing everything from a ferret and a cockatoo to a baby pig and a skunk!

Here’s a list of 10 restaurants around the U.S. that don’t mind accommodating pet-obsessed owners and their animals.

1.  FARM at The Carneros Inn, Napa, California
OpenTable diner Kathy Johnson enjoys taking her canine companion to wine country. “FARM at the Carneros Inn is very pet-friendly. If you are in their outdoor lounge/bar area, you can have your dog at your feet while you sip great wines and choose items from the bar menu.  Dogs can also be nearby if you are seated in the outdoor terrace of the formal restaurant.” FARM specializes in serving food that complements wine, so go hungry and thirsty.

2.  Tabla, New York, New York
Diner Lisa Hanock and her husband are fans of this pet-friendly, upscale Indian restaurant. “We’ve found quite a few restaurants that enjoy hosting four-legged pals, but the most welcoming restaurateur has got to be Danny Meyer. At Tabla, (across from Madison Square Park, which has a popular dog run), you can order from the dinner menu while your dog enjoys a designer bowl of water and packaged cookie treats. We’ve taken our 90-pound Belgian Shepherd many times.”

3.  Log Haven, Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City’s Log Haven takes its appreciation for dogs to a new level during the months of June through the second week of October with a “Dog Days of Summer” special. Diner Kathleen Bratcher, her husband, and their dog Bella give Log Heaven’s seasonal American cuisine and canine hospitality a rave review. She says, “We were offered spacious patio seating, cool water, high-quality dog treats in a stainless steel doggie dish, and brass-plated dog tags with ‘Log Haven’ embossed. They also offer a reasonably priced dog meal created by their chef, Dave Jones, and a special cocktail menu for adults with a refreshing ‘Salty Dog.’

4.  Besito, Huntington, New York
Besito (which means ‘little kiss’ in Spanish) embraces all of its customers, including those who can’t order for themselves. With outdoor seating ideal for people- and pet-watching, Besito, known for its authentic Mexican cuisine and tableside guacamole, has an ever-present bowl of Milk Bones on the sidewalk along with an endless supply of cool water. It’s the perfect place for Fido to make friends.

5.  The Farm of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California
The Farm (no relation to FARM at The Carneros Inn) serves innovative American cuisine at each of its locations around Los Angeles and happily welcomes animal companions. The Farm’s Kelli Richardson reveals, “The Farm is one of the most pet-friendly restaurants around. We have even hosted an event, ‘Eat With Your Paws for a Good Cause,’ to help raise money for needy animal shelters.  At each of our locations, we are more than happy to accommodate four-legged guests of guests. We will set up a bowl of water for the dog just outside our patio or next to the table. We are very mindful of health department rules regarding animals in restaurants.  But, our patio allows us to comply by keeping animals just outside of the railing.”

6.  Old Homestead Steak House, New York, New York
A meat lover’s paradise, this classic (and, yes, old) Manhattan steakhouse is situated – where else? – in New York City’s hip Meatpacking District. With weather-permitting outdoor seating, you and your pet will be conflicted as to the real appeal of this location: the smell of your perfectly cooked steak or the sight of perfectly coiffed people strolling by. The warm staff at this carnivores’ paradise provide superb service and lots of cool water for your pet upon request.

7.  Solbar at Solage Calistoga, Calistoga, California
Another favorite of the Johnsons and their faithful dog is Solbar at the Solage Resort in Calistoga, which serves up seasonal California cuisine. She says, “The servers will bring your pet freshly baked dog cookies and a bowl of water as soon as you are seated at their outdoor terrace.”

8.  Savore, New York, New York
Yvonne Conza, founder of Woof Patrol, an organization that celebrates dogs and helps fight for pet-owners’ rights, says her pup Pomo’s favorite restaurant is Soho’s much-heralded Savore, where owner Paolo Alavian serves up outstanding customer service with his authentic regional Italian cuisine. Conza says, “Paolo—who’s even remembered my dog’s favorite table— often asks diners their dogs’ names and will try to guess the breeds while silently signaling to his staff to bring water for pets.  Savore also enables diners to order mini portions of chicken and tomatoes for their four-legged friends.”

9.  Paggi House, Austin, Texas
This Austin gem prides itself on being pet-friendly. A historic Austin landmark dating back to the 1840s, Paggi House serves up innovative American fare inside and on its outdoor lounge. The friendly staff provides pets with water in champagne buckets and ample attention. Austin diner Christine Harmel, who frequents Paggi House with her dog Dax says, “I’ve met plenty of people by bringing my dog to dinner with me!” Another diner/food blogger told us they recently celebrated their dog’s seventh birthday at Paggi House.

10.  Café Milano, Washington, D.C.
You may think power lunches over pups when you think of Café Milano, but this Italian restaurant welcomes pets on its patio. Known for stellar service, sublime Italian dishes, pizzas, and an impressive wine list, Café Milano is recommended by Modern Dog magazine as a top location for your pooch to rub elbows (or noses!) with the pets of the capital’s most powerful and beautiful people.

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What You Can Do When a Restaurant Isn’t on OpenTable

Monday, August 31st, 2009

what to do when a restaurant What You Can Do When a Restaurant Isnt on OpenTableIt doesn’t happen terribly often – but it happens. You’re searching for a particular restaurant on OpenTable, and you discover that they’re not part of the OpenTable network. Quelle horreur! If you’re like me, you probably just find somewhere else to dine (I seriously cannot live without OpenTable’s automated email invitations and reminders. If they didn’t send them to me, I know I’d be a no-show offender!). I wondered what other diners do – so I asked our Facebook fans to chime in.

Turns out, many folks also love the convenience of OpenTable. In our 2009 Diner’s Choice Survey, 79% of OpenTable diners cited the ease of making a reservation and of coordinating plans with others as among the reasons they prefer reserving online rather than using the telephone.” Michele Stanley says, “I very rarely dine somewhere that isn’t on OpenTable…. There are a lot of restaurants on OpenTable that I have never tried, so to me I have plenty of options.” Frequent traveler  (and fan of our Dining Rewards Program) James Bowler says that if a restaurant isn’t on OpenTable, “I don’t eat there; as a road warrior with an expense account, OT is free money.” Diner Sunny Drohan admits she’ll go to off-network restaurants, but, she says, “I always ask why they aren’t on OpenTable. I am pitching them all the time.”

If you’ve got your heart set on a particular place that’s not on OpenTable, you’re probably forced to pick up the phone and make a reservation the old-fashioned way. Is there a way to avoid this in the future? Yes! First, you can politely tell the reservationist and/or host that you were hoping the restaurant was on OpenTable, as some of our diners do. Next, you can suggest restaurants (and additional metropolitan areas) where you would like to use OpenTable to reserve tables online. Just visit www.OpenTable.com, select a metropolitan area, and use the “Suggest a New Restaurant” link located below the “Just Added” list of new OpenTable partner restaurants in that area. The more suggestions we get, the more likely you are to find that restaurant on OpenTable in the future.

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Is Your Dining Companion Making You Overeat?

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

is your dining companion influencing Is Your Dining Companion Making You Overeat?The Los Angeles Times “Booster Shots” blog discusses a new study by Duke University, the University of British Columbia, and Arizona State University that suggests the size of your dining companion can influence how much you order.

Contrary to what you might think, researchers have found that you’re more susceptible to overeating if your partner is petite in size but with eyes far bigger than her belly. Conversely, folks who ate with overweight partners actually ordered more modestly than their less-svelte companions. The research also revealed that we all order similarly to those we’re dining with, regardless of body type.

Are you guilty of this? If your size-0 girlfriend orders a big plate of pasta, are you likely to follow suit? Or, if your chubby hubby chooses a juicy steak and sumptuous sides, do you get a salad?

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How One Restaurant Critic Had His Cake (Without Gaining Weight)

Friday, August 21st, 2009

how one restaurant critic had his cake How One Restaurant Critic Had His Cake (Without Gaining Weight)As Frank Bruni hangs up his restaurant critic’s hat for The New York Times, he reveals his strategies for staying slim while dining out repeatedly at many of the Big Apple’s restaurants, old and new.

Turns out Mr. Bruni had fought and lost the battle of the bulge for most of his life, until just before he began his turn as one of the paper’s most famous foodies. During his tenure, he consumed an average of 3,000 calories a day without putting back on the weight he’d lost, through — shocker! — regular exercise and by following five steadfast rules.

I don’t consume 3,000 calories a day every day (emphasis on the “every”), but I do eat out often. My strategies for dining out without regret include trying to make fish and/or salad a part of every meal. Sometimes I fail (Or do I? Does a caviar garnish count as fish?), but not usually. Splitting several dishes is quite effective as well. Two friends and I recently ordered two appetizers, two pasta courses, and two protein-heavy entrees for our table so we could try everything we desired without the guilt. Dessert, too, is made for sharing — unless someone at your table has more than one sweet tooth.

What do you do to avoid overdoing it when dining out? Or is dining out precisely the time you should overdo it?

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Earn Free Meals with Dining Rewards Points

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Earn-Free-Meals.jpgI saw an @OpenTable tweet yesterday that said, “Opentable is a convenient way to reserve at restaurants but does anyone really care about their “Dining Points”?” I was glad to hear that this diner clearly loves our service, but I’m also disappointed that he’d not been taking full advantage of every benefit that comes with using OpenTable — especially our Dining Rewards Program.

Simply put, Dining Rewards Points are like frequent flyer miles for foodies. When you make a restaurant reservation through OpenTable (and honor it), Dining Rewards Points are automatically awarded to your OpenTable account. Standard reservations earn 100 Dining Rewards Points each, but you can earn 1,000 points at a time at select restaurants at select times (look for the “Earn Free Meals Faster/See 1,000 Point Restaurants” link under “Offers and Events” on your OpenTable webpage).

Diners are eligible for a Dining Cheque (good at any restaurant in the OpenTable network) as soon as they earn 2,000 Dining Rewards Points (good for a $20 Dining Cheque) or more. In the U.S., Dining Cheques are available in three denominations: $20, $50 (5,000 points), and $100 (10,000 points). Dining Rewards Points are easily redeemed right on OpenTable.

Ready to start earning free meals? Simply join OpenTable. It’s free, simple, and quick. Still have questions? Read more about OpenTable’s Dining Rewards Program here and here.

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The Kids Are Alright: Top 50 Places to Dine with Children

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

kid friendly restaurants1 The Kids Are Alright: Top 50 Places to Dine with ChildrenKids are people, too. And, just like their mature counterparts, they love to dine out. But, not every restaurant has mastered the art of catering to the smaller set. Some make it easier on the parents or adults accompanying them with mouth-watering menus especially designed with young palates in mind. Others make it easier on kids by having fun activities tucked away in the hostess stand. What they all have in common, though, is a welcoming attitude on the part of restaurateurs that makes both growing and grown-up diners feel at home when they walk through a restaurant’s doors.

Arriving while school is still out for the summer, OpenTable will be revealing the national winners of the OpenTable 2009 Diners’ Choice awards for “Top 50 Kid-Friendly Restaurants.” Check back next Wednesday to find out the very best establishments for sharing a great meal with the children in your life, wherever you live.

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