Steal this idea: Weathering a weekend blizzard
A weekend that should have delivered turn-away traffic because of the Super Bowl and Restaurant Week brought instead a business whiteout for some restaurants in Chicago, the result of a blizzard.
Food
Sustainable seafood: Treasures from trash
Some operators are looking to source lesser known but abundant seafood that often turns up in the by-catch. These “trash” fish may have names that could sound off-putting to consumers, such as lionfish, sheepshead or grunt, but innovative chefs are proving that their flavor and texture stand up to their upscale cousins—at a gentler price. And diners are biting.
Operators and their customers who love meat are starting to fork over more money to put protein on the plate. The problem starts with the feed. Cattle are traditionally finished on grain, but farmers looking for larger profits are now growing corn for ethanol instead of animal feed. Cow/calf producers are currently bearing the brunt of higher feed prices.