Patricia Cobe
Senior Editor
Articles by
Patricia Cobe
Page 154Winter plates pop with color
The cuisine at Fifth Floor draws from Mediterranean and global influences, but seasonality is the number one priority.
Fresh catch at Friday’s
Casual-dining pioneer T.G.I. Friday’s has invested in elevating its menu ingredients.
More and more Americans are patronizing restaurants differently these days, opting to make a meal of shareable appetizers, small plates, inventive bar food or coffee and a snack. According to Chicago-based market research company Technomic, only 5 percent of consumers are now eating three square meals a day.
Watching episodes of Hell’s Kitchen, the average viewer comes away thinking that cursing, screaming and ruthless bullying is the only way to run a successful restaurant kitchen. True, many chefs are as hellish as Gordon Ramsay appears on TV, routinely leaving their staff quaking in their clogs. But some industry veterans are embracing a kinder, gentler management style—and finding it has its place.
I've always been a big fan of Chipotle Mexican Grille's menu and business model. What's there not to like about ordering very tasty burritos and bowls custom-built before your eyes with top quality, carefully sourced ingredients? I guess the long lines are one drawback, but they don't seem to keep the faithful away.
Connie Green, who gives herself the title “head huntress,” is a professional forager and the author of The Wild Table (Viking Studio, 2010). In the wee hours of the morning, she sets out from her Napa Valley home to hunt down exotic mushrooms and other wild ingredients for picky chefs and top restaurants. We sat down with Green to find out exactly what a professional forager does.
When folks in the restaurant business are asked to name their favorite dishes, it’s not easy to narrow down the choices. But our team of passionate industry insiders dug into their collective food memories and came up with their top picks. Tacos, french fries, steaks and pig popped up on a few lists, but there were plenty of surprises, too.