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Patricia Cobe

Senior Editor

Articles by
Patricia Cobe

Page 187

50 Great Ideas 2012

The industry never stops innovating. Better promotions? Check. Ingenious service upgrades? Got it. And don’t even think restaurants are done improving on the farm-to-fork trend. Once again you’ve managed to put lightning in a bottle—50 times.

Financing

Fritter fans

Long a staple of Southern kitchens, fritters have been around in both savory and sweet versions.

Financing

Winter plates pop with color

The cuisine at Fifth Floor draws from Mediterranean and global influences, but seasonality is the number one priority.

Financing

Fresh catch at Friday’s

Casual-dining pioneer T.G.I. Friday’s has invested in elevating its menu ingredients.

Financing

The morning daypart continues to rise and shine

Restaurant dinner checks may be shrinking along with patrons’ wallets, but morning people are putting their money where their mouths are.

Food

A nation of nibblers

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.

Kale and beets brighten the menu

By January, fresh, local produce is a distant memory in most parts of the country. Even warmer growing regions are not supplying much variety to fill the salad bowl. But that isn’t stopping Corey Shoemaker from creating colorful, healthy tosses of winter greens and other vegetables.

Financing

Bertucci’s customer favorites spark 30th birthday specials

The Northborough, Massachusetts-based Bertucci’s, founded in 1981, is currently celebrating its 30th birthday with a limited-time menu that revisits comfort food classics.

Tyrant or tenderheart: What’s your management style?

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.

A Visit to ShopHouse

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.

Food

Grape expectations: winter

Now that local produce is done for the season or in storage in many parts of the country, there are still tasty late fall and winter selections that can excite a chef and add color, flavor and creativity to the menu. Consider grapes, for instance.

The sandwich generation

Today’s diners see sandwiches as a healthier, fresher more affordable choice—especially in the quickservice segment.

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