Baum + Whiteman has been a restaurant consulting group since the ’70s. The dudes know a few things about the hospitality biz, so when the company releases its annual food and dining trends for the coming year, restaurateurs tend to listen. (Or razz B+W for predicting “tongue” meat would become huge.)

Restaurateurs may want to hide under the covers after reading the No. 1 predicted trend for 2010: New priorities for beaten-up consumers.  Check out this strong language:

Read More “Baum + Whiteman’s No. 1 Food and Dining Trend for 2010? Lots of Economic Fear.” »

For this week’s Young & Hungry column, I spent part of the afternoon with François Haeringer, the 90-year-old owner and founding chef of L’Auberge Chez François, the French country restaurant in Great Falls that can trace its roots back to 1954 in downtown D.C.

In reporting the story, I spoke with Mark Furstenberg, the master baker behind G Street Food, who says he learned about French food, back in the early ’60s, by visiting L’Auberge’s early incarnation, Chez François, which was located approximately where Equinox is today on Connecticut Avenue NW. At the time, the young Furstenberg had never been to France and had never sampled many of the dishes that have become staples on almost every French menu.

But Furstenberg got more than an education in French cooking at Chez François; he also got a taste of the stuffiness that has since become a stereotype of the French. He still recalls the icy reception that would await him every time he walked in the front door at Chez François. It was courtesy of Jacqueline Rodier, who served as hostess at the restaurant until 1966 when she opened her own place, Jacqueline’s, on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Furstenberg remembers Rodier as stunningly beautiful — and stunningly cold. It was the attitude, of course, that was hard for many Americans to swallow in the ’60s.

Read More “The Key to Chez François’ Long Success? Dropping the French Stuffiness.” »

Not the chops in question…and I don’t plan to reveal the real ones.

I may lose respect with Former Staffer (see below), but after considerable deliberation, I have decided to save my powder for another day. I’m not going to empty my guns on the unfortunate restaurant that caused me to seek the counsel of so many loyal Y&H readers.

Allow me to explain why. But first allow me to thank all of you for sharing your thoughts and insight on the situation. I was blown away by the response — and by a number of specific responses, like these:

• From “RT”: Furthermore, the folks are investing in an area that had seen nothing but disinvestment for the better part of 50 years. They mean well and they’re doing a service to the community. It doesn’t mean I’ll ever go there again except to drink, but I find it very difficult to make their “go” even tougher by panning it publicly.

Read More “Y&H Doesn’t Plan to Trash the Place” »

You know the thing that amazes me about this video? How the deer crashes through the plate glass at this Livonia, Mich. restaurant, but then exits politely and quickly through the front door. I mean, if the poor deer had opposable thumbs, he’d have entered through the proper door to begin with.

That’s the question floated recently over at the Atlantic Food Channel, where Corby Kummer suggested that America’s tipping culture is broken and needs to be fixed.

Y&H has understood for more than two years now what kind of animosity tipping can bring out in diners. For those who don’t remember, or missed it altogether, check out this July 2007 edition of Ask Tim, which generated 70 comments, many of them quite nasty toward the idea of a required 20 percent tip.

It was clear then, and it’s clear now: The whole process of compensating waiters and waitresses is totally messed up. It creates resentment on both sides of the table.

Read More “Is It Time to Revamp America’s Tipping System?” »

Wow, Y&H really touched a nerve yesterday with his bitch about noise at local restaurants. Either we’re a town of old farts, or interior designers and owners have seriously overestimated how much “buzz” diners want in their restaurants.

Here’s a sampling of the commentary that has hit my inbox in the past 24 hours.

From Brooke, a 27-year-old female:

Read More “Readers Are Ranting Over Restaurant Noise, Too!” »

Zaytinya: You practically get a metal concert with your mezze.

Y&H still remembers, more than  a year ago, when the dining critic at Brand X wrote a Sunday magazine cover story about noise in restaurants and even instituted a special feature measuring decibel levels at every restaurant he reviews. What a waste of time, I thought, writing about something that’s so subjective. One diner’s noise, after all, is another diner’s buzz and excitement. (OK, critiquing food is totally subjective, too, but go with me here.) Only old folks and babies, I figured, care about noise in restaurants.

Well, I’m officially a geezer now.

Read More “Oh, the Noise, Noise, Noise, Noise in Restaurants” »

Somehow Y&H missed this story when it was originally published, but earlier this month the New York Times‘ Business section reported that 20,000 U.S. restaurants are expected to close over the next three years. Much of the downsizing is due to a specific mania that affected many during the E-Z Credit Era, namely overbuilding.

Times staffer Andrew Martin reports that the casualties will hit all levels, but that the ax will fall hardest on casual chain restaurants, like Applebee’s:

Read More “Expect 20,000 Restaurants to Close Over the Next Three Years” »

And average is just what we’re after.

If you’ll recall, back on Feb. 19, we at the City Paper hit the streets to chronicle an average day in the life of the District. It was boring, it was funny, it was brilliant, it was stupid, it was what y’all do with your lives.

So we’re doing it all over again — this time with a focus on food.

Read More “Thursday Is Just an Average Day for Food” »

Public health professor Marion Nestle thinks restaurants cannot skirt their role in America’s health problems. So she has three pieces of advice on how they can help keep both our weight and blood pressure down:

1. Give a price break for smaller portions
2. Make healthy kids’ meals the default
3. Cook with less salt

Read More “Marion Nestle Has Three Ideas on How Restaurants Can Make Food Healthier” »