I enjoyed this fun article on restaurant trends, gift linked below. But Canada takes it time to sneeze when America catches cold, so I wonder how long for these trends to diffuse northward. But are they actual trends? Any comments on seeing menus in the wild explaining wellness surcharges, funky colours and fonts, tinned fish and ethnic Caesar salads, or mucho mocktails?
The mention of tinned fish strikes a chord. Although the NYT’s passing reference seems to imply it’s not that new a trend, it was for us. My wife and I went to an upscale pizza place in Newport, RI last month, and she ordered “Fishwife Smoked Salmon.” To our surprise, it was a can of Fishwife brand salmon, served in the can. Although somewhat taken aback, my wife really enjoyed it, and we are considering ordering some to eat at home.
Sounds more like rearranging the tables on the S.S. Cuisine than meaningful changes (we should care about pink menus with cute drawings?).
We don’t typically eat out at the kind of places that garner Times reviews, but have noticed shrunken menus not returning to pre-pandemic sizes (looking at you, Chuy’s). And contrary to what the article states, it’s been reported that restaurants are trying to make it harder for people to order smaller portions and share, because it costs them money.
Just back from the Caribbean, where I noticed some things. Two places we ate had no menu, just a little card with a QR code that brought up the menu on your phone. One upscale bar had instructions for using their ordering app. Each time we wanted a drink or food, we placed the order on our phone. The server brought your item. When we finished I paid our bill on my phone. There was no way to tip! The phone app explained that they servers were paid well and a tip was absolutely unnecessary. The app also asked after you paid if you wanted to delete the app, which I did.
At GutSide (one of my favorite lunch spots) they got rid of menus. Instead, Richard (the cook) or Lourdes (his wife/server) tell you what they are offering that day, and which of the offerings they think are the best. Richard told us he knew what we wanted, and he was correct (my gf always gets his stewed conchs, I always get a whole snapper).
I’ve gotten myself into the canned seafood scene and Fishwife is going through a fascinating growth period. A startup darling with some juicy gossip. Link & comments below.