How's your Font?

via Time

In a paper that will appear in the October issue of Psychological Science, Hyunjin Song and Norbert Schwarz suggest that small changes in menu fonts can significantly alter people's perceptions of dishes' complexity and value.

"People infer that if something on a menu is difficult to understand or hard to read that it takes great skill and effort to prepare," says Song, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology at the University of Michigan. "When I go to an expensive French restaurant, I can hardly pronounce the words on the menu, so I take for granted that it's expensive because it's not comprehensible."

Minuscule menu print has become so commonplace that some restaurants, such as Eleven Madison Park and the Union Square Cafe in New York City, offer reading glasses for guests who need them, in the same way other restaurants offer dinner jackets. They do so not because their menus are poorly designed, which they are not, but because some guests, particularly those with declining vision, have grown accustomed to using reading glasses in dim light for menus with fine print. In Baltimore, an eye-care firm launched a program called MenuMates providing upscale area restaurants four pairs of reading glasses in a wooden recipe box.

What strategies do you use to make the most of your menu?

Green Savings for Small Restaurants

Via SF Gate

"Used cooking oil from American restaurants could provide enough biodiesel fuel to cut oil consumption by 350 million gallons a year - enough to eliminate imports from Syria, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Ukraine and Bolivia," said Michael Oshman, executive director of the Boston association.

High-profile restaurants that promote themselves as green typically talk about their food: Is it organic and sustainably grown? Do they limit greenhouse gas emissions by buying local ingredients that don't need to be flown halfway around the world?

But there's a second, behind-the-scenes aspect to being a green restaurant that diners rarely see.

This involves the same challenges faced by other kinds of small businesses trying to be environmentally sensitive - conserving water and electricity, choosing greener cleaning products, recycling and composting more of their trash.

Scott Tuffnell introduced recycling to Bianco's Deli in El Sobrante, placing empty pickle barrels at each workstation for compostable food waste. He has managed to reduce the trash that Bianco's sends to the landfill from four large bins each week to less than two.

Meanwhile, owner Alice Wan took a host of behind-the-scene steps to green Tin's Tea House Lounge in Walnut Creek - from replacing Styrofoam takeout containers with biodegradable ones made of cornstarch to installing low-flow nozzles and faucets in her busy kitchen.

The Green Restaurant Association provides information on how to green your restaurant at www.dinegreen.com.

What are you doing to simultaneously cut costs and go green?

Media -- Great Wednesday Night Spot

Tonight I went to a PA restaurant association mixer in Media, PA and had a great time! It was hosted by Brodeurs on State Street, a charming spot owned and led by Chef Dan Brodeur. Dan has initiated a new Wednesday night tradition for the summer months, a "dining under the stars" night with live entertainment and outdoor seating. Apparently he has coordinated with multiple local businesses and restaurants to make this a community event, where they block off the street and put out tables for the evening. They're right along a trolley line, so they're hoping to encourage out-of-towners to save gas by hopping on public transportation and dining with them for a midweek retreat.

I will definitely be back, Dan Brodeur has a good thing going on in Media.

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Restaurant Neighbor Award

How do you contribute to your neighborhood? Taking part in your local soup kitchen is not the only way you can make a difference. Associations and groups are always fundraising for clinical research to cure diseases or to help the less fortunate members of the community. Service projects can also be great team-building activities for your staff. The National Restaurant Association wants to recognize your efforts.

The Restaurant Neighbor Award is presented to a restaurant or company for its outstanding community service programs or project. Four national winners will be selected to receive $5,000 each for their philanthropic efforts and a trip to Washington in September to accept their awards. The application deadline is June 20. Click on the banner to apply.

Nutrition in NY

Chain restaurants in NY are being required to display their nutritional information, much to their dismay. The rules require calorie counts to be posted next to foods on display and on price boards and lists for all restaurant chains with more than 15 outlets nationwide.

Independents should take note, revealing your menu's nutritional content to your patrons will be a part of your future. Embrace this opportunity to be ahead of the curve by using your resources to determine your menu's nutritional content. (I'm talking about your food service distributor: Offer the opportunity to your primary and secondary sales representatives as an opportunity to increase their business with you, they won't pass it up!)

If you have not incorporated nutritional content into your menu before, why not start with calorie counts for two or three of your lighter fare dishes? Most people want to eat healthier, but they don't know how, or where to start. Help them by serving smaller portions with lean protein and steamed vegetables. Spice things up and focus on texture rather than rich fatty or sugary ingredients. Draw attention to these items with a special section on your menu, or promote it through word of mouth with your servers.

While the restaurant association may be fighting these regulations in court, it would not hurt for their constituents to be proactive in giving customers an opportunity to life a longer, healthier life.

To Compete with Chains

Before I went back to school for my degree in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management, I frequently visited chains with friends. We had a good time and knew what we could expect -- from the menu, to service, to atmosphere. It was in our comfort zone. But early in my kitchen classes, one of Chef Reid's passionate rants about the industry resonated with me. His eyes glistened as he spoke of his heart breaking when he saw crowds at the local Olive Garden. Of patrons patiently waiting two hours+ to be seated when a local Italian independant restaurant struggled to make tables turn every night.

Sunday's Inquirer put a spotlight on Cherry Hill's Dream Cuisine, a 40-seat French Bistro, which made my mouth water as I read about their four-course prix-fixe menu and their intoxicating ingredients. Craig LaBan described "the distinct feeling that the chef is actually cooking here with heart," which I think is absolutely priceless. It's why I go out to eat now -- to share in a thoughtful chef's presentation of flavors and textures. It's an art form.

He also describes the unfortunate nature of the masses "But to watch the crowds steadily packing in for chain-level Italian food on the pergola-decked terrace of Toscana, an elaborately overdone faux-Tuscan villa from the owners of Italian Bistro, has been a challenge to [Chef] Fanari's morale."

I applaud LaBan for drawing our attention to the independents of the Greater Philadelphia Region. And I encourage the masses to support our local businesses such as Dream Cuisine. You might even find a little adventure in dining at a non-chain where you don't know what to expect, but you can trust a chef who cooks with heart.

Hungry Travelers

In 2007, Philadelphia hosted an additional 100,000 international visitors than the year prior. Did your establishment show up on their search via iPhone or wifi hotspot? Today's traveler keeps technology at their fingertips to find their next meal. "The United States Department of Commerce Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) announced on Friday that Philadelphia hosted a record-breaking 550,000 international visitors in 2007, an increase of more than 100,000 from the previous year. Philadelphia is one of only two cities that reached a record level of international visitors in 2007." Hotel Interactive.com reports.


Google Maps provides an effective tool for travelers to quickly find businesses within walking distance of an address or intersection. Try searching for "cafe near 12th and walnut street, Philadelphia PA" and you'll find a number potential dining and sipping spots. Some locals sport rave reviews such as La Bohem Cafe. "This is a cute place where you can get good French bistro style food and wines by the glass" a May 9, 2008 visitor comments. I'm interested, but where's the menu and the pictures of the atmosphere? Are they on opentable.com so I can check for last minute reservations? The best way reassure out-of-towners that your restaurant should be a part of their Philadelphia experience is to catch their eye with an interactive website.

Thank You for Visiting

Welcome to the new Chef's Palette Blog! We have implemented a more streamlined look for our site and we plan to start reaching out to prospective customers in the coming weeks.

Stop back soon to check on our progress.