Archive for the ‘Wine’ Category

The Nation’s Restaurant News Menu Trends & Directions conference for restaurateurs and foodservice manufacturers will feature menu trends expert, Nancy Kruse for the annual “State of the Plate” address. Kruse is slated to “serve up a full plate of menu trend data, insights on breakout foods and flavors, innovative use of ingredients and ethnicity and day part strategies that are guaranteed to influence your future menu plans.”

The conference, which will be in Grapevine, Texas, on September 27 and 28 at the Gaylord Texan, is described as a “menu-focused, research-driven event and a must-attend for chefs, menu development and marketing executives in all industry segments, including culinary, food and beverage professionals, as well as purchasing, quality assurance and brand development executives.”

Click through via the same http://nrn.com/event/menutrends link for other industry insights, including nutrition, restaurant business info, and much more.

I came across a good piece from Restaurant News Resource with some assessment and marketing tips for restaurants having some difficulties–okay, I used a bit of a euphemism there as the article is actually entitled “How to Save a Failing Restaurant.”

I’m putting this out there as I think that a number of the ideas, such as really assessing your clientele’s issues or concerns, e.g., having only 30 minutes for lunch, can spark some new ideas for you in almost any industry sector to help you refresh your service offerings or the way you deliver your product or service. You can read more by clicking through on the link!

The legendary Ruth Reichl recently wrote a great post entitled “The Meaning of Ludo’s” in which she talks about her experience with the sought-after LudoBites, which transcends the typical excitement associated with a new dining opportunity as it has no fixed location. As the theater and romance of restaurants has always intrigued me and working with clients in the foodservice industry has long been a love of mine, this entirely different perspective on what makes a restaurant a “go-to” has a new level of intrigue.

The success of LudoBites shows that it is often not just about the decor, the setting, the food, table linens, service–as this restaurant picks new locations and on the night Reichl visited it was inhabiting what she described as “a little sandwich shop in a grungy part of town – it is the ultimate statement about the supremacy of food over ambiance.” Read more here:

Check out Trip Advisor’s Top Destinations for 2010, including the best beach and sun destinations, best emerging destinations, and many others–including our favorite picks: the best destinations for food and wine in the world!

There may be some inspiration there not just for travelers but also restaurateurs. BTW, the photo of South Africa’s Western Cape is amazing!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations-cFoodWine-g1