Article: “More chefs in the kitchen: Restaurants explore ways to allow diners a firsthand look at food preparation” (Aug.2006)

excerpt:
“He watches The Food Network religiously, cooks dinner for himself and his wife, Janet, at least four times a week, and said he’s more than comfortable working in the kitchen, even when it isn’t his own. He also has worked with local chefs at area restaurants more than a dozen times.

So it’s no surprise that he leapt at the chance to be among the first to participate in a “Chef for a Day” program at The Seelbach Hilton Hotel’s Oakroom restaurant when the program was launched a couple of years ago.

“To be shoulder to shoulder with a group of professional people and keeping up with them doing exactly what they were doing and to feel a part of that — that was amazing,” Frick said…”

source: “More chefs in the kitchen: Restaurants explore ways to allow diners a firsthand look at food preparation” by Shannon Leonard-Boone (Business First of Louisville, Aug.11,2006)

Article: “Check, Please!”: Reality TV that believes a viewer’s heart is in his stomach” (Aug.2006)

excerpt:
It’s a television show that has attracted entries from 20,000 people who want to appear on the air. And it’s not “American Idol.”

It’s “Check, Please!” on which a mix of three everyday diners — instead of food critics — each get to pick their favorite restaurant and wax rhapsodic, then bicker about them.

Creator and executive producer David Manilow calls it “Zagats meets Siskel and Ebert” and he hopes that it inspires viewers to leave their comfort zones and try new restaurants or cuisines…”

source: “Check, Please!”: Reality TV that believes a viewer’s heart is in his stomach” by Tara Burghart (Associated Press, Aug.2,2006)

related link:
“Check, Please!” web site

Web Site: Foodie Headquarters

“Like Food? Like Wine? Like People who like Food & Wine? Then you’ve come to the right place. With hundreds of user supported recipes, wine reviews, and events, our site’s chock full of information all Foodies love to have at their fingertips.”

link: FoodieHeadquarters.com

You can find local wine tastings, dinner events, and cooking classes.

related link:
LocalWineEvents.com

Article: “Google’s gourmet giveaways dispel no-free-lunch axiom” (Jul.2006)

excerpt:
“In the category of large-scale, single-site foodservice enterprises at business and industry venues, Google’s extravagant employee dining program arguably is second to none.

In terms of subsidized cost per meal and the breadth of its chef-driven menus, Google’s dining operation appears to surpass even the most generous of corporate kitchens, except perhaps for some exclusive executive dining rooms.

The company’s culinary offerings stand out even in comparison to other Silicon Valley firms famous for lavishing perks on employees…”

source: “Google’s gourmet giveaways dispel no-free-lunch axiom” by John Anderson (Nation’s Restaurant News, Jul.31,2006) [free registration req.]

Article: “Turning your table into the chef’s table” (Jul.2006)

excerpt:
“Table-side flourishes — think bananas Foster set aflame by a tuxedoed waiter — are en vogue again, but minus the fussiness. While some Chicago restaurants are breathing new life into classic dishes, others are applying the old-school European concept to a range of cuisines.

At the trendiest Mexican restaurants, and even some non-Mexican ones, guacamole mashed table-side has become something to boast about…”

source: “Turning your table into the chef’s table” by Janet Rausa Fuller (Chicago Sun-Times, Jul.31,2006)

Article: “Look through restaurant haze for health menu” (Jul.2006)

excerpt:
“Don’t think that the plan to make Chicago restaurants smoke-free by 2008 will automatically turn restaurants into temples of health.

We know about cigarette smoke’s link to cancer. Yet the most recent statistics from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States–more than all cancers combined–and diet often is to blame.

You might even think you’re eating right when you’re eating out, but very likely not. Ald. Edward Burke recognized that, though his proposal to ban artery-clogging trans fats in Chicago restaurants was greeted with a chorus of groans.

So what can you do?”

source: “Look through restaurant haze for health menu” by Susan Kutchin Pallant (Chicago Tribune, Jul.23,2006)

Resource: Forums, Discussions, and Boards for Restaurant-Goers

Popular Forums, Discussions, and Boards for Restaurant-Goers

EGullet
Chowhound
Epicurious
Yelp
Roadfood
Mouthfuls

related link:
A Review of Some Restaurant Discussion Sites [Bay Area Bites]

Article: “What A Dish!” (Jul.2006)

excerpt:
“To some camera-happy diners, food is so gorgeous, so sensual, that it just has to be photographed — and posted on a blog.

…”If you look at the photography, the very loving manner in which these photographs are shot, they are meant to tantalize and titillate the viewer,” said Jarrett Byrnes, a graduate student who lives in Sebastopol, Calif., and runs Food Porn Watch, a Web site with links to almost 1,000 food blogs around the world, most with extensive food photography.

…And if diners can go to a Web site like eGullet and see that the mozzarella dish comes as, say, a cheese balloon filled with tomato foam, or some such delight, it’s a little like learning the ending of a thriller before heading to the movie.

Then again, Achatz admits to checking out food blogs before heading to a restaurant, and allows that in some cases, photos of the food can generate excitement in an establishment for reluctant diners.”

source: “What A Dish!” by Trine Tsouderos (Chicago Tribune, Jul.20,2006)

related link: Food Porn Watch

Article: “Food poisoning can be avoided” (Jul.2006)

excerpt:
“Food poisoning is becoming an increasingly common occurrence due to the fact that people are traveling and eating out more than they used to. Symptoms of food poisoning can vary, ranging from onset within 30 to 60 minutes after eating (usually in cases of chemical contaminants in food) to up to 12 to 48 hours in cases of bacterial food poisoning.

…According to gastroenterologist Dr. Mark Pimentel, author of the new bestselling book “A New IBS Solution,” the following tips minimize your risk of contracting food poisoning…”

source: “Food poisoning can be avoided” (Daily Press, Jul.12,2006)

Web Site: HealthyDiningFinder.com

“Do you love to eat out? Are you looking for restaurants that offer a selection of healthier menu items? If so, then you’ve come to the right place, but a little too soon! Please enter your e-mail address below, and we’ll notify you when the website is accessible. You’ll find a wonderful selection of great-tasting, healthier menu items from restaurants nationwide, ranging from quick-serve to fine dining and representing dozens of types of cuisines.”

link: HealthyDiningFinder.com

HealthyDiningFinder site is associated with the National Restaurant Association (Note: HealthyDiningFinder site is not affiliated with TeamWaiterBell or WaiterBell). For a demo of the site in action, click here.

Update (9/4/06):

“Then you’re invited to preview this new website, which will officially launch in January 2007. Please visit often, as this website continues to grow with more restaurants – from quick-serve to fine dining – and other frequent updates.”

link: HealthyDiningFinder.com