Category Archives: Dining Without Reservations

Many restaurants, especially the upscale kind, pride themselves in having ornate menus filled with detailed descriptions of the meals they offer. The wording can be straight forward or it can be baroque. In any case, “restaurant lingo” is not always […] Read more »

Don’t automatically assume you know what you’re getting yourself into when you sit down for a nice lunch or dinner at a restaurant – any restaurant. You may have read great reviews in the papers or listened to the praises of […] Read more »

Ordering from a restaurant menu can be confusing and sometimes even intimidating experience. Some restaurants pride themselves in listing their items in foreign languages in keeping with the style of food they’re serving, e.g. French, Italian, Chinese. Others overwhelm their […] Read more »

Some restaurants offer detailed information on their menus about their ingrediences and cooking techniques they use, others don’t. Restaurant lingo can be confusing or outright misleading. How do you get around the pitfalls of food advertising in restaurants? Read more »

Chinese restaurants typically name their dishes after the regional cooking styles of China (e.g., “Szechwan”). Many feature the same standard ingredients, such as soybeans, vegetables, rice, and noodles. Appetizers often include crispy fried noodles with fried cuts of meat. They […] Read more »

French cuisine can be quite seductive from the start with its exquisite hors d’oeuvres and first courses. Indulge with caution since many are known to be rich in fat and high in cholesterol. Crudités and Oysters on the Half Shell […] Read more »

Whole grains, fish, vegetables, olive oil, and fruits are at the base of traditional Mediterranean diets. Greek restaurants make abundant use of these ingredients, sometimes too generously. A Greek meal is a leisurely event. Appetizers are offered on small plates, […] Read more »

India has a great variety of culinary traditions. From the north, we get mildly seasoned rich and comforting flavors; from the south, exotic tastes and fiery hot spices. Fried Jhinga Tikka and Pakoras are the classic appetizers. Nan bread and […] Read more »

Italian food is at the center of the Mediterranean diet. Its major components are pasta, vegetables, low fat dairy products, and olive oil. Italians also enjoy a great variety of seafood. If you can’t resist your Calamari Fritti, ask for […] Read more »