This photo, like a still life painting, offers questions of the person who may have just stepped away. The chopsticks resting on the dish, the bean pods left behind and the silver wrapping are lit as if in a Rembrandt painting. This masterpiece was captured in Japan by mick62.
If you have any shots with interesting angles that have caught your fancy, send them our way at Gadling’s Flickr Photo Pool. One might end up picked for a Photo of the Day.
You’ve heard a lot about cheap flights and amazing hotel rates lately. Well, restaurants are getting into the game, too. Prix fixe meals for between $25 and $40 are being offered at upscale restaurants across the country. Hey, if you’re not likely to spend big cash on travel, maybe you can splurge a little on a great local meal.
The restaurants are suffering just as much as the hotels and airlines, so they need to get diners in the door.
This year, the National Restaurant Association (yes, there is another “NRA”) expects restaurant sales to drop 1 percent this year – as it did in 2008. That would be the first time drops happened in consecutive years since the association started to keep score back in 1970. This isn’t as bad as the U.S. Travel Association‘s forecast of a 6.7 percent slip in travel spending, but for restaurateurs from coast to coast, it’s certainly cause for concern.
So, if you’re willing to sacrifice dinner at home from time to time, you stand to win. National seafood chain McCormick & Schmick’s for example, is offering a steak and lobster dinner special (with dessert) for $29.95. Realistically, the company has no choice. Up to 40 percent of its customers are business travelers, and sales are down 13 percent from last year.
To find some real bargains, keep an eye out for prix fixe menus. These deals allow restaurants to offer a better value to guests without having to turn to coupons and discounts that would bring prices down relative to specific menu items. Also, every party of four is likely to have one or two people who pull from the regular menu … and they can always nail you on the liquor.
Whether you’re out of town, or in town, there’s always gonna be a restaurant that you haven’t tried. Go on–try a new one. For the next few days, discounted gift certificates from Restaurant.com make it super-easy. On a normal day, gift certificates worth $25 are discounted to $10. But you can pick one up for $5, if you get it before Monday, January 12th.
The website seems to have a decent selection of restaurants, and the checkout process seems pretty easy: Find a restaurant by zip code or state. Buy your gift certificate with a credit card or PayPal. Print out the gift certificate and take it to the restaurant. Eat.
Use the discount code “DEAL” at checkout, and you’ll only be charged $5 for the $25 gift certificate. Granted, most places have a minimum charge of $35, so you’ll pay at least $15 between the difference in cost and the cost of the gift certificate. But it makes the risk of trying a new place go down a little easier, doesn’t it?
Michelin, the famous (or infamous) French restaurant guide has been branching out lately. Two years ago, Tokyo became the first Asian city to be visited by the star-giving gourmet food experts. This year, Tokyo received more stars than any other city. For those unfamiliar with the Michelin rating system: 1 star means your restaurant is awesome, two means it is unbelievably awesome, and three means you provide nothing less than orgasmic gourmet experience.
Hong Kong and Macau became the second Asian destination for Michelin. Two restaurants received the coveted three star rating, while two dozen others received one or two stars.
In the US and Europe, a Michelin star can make a chef’s career. The fame doesn’t yet translate in the Pacific Rim. But gourmet cuisine is definitely on the rise in Hong Kong. I hope the coming of Michelin doesn’t change the culinary atmosphere there. What would the city be without the chaotic dim sum joints, the hidden away seafood restaurants, and tiny noodle shops? The whole “food as art” thing has its place. There is nothing wrong with it. But if everyone suddenly goes gourmet, Hong Kong would lose its wild restaurant culture. If that happens, then the whole territory might as well just break off and sink into the South China Seas.
[Via Globespotters and The Standard HK]
Switzerland is known for many things: the Alps, chocolate, fancy banks, neutrality, etc. Now we can add gastronomic breast milk to that list. Sound a little wierd? It is.
A Swiss restaurant owner by the name of Hans Lochner has created a bit of controversy by announcing that his menu will now feature local specialties such as meat stew and various soups and sauces containing at least 75% human breast milk. It might sound strange, but to Lochner, the idea is a simple one. “We have all been raised on it. Why should we not include it in our diet?” he said.
In fact, as Lochner points out, a mother’s milk is healthy and great to cook with: “One can cook really delicious things with it. However, it always needs to be mixed with a bit of whipped cream, in order to keep the consistency.” Better book a table at the Storchen restaurant next time you’re in the country… or just stick with the chocolate.