YumSugar

Do You Dine Out More During the Week or on Weekends?

YumSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:45:18 -0700

Do You Like to Eat at the Bar?

YumSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:00:42 -0700

I'm a big fan of bars, and not just for drinking. If I'm dining alone or on a date, I love to eat at a restaurant's bar. It's cozy and intimate, and I enjoy being able to place my entire meal order with the bartender. How about you?

Source: Flickr User Mat Honan

What Would You Do?

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:00:44 -0700

We've all been in crazy situations, and I want to know how you handle entertaining fiascoes and bad restaurant behavior. I'll present a situation and you tell me what you would do. Here's today's scenario:

Your parents are visiting from out of town. You want to take them out to a nice but not too fancy dinner as a send-off, but it's Sunday and lots of places are closed. You've been wandering around for a while, and now everyone is hungry! You duck into one of the city's regarded restaurants on the off chance they have a table, and they do.

When you sit down, you realize this is much more of a fine dining experience than you were seeking. Three-course meals are the only option, and the price tag is high.

Not quite French Laundry level, but you were looking for something more casual. You can afford it, and since you're already seated, it's awkward to leave. What do you do? It happened to me, actually. Find out what I did.

Do You Order Dessert?

partysugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:50:54 -0700

Yesterday after reading San Francisco restaurant critic Michael Bauer's blog, I started to think about why and when I order dessert. According to Bauer desserts don't sell: "Many people fill up before dessert, and they either skip the course or split a dessert among several people. That means a customer will take up the table for an extra half hour and spend only $8 or so. Waiters would rather turn the tables; desserts make them linger. In the end desserts aren't high-profit margins for restaurants." His rational makes perfect sense.

And, I'm the first to admit that I rarely order dessert - especially during bikini season! How do you feel about the matter? When dining out, do you purchase dessert?

Diners Dissatisfied With Restaurants' Appetizer Offerings

partysugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:50:47 -0700

In this week's economic news, appetizers are the latest victim of poor sales. Over the past two years, consumers have spent significantly less on items from the left side of the menu - on dishes like appetizers, salads, and soups. However, the decline may have more to do with customer dissatisfaction than with the bad economy.

According to a study performed by Technomic Inc, 58 percent of diners are "not satisfied with the appetizers available at restaurants" and 70 percent believe "salad offerings could be improved." Another large percentage want to see more ethnic soup offerings. To jump start sales of starters, the consulting firm is encouraging restaurateurs and chefs to rev up creativity and value by offering dishes that feature unique ingredients and can't be made at home.

Since appetizers are my favorite thing to eat, I have to agree with the study's findings. With fried calamari, sliders, and goat cheese salad appearing on virtually every menu, there does seem to be a lack of originality. How do you feel about the matter? Have you stopped ordering from the left side of the menu when you dine out?

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Does It Annoy You When a Restaurant's Menu Is Not Online?

partysugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:50:49 -0700

The other day DearSugar was complaining because she couldn't find a restaurant's menu online. While I prefer not to check out a menu before eating out, sometimes it's nice to look at the price range. And if the menu is not online, it can be annoying. How do you feel about the matter?

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At One London Restaurant, the Bill Is up to You

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:30:17 -0800

With the global economy floundering, restaurants have tried to come up with as many resourceful ideas as possible, from prix fixe dinners to built-in tips, to draw in diners and keep businesses afloat. At London's Little Bay Restaurant, however, one restaurateur has gone where few others have gone before: for the month of February, he's letting his customers decide how much they ought to pay for their meals - if at all. To learn why, read more.

"It's entirely up to each customer whether they give £100 or a penny. All I'm asking is they pay me what they think the food and service is worth," said Peter Ilic, the restaurant's owner, in a statement. "It just seemed the right thing to do with everyone . . . feeling pretty miserable."

This tactic sounds like it could be problematic, considering diners at the restaurant feast on such high-cost items as duck salad and caviar-topped haddock soup. But according to Ilic, the restaurant's made above its average spent per head over the last five days.

This focus on the honor code of customers isn't the first we've seen - last year, we told you about a San Francisco bar with a billing system that relies on the honor code. This is the first incident where I've heard of customers being given the power to decide how much they think a meal is worth. Since most of you said you wouldn't pay the full amount at an honor code-based system, I'm rather surprised by the news that the restaurant's seeing profits. After watching the clip below, tell me: Has Ilic put an admirable concept into practice, or is he simply setting his restaurant up for failure?

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Do You Know How Much You Spend on Food?

partysugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:45:38 -0700

Earlier this week the San Francisco Chronicle published an interesting article about food spending. In the story, author Rob Baedeker unscientifically asks grocery store goers if they know how much they spend on food each month. The majority have no food budget and have never totaled their grocery and eating out receipts. I'll admit, I had no clue how much I spent on food and was a little surprised when I checked in with my bank. Between groceries and restaurant bills, I spend a whopping $500 on food! How about you?

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Philadelphians Are the Highest Tippers

YumSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:00:55 -0700

The City of Brotherly Love is also the city with the most-tipping love. Based on Zagat's newly released Philadelphia survey, the city's residents leave a generous 19.6 percent tip on average, compared to the countrywide average of 19 percent. Diners in New York - long considered the most expensive place to live in the US - only tip equal to the countrywide average, while those in Los Angeles tip below average at 18.4 percent.

Do Philadelphians really possess more love for their fellow citymen? Or is it because of Philadelphia's large number of BYO restaurants? I'm most surprised by the fact that New Yorkers tip such a meager amount. When I lived in Manhattan more than five years ago, it was considered standard to tip 20 percent due to the high cost of living there, and the fact that so many New Yorkers make a living in the service industry. Do these numbers surprise you? Are they in line with what you would normally tip, given decent service?

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Would You Obey This Honor Code?

YumSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:16:43 -0700

Today in San Francisco, a new bar opens - and a social experiment begins. Honor Bar will have an honor-based billing system. While the wine list suggests prices ranging from $8 to $15 per glass, how much you slide into the provided money slot is entirely up to you and your conscience. The bar will also provide instructions (and a pour-it-yourself area) for a daily champagne cocktail. If this method of payment proves successful, it may spark a whole slew of bars based on the honor code. The appeal? Restaurants save themselves the cost of a bartender.

What do you think of this concept? I'd love to get your two cents (don't cheat me out of it!) Would you pony up the actual amount, or slide in a little less? Fear not; your answers are completely anonymous.

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