NORTHLAND'S FAVORITE HITS » Restaurants

The History Of American Buffet Food

Steve Tanko — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:15:51 +0000

Buffet’s have become a popular part of the American Cuisine – but what do you really know about them? A recent article I encountered presents a pretty good primer – from the origins of buffets to the reasons behind them. Perhaps it’s no surprise that the buffet line was first introduced to this country in [...]

Obama's News Taxes Expected To Hurt The Restaurant Industry In A Major Way

Steve Tanko — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:50:35 +0000

Observers close to the food and restaurant industry are watching their bottom line shrink, with profits expected to be lost due to new taxes that went into effect on January 1st. With Obamacare putting a halt to hiring and forcing some managers to cut staff and hours, the industry was already forecasting a pale 2013. But now with the reversal of the payroll tax holiday that eats an additional 2% from employees take-home check, the companies and supervisors that manage the nations biggest restaurant chains are fearful for what that will mean for their bottom line. Rising gas prices don't help, either.

New Study Sheds Light On The Ten Germiest Places In A Restaurant

Steve Tanko — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:46:04 +0000

If you're like most people, you dine out for at least one meal a week in a restaurant. And, you'd like to think that the food and the environment is as safe and clean as your own home. Unfortunately, it's no surprise that they're not - and a recent study sheds light on the "most-germiest" places in a restaurant. The worst part: The restroom isn't in first place!

Carrots Are The New Trend In Haute Cuisine

Steve Tanko — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:38:36 +0000

Just like neckties, hem-lines, and fashions the food world isn’t immune to trends. It looks like an old favorite is gaining popularity in five-star restaurants as carrots are showing up on more and more plates in some of the trendiest establishments. In particular, the emergence of so-called heirloom carrots has sparked the trend, with a [...]

How Much Do You Tip? — Survey of the Day

Jeremy Taylor — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:05:25 +0000

The rules of tipping in restaurants vary among nations and culture. In the United States, 15 percent is considered customary for average service.

However, a new ’60 Minutes’/Vanity Fair Poll 990 American adults has found that a good chunk of diners typically give more or less than that percentage.

Almost 50 Years After The Beatlemania, The Group Inspires New Restaurants

Steve Tanko — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:13:22 +0000

The Beatles swept America when they first hit the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Now - almost 50 years later, Beatlemania is inspiring a new generation of restauranteurs. Face it - rock and roll is big money when it comes to restaurants; To get evidence of that fact one only needs to look at the Hard Rock Cafe as an example.

California Restaurants Find Loopholes Around State's Ban On Foie Gras

Steve Tanko — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 13:56:33 +0000

If you're saying "Foie-WHAT?" after reading the headline, you've probably never eaten the French delicacy that is Foie Gras. Essentially goose liver fat, the food is often used as a luxury ingredient at restaurants that serve haute cuisine or by itself as an appetizer. It's also been banned by the State of California because of the way that some geese are specially-raised to harvest its liver fat. (Like much of the food you eat, you probably don't want to know any of the details.)

Sommeliers Make It Big In The Food And Drink World

Steve Tanko — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:27:43 +0000

Considering a new career field? Food industry observers might suggest that you get the experience necessary to become a sommelier. What IS a sommelier you ask? Most dictionaries describe a sommelier as someone who’s job it is to be knowledgeable about wine. High-end restaurants employ a sommelier to advise head chefs as to food and [...]

Restaurant Slump May Signal Economic Slowdown

Steve Tanko — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:45:39 +0000

Economists theorize that we’ve been out of the recession since June 2009. The recovery has been a slow one at best. If the recent news from the restaurant world is any signal, we might be in for an even slower recovery. Restaurant stocks are underperforming the U.S. market, a signal that shares of retail companies [...]

Breakfast Is The Latest Restaurant Fad

Steve Tanko — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:59:22 +0000

If the restaurant industry is anything – it’s fickle. It’s also making a great comeback. On the list of what experts expect to be hot in 2012: breakfast. At the moment, the breakfast segment makes up 12% of total restaurant sales – or about $42 billion a year, according to research group Technomic. But a.m. [...]

Graduates: The Food Industry Needs You

Steve Tanko — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:36:50 +0000

I encountered an article about the rising need for food-related employees in Great Britain, but from what I can surmise, the same need is present here in America. While it’s become “trendy” for people to seek out high-profile jobs like chef’s and sommeliers, the back-end of the industry has suffered. The food and drink manufacturing [...]

Buffalo Proposes Stiffer Regulations On Food Trucks

Steve Tanko — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:36:09 +0000

Food trucks – as those mobile restaurants-on-wheels are called are the “in” thing. Perhaps that’s why brick-and-mortar restaurant owners in Buffalo, New York are proposing stricter regulations on them. Food truck operators believe mobile vending regulations proposed by a group of restaurant owners are “protectionist” and include issues never discussed during last month’s talks between [...]

Pork Makes Gains In America's Restaurants

Steve Tanko — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:03:53 +0000

Is “the Other White Meat” on it’s way to becoming “thee white meat”? A recent survey of the nation’s restaurants show that pork offerings are up significantly. Over the past year, menu mentions of pork have increased by 7 percent, according to the foodservice consulting group’s MenuMonitor database. The meat is being featured in appetizers, [...]

Colonel Sanders Had More Secrets

Steve Tanko — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:08:44 +0000

Eleven herbs and spices weren't all that Colonel Harlan Sanders was keeping secret. Turns out that the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken was ahead of his time with celebrity chef cookbooks, too.
The recent discovery of an unpublished manuscript written by the founder of KFC shows that while Sanders was helping build Kentucky Fried Chicken into a global brand, he was recording his life and love of food — and recipes — for the world

Starbucks To Expand Into Premium Juice Market

Steve Tanko — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:17:13 +0000

Starbucks – the top-shelf coffee shop – has already expanded their offerings to include breakfast sandwiches and sweets. Smartly and profitably so. So it should come as no surprise that the company is in expansion mode again. The coffee empire announced on Thursday that it had purchased Evolution Fresh, a maker of premium juices and [...]

Some Restaurant Chains Prosper With Customers Despite The Economy

Steve Tanko — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:59:20 +0000

Sure the economy has been tough on all businesses – especially restaurants. But, financial analysts on Wall Street have taken note of some of the more resilient restaurant chains – going so far as to say that they would make good stock picks. Orlando, Florida-based Darden Restaurants has recently been lauded by Goldman Sachs [...]

Celebrity Chef's Are On The Rise

Steve Tanko — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:07:25 +0000

Perhaps it’s because the stars who frequent Hollywood, the pop charts, and the gridiron these days are the moral equivalent of a garbage dumpster. Or, maybe it’s the rise and popularity of food TV and cookbooks. One thing is for sure – as a society – we have elevated the people who have made celebrity [...]

California May Ban Styrofoam Take-Out Containers

Steve Tanko — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:21:54 +0000

In a move that experts say will open the door to the rest of the country, the State of California is considering a ban on styrofoam food containers.
The bill by Democratic state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, would prohibit restaurants, grocery stores and other vendors from dispensing food in expanded polystyrene containers, commonly known as Styrofoam, beginning in 2016

Restaurant Customers Are Eating Healthier

Steve Tanko — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:38:55 +0000

Americans are eating healthier – even at some of the most unlikely restaurants. This nutritional U-turn is taking place at some of the unlikeliest of eateries, including Denny’s, IHOP, Friendly’s, Sizzler and even at the nation’s biggest casual dining chain, Applebee’s, where the numbers are eye-popping. Experts say that some of this is the result [...]