By Carla Spartos with ZAGAT.com editors
Resolved: There'll be more space between tables, diners will
keep those BlackBerries out of sight and Anthony Bourdain
will get his fill of baby cuttlefish. Or at least that's how
things would be if certain industry insiders got their wish
in 2006. We asked chefs, sommeliers, nightlife gurus and other
mavens what they'd like to see more of – and less of – in the
New Year. No surprise, more high-quality seasonal ingredients
was a common theme (cited by the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Richard
Farnabe of NYC's Montrachet and
Rainer Becker of London's Zuma,
among others), as was better service (cited by Joël Robuchon,
Tracy Wilson of NYC's Tabla and
David Myers of LA's Sona,
among others). Following are other wishes that just might come
true – and thus influence what you'll be experiencing in restaurants
and nightspots in the year ahead.
We Need More:
"Wine bars. Real tapas. Local wines and products. Artisanal cheese. Sustainable foods. Chef-driven restaurants. Inspired local neighborhood restaurants. Outdoor spaces. Passion."
– Michael Franks, co-owner, LA's Chez Melange
"Authentic Vietnamese. Decent Mexican food. Real tapas bars. Baby cuttlefish. Yakitori joints like in Tokyo. Smoking sections. Casual Malaysian. Offal."
– Anthony Bourdain, executive chef, Brasserie Les Halles in NYC and elsewhere
"Wonderful, quality rice like the one out of Japan called Koshihikari. It's the highest rated sushi rice. It makes a difference."
– Ming Tsai, chef-owner, Boston's Blue Ginger
"Fusion. Pushing the edge. Experimentation. People who understand the rules of sushi [but who don't] worry about breaking the rules of sushi."
– Travis Kamiyama, chef-owner, LA's Kotosh at Kamiyama
"Smaller portions of wonderful food. Quality fruits and vegetables. Great chocolate and butterscotch pudding and cheesecake made with natural ingredients instead of soft drinks and other processed sweets."
– Mark Furstenberg, owner/chief baker, DC's Bread Line
"Regional cooking. The Hudson Valley,
for example, is totally underrated as a resource for great
ingredients, and it is capable of exploding any day."
– Gray Kunz, chef-owner,
NYC's Café Gray
"Restaurants [in London] that are open later – from 6 PM till
midnight or 1 AM."
– Tom Aikens, chef-owner,
London's Tom
Aikens
"Tableside service."
– Michael Mina, chef-owner,
San Francisco's Michael
Mina and others
"Customers who aren't afraid to ask sommeliers [for] advice."
– Dawn Davies, sommelier,
London's The
Ledbury
"Places with heart. Too many establishments are just trying to suck the money out of your wallet."
– Tracy Westmoreland, owner, NYC's Siberia and Bellevue Bar
"Service that's knowledgeable about the food [and] not
just going through the motions. If I have that, the food
doesn't have to jump up off the plate."
– Rick Bayless, chef-owner, Chicago's Frontera Grill and Topolobampo
"Menu diversification – it seems as if everyone has the same menu these days. Also a more experimental dining public – people who will let chefs work outside the box and support their efforts."
– Amy Knoll, co-owner/general manager, LA's Grace
"Support for smaller farms, sustainable agriculture and artisanal
food – if restaurants are more conscious about the world we
live in, our impact on the way food is produced can be huge."
– Karen and David Waltuck, owners
(David is chef) of NYC's Chanterelle
"Organically produced wine. Waiters in nice, crisp Spencer jackets."
– Daniel Boulud, chef-owner, NYC's Daniel and others
We Could Do With Less:
"Of the exact same songs in every club. People furiously texting their friends at other places."
– David Rabin, co-owner, NYC's Double Seven and Lotus
"Description [on menus]. I don't necessarily need to know
the names of the rocks the greens were grown in [or the] farmers
that tilled the soil. I don't want to see any more flavored
beers. I think less salsa would be good for this planet.
I'm a fan of mango salsa but you go to a food show and there
are more salsas than people in China."
– Ming Tsai, chef-owner, Boston's Blue
Ginger
"Tables for two that are both narrow and long, placing you
far away from your guest and too close to the strangers on
either side of you. Restaurants do this to fit more tables
in but it's a shortsighted strategy for building repeat business."
– Danny Meyer, co-owner of NYC's The
Modern and others
"Truffle oil. "Fusion." Water sommeliers. Overdesigned
dining rooms. Mayonnaise on sushi. "Concept" restaurants.
Novelty martinis."
– Anthony Bourdain, executive chef, Brasserie Les Halles in NYC and elsewhere
"Crème brûlée – whether I'm at a French, American or Italian restaurant, I cannot see the crème brûlée any more!"
– MRichard Farnabe, chef, NYC's Montrachet
"[Nothing.] It's an exciting time in American food and I want more of all of it."
– Rick Bayless, chef-owner, Chicago's Frontera Grill and Topolobampo
"Endangered species like swordfish and Iranian caviar [on menus]."
– Karen and David Waltuck, owners (David is chef), NYC's Chanterelle
"Sloppy drinkers – primal, hooting sounds are always a good indicator. Dirty bars and barware. A staff that makes you feel like it's doing you a favor by serving you."
– Audrey Saunders, owner-mixologist, NYC's Pegu Club
"Truffle oil – it seems to have become ubiquitous and often used inappropriately."
– Gordon Ramsay, chef-owner, London's Gordon Ramsay and others
"Actresses posing as hostesses. Bouncers and doormen at trendy eateries – if they need a bouncer it's not a restaurant and definitely not about the food. BlackBerries at the table. Places where the music is louder than the crowd. Less white truffle oil and fewer white truffles in the hands of amateurs who don't know how to use them."
– Daniel Boulud, chef-owner, NYC's Daniel and others
"Hollywood. Steakhouses. [High-priced] sides. Bad Italian restaurants. Investors. Formula restaurants. Government interference. Rachael Ray."
– Michael Franks, co-owner, LA's Chez Melange
"People charging me for beer [laughs]. Dress codes – but there's already less of that. But seriously, how can you have any gripes? In NYC, it's your own damned fault if you don't go out to eat somewhere that makes you happy."
– Josh DeChellis, chef, NYC's Jovia and Sumile
"Small-plate (i.e. shared-plate) menus."
– Chris Gerber, maitre d', Chicago's Alinea