Zagat Survey Discussions

Restaurant industry insiders weigh in on what they'd like to see more of – and less of – in the New Year

Culinary insiders have had it with the terms "celebrity chef" and "molecular gastronomy." They're through with marathon tasting menus. And if they have to endure one more wine pairing, they'll plotz. Those are just some of the sentiments expressed when we asked restaurant mavens what they'd like to see more of – and less of – in 2008. But get them talking about artisanal ingredients like jamón ibérico and they perk right up. Same goes for a commitment to the environment. A few of the most divisive trends this year? Small plates and open kitchens – barely a blip on the radar screen when we posed the question back in 2007 and 2006, and proof that the restaurant industry is constantly reinventing itself.

We Need More:

"Main course[s]. I get tired of eating small plates. Give me an entree of good steak with potatoes. I want enough food on the plate to enjoy all the components of a dish...Open kitchens. I get to look at gorgeous kitchens all over now. Interesting American charcuterie and cheeses on restaurant menus." – Michel Richard, chef-owner, DC's Citronelle and Central

"Female restaurant owners. I need some more women to talk to!" – Donatella Arpaia, restaurateur, NYC's davidburke & donatella and Anthos

"Merlot...The rise of Riesling." – Mark Mendoza, wine director, LA's Sona and Comme Ça

"Smoking of marijuana at home before going out to dinner. When the 'munchies' kick in the check average will go up [and] the diners will have a good time even if the service and food aren’t so good." – Shelly Fireman, Shelly Fireman Restaurant Group, which owns NYC's Trattoria Dell'Arte and Cafe Fiorello, among others

"Residential-style dining where you feel like you’re a guest at a dinner party...This means more of an emphasis on the role of hosts in restaurants. Specialty food store/cafe hybrids like they have in Europe. Dancing with dinner." – Carlos Suarez, owner, NYC's Bobo

"Jamón ibérico! It just arrived in December but I hope 2008 is the year everyone gets a taste. It will ruin you for all other hams! [Menus that] spotlight vegetables. They demand more creativity than working with meat...Healthy cooking. A menu that is healthy but is refined and elegant and tastes good is more interesting to me than loading on butter and foie...Better food for our children in schools. We have a responsibility to not just feed our children well but to teach them to feed themselves well in the future...Focus on ingredients." – José Andrés, chef-owner, DC's Café Atlántico/Minibar and Jaleo, among others

"Commitment to buying and serving seafood that comes from abundant populations under sound management." – Rick Moonen, chef and co-owner, Las Vegas's rm

"Honest food that sticks to the ingredients...In-N-Out burgers...A Papaya King in San Francisco." – Jamie Lauren, executive chef, SF's Absinthe

"Tasting menus with fewer courses – guests seek the thrill of a 12-course menu, but do not want to sit for more than a few hours...Provide that brilliant experience of food and wine in 4–5 courses." – Jean Joho, chef, Chicago's Everest and Brasserie Jo, among others

"I would like to see restaurants slow down a bit...Many restaurants in Vegas have sacrificed both service and food quality to do high volume. No one can deliver a great dining experience to 700 people a night. " – Matthew Glazier, president, The Glazier Group, which operates Las Vegas' Strip House, among others

"Authenticity and respect towards ethnic cuisines...Diners today are more adventurous, well-traveled and appreciate efforts by chefs whose philosophy towards food mirrors what [they] would experience abroad." – Shotaro Kamio, executive chef, SF's Yoshi's

"To-go packaging made from recycled materials. Sustainable products and foods made and raised by artisanal, small farms. Foie gras!" – Karen and David Waltuck, owners (David is chef), NYC's Chanterelle

"Culinary students with a realistic expectation of the industry...24-hour Korean restaurants with karaoke." – Patrick Sheerin, executive chef, Chicago's Signature Room

"Family-style restaurants that feature open kitchens, wood-burning stoves and a warm and friendly vibe. There is something wonderful about the combination of wholesome fare using the freshest ingredients and a serving style that encourages everyone to gather at the table to enjoy the simplicity of good food and conversation." – Christophe David, executive chef, Chicago's NoMI

We Could Do With Less:

"The words 'celebrity chef' and my being misrepresented as one." – Paul Kahan, chef-owner, Chicago's Blackbird

"Salt on chocolate. There wasn't any for the past 150 years. Suddenly, for the past three years, it's everywhere. Leave chocolate alone!" – Daniel Boulud, chef-owner, NYC's Daniel, among others

"The term 'molecular gastronomy.' It means nothing and I am tired of having to explain that. There is good cooking and bad cooking. That’s it...Deconstructions without context. How can you deconstruct a paella if you don’t know what an authentic paella is? Or a hot dog for that matter?...Big portions...We have an epidemic of obesity and still the solution seems to be make it bigger. Wasting food." – José Andrés, chef-owner, DC's Café Atlántico/Minibar and Jaleo, among others

"Food manipulation and scientific stabilizers most of us can't even spell. Waste and use of non-renewable resources in our restaurants and from our purveyors." – Bruce Sherman, Chicago's North Pond

"Wine pairings – with too many wines, my mouth gets crazy. I love to dance with food, but don’t want to change partners all night." – Michel Richard, chef-owner, DC's Citronelle and Central

"Butter and oil in Italian kitchens...You can make wonderful tasting food with wine and broth. It will save arteries." – Shelly Fireman, Shelly Fireman Restaurant Group, which owns NYC's Trattoria Dell'Arte and Cafe Fiorello, among others

"Chemicals used in foods to create effects. Foams. Degustation menus – just let people order what they want. Mini-burgers." – Art Smith, chef-owner, Chicago's TABLE fifty-two

"Display kitchens. I think they ruin the mystery." – Donatella Arpaia, restaurateur, NYC's davidburke & donatella and Anthos

"Celebrity chef steakhouses." – Andre Christopher, executive chef, Chicago's Pops for Champagne

"People asking, 'Where are you cheffing?' I was far from being an A student, but I know that 'chef' is a noun and not a verb. Next time just ask what it is that I’m 'cooking.'" – Phillip Foss, executive chef, Chicago's Lockwood

"Fusion. I appreciate authenticity, and I see a trend of regional cuisines from very specific areas – Cantonese, Catalan, Kenyan – bring it on!" – Stratis Morfogen, CEO, Philippe Chow Restaurant Group, which owns NYC's Philippe

"Restaurants that claim to be chef-driven when the chef is never there." – Lee Maen, founding member and general partner, Innovative Dining Group, which owns Las Vegas' Boa Steakhouse and Sushi Roku, among others

"Blogging by non-food professionals/experts: I'd rather see more accomplished food writers/critics who I respect reporting on food and dining. Let the professionals do their work. Blogging these days is often too influential in negative ways for chefs and restaurateurs." – Roland Passot, chef-owner, SF's La Folie, among others

"Bottled water. Restaurants with more than 120 seats." – Carlos Suarez, owner, NYC's Bobo

"Foams and powders. Chemist cuisine. Massive, super-sized portions. Mesclun mix. Fruit with stickers, what a pain." – Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, chefs, Burlington, MA's Summer Winter, among others