Next on Michelle's Hit List: Restaurant Industry

New federal guidelines urge limits on salt, saturated fat

(NEWSER) - Not only are the feds picking on how many Twinkies vs. how many carrots you eat, but the New York Times reports that now they're picking on how much you eat, period. The newest federal nutrition guidelines, revised every five years, predictably admonish Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer salts and saturated fats, but they should also simply limit the sheer volume of food they eat every day. “They are blunter here than they’ve ever been before, and they deserve credit for that,” says an NYU nutrition professor. “They said, ‘Eat less!’ I think that’s great, and to avoid oversized portions." More»

Restaurants increasingly training waiters to 'read' tables

(NEWSER) - Gone are the days of, "Hi, my name is Tom and I'll be your server tonight." Restaurants are increasingly moving toward a less scripted approach, teaching waiters how to "read" tables and subtly mold their service to fit each individual group. The Wall Street Journal offers a rundown of the new trend, and offers some hints as to what message you could be sending your waiter:

• If you're chatting with your friends: The waiter may worry about interrupting you, and could try refilling your water glasses or placing his hand on the table to get your attention without seeming pushy. He may also assume you're there for a good time, and thus push more offers of drinks or dessert.
• If you're dressed nicely and eating early: The waiter may assume you're headed to a show, and speed up his service or bring the check with the meal as a result.

For the most part, they're stuck in 1999: Farhad Manjoo

(NEWSER) - When you type in the URL of a restaurant website, you're probably looking for information like address, hours, menu, prices, maybe an easy reservation system. Instead, you typically get full-screen photos of the executive chef, links to all their other restaurants, Flash buttons and menus that won't work on your iPhone, and of course, some "auto-playing, royalty-free, ambient techno smooth jazz," writes Farhad Manjoo on Slate . The rest of the web realized quite a while ago that's not the type of thing consumers are looking for, "but restaurant sites seem stuck in 1999." Trying to determine the worst one is "a bit like trying to decide on the most awful serial killer in history." More»

The Zagats have news for you: It's not as fun as it looks

(NEWSER) - Do you dream of opening your own restaurant one day? Well, Nina and Tim Zagat have some advice for you: "Don't do it!" And they should know, considering they co-founded and publish Zagat Restaurant Surveys. Opening a restaurant is about a lot more than just being "a great host or good cook," they write in the Wall Street Journal . "But it's hard to deter people," even though "there's a 60% probability that you will fail within three years or less." More»

Chefs try to stay cool amidst Secret Service crush

(NEWSER) - Barack and Michelle Obama love to eat out, but how do restaurants handle a presidential visit? David Hagedorn of the Washington Post asked chefs around town, and found that the key is to remain calm. “We are in the business of creating perceptions,” says one general manager. “We can’t freak out, and we can’t put all our energy into that one person.” Still the evening is decidedly upended when the president’s massive motorcade rolls in. More»