French Oysters: 'More Precious Than Pearls'

Can we ditch the unisex bathrooms?

(NEWSER) - Fed up with giant wine glasses that leave no room on the table? How about excessively classy ketchup? Zagat offers a new list of restaurants' most irritating trends. A few of the highlights:

• Tables squeezed way too close together. If you're not Lara Flynn Boyle, it's absurdly difficult just to get to your seat.
• Nonstop wine-replenishing. We can pour it ourselves, thanks.

But skeptics take issue with Michelin Guide assessment

(NEWSER) - Japan has overtaken France as the fine dining capital of the world—at least according to the latest Michelin Guide, reports ABC News . The newly released 2012 edition of the influential guide has bestowed 29 Japanese eateries with a 3-star rating—the highest possible grade—compared with 25 in France. Japan collected a whopping total of 296 stars. More»

Modern snacking brings modern obesity to land of baguettes and cheese

(NEWSER) - Modernization and globalization are buffeting French food traditions, giving rise to American-style snacking and—quelle horreur—American-style obesity, reports NPR . Over the past decade, adult obesity rates have climbed to 14% from 8%—still just half the rate of the United States, but enough that the French government is taking action, removing vending machines from schools and running ads to encourage eating right and exercise. More»

Provide wait service for meals in your seats

(NEWSER) - Dinner and a movie? How about dinner at the movies? Many moviegoers aren’t stopping at the concession stand before the show begins, theaters find, so they’re trying a new tactic: serving full-fledged meals at viewers’ seats. At an AMC in Kansas City, for instance, viewers can reserve luxury seats with tables between them, NPR reports. When they’re ready to order, moviegoers press a button to call the waiter. More»

Bankrupt restaurant chain offers bad food at high prices

(NEWSER) - There are a lot of theories as to why Sbarro filed for bankruptcy last month—including “too-rapid growth” and the decline of malls. But Justin Peters has “a simpler explanation: Nobody likes Sbarro,” he writes in Slate . “Devoid of atmosphere, charm, and gustatory relevance, with no signature product to call its own, it's America's least essential restaurant.” On top of that, a simple slice of pizza sets you back $3.49. More»