8
The Most Overused Menu Descriptions
From 'grilled to perfection' to 'garden fresh'
By Nick McMaster
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Posted Jul 6, 09 6:14 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Tired of menus that use the same old phrases over and over? So are the food critics at the Chicago Tribune. They nominated nine menu clichés for the compost pile:
- "Grilled to perfection": Subjective to the point of meaninglessness. And why always grilled, and not “boiled” or “baked”? Can only grilling reach perfection?
- "World famous": Almost always an empty boast.
- "Kobe burger": “Kobe” is becoming a general synonym for “high quality”; it doesn't apply unless the beef actually came from Japan.
- "Shrimp scampi," "eggplant alla melanzane," "with au jus": All use non-English words in a daft attempt to sound cultured. Translations: “shrimp shrimp,” “eggplant in the style of eggplant,” “with with juice.”
- "Garden fresh": Even factory-style mega-franchises like Subway describe their produce this way,
- “Homemade": Besides the fact that it’s almost always a lie, shouldn’t food be made in the restaurant?
- "Melt in your mouth": If steak is really melting in your mouth, something’s wrong.