Biggest Restaurant No-Nos, Part 2

'Soul Kitchen' lets customers work for their dinner in New Jersey

(NEWSER) - At Jon Bon Jovi’s new restaurant, you can get “cornmeal crusted catfish with red beans and rice” or “grilled salmon with soul seasonings” without paying a cent. The restaurant aims to feed the hungry—but that doesn’t mean the meal is totally free, the Christian Science Monitor reports. You can offer a donation, or “you can bus tables, you can wait tables, you can work in the kitchen as a dishwasher or sous chef,” the rocker says. 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»

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»

Gracious habits left with George W. Bush

(NEWSER) - It used to be that one could go out for dinner with friends, eat, drink, and still be quite merry about splitting the tab. These days, however, the moment the bill arrives is the tense moment of truth: Who made do with PBR while the other slammed martinis, and who's going to pay what? “The first thing that happens is we all go for our glasses,’’ says one diner. “The nonchalance is gone. It becomes the dreaded moment.’’ More»

For one thing, no dancing

(NEWSER) - Looking to impress your future in-laws at a fancy dinner out? Follow John Mariani’s 39 steps for how to dine out like a gentleman, from Esquire :

• "A gentleman never has more than one cocktail before dinner."
• "A gentleman never takes more than one minute to decide on his meal."
• "A gentleman never talks about golf with women present."
• "A gentleman never drinks beer from a bottle at a restaurant."