http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/restaurants/ en-us Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:15:19 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2414323/posts USA Today reported the results of a study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, published in the American Journal of Public Health. The Yale University study divided diners into three groups. • One was given menus with the calories listed for the dinner entrees. • Another group was given menus that cited the calories plus a reference number that showed the recommended daily caloric intake for the average adult: about 2,000. • A third group had menus with no calories listed. Beyond Koreanfornian Cooking http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2414323/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:15:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2411624/posts What would two dozen servers from across the country tell you if they could get away with it? Well, for starters, when to go out, what not to order, what really happens behind the kitchen’s swinging doors, and what they think of you and your tips. Here, from a group that clears a median $8.01 an hour in wages and tips, a few revelations that aren’t on any menu. Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2411624/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:25:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408932/posts Mysterious Group Buys Building Next to Ground Zero For Mosque Wednesday, December 16, 2009 Jim Hoft A mysterous Muslim group with unknown sponsors has purchased a building steps away from Ground Zero. Hudson New York reported: An identified group with unknown sponsors has purchased building steps away from where the WorldTrade Center once stood — to turn it into potentially one of the largest New York City mosques. At the moment the building, the old Burlington Coat Factory, already serves as a mini-mosque: an iron grill lifts every Friday afternoon for a little known Imam leading prayers a few yards... Hudson New York Institute via GatewayPundit.FirstThings http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408932/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:28:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406413/posts The drive-through is where one American obsession—mobility—meets another: consumption. Lately, though, this societal combo platter has come under fire, as people question the drive-through's environmental impact, its place in the evolving landscape of obesity (a 1,420-calorie Hardee's Monster Thickburger without having to leave your seat!), and even who has the right to step up to its crackly intercom. There has always been something odd in the encounter between automobility and architecture; the driver momentarily breaks her sense of hermetic enclosure, while the fast-food employee briefly thrusts himself out of the window, the two meeting amid the sickly sweet commingling of... Slate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406413/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 03:02:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400603/posts "LAMBERTVILLE: Restaurant owner jailed on attempted homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and other charges" 14 May 2009 | Uncategorized LAMBERTVILLE — SNIPPET: "Khalid Altawarh, 36, who also goes by the name David Shookby, took the woman’s Jeep Wrangler and fled the scene when she escaped into the arms of a friend who had stopped by to see if she was all right. She had failed to show up for work that morning, May 8, police said. Plumstead Township, Pa., police Chief Duane E. Hasenauer said Mr. Altawarh has been charged with attempted homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and other related... CENTRAL JERSEY.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400603/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 23:41:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2395323/posts You have spoken. The nominations are in for our Best Restaurant Contest! We have your picks and now it's time for you to crown the winners in each category. TheCypressTimes.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2395323/posts#comment Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:12:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391454/posts NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Opponents of the so-called guns in bars and restaurant law won their battle in court Friday. Nine local restaurant owners filed a petition in August asking for a hearing on an injunction to challenge the law. In court on Friday, a judge found the new state law to be unconstitutional due to vagueness. The law, which allows gun carry permit holders to take their weapons into bars and restaurants where alcohol is served, went into effect in July. The law will be put on hold until lawmakers return to session in January. Some lawmakers said they would... NewsChannel5 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391454/posts#comment Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:11:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391354/posts TOKYO — The Epicurean king who oversees the Michelin Guide fears he may be banished from France. His shocking crime? Awarding Tokyo more three-star restaurant ratings than Paris, thereby crowning the Japanese metropolis the new gastronomic capital of the world. “Trust me, they’ll wait for me at customs there,” Jean-Luc Naret, director general of the famed guide to exceptional eateries, joked Thursday at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan. “Because they’ll say how dare could you have more three-stars in Tokyo than in Paris?” Michelin’s latest Tokyo edition goes on sale in Japan on Friday, and Naret has been in... Japan Today http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391354/posts#comment Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:25:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2364222/posts A popular Boca Raton chef is in jail and faces aggravated assault chargesYou have to break a few eggs to make an omelet, but one chef decided he would crack a few skulls if he had to make one more dish of mozzarella Caprese. Chef Mark DeCraepeo was arrested Wednesday night after he pulled a gun on two waitresses at his restaurant because he was tired of seeing orders for the appetizer, according to the Sun-Sentinel. "If you hang one more f---- ticket for mozzarella Caprese, I swear to God I'll shoot you in the forehead," witnesses at Pizza Time... NBC Miami http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2364222/posts#comment Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:22:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2356519/posts CHICAGO — Burger King Corp. plans to swap its generic fast-food feel and bland tiles and tabletops for a vibe that's more sit-down than drive-through. As part of a plan to be revealed Wednesday in Amsterdam, the company will announce a massive effort to overhaul its 12,000 locations worldwide. The sleek interior will include rotating red flame chandeliers, brilliant TV-screen menus and industrial-inspired corrugated metal and brick walls. "I'd call it more contemporary, edgy, futuristic," Chairman and CEO John Chidsey told The Associated Press. "It feels so much more like an upscale restaurant." But that comes with an upscale price:... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2356519/posts#comment Wed, 7 Oct 2009 06:24:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2355630/posts As Montana bars dealt with their first smoke-free weekend since the state’s indoor smoking ban went into effect, ingenuity ruled. In Missoula, according to a great piece by Michael Moore in the Missoulian, the Rhino Bar gave smokers their very own place to light up: a Butt Hutt, created by Dave Golden of Well Done Welding and Jim Bell, a general contractor. Moore describes the hut as a 4-by-8-foot “metal smoking dugout” in the alley behind the Rhino in Missoula. The no-smoking laws spark the type of debate that never seems to get extinguished. Pro-smokers argue that the bans hurt... New West http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2355630/posts#comment Tue, 6 Oct 2009 01:12:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2343152/posts CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. -- No more Cracker Barrel restaurants ever for one Georgia man. The company has banned the man accused of beating a mother at one of its restaurants from all of its locations for life. Investigators in Clayton County said Troy West beat Tasha Hill at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Morrow while yelling racial slurs after he nearly hit her 7-year-old daughter while opening the restaurant's door. Cracker Barrel Bans Suspect From Restaurant For Life The beating is leading some state lawmakers to consider pushing for a Georgia Hate Crime Law. "It's past time, but there again,... WSB-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2343152/posts#comment Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:31:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2338344/posts Despite the efforts restaurant chains from fast food to fine dining have made to add more-healthful items to the menu, consumers still aren’t buying. In a poll on chainleader.com, 82 percent of respondents say their better-for-you items are selling “lousy.” Recent research shows that customers cite economic factors as a reason for not purchasing healthful food—or as an excuse. Too Great a Cost Chicago-based foodservice consulting firm Technomic says its research shows the recession is hindering consumers’ healthy-eating behavior. Although more than half of consumers say they are more concerned about their eating habits than they were a year ago,... Chain Leader Magazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2338344/posts#comment Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:32:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2337240/posts Most parents have experienced their young children getting restless when waiting for a meal in a restaurant. But not many get the bill at the end of it with a message describing their offspring as a 'little f*****'. This is what happened to parents Craig and Kimberley Cartin at a Mexican restaurant in Halifax, West Yorkshire, where they received the receipt which had 'Thankyyou littell f*****' written on it. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212583/Family-horrified-getting-restaurant-describing-year-old-daughter-little-f--er.html#ixzz0QoIAO8Vk The Daily Mail http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2337240/posts#comment Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:57:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2334029/posts LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Every Thursday night, Lonnie Bishop and Lisa Case have a dinner date. For $5 each, the couple dines on fancy hot dogs served from a food truck parked outside their favorite wine shop in Los Angeles. The fire engine-red truck labeled "Let's be Frank" is part of a growing fleet of mobile food vendors that serve tasty and inventive fare, often organic. The trend has drawn entrepreneurs looking for opportunities in the recession and diners seeking cheap eats. The new vehicles raise the bar from the traditional "taco trucks" that sell mainly Mexican fare at construction... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2334029/posts#comment Mon, 7 Sep 2009 17:23:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330380/posts The Quick 10: 10 Secret Menu Itemsby Stacy Conradt - August 31, 2009 - 3:26 PM _Flossers: Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to seek out covert items at fast food chains around the country. Be warned, this mission includes very real dangers such as hardening arteries and skyrocketing cholesterol. But we know you won’t let us down. We’ve compiled a list to get you started. 1. In-N-Out Burger’s “secret menu” isn’t so secret these days – in fact, they’ve posted it on their website. But in case you’re not in the habit of surfing fast... Mental Floss http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330380/posts#comment Wed, 2 Sep 2009 15:43:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330159/posts Childhood Obesity Report Calls For Government Regulations to Limit Access to ‘Unhealthy’ Restaurant Chains Wednesday, September 02, 2009 By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer (CNSNews.com) - A newly released report by the Institute for Medicine and the National Research Council details strategies for local governments to combat what it calls an epidemic of childhood obesity, including enacting zoning and land-use regulations that would “restrict fast food establishments near school grounds and public playgrounds.” The report, “Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity,” was compiled by the Committee on Childhood Obesity Prevention Actions for Local Governments, a committee of health care... CNS NEWS.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330159/posts#comment Wed, 2 Sep 2009 10:08:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2326080/posts In these recessionary times, patrons of Hooters are more interested in eying their wallets than scantily clad waitresses, or so it would seem. The Atlanta-based restaurant chain, better known for its buxom waitresses than its cuisine, is joining the gaggle of casual-dining establishments in offering a value-priced menu in the hope of drawing more... umm, clientele. Seeing as the NFL regular season is nearly underway and testosterone is hanging heavy in the air, the new menu features a football theme, says Hooters. It's a seasonal menu for the fall. New menu items start at $4.99 for "Loaded Chips," thick-sliced potato... WalletPop http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2326080/posts#comment Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:28:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2323520/posts (CNSNews.com) – Restaurant chains with 20 or more stores would be required to display nutrition information, including calorie counts and “suggested daily caloric intake” on their menus, under a mandate contained in the health-care reform bill drafted by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. CNSNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2323520/posts#comment Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:59:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2307133/posts MIAMI, July 31 (UPI) -- The owner of restaurant chain Mr. Chow alleges a rival restaurateur sent a spy to his soon-to-open Miami eatery to learn Mr. Chow's secrets. Michael Chow, who started his first Mr. Chow store more than 30 years ago, added "corporate espionage" to the charges in his trademark infringement suit against Philippe Chow, a former employee who owns a restaurant across the street from the new Mr. Chow, the New York Post reported Friday. The lawsuit claims a 65-year-old man disguised as a chef was present when kitchen staff were being briefed on plans for the... UPI http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2307133/posts#comment Mon, 3 Aug 2009 16:07:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2298539/posts Men Kicked Out of Restaurant for Kissing (El Paso Times cannot be posted) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2298539/posts#comment Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:56:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283546/posts Here the second derivative is turning down Here's some second-derivative worsening from the restaurant industry: Restaurant Industry Outlook Softened in May as Restaurant Performance Index Posted First Decline in Five Months The outlook for the restaurant industry was dampened somewhat in May, as the National Restaurant Association’s comprehensive index of restaurant activity registered its first decline in five months. The Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 98.3 in May, down 0.3 percent from April and its 19th consecutive month below 100.... The Business Insider http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283546/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 20:30:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2271703/posts In the famous Agatha Cristie novel And Then There Were None a group of people on an island mysteriously begins to die off due to accident or foul play. Thankfully, this is happening in real life today with state bans on carrying concealed handgun guns for lawful purposes in alcohol serving restaurants. Last year Georgia repealed its ban on concealed carry in restaurants, and today Tennessee's ban died as well after an historic veto override by the legislature. . . . But unlike the world of novels, onerous restrictions on gun rights don't just mysteriously disappear. Gun control laws tend... The Examiner.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2271703/posts#comment Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:34:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2239842/posts What Does a Potential Swine Flu Pandemic Mean to Restaurant Operators? Swine flu is all over the news and discussed at the water cooler, and some people are scared. Presumably some restaurant-goers and employees are among those needing reassurance. Here are some ways to help. -- Restaurants and Institutions, 4/27/2009 12:45:00 PM Today, swine flu is all over the news and discussed at the water cooler. It's the top search term on Twitter, and it has tweeters scared. Some are afraid to go to work or school--or are using it as a good excuse not to attend. Others are wondering... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2239842/posts#comment Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:13:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2239266/posts Recession-hit restaurants are helping themselves to your wallet by serving you an extra side of super sneaky charges. The Post last week found city eateries subtly billing customers for things usually free -- including bread and butter. Although managers claim the prices are clearly marked on menus, the outrageous charges can backfire on restaurants, experts said. Unexpected costs found by The Post include: * A $1-per-person charge for water at West Village restaurant Bobo -- noted on the menu but not mentioned by waiters. The drink is filtered tap water. Staff said the money funds the filtration. "If anyone doesn't... NY Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2239266/posts#comment Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:12:11 GMT