Home > Table Talk > Archives > 2007 > November > 09
Friday, November 9, 2007
Do You Dine LIte?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The immense popularity of restaurants like Seasons 52 are proving at least one thing about trends in dining: We at least want to SEEM like we’re watching the fat and calories.
Seasons 52’s entire menu is devoted to cutting back, and I’ve just finished a review of Here to Serve Restaurants’ new showy spot, Lola Bellini Bar & Restaurant, which sports a “Lolita” section of the menu that touts entrees for a mere 600 calories.
Personally, I HATE the idea of this kind of watered down approach to dining out; I tend to enjoy a variety of dishes from a menu, but never eat more than a few tastes. In other words, moderation.
But others really like the option. And since Americans are teetering on being the fattest nation on the planet, it’s hard to argue with this kind of calorie calculating.
What side of the fence are you on? Do you like the idea of “light” menus, or do they seem like a waste of time for a dinner out?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
It’s time to talk turkey
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For Thanksgiving this year, I’m buying a turkey from a local farm, one that’s raised on pasture. I ordered the turkey last summer, before the farmer got his poults in. I’m looking forward to preparing it, and learning more about the difference in how a turkey that walks around on grass all days tastes, compared to one raised in confined quarters and given feed, as the traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece is.
Usually I make a last-minute run to the store, hoping to find a fresh bird that’s about the right size. (And they never are. They’re always 20 pounds or larger, if you wait until the day before Thanksgiving. And everything else is frozen.)
Grocery stores, of course, want us to start thinking about booking a turkey earlier. Whole Foods Market had a media tasting of its takeout menu on Nov. 8, complete with wine pairings. (Since I’d just faux-fried a turkey in a new infrared cooker from Char-Broil two days earlier, I passed up the chance for yet more turkey and missed the early feast.) Restaurants have been sending menus for a few weeks.
We’re still sorting through Halloween candy at my house, and except for ordering the turkey, haven’t thought about anything else related to Thanksgiving. What about you? When do you start putting together the holiday meal? Have you ever bought a special turkey, like a heritage breed? If so, was it worth the extra money?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Local Food
