"If you really want to be sure of that 7:30 p.m. table, ask for it with a French, Spanish, or Italian accent. It will brand you as a potentially bigger spender, the kind helping restaurants outlast a weak dollar and a wobbly Dow."
This advice comes from Frank Bruni of The New York Times, reporting on how restaurants are reacting to the recession.
One noticeable trend: Americans are spending less (tap water instead of bottled water, dining at bars and counters vs. formal settings, no high-end steak and lobster), while splurging foreigners rush to take advantage of favorable exchange rates.
Result? All things being equal, restaurateurs would rather seat a table of Europeans than locals. "I mean, they're just spending. It's Monopoly money to them," said one NYC general manager.
Other notable changes:
Dinner rush used to occur around 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. But outside the U.S., it's is a later-evening, so the peak is moving to 8:30 or 9:00 p.m.
Less expensive ingredients lower the cost of food. Expect to see regular crabmeat instead of jumbo lump. Shiitake instead of morel mushrooms. More starches to fill out the plate.
Menus are featuring more single-digit appetizers and "small plates."
And restaurateurs are offering more mid-range than high-end wines. "All of our wine directors are starting to play this game more aggressively," said Paul Bolles-Beaven of the Danny Meyer group. "People are spending less on wine right now, and they're not spending to impress."
Unless, that is, they're European, adds Bruni.
