interesting discussion on the small plate, tapas and other food trends:

 

 

 

Are entrees extinct?

 

By Hailey Eber

September 21, 2013 | 7:30pm

 

 

You might not realize it, but until recently, many of New York’s top toques were subject to what chef Wylie Dufresne has called the “tyranny of the entree.” Under the oppressive regime, most restaurants thought it necessary to serve “main dishes” — large plates of food containing an entire varied meal for one person, at a single, vaguely reasonable price.

 

But you won’t find me in the streets happily crying, “Viva la revolución!” In the name of supposedly giving diners more choice, the entree has been forced out by trendy small plates, family-style eating and tasting menus. Lately, I’ve found myself missing having the choice to order a main course.

 

 

more:

http://nypost.com/2013/09/21/are-entrees-extinct/

 

Golden Corral already knows this.

lol!!

He should move to Cleveland. The entree is alive and well here. Fads become trends when the rest of the country embraces them.

*That moment when you realize the writer is female. 

Entrees not entree's. Unless the entree is actually possessing something.

*That moment when you realize the writer is female. 

 

Men and women really do write very differently for the most part.

I can't stand tapas and "grazing" type meals. Appetizers and sides are great, but at a certain point I want something I can just eat the hell out of till I don't want to eat anymore. I also like having a dish of my own that I'm not sharing with others and worrying whether I'm eating too much or whether I should finish the last piece. And then there's the issue of a la carte being more expensive, generally. Yeah, so, me and tapas don't really mix. And I'm certainly not a stereotypical overweight, Midwestern, meat-and-potatoes type.

 

This type of "meal" is nice if it's a couple hours past dinner and I'm out for drinks, but that's about the only time I find it satisfying.

 

Men and women really do write very differently for the most part.

 

Also smaller bodies and correspondingly smaller appetites. It just struck me that lesbians must save a lot on food bills. And bear couples must really get killed in that area.

^ you and the writer of that are sympatico for sure.

 

*That moment when you realize the writer is female. 

 

;)

 

 

Also smaller bodies and correspondingly smaller appetites. It just struck me that lesbians must save a lot on food bills. And bear couples must really get killed in that area.

 

I don't know about you, but I've seen lesbians absolutely slay some large meals.

^ Are you sure they weren't just Lebanese?

 

I'm with Natininja on this. I hate sharing plates. I ordered something because I like it. I don't want to try yours and if you try to take something off my plate I'm going to fork you.

 

BTW, I am a stereotypical overweight, Midwestern, type. And I'm filled with meat-rage. Come get some!

Also smaller bodies and correspondingly smaller appetites. It just struck me that lesbians must save a lot on food bills. And bear couples must really get killed in that area.

 

I don't know about you, but I've seen lesbians absolutely slay some large meals.

 

Certainly there are many notable exceptions (Rosie O'Donnell?), but on the whole women eat fewer calories than men.

 

The people I can think of who are really into the whole shared-plates-as-meals thing are all women, which makes sense since it's a better value proposition for someone who is happy eating less. The exception would be guys I know who like sushi.

indian buffet for confiteordeo and me

I find that "foodie" people like myself, both male and female, prefer sharing plates because we eat for social connection and, loving food a TON, like to be able to try 8 things at once without ordering 8 dishes. I don't need to sit and plow through one giant meal. I can eat a TON of food, but particularly when I am going somewhere where I've heard the food is really good but I haven't been there before, I want to try as many things as possible. It's not financially feasible to do this when it's all entrees and it's just you and another person out together. But when 4 or 6 epicures (gluttons? call us what you will) go out, we all order like 2 things each so everyone can try everything and you can get a really good picture overall of what the chef is putting out. For me, it's more about what the chef is putting out and being able to try a bunch of things (and still get very full) than it is sitting down to a single, boring meal and plowing through it.

 

More than half the foodie people I associate with are women. And they can put away a ton of food. Salad eaters and skinny types are not interested in plowing through ANYTHING.

I can't stand tapas and "grazing" type meals. Appetizers and sides are great, but at a certain point I want something I can just eat the hell out of till I don't want to eat anymore. I also like having a dish of my own that I'm not sharing with others and worrying whether I'm eating too much or whether I should finish the last piece. And then there's the issue of a la carte being more expensive, generally. Yeah, so, me and tapas don't really mix. And I'm certainly not a stereotypical overweight, Midwestern, meat-and-potatoes type.

 

This type of "meal" is nice if it's a couple hours past dinner and I'm out for drinks, but that's about the only time I find it satisfying.

 

 

I think it really depends on where you are eating.  If I'm at a steakhouse, or a place with relatively few options, I prefer having my own plate.  However, if I'm at a restaurant that has a lot of options, I like getting a lot of different plates to share, so I can taste more of the menu. When I go out to eat with friends or family, we usually end up getting a bunch of different things to start, and if anything is particularly good, we get another one.  If people are still hungry when the food is about out, we order more food...maybe something we already have tried, maybe something new.  I just find it a much more comfortable way to eat.  You get to space out your meals, you don't tend to over eat as much, and you get a variety of food.

I like the Portlandia description of this seemingly never ending trend of small plates: “Did we mention it's tapas, so they're small plates but they cost as much as regular plates.

I remember one time I was at an open mic at a tapas bar and somebody had a pizza delivered to their table from down the street. It didn't go over well.

^^^^ and ^^^ agreed.

The entrees many restaurants serve are disturbingly large...  I find myself ordering [relatively] small plates not to graze or share, but just to have a normal portioned meal with a little variety.

I find that "foodie" people like myself, both male and female, prefer sharing plates because we eat for social connection and, loving food a TON, like to be able to try 8 things at once without ordering 8 dishes. I don't need to sit and plow through one giant meal. I can eat a TON of food, but particularly when I am going somewhere where I've heard the food is really good but I haven't been there before, I want to try as many things as possible. It's not financially feasible to do this when it's all entrees and it's just you and another person out together. But when 4 or 6 epicures (gluttons? call us what you will) go out, we all order like 2 things each so everyone can try everything and you can get a really good picture overall of what the chef is putting out. For me, it's more about what the chef is putting out and being able to try a bunch of things (and still get very full) than it is sitting down to a single, boring meal and plowing through it.

 

More than half the foodie people I associate with are women. And they can put away a ton of food. Salad eaters and skinny types are not interested in plowing through ANYTHING.

 

Totally agree.  I've mentioned on here before that I used to work at Jean Georges when I lived in NYC and he was one of the pioneers of the tasting menu (which I don't like personally, I find them kind of pretentious.  I prefer democratic tapas sharing) but the idea is trying small portions of many things.  Here in LA, I've worked for Tom Colicchio at Craft and everything is family style.  Most recently I worked with David Lentz (husband of Suzanne Goin-the mega chef who owns A.O.C., Tavern and  Lucques in LA) at his Hungry Cat restaurants and the portions there were mostly meant to share as well.  I think most people like to share at least a couple items even if they get their own entree..

I like the Portlandia description of this seemingly never ending trend of small plates: “Did we mention it's tapas, so they're small plates but they cost as much as regular plates.

 

For those of us who have been to spain it makes us croak.  Tapas are normally $1-3 snacks you eat in bars.  Anything more than that seems yuppie and pretentious.

at traditional app/entree restaurants, when i go eat with my spouse we end up ordering 1-2 appetizers and splitting only one entree anyway. most times it seems like entrees are just too much food for one person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

at traditional app/entree restaurants, when i go eat with my spouse we end up ordering 1-2 appetizers and splitting only one entree anyway. most times it seems like entrees are just too much food for one person.

 

I'm fine with taking home leftovers.

 

I know an elderly gent who proudly has never taken home any leftover food, like it's classless to do so. Tell that to people who can't afford to eat!

at traditional app/entree restaurants, when i go eat with my spouse we end up ordering 1-2 appetizers and splitting only one entree anyway. most times it seems like entrees are just too much food for one person.

 

I'm fine with taking home leftovers.

 

I know an elderly gent who proudly has never taken home any leftover food, like it's classless to do so. Tell that to people who can't afford to eat!

 

^efing old mannn - lol j/k! yeah im quick to order whatever and take the leftovers to-go too, but only if we happen to be heading straight home afterward, which isnt always the case. and the leftovers sure dont go to waste either!

 

funny enough my spouse is out for ladies nite tonight and you know they order a bunch of stuff to share no matter where they go, but tonight they said they are eating malaysian, which is small plates and shareable traditionally anyway. so not so trendy when its ethnically typical -- i guess that puts a twist on the whole plating size thing.

 

 

 

are small plates meant to be shared? or no?

 

http://m.ny.eater.com/archives/2014/04/fussy_pricey_little_small_plates_drive_pete_wells_insane.php