Kim Severson in an article in the NY Times today asks: Is the Entree Headed for Extinction? It seems people find a steak or breast of chicken too much of a good thing. She says:
Kim Severson:
Why is the entree in danger of becoming the California condor of the menu?
One theory is that people like to customize their worlds. Personalized playlists on iPods have replaced albums. TiVo has replaced channel surfing. In this quick-cut, video-on-demand universe, the entree is Walter Cronkite.
“As a diner, the idea of me chewing 17 bites of one thing and another 17 bites of another is absolutely boring, and not how I want to eat,” said the chef Mario Batalli. “At the lower end, people are looking for options.” Two of his New York restaurants, Otto and Casa Mono, have no main courses at all.
Andrew Freeman, a restaurant consultant based in San Francisco, said customers who see a new ingredient on a food show or a blog want to try it without committing to an entire plateful.
I must admit that yesterday I dined on two lunches out, so being able to feast on salads rather than entrees allowed that. Even so, I brought the second salad home for dinner. I was already scheduled for an early lunch, and then, Frieda, Chris's fiancee emailed and said she had the day off and could we meet for lunch, so we did meet at 2, and we enjoyed sharing champagne and talk so much that it was the rest of the afternoon until the night. She has found her dress for the wedding, which is exquisite and perfect for her and the location, so we toasted that and we toasted their engagement and all the steps of it and it was lovely and a great treat, so perhaps that is why the entree is disappearing. We feast in a variety of bites.
She asked if I wanted to have my hair and make-up done, too, the day of the wedding. She thinks it will be fun if her mother and I also are decorative and pampered and she said when she bought the dress, they handed her champagne in a can with a straw. She is thinking that we can drink champagne while we get ready for the wedding. That does sound fun. Times have changed, and I see that the feasting goes on and on. This wedding will begin for us on Thursday, July 3rd with the rehearsal dinner, and end on Sunday with a brunch. They are planning a barbecue for Friday, the fourth of July, and then, the wedding late in the afternoon on the fifth. It will be days of feasting, and, so, of course, I see the need for many small bites.
May our days be rich in new tastes, allowing each of us to imbibe and consider new ways.