Menu Language: Good, Bad, and Ugly

[Chris Amirault]

Reading up on the szechuan peppercorn thread, I saw this quotation from Jon Lurie:

Jason, out of a perverse need to try everything on the menu at least once, notices that there is a dish we haven't tried yet.  I'm not sure of the exact name, but it was a boring name--something like Capsicum Beef. The dish was FAR from boring.

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As I read Jon's reference to the boring name, I thought of a theory I've long had (and foisted upon friends at restaurants), which is that the number of adjectives in the name or description of a menu item is inversely proportional to the pleasure it creates in my mouth. That is to say, when it comes to menu item names and descriptions, I'm squarely a "less-is-more" kind of guy. Apparently, I'm in the minority, though; I once read that "crispy" is the most frequently used adjective on menus, and that using that word increases orders something like 20-40%. (Corrections, sources, or eye-rolling appreciated at this time.)

So, what do you think? Do names matter? Would you have ordered "capiscum beef"? Or would you have gone for the crispy prawns in savory lemon sauce?

[Tonyy13]

As someone who regularly used to write menus (our menu changed daily at my previous restaurant), I am all about the least amount of words, sometimes, even just listing the highlighting ingredients.

For example: Grilled Fillet Mignon, Potato Torta, Wild Mushrooms, Sauce Jerez.

One of the reasons that I used to do this was because I didn't want people to be dissapointed by an appetizer that featured only about a cup full of food, with a description that took longer to read it than to eat it. I also like the aspect of a diner saying "What is Potato Torta and Sauce Jerez?" This fosters an atmosphere of learning for both the guest, and the people cooking the food. I think that in today's food conscious society, there is a desire to know as much as you can about food, and if I can give someone a great meal, and a little education, all the better for me.

[ghostrider]

I get really pissed off when I order "sauteed scallops" and am delivered a plate of "scallops dipped in egg batter."

I don't need adjectives but I really appreciate succinct descriptions of the items on offer.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Do yourself a big favor and take a look at this marvelous article by Sara Dickerman of Slate:

Eat Your Words: a Guide to Menu English

many self-satisfied menus take the freshness bit to the next level, referring, redundantly, to how food is procured, calling greens "gathered," wild mushrooms "foraged," and absurd little microgreens "hand-plucked." When David Bouley offers "Freshly Harpooned Tuna Sashimi With Shaved Fennel Dressed in Herb Oils and a Spicy Marinade," one almost pictures him, Ahab-like, in his chef's whites, readying to spear the slippery bugger himself.

Very perceptive woman, Sara Dickerman, and she gets this just right!

There is a certain class of adjective that appears on restaurant menus and almost nowhere else: Roasted, Crisped, Seared, Glazed, and Lacquered (often hyphenated, for emphasis, with the likes of "Pan-, Oven-, Wok-, Maple-, and Honey-. You can play menu Mad Libs).

[lovebenton0]

Do yourself a big favor and take a look at this marvelous article by Sara Dickerman of Slate:

Eat Your Words: a Guide to Menu English

many self-satisfied menus take the freshness bit to the next level, referring, redundantly, to how food is procured, calling greens "gathered," wild mushrooms "foraged," and absurd little microgreens "hand-plucked." When David Bouley offers "Freshly Harpooned Tuna Sashimi With Shaved Fennel Dressed in Herb Oils and a Spicy Marinade," one almost pictures him, Ahab-like, in his chef's whites, readying to spear the slippery bugger himself.

Very perceptive woman, Sara Dickerman, and she gets this just right!

There is a certain class of adjective that appears on restaurant menus and almost nowhere else: Roasted, Crisped, Seared, Glazed, and Lacquered (often hyphenated, for emphasis, with the likes of "Pan-, Oven-, Wok-, Maple-, and Honey-. You can play menu Mad Libs).

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Spot on article, GG, a good find. Some of those menus sound like our Dinner thread. I appreciate it there where we are sharing not only what we ate but what/how we cooked it, for a purpose. However, at a restaurant I'd prefer a little less verbage, adjective wise, a bit of "less is more" can be a good thing. If I want to know more, I'll ask. I prefer to read something like:

For example: Grilled Fillet Mignon, Potato Torta, Wild Mushrooms, Sauce Jerez.

And appreciate it if the server can educate me when necessary.

[Chris Amirault]

Great post, Tonyy13!

As someone who regularly used to write menus (our menu changed daily at my previous restaurant), I am all about the least amount of words, sometimes, even just listing the highlighting ingredients. 

For example:  Grilled Fillet Mignon, Potato Torta, Wild Mushrooms, Sauce Jerez. 

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Not only is it nice and simple, but less writing for you!

One of the reasons that I used to do this was because I didn't want people to be dissapointed by an appetizer that featured only about a cup full of food, with a description that took longer to read it than to eat it.

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A "description that took longer to read it than to eat it" is perfect, just perfect!

I also like the aspect of a diner saying "What is Potato Torta and Sauce Jerez?"  This fosters an atmosphere of learning for both the guest, and the people cooking the food.  I think that in today's food conscious society, there is a desire to know as much as you can about food, and if I can give someone a great meal, and a little education, all the better for me.

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I think that's right. I also like the idea that I get the information when I ask for it, instead of getting the drill after sitting down: "For our specials today, we're serving beef carpaccio with caperberries, asiago, lemon, extra virgin olive oil, and three sides: a vidalia onion and currant chutney, a parsnip and cardoon slaw, and ...." Huh?!? What?!? Anxiously trying to recall the damned ingredient list is not the way I like to transition into a meal....

[kellytree]

"For our specials today, we're serving beef carpaccio with caperberries, asiago, lemon, extra virgin olive oil, and three sides: a vidalia onion and currant chutney, a parsnip and cardoon slaw, and ...." Huh?!? What?!? Anxiously trying to recall the damned ingredient list is not the way I like to transition into a meal....

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[Jinmyo]

Menu descriptions should be concise.

The customer can then enquire for more detail about dishes they are particularly interested in.

[NulloModo]

I am not a big fan of superfluous adjectives, but I don't really mind them either.

I very much appreciate when the menu lists if an item is sauced/glazed/breaded/etc when one might not normally expect such an item to come this way however. I also see nothing wrong with a basic name for a dish then a small paragraph underneat explaining what the dish is.

[Really Nice!]

The same goes for cookbooks. When I scan through cookbooks, the more adjectives and adverbs I see the sooner I put the book back on the shelf.

[Jinmyo]

Yes, NulloModo, if there is something unusual or contrary to expectations then it should be mentioned.

An exception though is a bit of a sense of humour as long as it is actually funny.

[ghostrider]

Do yourself a big favor and take a look at this marvelous article by Sara Dickerman of Slate:

Eat Your Words: a Guide to Menu English

many self-satisfied menus take the freshness bit to the next level, referring, redundantly, to how food is procured, calling greens "gathered," wild mushrooms "foraged," and absurd little microgreens "hand-plucked." When David Bouley offers "Freshly Harpooned Tuna Sashimi With Shaved Fennel Dressed in Herb Oils and a Spicy Marinade," one almost pictures him, Ahab-like, in his chef's whites, readying to spear the slippery bugger himself.

Very perceptive woman, Sara Dickerman, and she gets this just right!

There is a certain class of adjective that appears on restaurant menus and almost nowhere else: Roasted, Crisped, Seared, Glazed, and Lacquered (often hyphenated, for emphasis, with the likes of "Pan-, Oven-, Wok-, Maple-, and Honey-. You can play menu Mad Libs).

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She forgot "Drizzled," a term I seem to have seen way too often this year. Otherwise spot on.

[tanabutler]

Yeah, too bad the link to the eG article on the menu at El Bulli is dead, too.

[dumplin]

I want to pick a meal when I am handed a menu; If I wanted to read a novel, I would go to Barnes and Noble. An adjective or two is necessary--I'm not really interested in a boiled filet mignon. I also want to know if some sadistic chef is going to drown some lovely meat in reduction sauce because he hasn't figured we're out of the 90s yet. I now like the little paragraphs that tell what supporting ingredients are included in my selection. I have a few food allergies, and I want to know if I will still be breathing through my nose by the time my dessert menu arrives.I ask the servers, but since I live a little far out from the metropolis area, good servers are in short supply. My observation has been that the restaurants that include the most descriptive adjectives on the menu are the restaurants in transitional areas from urban to suburban. People that are not used to upscale dining will need to know exactly what they are getting themselves into...a lot go back to TGI Fridays, etc.

[Chris Amirault]

My observation has been that the restaurants that include the most descriptive adjectives on the menu are the restaurants in transitional areas from urban to suburban. People that are not used to upscale dining will need to know exactly what they are getting themselves into...a lot go back to TGI Fridays, etc.

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This is fascinating anecdotal evidence. Seems to suggest that adjectival excess may, at least in these cases, be pedagogical, an attempt to educate the masses and their palates. If you have examples, dumplin, please share!

[JAZ]

I think there's a balance -- perhaps difficult to achieve, but good to strive for.

I don't like reading a novella for each dish, but neither do I like ordering a beet salad, for example, and having it arrive with blue cheese all over it (I hate blue cheese). Blue cheese seems to be a major enough ingredient that it should be mentioned.

Likewise, I don't really need to know if the beets were roasted, steamed or boiled. When I'm ordering a filet of sole, though, I like to know if it's fried, sauteed or steamed.

[dumplin]

I hope you don't mind me raising this thread, but I've been away this past week. I live outside of Chicago, but I'm right on the edge of the cornfields. There is a new restaurant here called Monterros. It is upscale and has an impressive array of dishes that are not found at most other local restaurants. The meat dishes aren't grilled and served with your choice of potato. One dish--I can't remember if it was chicken or beef--had fresh sauteed spinach with fresh crab and shrimp and grated parmesan-asiago cheese on top. This fact was put in small writing under the name of the dish so patrons would know what to expect. My husband was more than delighted when his appetiser, a smaller version of the above dish appeared with the above items, but a lot of men would be less than pleased. My BIL doesn't like things on his meat. He likes plain meat and potatoes, although he will ask for cheese on broccoli at a restaurant. Hmm...cheese, spit and broccoli, yum. If the server had to explain every item on the menu, it would take two hours to order. Most of the time we try to find a restaurant that serves simple food for the masses. Every once in a while someone ropes us into having to go to an expensive place with a neanderthal. It's embarrasing enough to be seen in public with someone who has no taste, make it easier on us, please.

Also, a few adjectives may get someone to order something they normally wouldn't. I LOVE French Onion soup if it is done right. This restaurant, Moterros, served theirs in a huge roasted onion with fried onion strips. I would have passed right over that since I don't normally eat soup at dinner, but I had to try it. It is in the top 3 French Onion Soups I've had. I'm planning on taking my mom there for lunch to have the soup with salad.

I have heard at countless upscale restaurants comments like this, " They put what on their chicken? Why can't they just do it like __fill__in__chain___here. I don't know why people spend good money to eat this crap." I've heard this more than once. Some people just don't get good food.

Edited December 11, 2004 by dumplin (log)

[cjs]

I think there's a balance -- perhaps difficult to achieve, but good to strive for.

I don't like reading a novella for each dish, but neither do I like ordering a beet salad, for example, and having it arrive with blue cheese all over it (I hate blue cheese). Blue cheese seems to be a major enough ingredient that it should be mentioned.

Likewise, I don't really need to know if the beets were roasted, steamed or boiled. When I'm ordering a filet of sole, though, I like to know if it's fried, sauteed or steamed.

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ditto that

[ghostrider]

I am getting really tired of finding diver scallops and day boat scallops everywhere I go.

Is there any place these days that aspires to be something more than Red Lobster that doesn't have diver/day boat scallops?

Do these terms have any meaning at this point? I don't take them seriously; they are simply excess verbiage. I love scallops and may well order yours, but not because you've put one of those "d" words on the menu.

I have found myself wondering whether all diver scallops are by definition day boat scallops, or whether there are cruel boat owners who make the divers stay out there on the water day after day after day, until they've met their quota.

(I'd thought that this general topic must have been raised before on eG, but several searches on various terms yielded nothing. If I've missed it, I'm sure that someone will merge this.)

[Pan]

Yeah, I also think there was a previous thread about this that I might have posted to, and I'm also not sure what the title was. So I may have mentioned this before, but I don't want "home made" items at a restaurant. I hope that whatever I get at a restaurant was restaurant-made!

[mizducky]

If I see the phrase "to perfection" on a menu one more time, I swear I'm gonna throw something. Most likely a fit.

I mean, what the hell is the point of even including that phrase? Like they were originally planning to cook my food to imperfection, but had a better idea?

And that goes for any such similar meaningless verbiage on menus. Writing workshop leaders always harrangue their participants to "show, not tell" in their prose. I say to menu writers: if the food itself shows me how good it is, you don't need to tell me, I'll figure it out. And if the food shows me how good it isn't, all the text in the world telling me how good you thought was won't magically change my mind.

[Chris Amirault]

I found an earlier topic on menu language and merged it with this more recent thread.

[Kent Wang]

If I see the phrase "to perfection" on a menu one more time, I swear I'm gonna throw something. Most likely a fit.

Agreed. Useless adjectives like yummy, scrumptious and delicious have no place either. I'd rather not hear those words from the waiter either. In fact, it's really quite presumptuous.

[Chris Amirault]

Kent, the world need to know on what menus the word "yummy" is found!! I hope Dairy Queen trademarked "scrumdillyicious"....

[Kent Wang]

I try to forget the bad restaurants that I go to, but a Google seach turned up at least one restaurant that uses 'yummy' on their menu: Solomon's Landing Restaurant Bar and Grill.

Fresh Seafood Soup - $130

Made fresh daily with scallops, shrimp, crab and fish; Yummy!

It better be yummy -- and filled with shark's fin -- if I'm paying $130 for a bowl of soup!

Actually, it's a restaurant in Mexico so I guess they're pesos.

More egregious self-promotion:

Jumbo Shrimp and Catch of the Day  - $190

Succulent jumbo shrimps sautéed in garlic butter combined with fresh fish charbroiled in a lemon butter sauce; perfection at its finest

Homemade Banana Split - $60

Scoop of both vanilla and strawberry ice cream, ripe banana on either side, topped with whipped cream, almonds and luscious hot fudge

Edited November 14, 2005 by Kent Wang (log)