Zagat's has compiled a list of the 10 most annoying new trends in dining based on its massive pool of restaurant reviews. Since every negative deserves a positive, we've included some great stories on group dining from our archives.
1. Communal tables
Let's face it, if you start talking to the person next to you at a communal table, you're probably ruining a special night. Restaurants need to stop the insanity!
2. “The Civil War” look
A hallmark of the “Brooklyn aesthetic,” says Zagat, is that more and more restaurants nationwide are being decked out with rickety wood furniture to add "atmosphere."
3. Chalkboard menus
Kindergarten touches shouldn't come with MBA prices, right?
4. Mustachioed bartenders
Zagat's asks if you really need Wyatt Earp mixing up your martini.
5. "Gourmet punch"
Punch is fine for large gatherings, but at a restaurant?
6. Iceless table water
Global warming is no excuse for skimping on cubes.
7. Pop-up restaurants
Here today and gone tomorrow isn't good for anyone's business.
8. "Comfort food" menus
Enough with the overpriced pork chops and mac 'n cheese.
9. Sliders
These days, anything between two little pieces of bread is being passed off as a slider.
10. Bread baskets you have to pay for
Restaurants that charge for bread are as irritating as airlines that charge for a bag of peanuts, Zagat's argues.
Source:
Zagat's