Denis Culinary Tours

A new Zagat survey tracks American dining out trends and behaviors New Orleans diners tip the best, Hawaiians the worst, diners think that texting at the table is rude and that food should be locally sourced, organic or sustainably raised. Those were among the findings of Zagat's survey of 153,000 diners as it compiled its 2011 America’s Top Restaurants guide, which was released Wednesday. Sixty-eight percent of participants in the survey said they thought it was important for the food they eat to be locally sourced, organic or sustainably raised, and 60 percent said they would even pay more for such food. Nearly a third, 31 percent, said they sought out restaurants specializing in such “green” cuisine. Most diners — 85 percent — said it was fine to take pictures of food and each other at restaurants, but 63 percent said texting, tweeting and talking on cell phones was rude and inappropriate. Diners are eating out a little less than before the recession — 3.1 times per week, compar...

The Drum Room in Kansas City’s Hilton President hotel has a brand new beat. The Drum Room proudly introduces new Chef Eric Carter along with a new menu specializing in the finest steaks Kansas City has to offer, along with a variety of Chef Carter’s culinary specialties, including fish and seafood choices, as well as chicken and pork Osso Bucco. Executive Chef Eric Carter recently joined the Hilton President and has created a unique yet familiar dining experience for the famous Drum Room restaurant. Using only 100% Natural Angus Beef along with the freshest regional ingredients available, Chef Carter has created dishes using familiar styles of simple Midwestern cooking and presents them with a unique contemporary flair. The Drum Room lounge, with its famous Happy Hour appetizers and renowned drink specials, is the only place to be for after work cocktails or for a sophisticated evening in the Power and Light District. On Friday and Saturday nights, jazz entertainers such as Meagan Bird...

It is no secret that the foodservice industry has suffered recently through a bleak economy; but the silver lining of the cloud could actually turn out to be icing. Technomic’s newest study finds that for the past three years, more consumers have consistently eaten more dessert. Occupying the smallest portion of most restaurant menus, dessert presents a strong growth opportunity for operators looking to increase sales. “Dessert is unique, because it not only involves sensory appeal, but also sparks strong emotional drivers,” says Technomic EVP Darren Tristano. “If someone wants to reward themselves after a bad day, they might splurge on a dessert to feel better; but if they want to celebrate after a good day, they might do the same thing. Motivations for craving dessert run the gamut." Tristano added that only 1 percent of Technomic's survey respondents said they did not eat dessert, and 70 percent eat dessert at least once a week. What Restaurant's Dessert do you enjoy?

According to Iremam (the French Institute of Research on Arab and Muslim civilisations) there are over 5 million Muslims in France and the halal market is four times more valuable than the market for organic food. Etude Solis, a market research firm specialised in ethnic marketing, are more modest in their estimations stating that it is at least twice the size of the organic market and are forecasting that by the end of 2010 it will be worth €4.5 billion, of which €1 billion will be spent in foodservice. With eight million Muslims in the US, and the average family in the country spending around $2100 on food yearly, Chaudry estimates the US Halal market to be worth $16bn. Quick, McDonald’s key competitor in France, announced that their sales in the eight outlets running a halal trial since November 2009 have doubled to date. Carrefour Malaysia becomes the first hypermarket to offer full halal products within the three main sections of the supermarket chain. The halal industry was a hig...

From One Addiction to the Next: Starbucks To Offer Beer and Wine By: Megan Gibson (21 hours ago) Topics: alcohol, beer, business, franchise, Seattle, starbucks, wine Starbucks patrons could soon be riding an entirely new kind of buzz. In an effort to attract more evening customers--reportedly, Starbucks gets 70% of its business before 2 p.m.--the coffee franchise is looking to offer regional beers and wines. A location in Seattle is the first to offer alcohol in its newly revamped store. Kris Engskov, a region vice president for Starbucks, said, "What we've done is we've tried to create a variety of options that you might find in more of a restaurant at night." (Check out TIME's Q&A with Starbucks founder, Howard Schultz.) If the Seattle location does well, it likely will only be a matter of time before other locations start offering beer and wine, as well as a wider variety of food. And don't worry about feeling out of place in a traditional Starbucks wit...

More than 1,000 years ago, a goatherd in Ethiopia' south-western highlands plucked a few red berries from some young green trees growing there in the forest and tasted them. He liked the flavour and the feel-good effect that followed. Today those self-same berries, dried, roasted and ground, have become the world's second most popular non-alcoholic beverage after tea. And, as David Beatty discovers in words and pictures, the Ethiopian province where they first blossomed "Kaffa " gave its name to coffee. Ethiopians have harvested and enjoyed coffee for many centuries. Their love for coffee leads them to develop strict coffee preparation rules. Over time, this practice becomes a daily ritual in contemporary life. The coffee preparation and ceremonies are a unique cultural heritage of Ethiopian society that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. To find and appreciate a good expresso or coffee, Revocup is providing you some of the best coffee in Town! 11030 Quivira R...

Nara 4th year anniversary is coming in October. Plan to make your reservations on the 14th, 15th and 16th. Their unique "body sushi" will be on display Saturday, October 16 at 9pm. The "Nara Sake Barrel" will be out for sake shots. $4 drink specials: Plum Pao; Sake Bombs; Nara Canes; Autumn Apple Martini will be available all three nights. Berkshire Pork Chop served with wasabi mashed potatoes and spring mix salad (Dinner menu) $4 Sushi Anniversay Specials: Cajun Crawfish Roll and Baked Shichmi Spiced Green-lipped Mussels. Always uniqueness at Nara. If you have not been to Nara - you will not be disappointed. Koji and Fumi always love to entertain and provide you the best quality sushi in town. Say hello to them at the sushi bar! More informations