Splitting portions for variety; a culinary ramble

This evening we went to our neighborhood restaurant, Chester Creek Café, partly for the specials, partly for a reason I didn't know about.

The specials were mussels and a small steak. We ordered one of each dish and split them. It made a nice two course meal. The portions were such that we had room for dessert, the third course.

Ah! The dessert! My wife suggested that we go out to eat tonight because she knew they had one of my favorite desserts - French silk pie. I got the last piece and what a marvel! Chocolate and butter and sugar mixed to a smooth elegance, maybe it could have used a bit more chocolate. Topped with heavy cream whipped with nothing more than a touch of vanilla, maybe.

The bill ran up because we had room for dessert and coffee.

We spoke with the manager afterwards about the portion size and the whole experience. She said that one of the owners decided as prices of ingredients went up to reduce the portion size without changing the prices. This is one time I won't object to reduced size at the same price.

As far as the economy affecting the restaurant business, there were few empty tables when we went in. When we left a bit after eight, there were even more cars in the parking lot than when we came. We went to the Duluth Grill for lunch earlier this week. It's a bit downscale from Chester Creek Café, but there was a wait for a table.

Interestingly, a previous owner closed the Duluth Grill because of the smoking ban. I think that once the smoke odor cleared from restaurants, non-smokers went out more because they wouldn't come home smelling like ashtrays.

Diners splitting portions for economy?

The Star Tribune had an article today about more restaurant diners splitting meals, attributing it to cost savings. See "Dining out? Split portions gain acceptance" by Lauren Shepherd for the Associated Press.

Could it also be because so many restaurants serve such large portions that few people really want to eat it all? If you're eating in your home town, you can always ask for "a box". But if you're traveling, a box is only useful if you have access to a microwave.

I often find myself looking for what is the smallest serving, stuffing myself, or asking for a box. Sometimes I don't even go out because I know I will be served too much!

I don't think it's just the economy. I wrote about split portions in 2006. See
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