Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, kicked off this week’s podcast by briefly introducing a friend, of sorts. He had asked ChatGPT to greet the audience of Menu Talk, and the chatbot, which can now simulate a human voice much better than the electronic messages we have grown accustomed to, inferred pretty accurately what sorts of topics would be discussed in a podcast with that name. Real co-host Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, was duly impressed.
She was also impressed by KPOT, a Korean barbecue and hot pot concept that is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in the country. The food was abundant and well-priced, the service was great and apart from the hot pot and barbecue, there was also a substantial food bar with kimchi and an assortment of different sauces, among other items.
Bret also experienced many sauces this past week when he swung by the new Manhattan location of Tender Crush, a chicken tender concept by the operators of Black Tap. The new fast-casual concept has fried and grilled chicken tenders and about a dozen sauces for guests to choose from, all named for New York City neighborhoods.
Moe’s Southwest Grill, whose Atlanta headquarters Pat visited recently, also has a bunch of new sauces, and going forward they plan to introduce one with each new protein.
Bret also went to a dinner party at Widow Jane, a whiskey distillery in Brooklyn, and was treated to a tasting menu with on-trend items such as mushroom tart topped with caviar and a plate of dry-aged tuna. Bret and his fellow guests sipped on Widow Jane Black Opal, its latest bottling, that retails for $500 a bottle. That seemed kind of steep to Bret, but he enjoyed the meal and the company.
Then Bret shared clips of an interview he did with Olivier Rassinoux, vice president of culinary and bar for Patina Restaurant Group, and they discussed cocktail trends, including spirit-free cocktails, as well as Rassinoux’s management style and the joy of dining out.
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Menu Talk is a collaboration between Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. You can subscribe to it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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