Restaurant Menu Survey for my business plan

[Almighty]

Hi there. This is my menu for part of my culinary curriculum. Essentially I am required to write a business plan covering most aspects of opening up a restaurant, and part of what I need is a survey to get an idea of what items will sell the best so I can accurately determine a food cost percentage. It is a family friendly restaurant serving large portions of traditional New England food. Prices are not listed so that it does not influence what people choose. If everyone could choose one item from each category, it would help me greatly. Thanks in advance.

If you have any questions about the menu

The Homestead Restaurant

Kyle Guillemette

Appetizers:

Scallops wrapped in Bacon(Scallops wrapped in bacon are deep fried and served with a honey mustard dipping sauce over a bed of organic mesclun greens.)
Homestead Fish Sticks(Cod is mixed with mayonnaise and breadcrumbs, breaded and fried until golden brown and served over a bed of organic mesclun greens. Served with tartar sauce.)
Iceberg Wedge Salad(Crisp Iceberg wedge, cucumbers, tomato wedges, blue cheese dressing.)
New England Clam Chowder(Traditional chowder made the New England way.)


Entrees:

Grilled CBC(Twin grilled chicken breasts are coated with bacon and melted cheddar. Served with broccoli and mashed potatoes)
Broiled Crab Stuffed Cod(Fresh breaded cod is stuffed with jumbo lump crab and broiled. Served with wild rice pilaf.)
Tri Tip Steak(Tri tip steak is grilled to your liking, sliced thin, and served with green beans and roasted fingerling potatoes.)
Sweet and Sour Salmon(A Homestead Specialty. Salmon is seared and served over a sweet citrus risotto, Citrus beurre blanc, and wilted kale.)
Homestead Meatloaf(Glazed with ketchup and served with green beans and mashed potatoes)


Desserts:

Brownie Sundae(Warm Brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry)
Strawberry Cheesecake(Cheesecake with macerated strawberry topping and strawberry coulis.)
Oreo Dirt Cake(Vanilla custard with crushed Oreo cookies and chocolate sauce.)

Beverages:

Pink Squirrel(Milkshake flavored with grenadine.)
Long Trail Ale(VT microbrew)
Stewarts Root Beer
2005 Omaka Springs Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand
2001 Amusant Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley



Thank you again.


Edit: Reformatted to make it easier to read.

[ErkBek]

I'll be your first customer.

Iceberg Wedge Salad

Grilled CBC

Oreo Dirt Cake

Stewarts Root Beer

[Mr. Nightmare]

I'd like to start out with a cup of the New England Clam Chowder, Follow it up with the Tri-Tip Steak.  For dessert I'd like the Strawberry Cheesecake, and I'd like a water to drink.

[GrandpaBelcher]

Awesome!  I'm already salivating.  Probably didn't help that I just had PB&J and an apple for lunch.

1. Scallops wrapped in bacon (two kinds of meat! broken...)
2. Tri-tip Steak
3. Strawberry cheesecake FTW
4. Long Trail Ale

[twiggy]

mmmm

I'll start with the scallops

Have theCBC

Follow it up with the brownie

And try out the microbrew

[Lunar]

sweet, what culinary school are you attending? I am a culinary arts student myself, how much industry experience do you have?

My order (with notes to follow) Although to be fair I might not order an app or desert, but if I was going with everything it would be:

Clam Chowder
Meatloaf
Brownie Sunday
Long Trail Ale (although depending on what type of ale I might skip it and just get a root beer, lol)

Some notes in my head, heh.

Scallops wrapped in Bacon(Scallops wrapped in bacon are deep fried and served with a honey mustard dipping sauce over a bed of organic mesclun greens.)
Homestead Fish Sticks(Cod is mixed with mayonnaise and breadcrumbs, breaded and fried until golden brown and served over a bed of organic mesclun greens. Served with tartar sauce.)
Iceberg Wedge Salad(Crisp Iceberg wedge, cucumbers, tomato wedges, blue cheese dressing.)

Scallops wrapped in bacon is one of my favs...although proscuitto or pancetta usually get my nod first over "bacon". We also didnt deep fry ours, pan seared and broiled in the salamander generally did the trick nicely (we did shrimp and scallops on skewers)

Fish sticks doesnt feel much like an appetizer to me for some reason (perhaps im too used to seeing vankamps served up to kids for lunch or dinner)

I gotta question the iceberg wedge though man...the only time ive seen that before was on a trip to South Dakota...everytime I tell the story out here people laugh and laugh about how ghetto a lettuce wedge in a bowl is (or on a plate for that matter) Does that really fly back east?

Grilled CBC(Twin grilled chicken breasts are coated with bacon and melted cheddar. Served with broccoli and mashed potatoes)

For portion reasons and food cost, do you really need 2 breasts here? Could you just make it one, or, order in whole chickens and do a half roasted chicken instead...food cost on breasts is MUCH more than ordering in whole and butchering your own. On a better note though, a restaurant I used to work at ran something like this (one chicken breast butterflied open) but added mushrooms to the mix and it was pretty frickin tasty, heh...probably #1 seller on that menu (called bayou chicken, heh)

Sweet and Sour Salmon(A Homestead Specialty. Salmon is seared and served over a sweet citrus risotto, Citrus beurre blanc, and wilted kale.)

Sounds pretty good, out here we would cut the creamy parts though, heh...health craze and all...probably do this with the pilaf or maybe a polenta (maybe) and a citrus "relish" or "salsa" sounds good though.

Homestead Meatloaf(Glazed with ketchup and served with green beans and mashed potatoes)

Make this a "brown sugar, tomato glaze" instead of good ol heinz 57 and you make me a happy boy, lol.


The deserts all sound tasty...id through in a Creme Brulee in there or a Tiramisu though, heh...people cream their pants over that stuff on a desert menu for some reason, dont ask me why. Maybe that is a west coast thing though.

I wont comment on the beverage list as it seems that you were limited by some rule set down by your class...the list is too short to be fair on. Ive never heard of either of those wines though (and im sorta a wine snob I guess you could say) As I live about 30 minutes from the Napa valley id love to see something a bit more familiar. You get to a restaurant with a limited list and you want to order something that sounds familiar, maybe those labels are back east.

Anyways, out of time..gotta go meet up with some classmates to try a new restaurant! good luck man!

[Anusien]

Scallops wrapped in Bacon (that sounds INSANE)
Grilled CBC (The Sweet and Sour Salmon sounds good, but I don't know any of those words)
Brownie Sundae
Coke.  None of this sissy Pepsi nonsense.  I'm 20, so I can't order the drunka, and I don't like root beer.

[Clown of Tresserhorn]

Clam Chowda

Broiled crap stufed cod

Srawberry cheesecake

And as for drinks, I'll pass. I drink wheat beers, which the east coast seems to hate and never serve.

[Almighty]

Thanks for responding, everyone. To respond to your questions, Lunar.

Scallops wrapped in bacon is one of my favs...although proscuitto or pancetta usually get my nod first over "bacon". We also didnt deep fry ours, pan seared and broiled in the salamander generally did the trick nicely (we did shrimp and scallops on skewers)

The first point with the bacon is that it gives me an opportunity to cross utilize it. It is rendered to make roux for the chowder and is used in the cbc. Proscutto would likely work just as well, but pancetta sounds as though to be too cumbersome to wrap around scallops. Bacon has the advantage of being tons fattier than proscutto, giving the scallops more of an illusion of being "moist" from the fat that is rendered into them while they are frying.

Fish sticks doesnt feel much like an appetizer to me for some reason (perhaps im too used to seeing vankamps served up to kids for lunch or dinner)

I was curious as to how this would sell, but it is selling like hotcakes. Around 35% of people surveyed so far have chosen these. Not to mention that it fits the Family friendly restaurant concept perfectly as something the kids would love. Add to all of those good numbers that it is a cross utilization of cod scraps from my entree, and it's easy to see how this can be a strong money maker. Besides, who else makes homemade fishsticks? It can catch a niche market.

I gotta question the iceberg wedge though man...the only time ive seen that before was on a trip to South Dakota...everytime I tell the story out here people laugh and laugh about how ghetto a lettuce wedge in a bowl is (or on a plate for that matter) Does that really fly back east?

The iceberg wedge isn't something I personally like, but the people do love it. I agree that it sounds ghetto and tacky, but I can't argue with what people like. New Englanders care most about the perceived value of their food. I can give them a good sized salad for 4 bucks and they'll love it. It isn't a huge seller (at around 10%) but man does it made me money (around a 11% food cost)

For portion reasons and food cost, do you really need 2 breasts here? Could you just make it one, or, order in whole chickens and do a half roasted chicken instead...food cost on breasts is MUCH more than ordering in whole and butchering your own. On a better note though, a restaurant I used to work at ran something like this (one chicken breast butterflied open) but added mushrooms to the mix and it was pretty frickin tasty, heh...probably #1 seller on that menu (called bayou chicken, heh)

Well, the chicken breasts I plan to use are 5-6 ounces, which isn't nearly enough to make a New Englander happy, so I am using two. For the point of butchering whole chickens, there comes the problem of cross utilization. It sounds like it would be cheaper, but there are a couple problems with it.

Right now, whole chickens are about $1 per pound. Boneless skinless breasts are a buck and a quarter. To make this work, I would need to find a use for the thigh, leg, tenderloin, bones and skin. I could feasibly run a chicken tender appetizer, but I would need at least 4 to make 1 appetizer. I would have to order in tenderloins at about 2.60 per pound to supplement all of those orders I would get, since I simply would not have enough by breaking down whole chickens. Also, what rate would the thighs and legs sell? Coq au Vin and other braised chicked dishes don't fit the theme of my restaurant and thus I do not anticipate them selling very well. I could send them straight to the stock bin, but at a buck a pound, that makes some expensive chicken stock considering I can buy chicken bones at .37.

Another issue is fabrication. Breaking down the amount of chickens I need would take a long time, and I would lose money in labor by having my cooks come in earlier to do all that extra work.

The third issue is space. Ten orders of CBC is ten chickens. CBC is my menu's workhorse, and I aim to make 3 turns in an 80 seat restaurant on a Friday and Saturday night, resulting in at least 60 orders between the two nights, aka 60 chickens. Not only do I need to break down and store 60 chickens to get through those nights, I am left with 60 chiken carcasses, which leaves me with more stock than I can plan to store, as well as needing all that time to prepare and allow it to simmer. Factor that a case is roughly 15 cubic feet and holds 10 chickens, and my walk in is dominated by them giving me scarcely any room for produce and dairy.

Fabricating chickens really only makes sense in a hotel where cross utilization of chicken by products is more possible. Or at least a much larger restaurant than I plan to open.

Sounds pretty good, out here we would cut the creamy parts though, heh...health craze and all...probably do this with the pilaf or maybe a polenta (maybe) and a citrus "relish" or "salsa" sounds good though.

Something like that would probably go over well here too. Health craze isn't an issue, and my menu is largely comfort food. And polenta is very unpopular.

Make this a "brown sugar, tomato glaze" instead of good ol heinz 57 and you make me a happy boy, lol.

Well, I fondled the idea of BBQ sauce, and BBQ would likely make it sound much more appetizing, considering that meatloaf is another potantial workhorse for my menu. Right now it is standing to flop. I do agree that it could use a little something extra. BBQ sauce is probably what that extra is.

The deserts all sound tasty...id through in a Creme Brulee in there or a Tiramisu though, heh...people cream their pants over that stuff on a desert menu for some reason, dont ask me why. Maybe that is a west coast thing though.

Thank you. Creme brulee is a big seller over here too. People love their creme brulees. My requirements are for 3 deserts, and I wanted to pick three things that are relatively different. I could alter the creme brulee to make it oreo flavored, but I think that it will be the classic item in addition to what is already available.

I wont comment on the beverage list as it seems that you were limited by some rule set down by your class...the list is too short to be fair on. Ive never heard of either of those wines though (and im sorta a wine snob I guess you could say) As I live about 30 minutes from the Napa valley id love to see something a bit more familiar. You get to a restaurant with a limited list and you want to order something that sounds familiar, maybe those labels are back east.

Neither of these labels are back east, really. I actually have never tasted either of those two wines. I can probably tell you exactly what they taste like without even having held the bottle in my hand, believe it or not.

The sauvignon blanc will have a heavy citrus and tropical fruit aroma, and be very acidic on the palate with just a touch of residual sugar. This is very typical of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs as evidenced by the terroir. The cabernet will have a dried fruit, cherry, and mushroomy aroma. It has aged for a few years, so most of its sharpness should have mellowed out. It may be a little bit heavy on the alcohol flavor as are other Napa cabernets. Wines can be very predictable in this aspect. I was given the restriction of chooseing 5 beverages, so I stuck to the theme by offering an inexpensive wine to go with the Salmon(sauv), an inexpensive wine to go with the meatloaf and steak (cab), a popular local micro (long trail. It's an amber by the way with slight fruitiness and a hoppy rounded flavor) I have a non alcoholic beverage that most people enjoy, as well as a milkshake for the kids(doesn't have to be, though!) Because of the nature of the place, I'd peg my alcohol sales at 15%, which is low compared to most places, but is evidenced by my polls which have my alcohol predictions almost right on the money. Because of the low alcohol sales, it does not make sense to have an extensive wine and beer list, as that would call for storage space I simply will not have.


I go to New England Culinary Institute and I have been cooking for about 5 years now. I've only had two real cooking jobs, one being at The Yard Restaurant in Manchester, NH where I first learned how to cook in a busy casual enviroment, and at Latitudes on Sunset Key in Key West, where I learned all about florribean cuisine done in Frech Classic techniques in a small fine dining restaurant. More importantly, I userstand the order, fire, pickup system fluently, and I had the opportunity to run the PM staff while they lacked a sous chef. I still have plenty of room to brance out, as I am only 20 and full of energy and looking to travel and cook all over the country.

But you shouldn't be trusting a skinny chef like myself.

[SonataOfTheCathedral]

Clam Chowder
Stuffed Cod
Brownie Sundae
Root Beer

[Slack]

1.  Scallops
2.  Grilled CBC
3.  Strawberry Cheesecake
4.  Stewarts Root Beer

[Hi-Val]

If I'm on the Right Coast, I want some effing fresh seafood, so my choices are focused on that. I guess this is more of a tourist menu than a NEer choice, but I would do:

Clam Chowder
Crab-stuffed Cod (h8 cooked salmon but this sounds really good)
Dirt Cake

Beverage: If your Sauv Blanc isn't too front-loaded, I'll do it, because I think it'd cut the chowder really well. The beer seems quite tempting too but I'll stick with the SB.

[Fortifitakitors]

1. I am leaning towards the Iceberg wedge but... What is an Iceberg Wedge.
2. CBC
3. Strawberry Cheesecake
4. Rootbeer

[Methuselahn]

Scallops for an appetizer
Sweet and Sour Salmon
Strawberry Cheesecake
Ale I suppose, since I'm not big on wine/champagne and Beam isn't an option.

[Moxlotus]

Nothing for an appetizer.  I'm a picky eater.
CBC Chicken
Brownie
Rootbeer

[Godder]

Iceberg Wedge
No vegetarian option - ouch
Cheesecake
If I could hold alcohol, the NZ option would be a fine choice (speaking as a Kiwi...). If it's non-alcoholic, rootbeer, or diet coke if you have it.

[Almighty]

No vegetarian option - ouch

That is an excellent point. I really should have a vegetarian SOMETHING available. Nobody wants a damn iceberg wedge as their meal. I will certainly fix my menu accordingly. I have to admit that cooking for vegetarians has always been a weak point for me, but let me run this idea by you. Free form "pierogies." Would it seem cheap to a vegetarian if I gave you a sheet of ravioli layered with mashed potatoes, and topped with green beans and a shallot brown butter? It sounds good, but would you be a happy camper, Godder?

1. I am leaning towards the Iceberg wedge but... What is an Iceberg Wedge.

It's actually exactly what it sounds like. It's a wedge of iceburg lettuce topped with blue cheese dressing.

I would just like to express my thanks again for taking your time to fill this out, everyone. Especially Lunar for his extensive feedback.

[Twaun007]

Scallops wrapped in Bacon
Broiled Crab Stuffed Cod
Oreo Dirt Cake
Stewarts Root Beer

[Godder]

As long as the ravioli is vegetarian, it looks very good. Another option is to aim for some sort of health-food dish which is also vegetarian (conveniently covering two sections of the market), or just have a few chickpea patties or similar that can be used as a meat substitute.

[jcb193]

I would agree that a few years ago Iceberg wedges were restrained to 24 hour diners, but I am seeing them creep up more and more in fine dining.  Don't ask me why, but I am guessing that it feels like a lot of food for good value.

That said:

Scallops wrapped in Bacon(Scallops wrapped in bacon are deep fried and served with a honey mustard dipping sauce over a bed of organic mesclun greens.)

Sweet and Sour Salmon(A Homestead Specialty. Salmon is seared and served over a sweet citrus risotto, Citrus beurre blanc, and wilted kale.)

*** The steak had me very interested, until I found out there was no sauce or peppercorn.....

Oreo Dirt Cake(Vanilla custard with crushed Oreo cookies and chocolate sauce.)

** Since this is fictional, i dont have to worry about calories!
Pink Squirrel(Milkshake flavored with grenadine.)

[The Atog Lord]

Mm, this looks good!

I'll have the Clam Chowder (I don't like Seafood, but this is one of the few seafood dishes I enjoy)
Steak
Cheesecake

My only comment is the beverage selection. I don't really drink, and I only really like Diet Soda and Water. Given your selection, I'd take Water. However, I'd also likely give some flippant comment to your waitress about your lack of Diet Coke/Pepsi. The margins are insane on soda, and it is a popular item.

[Lunar]

We just talked a bit about chickens in butchery class the last two days (I attend California Culinary Academy by the way...I have about 4.5 years of industry experience ranging from family style restaurants such as your fictional one and several fine dining california/pacific rim/italian fusion like places)

We priced out what we could get out of a whole chicken...from .88 per lb on a whole chicken compared to boneless skinless which can be much more expensive than the 1.25 per lb small probably random sized ones you are talking about (or maybe chicken is just cheaper b/s out there) We were able to pull around $75-90 out of a whole 3-4lb chicken. The labor really shouldnt be too high if you have somebody who knows what they are doing (especially if you did Half chickens instead of 2xChicken breasts) as all you have to do it split down the back for that. But even if you broke it up you can do all sorts of stuff with the rest...how about a chicken wing appetizer? Thighs im sure you can do something with as well (especially in the real world where you get more than 3 or 4 entrees.) Chicken Marsalla with b/s leg n thigh is excellent and at 2 different restaurants ive worked at was the #1 seller on the menu...marsala sells and is pretty cheap food cost wise. I suppose if space is a problem I can let you slide here as well ;p

Pancetta is bomb...and goes quite well in the clam chowder, heh. You can find it easy for similar prices as decent bacon, although if it is a good quality bacon id let ya slide on that one, heh.

I was curious as to how this would sell, but it is selling like hotcakes. Around 35% of people surveyed so far have chosen these. Not to mention that it fits the Family friendly restaurant concept perfectly as something the kids would love. Add to all of those good numbers that it is a cross utilization of cod scraps from my entree, and it's easy to see how this can be a strong money maker. Besides, who else makes homemade fishsticks? It can catch a niche market.

I mentioned the fish sticks to my class mates and they laughed heh...but if you are finding it selling then go for it obv, heh. Kids menu I can definatly see (this again is something that would benefit from the ability to have a larger menu as some sort of Fish and Chips would go for adults and the kids can have their sticks, heh)

We had a BBQ sauce for our Hickory smoked ribs at one place that also doubled as Meatloaf sauce and it was excellent...just sounding better than ketchup though is a main point...people like tasty words, heh...

Wild Rice is another option for the Salmon, heh...my classmates made a comment about the salmon sounding too one dimensional. Citrus cream this, citrus cream that...I dunno, heh...just comments from the class. I remade the menu part way off memory of what you had and came up with Pan Seared King Salmon Filet w/ Pineaple Mango Chutney served with Wild Rice and Seasonal Veggies, heh...

Speaking of the seasonal veggies...that was a hot thing at some of the restaurants I worked at...this keeps you away from having to get something that isnt totally in season at odd times of the year and also is pretty desirable to find, even in family restaurants (seasonal fresh veg doesnt mean expensive)

It may be a little bit heavy on the alcohol flavor as are other Napa cabernets.

I love hearing people not from Napa talk about Napa wines, heh...Clearly the napa wine that perhaps you have learned about or tasted is just not the good stuff. In fact the cabs from napa range all the way across the spectrum. From amazingly smooth cabs to the dusty leathery rutherford cabs to the amazing power in some of the younger designed wines. Basically if you havnt tasted it dont put it on the menu, heh...I guess this is harder for a 20 year old than a 25 year old self proclaimed wine snob.  Napa wines range from 70pt Sutter Home and Box wines all the way to 100pt best wine in world wines like Joseph Phelps Insignia (2006 wine spec, which is quite nice...got to taste some last trip to Napa, too bad they start around $140 a bottle) heh, and I dare you to call something like a phelps cab mushroomy or overly alchohaulic, heh) in fact this line made me ponder some things:

dried fruit, cherry, and mushroomy aroma

Interesting comment and ive never heard anybody mention mushrooms before...ive heard leather and olive and some other interesting terms which do fit some of the terroir in Napa, but certainly not others. Beyond that cherry might describe a handful of the wines, but lots of other fruity flavors can be found among the cabs in napa.

Same with the SB from NZ...NZ wines can be good but some can be real bad, heh.

Basically wines (as I am sure you know) vary greatly even among cost range. Especially year to year in most of the smaller labels. heh.

Anyways, I gotta run...have fun in class, keep up the good work and if you ever have any questions feel free to ask and I can run it by my class heh...we dig that kinda thing.

[waywreth]

New England Clam Chowder
Tri Tip Steak
Brownie Sundae
Stewarts Root Beer

Although I was tempted by the fish sticks, I'm a sucker for the Chowder.  It'd have to be up to fairly high standards though for me to ever order it again.

[cssamerican]

I am from the New Orleans area, and I am sure that probably skews my ordering and my perception of what sounds good compared to New Englanders. For example, Cod just makes me think of fish sandwiches at McDonalds, it isn’t something served down here at restaurants.

Nothing on the menu really jumped out at me, again it might just be a regional thing. So, don't take it in a negative way.
New England Clam Chowder (Well, if I go to New England I suppose I will eat what they are famous for, though the scallops do sound good)
Sweet and Sour Salmon (It is seafood that doesn’t involve Cod so I will try it, but nothing sounded really good. The chicken would have been my second choice.)
Strawberry Cheesecake (Pretty plain choices, you should try something adventurous for a dessert )
Stewarts Root Beer (Abita Rootbeer is so much better. If this is going to be real restaurant in the future I would look into this)

[SpencerForHire]

My good sir... My favorite soup...

New England Clam Chowder
Grilled CBC
Oreo Dirt Cake
Stewarts Root Beer

If I wasn't shy of 140 pounds I'd be worried about how much weight I would gain after all the visits I would make to this place.

[Lunar]

Cod just makes me think of fish sandwiches at McDonalds, it isn’t something served down here at restaurants.

This was my feeling on it as well...but he says it sells there...id be more concerned about 3xFish dishes for appetizers though really.

Nothing on the menu really jumped out at me, again it might just be a regional thing. So, don't take it in a negative way.

I kinda sorta get this feeling as well...

Example again would be the lettuce wedge thing...that would certainly NEVER fly at any restaurant out here, except possibly really crappy ones...just not something accepted in California. Maybe this works out there...I am certain that any restaurant with the wedge on the menu wouldnt be receiving very many points in the Zagat or any stars from Michelin, heh. However this is a "family style comfort restaurant" so perhaps this is acceptable out there.

Strawberry Cheesecake (Pretty plain choices, you should try something adventurous for a dessert )

The deserts seem fine to me for a comfort place...plain is usually fine for a place like this and would most likely sell better...although that creme brulee I suggested would probably go over well anyways, heh.

EDIT: heh, I checked out Amusant to read about their wines. This is what one distributor had to say about their cab.

Ruby-garnet in color, the 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits an aroma of dried herbs, cedar, dried black cherries, cassis, chocolate-dipped citrus peel and vanilla bean. On the palate, it is medium-full bodied with youthful smooth tannins tasting of blueberries, cherry-vanilla, cola, rhubarb that lengthens to a fruity, cherry-cored finish. Varietal Composition: 85.31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.46% Merlot and 0.23% Petite Verdot
Fruit sources: 24% Stag's Leap District, 22% Rutherford, 54% Napa Valley
Cooperage Regime: 20 months in 100% Nevers French oak barrels. 629 cases produced.

It should be of note that none of their wines have ever received higher than an 87 from any wine rating place though, heh. The other problem I see is that according to the 3 sites I visited about the wine they price it out at $30.00 a bottle...this seems pretty high for a family restaurant with only 2 wine selections...I wouldnt buy a $50-60 bottle (restaurant price) when I am getting a $9.95 dinner

Omaka Springs describes their Sauvignon Blanc as:

Colour: Pale straw with green tints
Nose: Herbaceous with grassy and gooseberry flavours.
Palate: Refreshing with zesty flavours and a sliver of sweetness.

which they feel is imparted by the 8% semillion and 3.8 g/l residual sugar

the $15.00 price tag they put on the SB isnt too terrible, but will still make for a somewhat expensive bottle in a family restaurant (especially for SB)

[Almighty]

It may be a little bit heavy on the alcohol flavor as are other Napa cabernets.

I love hearing people not from Napa talk about Napa wines, heh...Clearly the napa wine that perhaps you have learned about or tasted is just not the good stuff. In fact the cabs from napa range all the way across the spectrum. From amazingly smooth cabs to the dusty leathery rutherford cabs to the amazing power in some of the younger designed wines. Basically if you havnt tasted it dont put it on the menu, heh...I guess this is harder for a 20 year old than a 25 year old self proclaimed wine snob.

Same with the SB from NZ...NZ wines can be good but some can be real bad, heh.

Basically wines (as I am sure you know) vary greatly even among cost range. Especially year to year in most of the smaller labels. heh.

Neither appelation is very impressive. Napa Valey is such a broad appelation with so many terroirs that is it damn near impossible to judge the wine with 100% accuracy without tasting it. The "Napa" on the label is just less impressive than say "Los Carneros" or "Rutherford." As I'm sure you understand, The Napa wine could come from either of those appellations. I could go on and on, but we would probably be better off having this discussion Via PM, as I sense a long winded rant about terroir and appellation coming out of me soon.  

I'm glad you agree with most of my points, though. The salmon could use some work, and the meatloaf will probably be cut in favor of the pierogi to make room for a vegetarian dish. I really should have one on there.

I am confident, however, that these would all be popular items for the demographic I am looking to sell to. After all, it's comfort food. Simple, tasty, filling, with an excellent percieved value.

I kinda sorta get this feeling as well...

Example again would be the lettuce wedge thing...that would certainly NEVER fly at any restaurant out here, except possibly really crappy ones...just not something accepted in California. Maybe this works out there...I am certain that any restaurant with the wedge on the menu wouldnt be receiving very many points in the Zagat or any stars from Michelin, heh. However this is a "family style comfort restaurant" so perhaps this is acceptable out there.

True enough. Of course if I were aiming for Michelin stars I wouldn't be opening a restaurant like this.

Thanks again for your comments.

[Hi-Val]

Actually I've been seeing the lettuce wedge get a lot of play recently in food magazines. It's touted as a *filling* salad that requires little effort on the part of the cook and you can really dress it up. One of the great dressings I saw for it was a warm goat cheese dressing sprinkled with bacon. It gives it a lot of richness. Iceberg wedges were popular back in the 50's so it's kind of a throwback thing. I have no problem with them, as long as it is presented as classy and not diner food.

If you're interested in using cod scraps, you could offer something like a fish nugget thing like fish & chips as an appetizer. Basically batter smaller pieces of cod and serve with lemon and tartar and maybe malt vinegar.

Lunar-- as my winetasting professor once said, "60% of wine buyers are women but 90% of wine snobs are men" : ) I don't know that snobbery is such a good thing in the wine world any more...

I think there's a lot of growth to be had in checking out local microbrews and pairing them with foods. I could see rich carmel dark lager with the steak or a fun pilsner or weissbier with the salmon, for example. If it's a family establishment, you might have more people buying beer than wine because there's less snobbery and perceived embarassment in ordering the wrong wine. Running the markups, you possibly might make more money off beer too.

[Yare]

Fish Sticks
Meatloaf
Brownie Sundae
Root Beer

Best of luck!

[Polynomial P]

This menu sounds insanely delicious and it is making me hungry every time I read it.

My choices:

Scallops wrapped in Bacon <--sounds too good to pass up
Tri Tip Steak
Oreo Dirt Cake
Microbrew Beer.

Even with a small number of choices I would have a very difficult time choosing one of each item.