The Dish On Dining Out

If you don't understand menu-speak, you're wreaking unnecessary havoc on your health. Here, some tips on how to read menus and order dishes that won't add inches to your waistline.

by Carolyn O'Neil

November 1, 2005

W hen business leads to the pleasure of dining out, especially if it means more than once or twice a week, coping with all of those delicious calories can be a weighty occupational hazard. Friends may lament, "Oh you're so lucky! You get to dine out all of the time." Meanwhile, you are thinking, "How can I possibly meet my weight-control goals if my diet plan gets deep-sixed by dining out?" To help find a figure saving solution to this savory challenge, here's a business plan of sorts to help you enjoy great restaurant food, good health and look like the pro that you are when navigating a restaurant menu.

Eating Out Is Definitely In
Add this to your "to-do" list: Develop survival skills for eating out. That's a must, because what used to be a special-occasion splurge is now just a regular part of everyday life. According to the National Restaurant Association (a group that knows a thing or two about people who would rather make reservations than make dinner), about half of all the food bucks we spend goes to meals eaten out, and surveys say we eat out a lot - at least four times a week. So, the old notion of throwing calorie caution to the wind when you are holding a fork and knife in a restaurant - because you don't eat out that often - just doesn't cut it anymore.

Those calories not only count, they are adding up faster than ever. (Think: finance charges on your credit card!) But since you're not about to give up your favorite Italian trattoria for lunch or that lovely little Thai place for dinner, the key is learning how to decode menus so that you can dine in style and health, plus some tips on finding the best of the bunch along fast food lane if that's where your wheels are turning.

Restaurant Savvy 101:
Advice From The "Foodie" Frontlines
At an evening cooking class on healthy eating at the Cook's Warehouse in Atlanta, instructor Maureen Petrosky, a petite 30-something chef and wine expert trained to handle a whisk and a wine opener with equal aplomb, prepared grilled swordfish with a pineapple mango salsa, as the conversation turned to restaurant survival skills. "If the menu says pan-seared, it can actually be cooked in a lot of butter. Ask them to grill it," Petrosky advised.

One young woman attending the class said she cuts temptation off at the pass. "I enjoy the portion I think is sensible and then pour red pepper flakes, or salt or whatever, over what's left on the plate so I won't be tempted to eat the whole thing." (Okay, so we'll put that in the category of Draconian measures.)

A couple in the class said they always ask to split the entrée and tell the waiter they will tip a little more for this special service. They enlist the waiter's help by striking a deal: "You help us to eat less, and we'll tip you more." Bigger tips - smaller hips! Another woman, who prefers to enjoy two appetizer courses for dinner rather than an entrée, is adamant about sticking with what works for her. "I refuse to get trapped into the expected pattern of ordering appetizer, entrée and dessert. I order what I want."

All agree that restaurant-portion sizes are out of proportion these days. And the bigger the portion size, the more you eat. Researchers have actually taken the time to study this fattening phenomenon and yes, it's true. You see more, you eat more. We mere mortals don't seem to have an inner monitor that tells us to eat less, when we're served more. We tend to just keep shoveling it in. What's the solution?

The classroom consensus: become the queen of carry-out and warn the waiter ahead of time you'll need a doggie bag.


Navigating The Menu
Next, it's time to get savvy about ordering from the menu. First, you'll need a quickie course in modern menu-speak, so you'll know how to maneuver the sometimes mind-bending maze of options when Chad and company come to take your order. You might already have guessed that "crispy" can be a code word for fried. And "creamy" is a red flag that butter is lurking. But, did you know that "poached" isn't always the light way to go? Some chefs actually poach seafood in butter or oil (OMG!), not the usual water-based broths. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy the occasional tempura-battered fried shrimp or side of creamed spinach; it just means that when you see them on the menu, you know it's time to take pause. You can choose to either limit portions, or limit the number of times you order these higher fat choices.

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Menu-Speak Made Easy
Fat by any other name....
Aioli: mayonnaise with garlic
Bard: to lace with fat, insert pieces of fat in a leaner meat
Beurre: the French word for butter
Bisque: most often a cream-based soup
Bernaise, Hollandaise: anything with "-aise" indicates egg-based mayonnaise
Crispy: code word for fried!
Crusted or Encrusted: coated with nuts, bread crumbs or potato, pan-fried
Fritto Misto: Italian for fried
Noisette: typically refers to butter cooked until light brown
Pan-fried: may as well be deep fat-fried
Silky: if a sauce is described as silky, it's usually finished with cream or butter

Leaning toward leaner....
Au Jus: pan juices often reduced with no fat added
Braise: slow-cooked to tenderize meats or fish, often little added fat
Brodo: Italian for "broth"
Broth: fragrant water-based sauce with infused flavors, eg. chicken & lemongrass broth
Coulis: all hail the coulis, often a no-fat-added puree of vegetables or fruit
Flame-seared: indicates grilled over open fire, fats can drain off
Fumet: a fish stock
Pan-roasted: often pan-seared in butter or oil then placed in oven to roast
Provencale: South-of-France-style sauce with tomatoes and other vegetables
Relish: savory mix of fruits or vegetables
Salsa: fresh tomatoes, onion, cilantro and chiles, but can be with fruit and black beans.

Ask Questions If It Says:
Grilled: watch out for butter or oil slathered on during grilling
Nage: a broth- or fumet-infused with small amounts of butter
Roasted: watch for extra fat used in roasting, eg. butter basted on roasted chicken
Poached: not always in water, watch out for poached in oil or butter
Sauteed: butter or oil are used, chefs can limit amount if asked
Steamed: watch out for butter or oil added after the steaming

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Flaunt Your Good Taste - For Food Or Fashion
High-fat, high-flavor ingredients such as olive oil, butter, cheeses, cream, bacon, nuts, fried foods are ooh-la-la delicious, but treat them as you would flashy fashion accessories. Be choosy. Just the right necklace or belt accents your look. Too many baubles and bangles weigh you down. Apply the fashion philosophy of Coco Chanel, the late, great French fashion icon, to meals: "Get dressed (serve your plate) and then remove at least one accessory (one side dish, dessert or bread). Then you'll be just right."

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Oh Waiter!
10 Tips from Tableside Pros on Getting What You Want

1. Listen carefully when the server lists the specials or tells you about the menu. And know that it's okay to ask for a replay if the waiter was on fast-forward. You spent quality time planning what you were going to wear, why not your dinner? If possible, read the menu ahead of time by checking out the restaurant's website. It will give you an idea of what to order and plan ahead. Or take time to look over the menu while you are waiting for the table.

2. Be specific about what you want or don't want. For example: "May I have extra lemons for my fish?" "Can you lightly brush the fish with butter?" Ask, and ye shall receive. Read the menu and ask the waiter for descriptions of dishes, including how they are prepared. Ask if they use a lot of butter on the broiled fish? Is the cauliflower soup cream-based? If so, can you get a cup instead of a bowl?

3. Remember where you are. Ask for balsamic vinegar in an Italian place and rice wine vinegar in a Japanese place. And realize that some dishes are difficult to split. The waiter can help you with this. It's easy to share an order of four Thai Shrimp Spring Rolls, but a tad more challenging to group-sip a bowl of Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

4. Make eye contact, smile and appreciate your server. It's just human nature -waiters are likely to spend more time at friendly tables. And since the restaurant reality is that waiters work for a tip based on the total check, diners who only order appetizer portions and split one dessert between four friends might wink at their waiter and say, "If you help us eat less, we'll tip you more!"

5. Got the absent-minded waiter? OK, not everyone is destined for the hospitality hall-of-fame. Politely tell the manager what you need.

6. Check out the room. Look around and see what other diners are eating so you get a picture of portion sizes. It pays to spy. Servings look way too large? It's okay to let your server know ahead of time you'll need a doggie bag; you can even ask for half of it to be boxed up before they bring out your meal.

7. I thought it came with veggies? Look at plates being served and you'll also get to see that the "served with baby spring greens" is either a sizable serving of salad or a disappointing wisp of lettuce meant to be a garnish.

8. Know when to ask for sauce on the side. BŽarnaise sauce at steak restaurants usually comes in a huge gravy boat, best kept way on the side. But, if the sauce is a light swirl and part of the chef's creative vision, enjoy it the way it's intended to be. You don't have to eat the whole thing.

9. Don't like your dish? Trade it in. Be honest when the waiter asks you how you like your meal. Don't suffer in silence. They want to work fast to make you happy. If your meal is just so-so, or isn't what you thought it was going to be, order something else. And do it quickly so the restaurant can respond quickly. If you ordered a red dress from a catalog and an army green one arrived, you'd send it back, wouldn't you?

10. Check, please. Always be sure to top off a really good meal with, "My compliments to the chef!" and thank everyone who made your special requests a reality. It will help when you return to dine. And even if your journeys never take you to Jackson Hole or Jacksonville again, your constructive culinary comments might help the next diner on the prowl for healthier menu choices. We can see it now - a nation united by "sauce on the side!"

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What About Dessert?
If you are a dessert lover it's important to embrace your inner sweet tooth and develop some skills to enjoy without overdoing it. So, order dessert first!

Yes, that's right. This strategy helps you plan the rest of your meal around the sinfully rich dessert. Okay, the waiter may think you're weird asking to see the dessert menu first, but you need information on your destination before you can map out the meal. If you know you've just got to have the pecan pie or peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream, then you will make sure not to start with the fried calamari appetizer or the creamy New England clam chowder! Save yourself for your true love, dessert! Some creative and thoughtful pastry chefs are creating smaller desserts with portion control in mind. Kirk Parks of Rathbun's restaurant in Atlanta has added two-ounce mini desserts to the menu. Now, that's fabulous!