Rant: Overly Precious Menus

Too-cute menus annoy us

Open letter to restaurateurs: Your menus have gotten too cute. You generally serve appetizers, entrées, and desserts, so you might think of listing them as, oh, I don't know . . . appetizers, entrées, and desserts. Just throwin' it out there. Copperblue has been known to divide its dishes into work ("Humble and Down-to-Earth") or play ("Whimsical and Fun"). Michael in Winnetka employs a vague time element ("To Begin," "Or Perhaps," "And Now," and "Finally"). Uncommon Ground calls its sandwiches "Between Bread" and soups "In the Bowl." A few years back, Butter had the all-time worst menu category: "Then There Was Lite." What it referred to remains a mystery. I miss Butter, which closed last year, but I don't miss that menu. Stop the madness.

 

Illustration: Christoph Hitz