Month: April 2013

The National Restaurant Association invites professional mixologists to show off their most creative cocktail talents using American Harvest Organic Vodka to vie for the sought-after title of Star of the Bar. The competition, which features a $5,000 cash prize, will take place at the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) at NRA Show 2013 with the winner being selected at the Restaurants Rock party on Sunday, May 19 with special guest judges, master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim and celebrity chef, personality and culinary author Anthony Bourdain. …

With restaurant visits on a deal or discount down last year, it appears that restaurant customers may perceive the price of deals offered over a length of time as regular pricing, according to The NPD Group, a leading global information company. NPDs foodservice market research reports that restaurant visits on a deal were down 3 percent in the year ending December 2012 compared to same period year ago. Combo meals and value menu item offers, two of the most frequently offered deals, are largely responsible for the decrease in deal traffic. Visits that included coupons, buy one-get-one, and discounted price were up. …

ARAMARK, the award-winning food and hospitality partner at 11 Major League Baseball stadiums, is unveiling its ballpark menus for the 2013 season. Stocked with classics like loaded hot dogs and mouthwatering sandwiches, the new menus also feature unexpected items like gourmet donuts andhand twisted stuffed pretzels. …

Two McDonald's alums are poised to take on the Chicago market with a health food concept called Lyfe Kitchen that's expected to open this fall in River North. At Lyfe, healthy food might mean corn chowder made with cashew cream, a vegan version of oven-fried chicken with Brussels sprouts, or farro and quinoa pancakes topped with berries and Greek yogurt, for $4 to $13, and delivered to a diner's table in about eight minutes.

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