The making of a menu.

Restaurants & Institutions, September, 2006 by Perlik, Allison

By Allison Perlik, Senior Editor

Beyond revealing chefs' favorite foods and techniques, lineup additions show how operators and menus are in perpetual forward motion.

A restaurant's menu tells stories--about the operation and what it stands for, the skill level of the chef, about customers and their taste preferences. Even the most well-crafted list of offerings can't remain static, though. Like the tastes and whims of patrons, menus must change and evolve.

These often-subtle shifts can signal updated business strategies or changing market environments, or they may reflect chefs' individual whims or development paths. Whatever the impetus, new menu creations are all about growing and getting ahead.

"Recipe development walks...