Category Archives: General Tips

Don’t eat there (further lessons in adverse selection)

Posted on 2013/06/01 by .

The restaurant Spoleto told every female customer she didn’t have to pay for her meal as long as she could affirmatively answer the question, “Are you beautiful?” It is a Brazilian fast food chain, so just stop in for a … Continue reading →

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Posted in Brazil, General Tips, Humor | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Pictures on ethnic menus

Posted on 2013/02/14 by .

Blake Shurtz, a perceptive MR reader, asks: What are your thoughts on pictures, or a lack thereof, on ethnic food menus? Do you think better dishes have pictures? Why doesn’t every dish have a picture? The logic of fast food … Continue reading →

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“Getting a good meal in D.C. requires some ruthless economics”

Posted on 2012/05/26 by .

This piece is by me, in The Washington Post. Here is one bit: The key is to hit these restaurants in the “sweet spot” of their cycle of rise and fall. At any point in time Washington probably has five … Continue reading →

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Posted in Beautiful Women, DC, General Tips | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Six Rules for Dining Out

Posted on 2012/04/13 by .

Please see http://tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/?page_id=2393

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Posted in An Economist Gets Lunch, Beautiful Women, Eden Center, Falls Church/Seven Corners, General remarks, General Tips, Indian, New York, Pakistani, Thai, Vietnamese, Virginia | Tagged | 2 Comments

Which celebrity chef-branded restaurants are better than others?

Posted on 2012/01/05 by .

William Baude asks: Is there any way to predict which celebrity-chef-branded restaurants will be better than others? Obviously one rarely expects such restaurants to be excellent, but there are times (airports, Las Vegas) when a celebrity-chef-branded restaurant may well be … Continue reading →

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Can you eat decently at an indecent restaurant?

Posted on 2011/10/02 by .

I have a short piece in the NYT Sunday magazine on that question, here is one excerpt: Moisture is a key element to consider. Eggs, traditionally deemed a safe choice in diners, are easy to overcook and thus are often … Continue reading →

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Strategic food attack at functions

Posted on 2010/10/01 by .

Here is more on the optimal use of buffets, especially for Indian food: photo credit: theogeo At Sharadha’s wedding too I had managed to spot and exploit arbitrage opportunities. For example, I realized that people never stood in queues to … Continue reading →

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Posted in General Tips, Indian | Tagged | Comments Off

Which are the “safest” cuisines?

Posted on 2009/12/23 by .

James Hinckley asks: Which cuisine are you most likely to be satisfied with when dining out? Which disappoints you the least # of visits? If you were at a shopping center you’ve never been to before and it has one … Continue reading →

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Posted in General Tips, Strip Malls for Food | 1 Comment

How to avoid being fooled by a menu

Posted on 2009/12/11 by .

This one is not so easily excerptable, but it’s one of the best pieces-with-graphics I’ve seen all year. It’s about all the “nudge” tricks which go into designing menus, and how to avoid being fooled by them. You really do … Continue reading →

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Standard dishes for testing the quality of a restaurant

Posted on 2009/05/11 by .

Joshua Johnson, a loyal MR (and TCEDG) reader, asks: If you are going to a new ethnic restaurant, what staple items do you order that for you, let you know if the restaurant is worth coming back to and trying … Continue reading →

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Posted in Economics of Dining, General Tips | 7 Comments