The menu is a delicate piece of paper that delivers what a restaurant has to offer to its clients. Some restauranteurs come up with some elaborate menus that are pieces of art. It is like a salesman that sells food before the waiter comes to take your order.
Careful preparation and thought have gone into the menu that you are holding in your hands. Also, on the other hand, some menus are horrible. If the waiter has to explain what is on the menu, then you know there is a problem. Menus should be concise and self-explanatory.
The New York Library takes menus very seriously. They have archived more than 17,500 menus and counting. They are transcribing historical restaurant menus, dish by dish, so that they can be searched by what people were eating back in the day. Menus are pieces of history.
“What’s on the Menu?” is a new section of mtlrestorap. I will be examining some great menu designs in the Montreal area and beyond.
-Tony Medeiros (publisher)