Is The Power Lunch Passe?

 One of the most intriguing things about business history is the power lunch.It was a great way of brokering deals over good food and drinks at fancy restaurants. Yet is it relevant, especially in these post pandemic days?

Regular contributor Brett Anderson explored this in today's New York Times Food section.Power lunches usually lasted from twelve noon to almost three PM,Many used it as a chance to work and socialize, as they had for decades.Then came the pandemic which upended the restaurant industry. The business lunch was one of the first victims.There was continued uncertainty as workers left and customers fled. Most high end eateries are struggling, especially in cities that experienced record job growth after the Great Recession of 2008. That stimulation triggered the opening of many restaurants in cities across the country. Now workers are either working fully from home or spending one or two days in the office. They're not thinking of power lunches, Mostly it;s salad or take out at home, in front of their computer screens.There's also the rising cost of food that's also a factor and paying chefs twenty-five dollars an hour as Mitch and Steve Rosenthal have done with their San Francisco restaurant Town Hall.

Prices are high, especially in expensive cities like Manhattan.Even though the famed Le Bernardin has been filled to capacity every lunch hour for weeks, it still is $120 for  a prix fixe meal.  Lunches haven't resumed at other high class New York places such as Per Se, Eleven Madison Park and Jean-Georges.It does take work as chef Greg Higgins has found out at his namesake restaurant in downtown Portland Oregon. However it's changing in the suburbs. The Detroit  area businesses run by Sami Eid's family are thriving.His family restaurant Phoenicia a Lebanese eatery in Birmingham, Michigan opened as quickly as possible when it was OK to . However his restaurant Leila, a mere three blocks from the Quicken Loans Detroit headquarters didn't do well. Smaller places do better.People are reconnecting but at a slower place however as one restaurant owner, Ahmass Fakahany has noticed at his Manhattan place, Marea. They're looking at lunch to deepen relationships.It's more of a social impact lunch.

The power lunch may be taking a break.It may come back but in a different way. Workers still have to eat , deals still have to be made. but maybe in a whole new way,

The Best Recipes From The Best Restaurants

We have been eating family recipes for too long now. There's a  deep yearning for eating out and enjoying our favorite meals and desserts. However restaurant dining is still not allowed in some areas. What to do? Make their recipes.

Today's New York Times Food section gathered twelve recipes from the country's twelve best restaurant. There are dishes for all sorts of tastes, from savory to sweet. Pasta lovers will go crazy for famed Los Angeles' restaurant Felix's tagliatelle with prosciutto and butter. The restaurant also has produced pasta kits that have freshly made hand wrought pasta with a variety of sauces.They come with instructions that are down to the letter with prepping and serving. Another Italian cuisine favorite is Chicago's La Scarola with their Chicken Vesuvio dish.It's chicken cooked with russet potatoes, oregano and white wine. For those who want more adventurous recipes there's Hwa Yuan's  take out style sesame noodles.It's a Manhattan classic, with a fiery peanutty taste, perfect for a weekend dinner. Want a real fun starter for a barbecue? Phoenicia, from Birmingham, Michigan gives us the whipped garlic spread toum. This would be perfect on toasted pita  or even grilled steak. Then there's Atlanta's Taqueria del Sol pork roast with roasted jalapeno gravy. The roast has a spicy rub of black epper and granulated onion and garlic while the gravy has jalapenos, half and half and chicken stock.

Bakers will go wild for the Country Club Bakery's recipe for pepperoni rolls. This is a tasty mix of a maple syrup sweetened bread filled with pepperoni slices. The rolls are a state treasure throughout West Virginia  where the bakery is located in the town of Fairmont. Some add cheese  and if you want  to, do. Then there's Bakesale Betty's cinnamon crunch banana bread. This Oakland, California bakery is popular one.It's an interesting mix of bananas with cinnamon, There's also comfort food recipes such as Bananas Foster from New Orleans Brennans' and baked mac and cheese from Stingray's in New York. Other comfort dishes are Eventide's fish chowder from Portland Maine. This is a great mix of scallops and cod, perked up with dashi, Japanese fish stock. Of course French fries are the ultimate comfort food and there is the Piper Inn's recipe with beer cheese. All these recipes can be fattening which is why there is the salad recipe from Canlis in Seattle. This is a perfectly light mix of Romaine , tomatoes and Italian bread with a kind of home made mayo dressing.

Everyone misses their favorite restaurants right now. These recipes might help ease that ache. They are tasty and delicious, as well as being fun and comforting.