There is always revolution going on in the restaurant industry. Much like many other industries, there are always new standards coming out as well as the new hype generated by chefs and restaurants around the world. As the years continue, more and more everyday things that associated with fine dining in NH will slowly disappear as we move towards a modern age of Ziosks and electronic ordering. Bon Appetit created an article that pointed out some of the changes that have been happening in the last 15 years in the restaurant industry, mainly in New York, but some of those trends have found their way here.

Reservations Are Fleeting

Just at the beginning of the decade, you could call and make a reservation at a restaurant for 4 o’clock sharp and your table would be held for you then. Today, however, many restaurants have forsaken reservations for call ahead seating – a new way to address the crowd. As many of you are familiar with, the process is to call and put your name on the list to limit your wait time at the restaurant. This new way of jumping the line gets rid of the specialty feel of knowing exactly when you will eat on holiday. Some restaurants will still make reservations, but they are few and far between.

The Way You Order Drinks

When you had a perfect menu, the wine list and beer list were separate and there were only recommendations on what would pairs best with a particular chicken or steak. Today, in many restaurants the drink menu is just as important as the food menu itself. For Stella Blu, our martinis are second to none as we work just as hard to present you with the perfect drink that your food pairs with, not the other way around. Today the quality of the drinks and the creativity behind them is a key factor in the restaurant’s unique stamp on the town.

Food Trucks

Having a stable location is becoming a thing of the past with the food truck craze. Food trucks are slowly cropping up in main cities across the country. With the new mobility in “restaurants” that were not there before, the ability to know where you are at all times is pertinent. While many food trucks check in regularly, so their customers know where to find them at lunch, there is a gamble that you will need to travel across town to get your food, and every day it could be different. The growth of food trucks is an interesting twist in the dining sphere.

Disappearance of the White Table Cloth

Think about the last time you went to a restaurant that had a white table cloth. Chances are it has been a while. Many fine dining restaurants have started moving away from the white fabric for the wooden tables and a clean look that they crave. What was once a staple signifier for fine dining is disappearing, and soon, the white cloth may be obsolete.

When it comes to fine dining in NH, the typical is changing as the restaurant industry evolves. These changes do not reflect the standards of fine dining but rather the modification of the aesthetics that are involved with portraying the scale of the dining.

We encourage you to visit Stella Blu for a lesson in the new fine dining in NH as we serve award winning tapas and martinis in our small restaurant at 70 East Pearl Street.