Restaurants and the WWW

[Tyrrell]

Last night I went to a restaurant in St. Paul (Red Fish Blue if you're a local) and I had a glass of vina reboreda that I wanted to know more about (where it comes from, what grapes are in it etc.). So I thought that I'd pop over to the restaurant's web page and get the name of the bottle off of the wine list posted there. The restaurant had no web page! (That I found) I tried to look up a few other local restaurants to see if this was an aberration. Turns out that it wasn't. So either I'm using the wrong search engine or this sort of technological retardation is not uncommon for eating establishments. I haven't seen any links in restaurant reviews either this morning.

Is there an explanation that anyone here can provide me with? (Or even wild speculation if it’s sufficiently entertaining.)


[This message has been edited by Tyrrell (edited 05-25-2003).]

[stevebody]

Web pages are a thing that needs constant attention, updating menus, events, specials, etc. Most restaurants don't - can't - devote that kind of time to it, even if it's just a matter of contacting a hired webmaster to provide updates.

Also, the cost of websites keep a lot of restaurants offline. 95% of all the restaurants in this country have staffs of ten and under and the profit margin in food service isn't very good. All three of my places are without web pages and I have no plans to set anything up. I have nothing at all against doing it but we have - sorry - bigger fish to fry. LOL

[Kcwhippet]

Vina Reboreda comes from the Ribeiro region of Spain and it comes in both red and white. The red is made from Caino, Alicante and Brancellas grapes. The white is made from Torrontes, Treixadura and Godello grapes. There are several producers and a good wine shop should be able to get some for you f they don't already have it.

[quijote]

In Milwaukee, there's a website called Milwaukee Menus (www.mkemenus.com) that has standardized webpages for various restaurants, including menus (both current and outdated) for some restaurants. I have found that internet searches (on Yahoo, Google, etc.) do not always turn up these menus, but they are there. Perhaps the Mpls area has something like that?

However, most restaurants still don't have webpages, and Stevebody gives good reasons for this. I'm just guessing, but you'll probably find that the more trendy and touristy restaurants have readily findable webpages with menus.

Alternatively, you may find menus or partial menus in the phone book (yellow pages), and you may just have to contact the restaurant and have them fax a menu to you.

[winoweenie]

Pardona Moi', but was the food Good? WW

[Thomas]

ww, it was "virtually" good...

[Tyrrell]

WW, the food was great (IMO). I had blue marlin for my entree and an appetizer that was made of shrimp, octopus, and some fish (I forget which one) in a mango salsa. One caveat for you though, with the exception of a summer in Houston I've never lived anywhere near an ocean so I suspect seafood easily impresses me.

[This message has been edited by Tyrrell (edited 05-25-2003).]

[Thomas]

I was joking with ww--virtual reality (the computer world); virtually good.

[winoweenie]

Tyrell ole' bean, you don't need to live on a coast to have fresh fish from all over the world. The miracle of modern Jet travel!My favorite restaurant here in Phoenix has a fisherman in San Diega that docks on Shelter island at around 9:30 mornings, takes his catch to the airport and Southwest has it at Phoenix International by 11:00 A.M.Picked up and on the menu at 11:30. WW