Part of the Honky-Tonk Food Director track. Lesson 2 of 10.
Prerequisites: Modules 35, 48.
The sequence
Put the governing tradition at the center.
Let others support where they genuinely belong.
Name a signature.
And cut what does not serve it.
The decisions
What supports and what dilutes. In Texas the traditions did in fact mix, which makes crossing them legitimate — beans and slaw beside brisket is Central Texas. Beans and slaw beside something unrelated is a collection.
Which means the test is whether the combination has a history or whether it is a list.
And what the signature is. One thing the room is known for, executed to a standard, and mentioned by everyone who describes the place.
What you are reading
Whether the menu can be said in a sentence.
What goes wrong here
Items added for reasons unrelated to the center — a guest asked, a cook can make it, a supplier had a deal.
Verification
The one-sentence test, again.
The boundary
Menu labeling and allergen disclosure are governed by applicable law and the local health authority.