[katyseagull]

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Just speaking from my limited perspective in mid-level hotels, you really need fish dishes for the occasional Catholic on Fridays and Asian and rare healthy American. Otherwise, it doesn't move much compared to other stuff. People like shrimp though, but it seems more as bar food or an appetizer. Pork was almost never chosen.

Pasta is very popular with the ladies. It got a rep back in the 80s/early 90s as low calorie and a diet food, even though it's not even close, and that seems to have stuck. I've seen the simple, familiar pastas doing best - sphaghetti and meatballs, linguini and clams, linguini alfredo. Pizza really moves.

You're also serving to people who order room service, too, and so you do well with food like pizza that people like to eat while curling up in front of a movie and zoning out.

People are mostly fairly fed up with being stiff and formal by the end of the day, and just want to relax. The exception is the businessman entertaining a client. Sometimes he wants something informal too, but you're usually expected to provide something at least semi-nice to a client, like a good steak.

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Nice post, Blarg. Thanks! I've seen a lot of linguini/fettuccine alfredo stuff offered at inexpensive restaurants. This stuff looks sinfully good to me and usually they give you twice as much as as you could ever need. I don't tend to order it because it just looks so huge.

I hadn't even thought about pizza. Good call there. I think more restaurants should have gourmet pizza as an option on their menu, with small sizes available. That would be awesome.

Fish seems to be extremely popular now across all socio/economic brackets. Hotels/restaurants would be smart to offer up more great fish options besides salmon and shrimp.