
Dave Plunkert’s diner THINKS he knows what he wants… but as the lead story of this week’s New York Times Dining & Wine section informs us, other forces are at play in his decision. Welcome to the world of menu engineering, where dollar signs are banned and meaningless descriptivism such as “farm fresh” eggs and “smokehouse” bacon guide the diner’s tender psyche to the pellet in the center of the maze.


