1 . THE BOAT RESTAURANT

2 . Frato’s Pizza looks like a typical family restaurant, with its black-and-white checkered floor and red chairs. But in the kitchen, the cooks are cooking for four other restaurants at the same time.

There is, of course, the delicious pizza that customers have come to expect from Frato’s when they walk through the door. But there are also spicy chicken gyros for Halal Kitchen, barbecue chicken tenders for Tenderlicious, salmon grilled cheese for Cheesy Deliciousness and Butterfinger milkshakes for Heavenly Shakes, all of which can only be ordered through online sites Grubhub, DoorDash and UberEats.

Owner Michael Kudrna launched the four spin-offs (分店) earlier this year in a matter of weeks as he races to keep his Chicago-area business ahead of a growing trend: restaurants designed only for delivery or take-out.

Thousands of restaurants are experimenting with these virtual spin-offs tucked (隐藏) inside their own kitchens. Others are opening “ghost kitchens”, where all food is prepared to go.

Both concepts have come out to take advantage of the rising popularity of ordering out instead of dining in. The trend also speaks to the growing power of third-party delivery companies, which have transformed the way many people find restaurants and raised expectations for speed and convenience.

The $26.8 billion online ordering market is the fastest-growing source of restaurant sales in the United States, according to David Portalatin, a food industry adviser for The NPD group. Digital orders, while still accounting for just 5% of all restaurant orders, are growing by some 20% each year. Restaurant visits, meanwhile, are remaining mostly flat.

In this case, UberEats has helped launch 4,000 such virtual restaurants worldwide and about half of them are in the U.S. and Canada, according to Kristen Adamowski, head of Uber’s virtual restaurant program.

Grubhub and UberEats say their virtual restaurant programs help small businesses compete in this landscape. Both actively reach out to restaurants with suggestions for online spin-offs based on data collected from customer searches — extending their influence from how people get their food to what should go on the menu.

Virtual restaurants also have the obvious benefit of testing new concepts without taking on the high rent or hiring more staff, said Rick Carmac, head of restaurant management at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York.

4 . Where to Eat on Christmas Day in London?

Bob Bob Ricard

The best choice for smaller child-free parties—or pairs—that think of Christmas as an excuse to enjoy distinctly adult treats, let’s say: caviar, oysters, steak, followed by cheese and fries, all washed down with wine (ordered by pressing a button, obviously).

Location: 1 Upper James St, Soho, London W1F 9DF, UK

Contact: 020 3145 1000

Min Jiang Restaurant

If a typical modern Chinese banquet (宴会) is required to refresh the family’s Christmas spirit, book a table atop the Royal Garden Hotel and look out over Hyde Park while sharing a feast that includes traditional Chinese dishes. Since it’s Christmas, it’s probably worth going all out by pre ordering a whole or hall Beijing (Peking) duck, too.

Location: 2-24 Kensington High St, Kensington, London W8 4PT, UK

Contact: 020 7361 1988

The Alexandra

A special case: The Alexandra in Wimbledon offers a wonderful Christmas dinner to anyone spending Christmas Day alone, no charge under whatever circumstances. It is a place of spirit, refuge, and generosity.

Location: 33 Wimbledon Hill Rd, Wimbledon. London SW19 7NE, UK

Contact: 020 8947 7691

The Pem

Sally Abé’s newest restaurant is serving up a classic three courses in Westminster, for £130 a head (children under six, free if accompanied by adults). Guests can choose between smoked sea fish and crab mousse or a special ham for a starter, with bee Wellington or a plate of goose coming as main dishes, followed by Christmas pudding and ice scream. We offer a 10% discount if the total cost is over £500.

Location: 22-28 Broadway, London SW1H 0BH, UK

Contact: 020 3301 8080

5 . A McDonald's restaurant has been rated one of the worst in the UK, out of 1,300 of the chain's outlets. The restaurant in question is in Kingswinford near Dudley, and Birmingham Live reports it has attracted a rating of just two.

    1     Birmingham Live Reporter Dayna Farrington found when she went to see it for herself…

Setting

As I walked into the restaurant itself. I noticed it was fairly busy for nearly 11：30 a. m. on a Tuesday in January. It looked clean and well organized. I didn't see any messy tables, or food left lying around. The outside was also tidy - no overflowing bins or rubbish dumped.     2     I'd definitely seen worse McDonald's in the past.

Service

There was no one serving behind the counter when I arrived at the restaurant, only those handing out the orders.     3     It might be a sign of the new Covid times as you have less interaction with others.

Having read reviews on TripAdvisor about items being missed from orders and cold food, I wasn't holding out too much hope.     4     Upon collecting my order, it looked as if everything was there. And it was—there was nothing missing from my order. So good start so far. I tried the large chips first which came with the main meal. These were piping hot. I also tried some hot chocolate. It wasn't the nicest drink I've ever tried, but it was ok.

Overall

So I headed to the Kingswinford branch full of fear of what might be in store after reading the overwhelmingly terrible reviews on TripAdvisor.     5     It was not as bad as the reviews made out.

7 . Home delivery meal kits have been one of the bits of the pandemic: they have enabled diners to carry on getting a taste of restaurant-quality food, while helping restaurants to stay in business, and even make you an excellent chef. Here are four of the best offering delivery in our region:

Berenjak (berenjakbazaar.com)

“The kabab kits from this London-based Iranian restaurant — which range in price from £25 to £45 — are a ‘class act’,” says Jay Rayner in The Observer. “My kit even included a pair of plastic gloves for me to wear while dealing with the raw meat. This is the best kind of meal kit — the cooking is fun, and the finished product is utterly delicious.”   

Gujarati Rasoi (gujaratirasoi.co.uk)

“I love this vegetarian restaurant,” says Marina O’Loughlin in The Sunday Times. “And its meal boxes are ‘electrifyingly good’ too. Family boxes for four cost £65, and I especially love the starter (£15.50). The dishes were complicated, yet quite easy to cook.”

Lyle’s (lylesprovisions.com)

“This Michelin-starred London restaurant delivers its ‘exquisitely delicious’ menu boxes each Friday,” says Xanthe Clay in The Daily Telegraph. “At £140 for two, they aren’t cheap, and with multiple courses, they do take a bit of work and concentration to cook.”

Santo Remedio (santoremedio.co.uk)

“Order a Remedy kit from Santo Remedio and what you will get is an incredibly generous, sharing-style Mexican feast for two,” says Anna Lawson on BBC’s “Good Food”. “The kits come with a choice of slow-cooked meat, accompanied by all the ingredients to make your own pancake. Preparation is simple, thanks to a colour-coded instruction.”

8 . Dining alone is becoming more common, and there’s absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about if you want to take yourself out for a nice meal! Eating a meal on your own simply shows that you’re comfortable with yourself and confident that you’ll enjoy your own company.     1     Hopefully, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the experience.

Sit on the patio when the weather is nice to enjoy the fresh air. Being alone on the patio is also a way to feel less conspicuous if you’re a little nervous dining alone. Just think of how many times you’ve passed a cafe and seen a solo diner reading their book and enjoying a lunchtime break!     2    

Eat slowly and relish the flavors of your meal. You might want to eat as quickly as possible so you can leave, especially if you’re feeling self-conscious about eating alone.     3     Chew each bite thoroughly and think about the flavor profiles. Put your utensils down from time to time and look around or enjoy a sip of your drink.

Take a deep breath if you start to feel self-conscious.     4     You might feel like other people are looking at you or judging you, but try to remember that chances are, they’re too busy thinking about themselves. When negative feelings start to rise, pause, take a breath, and focus on your meal.

    5     Stepping away from phone calls, texts, emails, and social media might be just the thing you need to unwind from a busy day. Doing away with your phone will help you be more present, enjoy yourself, and appreciate your meal.