Menu Terminology and Accuracy

After you have selected the items you want to include on your menu, you face the problem of what to call them. Decades ago, when the classical cuisine of Escoffier was the normal offering in fine restaurants, a standard terminology existed. Everyone knew what was meant by Tournedos Chasseur, Suprême de Volaille Orly, and Sole Nantua, and these terms meant the same dish on any menu. Today, however, there is little standardization. Chefs feel obliged to give as much information on their menus as possible in order to describe their dishes adequately to their customers. As a result, one often sees menu descriptions that list almost every ingredient in a dish, including the farms the ingredients came from.