Money For Nothing?

Dine Out LB patrons will be offered a food item that doesn’t exist

Under normal circumstances, if you order something at a restaurant and it isn’t brought to the table, you’ll probably complain to the manager. You might make an exception during Dine Out Restaurant & Cocktail Week Long Beach, where restaurants will offer one “imaginary food item” on their menu. You’ll pay for it, but it won’t arrive because it doesn’t exist. This might seem like a bad deal for you and pure profit for them, but it’s not — because they won’t be making a dime. 

Instead, when you order “Imaginary Fries” at The Pike or “Imaginary Duck Soup” at The Crooked Duck, the $3 that will be added to your tab goes to Restaurants Care, a charity that assists culinary workers idled during the pandemic. (The imaginary items are sometimes whimsical — if you order the “Imaginary Elephant” at Fresh Kabobs you may not be able to finish it, so will need an imaginary take-out box for the leftovers.)

The plan is the brainchild of Elizabeth Borsting, founder of Dine Out Long Beach, which is in its sixth year. Elizabeth explains that the imaginary items program is a change from previous charitable efforts. 

“Every year we have a nonprofit component, and in years past it was called Pass the Plate, in which restaurants would donate a percentage of the tabs on specific nights to local charities. And this year, well, I don’t need to tell you what 2020 did. We wanted to help Restaurants Care, which is the nonprofit providing financial assistance to restaurant industry people in need, whether there’s been an illness or death in the family, they can’t make their mortgage, whatever. I didn’t feel like we could ask the restaurants to donate anything out of their pockets, so we thought, let’s let customers help restaurants help their people. There’s nothing out of pocket for the restaurant, they just need to create an imaginary item and put it on the menu. They are all three dollars, and 100% of the proceeds will go to Restaurants Care. It’s a public donating, not restaurants having to give a percentage of their sales.”

The annual event is going ahead despite limited seating in most restaurants, and some eateries have changed their menus accordingly. 

“Where before the emphasis has always been on dining at the restaurant, this year we’re seen a different approach because of the pandemic. If you’re not comfortable yet dining out in a restaurant, you can get these meals to go. They’ve thought about items that travel well, so they don’t have to create separate menus. Remix Kitchen Bar is doing that, though. They have a menu geared towards taking out for families and couples, and another designed for dining in. That’s not to say that you couldn’t get the in-person menu to go, but they’ve kind of structured it that way.”

This raises the question of whether people are dining out, no matter how tempting the offerings by restaurants? 

“I guess time will tell whether what we experienced this past year has changed human behavior. But here’s what I saw – I walked around Belmont Shore last weekend and at three o’clock in the afternoon, between lunch and dinner, the outdoor dining areas were packed. I think the people that have had their shots are looking forward to dining out again, inside or out.”

Despite all challenges, participation in Dine Out Long Beach is higher than ever, with sixty restaurants offering special multi-course menus at sharply discounted prices. Elizabeth says that the program offers several benefits, not least of which is that people who are browsing the website for deals may find out about restaurants they didn’t know existed. The restaurants often decide to whip up something a little special to reward those new customers.

“Dine Out Long Beach is a way for restaurants to do a little R&D. Sometimes they put something new on the menu as an experiment, and they keep it because it’s done so well. This is a good time to test it out. Besides the benefits to each place from increased traffic, it builds our culinary community in Long Beach, makes them all a part of something bigger than just their restaurant. They want to attract new guests or remind returning diners to revisit, but there are bigger things.” 

Those who are interested in learning all about the program and perusing the menus can get information at dineoutlongbeach.com. When you order, be sure to order an imaginary menu item, perhaps even two. They’re guaranteed not to add calories, and you’ll feel great afterward.