Dishes and Dinning: English Vocabulary List

the art, science, or activity of exploring how to prepare and eat good food

"She studies gastronomy at the university"

"French gastronomy is renowned worldwide for its sophisticated techniques and rich flavors."

a small restaurant that is not expensive

"The bistro serves French food."

"A bistro is a small restaurant where you can enjoy affordable yet delicious meals with friends."

a small restaurant

"The diner was busy."

"The old diner serves breakfast all day and is popular with truck drivers."

a service where one can shop or do business without leaving one's vehicle, such as fast-food restaurants, pharmacies, etc.

"The drive-through is fast."

"We grabbed burgers at the drive through because we were too tired to cook dinner."

an area in a public place such as a shopping mall, etc. where multiple small restaurants are located

"We ate noodles at the food court"

"The mall's food court offers everything from pizza to sushi under one roof."

a substance high in fat and found in blood and most body tissues, a high amount of which correlates with an increased risk of heart disease

"Exercise helps reduce harmful cholesterol levels"

"Eating too much saturated fat can raise your bad cholesterol levels increasing heart disease risk."

(of food) containing a lot of oil

"The fries are oily."

"Her oily skin caused her to break out frequently so she used special face washes and moisturizers designed specifically for her skin type."

(of food, particularly cake and bread) not fresh anymore, due to exposure to air or prolonged storage

"The bread is stale."

"The bread was stale and hard so we could not make sandwiches and had to throw it away."

lacking flavor or an interesting taste

"The soup is tasteless."

"The soup was bland and tasteless because the cook forgot to add salt and pepper so everyone added hot sauce to make it more interesting."

(of food) easy to chew or cut

"The steak is tender."

"The tender steak melted in her mouth and she closed her eyes to savor the delicious flavor of the grilled meat."

tasting very good

"The cake is yummy."

"The chocolate cake was so yummy that I ate two pieces and I wanted a third but I was too full."

(of a restaurant, store, etc.) providing customers with the chance to serve themselves and then pay for it

"The restaurant is self-service."

"The self-service gas station had no attendants so customers had to pump their own fuel and pay at the machine."

a small dish that is eaten before the main part of a meal

"The appetizer was tasty."

"We ordered stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer before the main course arrived at the table."

someone who enjoys and knows about food and wine very much

"He is a gourmet."

"She is a true gourmet, always seeking out the finest culinary experiences."

a dish of a tortilla wrapped around a mixture of ground meat or beans, originated in Mexico

"I ate a burrito."

"The burrito was stuffed with rice beans meat cheese and salsa wrapped in a large tortilla."

the preserved eggs of some fish, especially one called sturgeon, eaten as food, which is considered a very expensive dish

"The restaurant served expensive black caviar"

"Caviar is considered a luxury food because it consists of rare salt cured fish eggs."

a thin slice of meat that is coated with breadcrumbs and then fried

"He ordered schnitzel with mashed potatoes"

"Wiener schnitzel is a thin breaded veal cutlet fried until golden and crispy."

a dish that consists of a pancake that is filled with vegetables and sometimes meat and then fried until crispy, originated in China

"Spring rolls are tasty."

"The spring roll wrapper was crispy and filled with vegetables and glass noodles."

a dish of small rolls or balls of cold cooked rice flavored with vinegar and garnished with raw fish or vegetables, originated in Japan

"I love eating fresh salmon sushi."

"Sushi must be made with extremely fresh fish because it is eaten completely raw."

a dish that consists of a folded tortilla filled with ground meat, beans, etc., originated in Mexico

"Taco is spicy."

"She filled the taco shell with seasoned ground beef lettuce cheese and sour cream."

to entertain someone with generous or luxurious food and drink

"They wine and dine guests."

"The company decided to wine and dine their most important clients at an expensive restaurant downtown last Friday."

a type of beer that is dark in color and does not contain bubbles

"Dark ale has no bubbles."

"Ale is a type of beer brewed with top fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures."

a drink made with pineapple, coconut, and rum

"She ordered a pina colada at sunset"

"The bartender blended rum coconut cream and pineapple juice to make a pina colada."

a drink served with a lot of small pieces of ice

"I want a cold frappe."

"The coffee frappe was topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup for extra sweetness."

a type of light beer, flavored with hops

"My uncle prefers pilsner over dark beer"

"Pilsner is a pale lager that originated in the Czech Republic and is very crisp."

a store where chocolate, sweets, etc. are sold

"The confectionery sells delicious chocolate cakes"

"The confectionery shop sells handmade chocolates candies and other sweet treats."

(of food) containing or cooked in a lot of oil

"The pan is greasy."

"The greasy pan needed to be washed with hot soapy water to remove all of the oil and food residue from cooking bacon."

pleasing or agreeable to the sense of taste

"The soup is savory."

"The savory aroma of the roasting chicken filled the entire house and made everyone's mouths water as they waited impatiently for dinner to be served."

(of food, particularly cake and bread) not fresh anymore, due to exposure to air or prolonged storage

"The bread is stale."

"The stale bread was hard and dry so she decided to make breadcrumbs instead of trying to eat it with butter."

(of food) easy to chew or cut

"The steak is tender."

"The steak is tender and you can cut it with a fork without any effort at all."

the main segment of a meal

"The entree was served."

"For her entree she chose grilled salmon with roasted vegetables and wild rice."

a type of food or drink or other product that a place is known for because it is delivered in high quality

"This is our specialty."

"The restaurant's specialty is wood fired pizza made in a traditional Italian oven."

a menu in which each dish has a separate price

"We ordered dinner from the a la carte menu"

"At this restaurant you order a la carte rather than choosing a fixed price menu."

a person who buys something from a place or visits it very often

"The bartender knows the regular by name."

"The bartender knows the regular by name and pours his usual drink without being asked."

a type of dark-red wine with a sweet taste, originated in Portugal

"I like port wine."

"After the celebratory dinner, guests were offered a glass of rich, sweet port to conclude the evening."