2009's Major Headlines A Little Less Bleak Than Expected

Tis the season for making lists, retrospectives, and also, predictions for the year ahead. Restaurants & Institutions, Nation's Restaurant News, and this month's Food & Wine have already published their thoughts on 2010 and more will come forward over the duration of December. The big Eater year-end wrap ups won't begin in full for a couple of weeks, but before everyone gets thinking about 2010, let's take a look at what some of the experts foresaw in December 2008. In general, folks in the restaurant industry were straight up terrified about the economic future. Some are more prescient than others.

Kate Krader, Food & Wine: NYC Drowns in Sandwiches

Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appetit: Reports of Restaurants' Demise Greatly Exaggerated

William Tigertt, Freemans: Over 40% of NYC Restaurants Close as Economic Crisis Deepens.

Bret Thorn, Nation's Restaurant News: Times Square Restaurants Suffer Amid Crime Wave

Adam Kuban, Slice: Hemlines Long, Soup Lines Longer

Zach Brooks, Midtown Lunch: NYC Restaurateurs Realize That Street Carts Are the Only Way to Make Money; Vendys Replace the Beards.

Rachelle Hruska, Guest of a Guest: Momofuku Opens in Brooklyn; El Bano replaces the Eldridge

Ryan Sutton, Bloomberg: Death of the $40 Entrée

Steve Shaw, eGullet: Despite Recession, Millions of Stupid People Continue to Pay 300% Wine Markups

Gabriella Gershenson, TONY:The recession finally hits New York City's restaurant scene. Its response? More casual eateries, family-style dining, better value.

Noa Taffet, Stilettos on Cobblestone: Le Cirque, Per Se to Offer Discreet Delivery Service (or similar move toward inconspicuous consumption)

Steve Plotnicki, Opinionated About Dining: The financial crisis will cause more chefs to abandon the formal restaurant model and open counter-seating restaurants where they will serve you the food directly.

Brooks of Sheffield, Lost City: A shakedown of the surplus of artisinal cocktail emporia that have opened in the last 12 months, with quite a few of the under-performing or un-special or too ridiculous ones closing.

Kludt: Shake Shack Announces Plans for Nationwide Domination; Momofuku Milk Truck Hits the Streets; Tired of Cooking, Colicchio Ends Tuesday Dinner Experiment, Launches New Reality Show

BL: In Last Review of Bruni Era, Ninja Gets the Tres

LS: Eater Reinstates Deathwatch for Entire NYC Restaurant Industry; Only Balthazar, Dunkin' Donuts Spared.

The commenters had even more.
· Year in Eater 2009: Headlines for 2009 [~ENY~]