RESTAURANTS : Alcohol, High-Calorie Foods Falling From Favor With Diners

To get a good reading of an area’s outlook on life, one local restaurateur says, take a look at people’s dining habits.

Franco Vessia, general manager of Prego Ristorante in Irvine, said his customers’ food preferences “show a great deal about . . . Orange County and the new directions people are taking.”

For example, Vessia notes that his restaurant’s patrons appear increasingly interested in healthier selections, eating fewer fatty foods and drinking less alcohol.

Vessia said diners at his restaurant also are ordering fewer courses now than in years past, which he interprets as evidence that people are trying to eat lighter, look more fit and be healthier. He said that customers often share appetizers and rarely order both an appetizer and a dessert.

Customers also rarely order alcoholic beverages with lunch, he said.