The restaurant industry, the owners, employees, suppliers, and the government entities whose budgets rely on taxes from food and beverage sales have all taken a hit of biblical proportions these last eight weeks or so. Selling to go orders replaces just a tiny proportion of regular sales, and largely misses out on the sale of wine, beer, and cocktails, which provide the highest margins for the industry. Bad all ‘round for them.

As things open up gradually, every restaurant is approaching re-opening a little differently, so it is always best to call ahead, or to check Web sites to see at what stage your chosen spot is in. Reservations are often required, since seating capacity is limited to 25%. Restaurants are taking special care with sanitizing and other measures to reassure customers. The smartest approach I have heard is that some restaurants are taking reservations for three seatings of one and a half hours each: 5:30, 7:00, and 8:30. That way, if the seatings are each full, the restaurant can achieve 75% overall occupancy ( 3 X 25%) and have a fighting chance to come back to normal sales, without ever being overcrowded.

Congregating densely at bars is still forbidden. Some restaurants which were open for lunch and dinner are now just open at one meal, so check the hours. Be generous with your tipping in these times, if you can.

Because most restaurants are not serving their full menus, this month we are giving short reviews on more than three.