They avoided salads. Everything was fancied up. Service was formal. What we did was make things more casual, but still spiffy. And the food was green and crunchy instead of brown and mushy.
American food has sort of become baroque-continental again, only the continents are different.
The majority of chefs have lost touch with simplicity. But as California cuisine has matured, its food faux pas have become less frequent. Or take George Morrone's heirloom-tomato soup at the Fifth Floor in San Francisco. The green of Zebra-Stripe tomatoes swirls with the deep yellow of Golden Jubilees and the brilliant red of Beefsteaks, yet their colors remain distinct. A delicate arrangement of chives, avocado, green tomato wedges and cilantro floats on the surface.