You mean a menu is more than just a list of food?

You bet your sea bass.  At upscale restaurants, they hire consultants and artists to design a menu properly, forcing your eye to the dishes they want you to choose.  Take a look at this excerpt from a new book by William Poundstone, who wrote two great nonfiction books a few years ago that should be in every personal library: Big Secrets and Bigger Secrets.  This is all about the Art of the Menu.