The writer's 10 worst, with photos at the bottom:

1. Deconstruction
2. The chef as media whore
3. The menu as book
4. Foam
5. Knee-jerk online reviews
6. Proudly obnoxious fast food options
7. The Communal Table
8. The $40 entrée
9. Molecular gastronomy
10. Fried onion blossoms

Decades from now, when you reflect on what dining was like during the fledgling years of the 21st century, on a good day you will picture a heartening trend toward comfort food in the wake of Sept. 11 and a well-meaning push toward locally sourced menus.

But on a bad day, when someone asks what the worst restaurant trends of that first decade were, will you be able to shut up? One restaurant type cracked: "As long as we're not naming names, I'll talk. Because now that you ask this, specific chefs and self-important restaurants are coming to mind."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entert...6.photogallery

The faux server familiarity served up in North America stretches back more than a decade but it would be included on my list. The annoying "Terry will be your server this evening," "Hi Guys, My name is Bob and I'll be serving you this evening," etc. is only heightened by the occasional "And how are we tonight?" to which I sometimes reply "We're fine, and how are we?" I'm not really interested in establishing a meaningful relationship. I only seek good food and decent service. YMMV.

Cheers,
Fredd