The Year of Dining Dangerously

Monday, Jan. 04, 1988 By MIMI SHERATON

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If there is a single word to characterize 1987 in the gourmet marketplace, it would be silliness. Mustard came in for a drubbing with a variety of novelty flavorings, and deodorized garlic is in the wings. Dieters still want to eat their cake without having it on their waistlines, and speaking of cake, Texas is exporting cheesecake to New York, the home of the original. Frightened by a shaky market (and perhaps having exhausted their ingenuity), restaurateurs began to think small, and the future of the epic theme eatery is much in doubt. A stronger trend in dining out is the renaissance of Italian cuisine in stylish settings -- beating the fancy French at their own game.

CHUTZPAH AWARD The hands-down winner is Lyn Dunsavage, who in July brought her New York, Texas Cheesecake to, of all places, New York, New York, hoping to find retail outlets. Baked back home, this lemon- and vanilla-flavored cake is based on a recipe Dunsavage's mother developed after being beguiled by the original on a trip to the Big Apple. The verdict from this aficionado of the genre: not bad, but a bit too sweet and creamy to fool connoisseurs.

CUISINE OF THE YEAR Italian food is the no-contest fashion favorite, especially in new casually chic cafe-trattorias. Enticing antipasti, new thin pizzas, and the pasta, fish and vegetable dishes suit modern ideas of good nutrition, as well as the desires of grazers. The Milan import Bice took Manhattan by storm last summer, and hopes to do the same in Beverly Hills in '88, when it opens another branch. Both Avanzare and Spiaggia are seeing heavy action in Chicago, and Restaurant Associates is planning to expand its Vivande format from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., and Livingston, N.J.

MOST OVERWORKED CONDIMENT Cutting the mustard with just about everything from apricots to tarragon, with champagne, honey, horseradish, garlic, pickles and jalapenos in between, seemed the favorite ploy of sales-minded merchandisers, invariably with cloying results. Jars of mustard line store shelves as flavored oils and vinegars did a few years back.

MOST CONFUSING FISH DISH Dubbed Skin Caviar by its maker, La Prairie, and packed with a silvery spoon, this chemical anti-aging goop looks good enough to eat. It raises the question of whether these tiny pearly grains are meant to be spread on toast or on one's face. The latter is the answer, of course, but if stored in the refrigerator, Skin Caviar, at $65 for two ounces, could lead to some surprise snacking.

NEATEST TURNAROUND Can a new management take over a revered but fading institution, refurbish it and attract a young and trendy clientele without alienating its valuable old regulars? In the case of Manhattan's fabled '21' Club, the answer promises to be yes. Biggest controversy is the house hamburger, now with herb butter at the center. Newcomers love it, but old- timers say, "Hold everything."

; NOSTALGIA ON THE HIGHEST The '30s in all of their sleek and glitzy Art Deco splendor have been re-created in the restoration of the Rainbow Room in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Perched atop the 70-story RCA Building, this classic setting offers incomparable views of the fabulous skyline, plus revolving dance floor, deep purple walls and glints of crystal and brass. Now if only they can cook . . .