But, she added, "the bigger story is about how New Jersey's dining trends have knitted its communities together."

As is true of so many restaurants in New York, its dislocation has little to do with food quality, dining trends or management practices.

Cafe 25, at 1099 Route 25A (751-8500), also accurately reflects current local dining trends.

The much-improved Primavera may be expensive - count on $60 a person and up before wine and tip - and out of step with current dining trends.

Bahman Tehrani, who has always been quick to recognize changing dining trends, was a pasta trailblazer in the mid-80's.

Springing from this peripatetic dining trend is a Spanish word that has become widely used in English: "tapas."

"WHAT'S the next big dining trend?"

But the truth is that the closing of Lutèce is not a sign of any dining trend at all.

There are certain dining trends in this city that will not die.

Nuevo Latino, as a dining trend, has pretty much come and gone.