Time magazine wrote a good article on menu design titled I’ll Have That Typeface on the Menu by Caplan.

Some restaurants are describing dishes with sophisticated words to achieve two goals.
1) Paint the dish as an upscale dish
2) Charge more since the description of the dish appear to take more time

In reality, simplicity is key. Patrons focus on the taste and texture as oppose to the description of a dish. Entering a foreign upscale French restaurant may be intimidating enough, so the menu should be friendly and simple. The best place to put your most popular dish is either in the middle of the menu or the top left/right corners. Few weeks ago, I dined at Chou Chou and ordered the duck confit. The description did not match the dish and I ended up ordering a dish I did not like. Duck marinated with mash potatoes on top and a crispy crust would have been a more simple description. A patron who orders a great dish will rave about it and tell her friends about trying the restaurant. With around 5,000 restaurants in San Francisco, most restaurants get only one chance at pleasing a customer so start with the basics, a menu that is easy to read and understand.