Answer: Despite the daunting plenitude of choices, you need not feel completely lost, says Tyler Cowen in "Discover Your Inner Economist." At a fancy restaurant ($50 and up for a dinner), ask yourself: "Which item am I least likely to want to order? Which sounds least appetizing?" Then order that item.

The logic here is simple: No item will be on the menu long without good reason. If it sounds bad, it probably tastes especially good. Take the case of "monkfish." It's hard to make good monkfish: Most people and most restaurants shouldn't even try.

"I don't try. But when it is paraded with pride on the menu, it is usually an excellent entree. The dense and sweet flesh does very well in the hands of an expert chef."

Other good bets include game, anything you've never heard of, and most organ meats, especially the nasty-sounding ones. Watch out for the popular-sounding items like roast chicken, since too often they're just OK. Many dining wimps will order roast chicken to experience the familiar. The same with fried calamari: Many people love this, so it will be on many menus no matter what. In general, popularity suffices but it doesn't hit the highest peaks of taste. So, "in plain language, order the ugly and order the unknown. In a fancy restaurant, order the item you are least likely to think you want."

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