Tomato ovaries, dumb categories and insane prices: No wonder Gen Z suffers from ‘menu anxiety’

I never thought I’d agree with Gen Z about anything — until now.

A survey of restaurant customers by British chain Prezzo found that an astounding 86 percent of Gen Z restaurant goers suffer from “menu anxiety,” prompted by high prices and fear of not finding anything they like.

A US study by polling outfit One Poll also found that more Gen-Z customers were on edge over menus than any other generations of diners.

 Although my age is Gen Z times three, I’ll can definitely empathize.

I’m scared, too, when I see “tomato ovaries” — apparently, a round structure found at the center of a tomato flower — listed as part of a mackerel dish at Michelin-starred Shmone on West Eighth Street.

I’m a nervous wreck when I open menus at many New York places — especially when my young friends count on me, the supposed expert, to do the ordering.

Worse than strange-sounding and totally mysterious dishes is sticker shock. Prices shot up during the pandemic as restaurants struggled to survive and the fever has never come down.

Wiener schnitzel, which until a few years ago cost around $30 even when offered by a “name” chef, now clocks in at $43 at chef-partner Markus Glocker’s newish Koloman and $45 at Kurt Gutenbrunner’s long-established Wallse.

Halibut was once the butt of “just for the halibut” jokes. The mild-flavored flatfish now commands $56 at Le Rock as halibut “au vine jaune” (white wine sauce). If you want to save pennies, heritage chicken there is just $46.

Italian spots urge us to drain our 401K funds for white-truffle add-ons. Though the fungi can have limited flavor, you’ll pay as much as $180 for shavings you could fit under a toenail.

The biggest inflationary shock might be at Carne Mare. Chef Andrew Carmellini’s pungent, 12-ounce gorgonzola-cured Wagyu strip loin climbed from $72 in mid-2020 to — hold your nose — $135. It’s a great dish, but do the animals and the cheese taste nearly100 percent better than they did three years ago?

Of course, prices aren’t the only issue. Menus are increasingly full of confusingly organized categories designed to make us order more — or just lose our mind.

The comedians at pan-Asian Kyu label classify dishes as “snacks,” “keep it light” and “for the table.” My friend said to me, “We like to share — why don’t you pick and choose for us.” 

I felt lost trying to choose between the $16 grilled broccoli and a $240 dry-aged tomahawk steak in the “for the table” group. A fourth category, “smoke- and wood-fired,” bafflingly listed “Thai fried rice” as a dish. Wh?

Giorgio Armani plans to launch a new restaurant at his relocated Madison Avenue boutique next year. I hope the menu will be easier to navigate than the one at Armani Ristorante on Fifth Avenue.

Nothing wrong with antipasti, primi piatti, secondi piatti — but then there’s the dinner-time “experience menu,” “tasting menu” and “collezione tasting menu.” Even the lunch menu had so many pages, I wanted to call my lawyer.

Tatiana, the fine Nigerian-influenced spot at Lincoln Center, lists all dishes as either “small share” or “large share.” I guess they want us to share!

But, really, how do you share honeynut piri piri salad with persian cucumber, seasonal grapes and crispy quinoa without making a mess?

No wonder my Gen-Z friends are afraid. But the younger generation seems to always know what’s the best. So next time, I’ll let them do the ordering.