WOW! As the OP, I guess I hit a nerve that needed stroking.
Reading thru all your replies, I realize I've dined in a lot of the places mentioned:
Ninfa's in the Barrio in Houston
Legal Seafoods in multiple locations in Mass.
PF Changs; Pei Wei, National Coney Island in Detwa(that's the French pronunciation)
, BW3, and many more.
SO, let's try to focus this a little tighter as in what TYPE of cuisine do you feel is missing in TV?
And for the record, I'm with those who wish for an upscale venue with great martini's, steak AND seafood served by wait staff that knows what they are doing and maybe entertainment a la a night with Frankie.