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"With higher food and labor costs impacting restaurateurs, there's a growing need to figure out how to save money, the Freeman report says. "Add to that process the move toward creating less waste, and you will find that chefs are embracing and utilizing the bits and pieces of all sorts of ingredients that were previously discarded to create delicious new dishes."
• Dan Barber, chef at Blue Hill in NYC, has made a mission of repurposing scraps. This year he developed the wastED salad for Sweetgreen (above), tossing in vegetable scraps that many restaurant staffs would simply discard. He also ran a three-week pop-up for a Shake Shack location in NYC that involved a burger made entirely from food scraps.
• Belcampo, a California-based chain, matches McDonald's in price with $1 burgers featuring lower cost, less-used and often discarded trim meat from their own farm.
Expect to see sliders move outside the standard definition of mini-beef burgers, Freeman says. "Due to their small size, they're the perfect mini-bite indulgence for restaurants to experiment with," the report adds. Variations include Colorado Lamb Sliders with Onion Confit, Pickles and Mustard Crema (pictured here) from Sweet Basil, Vail, CO; PB& J Sliders from The Shed at Glenwood in Atlanta; or Rock Cod Sliders with beer-battered cod and avocado with tarragon aioli at Hungry Cat in Santa Barbara, CA.
Fiery foods aren't just delicious; now some studies suggest they're good for you. "From the obvious chili oil to the now-ubiquitous sriracha to the creatively inspired spicy maple syrup, American palates are embracing and relishing the heat. Now more than ever, even desserts and beverages are enhanced with spice and heat.
• In San Francisco, E&O Kitchen & Bar introduced a Chili Tamarind Margarita as an LTO, but it quickly became a top seller and mainstay on the beverage menu.
• Chicago's Presidio put a spin on the classic pisco cocktails with the Presidio Pisco Punch #1, incorporating house-made Thai chili-infused pisco.
• The Dutch in NYC serves a Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding topped with brown butter Mezcal sauce and Arbol-spiced cinnamon ice cream.
Expect to see more variations on the ever-popular Bloody Mary. "From inventive garnishes, new components, to larger-than-life carts at posh brunch spots....they continue to evolve and grow from traditional spicy tomato juice and vodka recipes." One such cart, at 1313 Main in Napa, CA, stocks more than 20 choices for customization, including fried oysters, duck pastrami, fried shrimp cocktail, sriracha salt, fresh grated egg yolk cured in salt, kimchi Brussels sprouts and candied jalapenos.
Boozy ice, made possible possible due to newfangled ice makers, is putting a cool spin on everyone's favorite cocktails. Other frozen developments include boozy Ice Pop Cocktails at Loopy Doopy, the rooftop bar at the Conrad Hotel in NYC—topped with prosecco and sold in a variety of fruity flavors; and a Boozy Popsicle from Gracias Madre in L.A., with seasonal variations from blood orange and Mezcal to tequila blanco with roasted pineapple and jalapeno.
Fried chicken continues to rule the roost, with newly popular Southern and ethnic-inspired twists. A more traditional take is the fried chicken dinner at Revival in Decatur, GA (pictured here), served family-style with appetizers, relishes, trimmings and iron skillet corn bread.
"The ultimate comfort food/seafood sandwich is the lobster roll," the Freeman report declares. Chefs are pushing the envelope on this casual indulgence, with additions like a brioche donut in place of a ho-hum roll. Menus at the expanding Lobster ME brand present everything from the classic with drawn butter to an lobster rolls on an Old Bay-seasoned roll to one with truffled aioli spread, along with something called a Lobsicle.
Ice cream sandwiches are turning up on menus across the board, from casual to fine dining. The recently refreshed Spiaggia in Chicago presents the Pizzelle Panino pictured here—an ice cream sandwich made with wafer cookies. In L.A., Hinoki & The Bird's dessert sandwich includes chocolate chiffon, cocoa shortbread and caramel milk chocolate crunch. And Qui in Austin does a sweet-savory version filled with cheddar cheese ice cream.
"Every culture/cuisine has a filled item of deliciousness, and what's not to love about that? Chefs continue to delight in the pleasures of the familiar, filling and always delicious foods of the world," Freeman observes. Stuffed pastries also fit well into the snacking/small plates culture. Sens Restaurant in San Francisco serves house-made chorizo empanadas with arugula salad for happy hour; while Babu Ji in NYC and Melbourne menus flavorful samosas in varieties like pomegranate and green mango.
"Vegetables are the hero this year," Freeman declares. "They've become a center of the plate component, not simply a side dish. People want less animal protein and are requesting that veggies are ramped up to their fullest creative potential." Dedicated menus or menu items are an absolute must for the growing ranks of diners who identify themselves as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free, the firm says.
• Vegetable dishes at The Cookery in Dobbs Ferry, NY, where whole pig dinners are the specialty, push boundaries. For instance, dinner pasta choices include Cauliflower Ravioli (pictured here) with lemon brown butter, chili and Parmigiano.
• Bon Appetit's restaurant of the year honors went to Al's Place, a San Francisco spot where proteins play a supporting role.
• Recent studies suggest more diners crave vegetable-filled sandwiches like the King Oyster Mushroom "BLT" with Basil Mayonnaise from V Street in Philadelphia.
As the cocktail culture has grown, so has the idea of pairing food courses with cocktails. "Bartenders are creating drinks with flavors designed to specifically complement dishes," Freeman says. "This new trend allows bartenders to highlight signature drinks and bring a new level of balance to main course food offerings." Earlier this year, the Benihana chain welcomed warmer weather with sake sangrias (see photo), a spin on the classic designed to complement the menu. The Benihana Red Plum Sake Sangria calls for merlot, sake, plum wine, hibiscus syrup, pomegranate juice and orange juice.
More guests are looking for decadence and indulgence at breakfast and brunch, from decadent French toast to foie gras garnishes, caviar, oysters and more. "It's what's for over-the-top break(brunch)fast," the Freeman team declares. This luxurious Moroccan Benedict from chef Tim Graham at Chicago's Travelle incorporates a spicy lamb sausage.
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