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chefs name what’s hot

Chefs Predict Top Menu Trends for 2012

by Janet on December 10, 2011

Locally sourced meat, seafood and produce again top the list of hot menu trends as predicted by chefs surveyed by the National Restaurant Association.  Hyper-local items, such as ingredients from restaurants’ own gardens, rank fourth on the list, and a third of chefs at full-service restaurants who were surveyed said they had gardens on-site.

rickbayless-rick in crowd

Here’s chef Rick Bayless giving a tour of his backyard garden at a Les Dames event I attended this summer.  In his three-city lot in Chicago, Rick grows an amazing amount of vegetables, salad micro-greens, peppers and herbs for his award-winning restaurants Frontera Grill and Topolobambo.

rickbayless-rickrickbayless-squash

The top 20 predicted hot menu trends identified by the 1,800 chefs who belong to the American Culinary Federation are:

1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Healthful kids’ meals
4. Hyper-local sourcing (e.g., restaurant gardens)
5. Sustainability as a culinary theme
6. Children’s nutrition as a culinary theme
7. Gluten-free/food allergy-conscious items
8. Locally produced wine and beer
9. Sustainable seafood
10. Whole grain items in kids’ meals
11. Newly fabricated cuts of meat, such as the pork flat iron and the beef petit tender
12. Farm/estate-branded items
13. Food trucks/street food
14. Artisan spirits
15. House-made/artisan ice cream
16. Health/nutrition as a culinary theme
17. Non-traditional fish, such as branzino, barramundi, Arctic char
18. Fruit/vegetable kids’ side items
19. Children’s mini-meals (e.g. smaller versions of adult menu items)
20. Culinary cocktails (e.g., savory, fresh ingredients, herb-infused)

3575663697_1c8b3b3e94_bNitro-scrambled egg at The Fat Duck by LarryHalff on flickr

The top five preparation trends:
1. Pickling
2. Fermenting
3. Sous vide
4. Liquid nitrogen chilling/freezing
5. Oil-poaching

3014663545_7309aaaec1_oBarramundi, squid and preserved lemon salad with black rice by al_again on flickr

Top five side dishes:
1. Non-wheat noodles/pasta, such as buckwheat
2. Black/forbidden rice
3. Quinoa
4. Red rice
5. Vegetable pickles

4957232534_8dcb53301a_b

Lebneh by ShazzaKataya on flickr

Five hot ingredients
1. Artisan/specialty bacon
2. Artisan cheeses
3. Ancient grains (kamut, spelt, amanranth)
4. Greek yogurt
5. Ethnic cuisine cheeses (lebneh, paneer, halloumi, queso fresco)

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Chefs Identify What’s Hot, What’s Not for 2010

by Janet on December 1, 2009

Now the National Restaurant Association weighs in on restaurant trends for 2010.  Locally grown and sourced products, farm-branded ingredients, sustainable seafood, a back-to-basics approach,  nutrition, allergy awareness and better-for-you children’s meals are among the top trends identified by 1,854 professional chefs, members of the American Culinary Federation.  Some of the “hot” items revealed in the survey:   ancient grains, grass-fed beef, mini desserts, black garlic, artisinal cheeses, house-made ice cream, micro-distilled liquor and gluten-free beer.

photo source: Flickr, patrick properties

photo source: Flickr, patrick properties

Here’s a list of the top 50 trends and the percentage of chefs ranking them as “hot.”  Check the link to Restaurants & Institutions for the full list of 150 trends.

1. Locally grown  produce          88%
2. Locally sourced meats and seafood       84%
3. Sustainability      80%
4.  Bite-size/mini desserts       79%
5.  Locally-produced wine and beer      79%
6.  Nutritionally balanced children’s dishes         77%
7. Half-portions/smaller portion for a smaller price         75%
8. Farm/estate-branded ingredients           75%
9. Gluten-free/allergy conscious        74%
10. Sustainable seafood               73%
11. Superfruits (such as acai, goji berry, mangosteen)         73%
12. Organic produce           73%
13. Culinary cocktails (savory, fresh ingredients)           73%
14. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor           72%
15. Nutrition/health            71%
16. Simplicity/back to basics       70%
17. Regional ethnic cuisine           70%
18. Non-traditional fish (such as branzino, Arctic char, barramundi)             70%
19. Newly fabricated cuts of meat  (such as Denver steak, pork flat iron, petite tender)   70%
20. Fruit/vegetable children’s side items        69%
21. “Kid cuisine”/gourmet children’s dishes    69%
22. Artisan/house-made ice cream            67%
23. Ethnic breakfast (such as Asian-flavored syrups, coconut milk pancakes)       66%
24. Organic wine/beer/liquor          64%
25. Exotic fruit (such as durian, passion fruit, dragon fruit, paw paw, guava)       63%
26. Artisinal cheeses    63%
27. Black garlic               63%
28. Food-beer pairings         63%
29. Specialty iced tea (Thai-style, Southern/sweet, flavored)     62%
30. Craft beer/microbrews              62%
31. Ancient grains (such as kamut, spelt, amaranth)        62%
32. Tapas/mezze/dim sum (small plates)         62%
33. Dessert flights/combos              61%
34. Bar chefs/mixologists          61%
35. Grass-fed beef                          61%
36. Flatbreads (naan, papadum, lavash, pita, tortilla)        60%
37. Free-range poultry/pork        60%
38. Gluten-free beer               60%
39. Ethnic fusion                      60%
40. Micro-vegetables/mico-greens      59%
41. Organic coffee     59%
42. Specialty beer (seasonal, fruit, spiced)       58%
43. Children’s entree salads          58%
44. Inexpensive/underused cuts of meat (beef cheek, brisket, pork shoulder, skirt steak)       58%
45. Umami       58%
46. Savory desserts        57%
47. Flower syrup/essence       57%
48. Heirloom tomatoes            56%
49. Specialty/gourmet sandwiches             56%
50. Specialty potatoes (purple, fingerling, Baby Dutch yellow)       56%

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