Food
Food trends and recipes to keep menus fresh
Food
Chains leap ahead on ‘plant forward’
The trend of making vegetables a star is quickly shifting down from high-end dining into the mass market. Here are some of recent efforts by sizable chains, including one of the industry's largest.
Food
Food trucks roll into RLC
Food trucks fill the streets and parking lots of New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Austin and Portland, Ore. Los Angeles alone counts 9,000 food trucks and carts, including branded vehicles from California Pizza Kitchen and Carl’s Jr. Yet when Ray Villaman, moderator of a trucks panel at the Restaurant Leadership Conference, asked who in the audience has or plans to launch a food truck, only a few hands were raised.
Quenching Americans’ thirst has become a hotbed of menu development. It’s no longer enough to offer plain iced tea, branded carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Customers expect flavor innovation, variety and often health benefits as they sip. The same holds true with alcoholic drinks, where freshness and seasonality are a priority.
Before David Burke’s Fabrick opened in New York City last May, Executive Chef Adin Langille worked with the restaurant’s namesake to develop an upscale rendition of chips and dip to fit the modern American shared plates concept. The result: a smooth twist on guacamole that embodies Burke’s style and Langille’s innovation, and still plays to customers’ penchant for the familiar starter.