Menu Strategies
A monthly eNewsletter that crosses the boundaries between commercial and non-commercial foodservice, spotlighting the best in menu ideas.
A monthly eNewsletter that crosses the boundaries between commercial and non-commercial foodservice, spotlighting the best in menu ideas.
Inspired by the diversity of Asian ingredients, Chef Alex Diestra has reinvented pan-Asian cuisine at Saucebox in Portland, Ore. Diestra infuses dishes with distinctive combinations of flavors from the Philippines, China, Thailand and Burma, in addition to other Asian countries.
Given the array of Japanese whiskies and cocktails available at TanakaSan, a Seattle-based Asian-American concept, it’s no wonder that customers are brainstorming new food and beverage tandems. Interspersed among groups of eclectic dishes like Chilled Fish and Noodles are clusters of drinks like Sake Slushies and Shochu, inviting guests to enjoy food and beverage together.
Bison promoters like entrepreneur and rancher Ted Turner and restaurant executive George McKerrow Jr., co-founders of the 44-unit casual dining chain, Ted’s Montana Grill, are putting bison in the spotlight. Out to show that bison is a premium protein that tastes great, Ted’s menus specialties such as bison nachos, chili, burgers, short ribs and meatloaf.
Offering a mix of innovative global cooking and traditional American fare is essential for Jennifer Cleveland and Eric Heath, co-owners of Cleveland-Heath, a creative comfort-food restaurant in Edwardsville, Ill. “We have old-school diners who love meat and potatoes and large entrées and other people who follow the food movement and go for small plates,” says Heath. “We really want to please them both.”
For centuries, whole cultures have been sustained through the use of a variety of food preservation practices such as fermenting, pickling, conserving, canning and drying. And while these practices fall in and out of favor year after year, today they are enjoying a revival on menus in surprising new ways.