Kate Galbraith/The New York Times The Bittercreek Alehouse in Boise, Idaho, makes its own ketchup and composts its coffee grounds and vegetable scraps.
Of the top 10 trends for next year, according to a survey of chefs by the National Restaurant Association, half focused in “sustainable, eco-friendly or organic categories.”
The National Restaurant Association survey was released yesterday and says “environmentally friendly practices and local sourcing — whether they were applied to produce, meat, seafood or alcohol — appealed to both restaurant operators and their customers for several reasons, including freshness, minimal transportation and the subsequent ability to support local communities and businesses.”
Here are the survey’s top twenty trends:
- 1. Locally grown produce
- 2. Locally sourced meats and seafood
- 3. Sustainability
- 4. Bite-size/mini desserts
- 5. Locally produced wine and beer
- 6. Nutritionally balanced children’s dishes
- 7. Half-portions/smaller portion for a smaller price
- 8. Farm/estate-branded ingredients
- 9. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
- 10. Sustainable seafood
- 11. Superfruits (e.g. acai, goji berry, mangosteen, purslane)
- 12. Organic produce
- 13. Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients)
- 14. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
- 15. Nutrition/health
- 16. Simplicity/back to basics
- 17. Regional ethnic cuisine
- 18. Non-traditional fish (e.g. branzino, Arctic char, barramundi)
- 19. Newly fabricated cuts of meat (e.g. Denver steak, pork flat iron, Petite Tender)
- 20. Fruit/vegetable children’s side items
In the Northwest, Trellis Restaurant in Kirkland, Washington recently made the Epicurious website’s Top 10 Farm-to-Table Restaurants and Bittercreek Alehouse in Boise was featured in an article in the New York Times for it’s locally sourced foods, recycling program and “low-power happy hour” designed to reduce power consumption.
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Guy Hand is a writer, public radio producer and photographer specializing in food and agriculture. |
