According to the Whiteman Report, an annual restaurant and hotel dining trends list from the consulting group Baum + Whiteman, we should be expecting a lot of pistachios, shaved ice, punch bowls, edible insects, juice shops, herbal liqueurs, high-tech ordering systems, spicy ramen and weird green hummus in 2015.
I love this amusing, opinionated report (free for all to see here: baumwhiteman.com/2015Trends.pdf), and it always gets me thinking about what trends I've started to notice. As I near the end of a year of dining out, I generally have a big bag of "oh, yeah, that again" that I've collected.
So herewith are three trends I’ve noticed in Atlanta restaurants and applaud; three that I suspect are on their way here, based on what I’ve read and experienced in other cities; and three that are not necessarily the most welcome developments.
Good trends:
Oysters: Better, cheaper and more local oysters are everywhere, from restaurants where they headline (Kimball House, C&S Oyster Bar, the Pig and the Pearl) to the small bistros everywhere that serve them as appetizers. The Whiteman Report also picks up on this trend, and they attribute it to the continued detoxing of inlets and bays. Expect to see more boutique Southern oysters in the future.
Classic cocktails: Craft cocktail bars have rediscovered the tried and true. May I say hallelujah? I can still remember that time several months ago when I was trying to figure out what half the ingredients were in a drink and I realized I just wanted a rye Manhattan with no funny business. Now, the classic cocktail lists (from Craft Izakaya to Makan) often lead off with a Boulevardier, the classic blend of bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth that has an honest intensity you don't often find in more modern creations. I'll drink to that.
Laminated pastries: Small neighborhood bakeries have returned to the scene as a welcome rebuttal to the Panera and Atlanta Bread Co. outlets that once threatened to wipe them out. They are also opening in the most unlikely places: Decatur's Ratio Bakeshop operates from the basement of an old office building. All of them seem to be trying their hands at preparing puff pastry, croissants, Danish and "cronuts," those croissant-doughnut hybrids that don't seem to be going away. These flaky treats are all laminated pastries. Either by hand or with the aid of a dough laminating machine, the bakers fold (and fold, and fold) butter into the pastries so they puff and crisp in the oven. Try the pimento cheese croissants at Ratio or the beef curry samosas at Spice to Table.
Coming trends:
Toast: Everyone snorted in derision when West Coast restaurants started charging for toast. But, let me tell you, I just came back from Los Angeles, where I ate the $4 toast at a little bakery-cafe called Squirl, and it was terrific: a 2-inch-thick slab of crisp brioche perfection slathered with amazing fresh jam. Well worth the price. Meanwhile, avocado toast, a breakfast item that Australians eat as routinely as we do biscuit sandwiches, has begun to make headway in New York. An open-faced slice of heat-crisped bread with a fantastic topping is something we should gladly pay for and call by its proper English name: toast. Who wants to kickstart this trend?
Black food: You may remember the crazy images that swept the Internet of burgers with black buns and cheese that Burger King began serving in Japan. Asia seems officially crazy for black food, and Asian chefs are bringing it here. Not long after returning from Los Angeles, where I ate a lobster roll in a charcoal-black bun (the secret ingredient? charcoal), I saw black rolls in the bakery Sweet Hut on Buford Highway. Called Black Pig, they contain bacon, garlic and a serious hit of squid ink. Just watch: It's coming.
Uni in everything: For decades, the creamy orange gonads of the sea urchin were considered a treat for hard-core sushi enthusiasts and just about no one else. Now, they have begun to appear as a luxury ingredient (like marine foie gras) in composed dishes. At Bacchanalia uni pairs with its sea-mate, the oyster, in an appetizer. At Lusca, it arrives in a toss of fettuccine with bits of cured pork jowl. As diners get more comfortable with the flavor (which can have an iodine bitterness if not perfectly fresh), it will begin to show up as a garnish in all manner of dishes.
Unfortunate trends:
Bussing confusion: So many of these new startup quick-service restaurants, cafes and bakeries keep their costs down by asking that you order and pay (and tip) at the counter, then seat yourself and wait for your food to come. They also usually have a bus tub and garbage bin in a prominent place, implying that you should bus your own table. Some do, some don't — assuming that's what the tip is for.
Pickle pucker: House pickles (or "preservation") has become as big a deal as house charcuterie in restaurants eager to display their DIY bona fides. Nine times out of 10 these are not pickles so much as vegetables that have been drowned in vinegar. A little acid perks up a meal, but a vinegar bath just obliterates your tastebuds.
Pour-over coffee ordeals: More good coffee shops and restaurants now offer pour-overs, i.e., single-serving cups of drip coffee made with freshly ground beans. The key to a good pour-over is to take it nice and slow, and the kettles often have long, tapering spouts to encourage a gentle pour. It can be a charming ritual resulting in superlative coffee, or it can be a time suck that no server or barista wants to take care of. Sometimes you wait, and wait, and wait …
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