Atlanta chefs ahead of trends

Earthy flavors such as the Feed Store’s braised root vegetables with chicken thighs were the order of the day. Bacchanalia chef Anne Quatrano served up snails, and Aria’s Gerry Klaskala dished out black eye pea ragout with collard greens and country ham.

The future of food is looking a lot like a polished version of dining’s delicious past, according to the Sterling-Rice Group’s 2014 restaurant report, which lists “Refined Classics” as one of the top trend picks. Local Three Kitchen treated the gathered foodies to elegant bites of “meatloaf and potatoes.”

‘New Farm to Table’

Also on the list is “New Farm to Table,” with lesser-known cuts and a wider variety of meats from goat to rabbit to duck jumping onto menus. Veni Vidi Vici’s chef Jamie Adams served oxtail gnocchi.

The team from Leon’s Full Service presented duck ham on a savory pancake with pears from Whippoorwill Hollow Farms. (Each chef was paired with a local farmer.) Duck confit starred in Bold American Events’ sweet potato gnocchi and Brussels sprouts leaves. More duck from Livingston restaurant in a petite bite of sweet tea-infused duck breast with ginger applesauce and candied lemon pecans.

Another predicted trend for the new year — lots of lemon. Preserved lemons added bright notes to Chicken and the Egg chef Marc Taft’s braised short rib with smoked Gouda grits. And tart lemonade with spicy ginger beer balanced the sweet notes of Belle Meade Bourbon in the Tennessee Stud cocktail served on the rocks for guests to sip.

Kazia Jankowski, of the Sterling-Rice Group, says, “Lemon is pure. Lemon is versatile. Lemon is nostalgic. For those reasons, it and not other citrus will be the flavor of next year.”

Year of the Yolk

Another yellow food beaming brightly on the culinary scene is the egg yolk.

Goodbye, egg white omelet; hello, the whole thing. Chef Steven Satterfield of Miller Union, who presented a sunny side up quail egg on butternut squash hash, says, “The yolk is where it’s at! The texture is unctuous, and a runny yolk is one of my favorite things on earth.”

Nutrition note: Egg yolks contain important nutrients including choline, which supports brain health.

Registered dietitian Janet Helm, who tracks healthy food trends on her blog Nutrition Unplugged, says, “I think it gets people excited about food. Quinoa, kale, Greek yogurt and chickpeas became trendy, so perhaps that motivated more people to buy these foods and use them more often. That’s a good thing.”