Remember when cupcakes, frozen yogurt, bacon, and kale were everyone鈥檚 foodie obsessions? We talked to six 蜜柚直播 chefs and restaurateurs to see what kinds of trends we should expect in 2018.
The trend all the chefs see continuing: local produce and farm-to-table ingredients.
鈥淭he better trends are the ones that lead to quality and sustainable change within the industry,鈥 chef Tyler Fenton of Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink said in an email. 鈥淎ny trend that is focused on quality and exploration, rather than gimmick, I am on board with.鈥
Chef Kenneth Foy of Dante鈥檚 Fire says the local movement continues to jump 鈥渓eaps and bounds.鈥
鈥淚 think now, globally and especially locally, people want to know where their food is from,鈥 Foy says. 鈥淚 have oysters on our menu and people always want to know where they鈥檙e from. People are asking questions that they never used to.鈥
Chef Ryan Clark of Casino del Sol recognized Erik Stanford of Pivot Produce for helping connect restaurants to local farmers.
And Renee Kreager, owner of Renee鈥檚 Organic Oven, says the best food trend is consumer awareness.
鈥淭he power generated from investing in our local economy is the key to truly contributing and shaping our community,鈥 she said in an email. 鈥淚t paves the path for paying farmers, producers and restaurateurs to create ethical and delicious plates around the table.鈥
Check out other food trend predictions from 蜜柚直播 chefs below.
Ryan Clark, Casino Del Sol
Savory dessserts will be big, says Casino del Sol chef Ryan Clark.
The mastermind behind the dining life at , Chef Ryan Clark says that 2017 was the year of international cuisine, fermenting ingredients, re-imagining classic dishes, and making as many items as possible from scratch 鈥 extending all the way to vinegars and mustards.
鈥淎 lot of restaurants have diversified their menus,鈥 Clark says. 鈥淵ou can go to a pizza place and they might be doing an Asian-style pizza. I think that鈥檚 really cool.鈥
For the new year, Clark predicts that savory desserts will be big. It鈥檚 not unheard of to indulge in a cupcake topped with bacon bits, but Clark says that 2018 is going to take it even further.
He also gave a nod to Don Guerra of . Clark foresees making bread from scratch will become another 蜜柚直播 trend.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see a lot of kitchens in town really elevating their cuisine,鈥 Clark says. 鈥淲e have a lot of great chefs here. I hope we continue that trend and push that envelope even more.鈥
Travis Peters, The Parish
The Parish鈥檚 Travis Peters: Diners increasingly open-minded.
Chef Travis Peters, 2017鈥檚 Iron Chef of 蜜柚直播 and owner of , says that people have started to appreciate better-quality, fresh ingredients. He says that 蜜柚直播鈥檚 UNESCO designation as a City of Gastronomy has opened the eyes of both chefs and consumers.
In 2018, Peters says he hopes to intertwine The Parish鈥檚 Southern roots with 蜜柚直播鈥檚 love for Hispanic cuisine.
鈥淚n 蜜柚直播, Hispanic food is always on trend,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 see people twisting that up a bit 鈥 in all the right ways. I think people are coming back to classics and elevating them.鈥
Peters also says that diners have been more open-minded than ever before.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the best thing,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t lets chefs do what they want to do and have more fun.鈥
But overall, Peters hopes to see an even bigger push for 蜜柚直播ans to support their local restaurants.
Michael Elefante, Mama Louisa's
Michael Elefante, chef at Mama Louisa鈥檚.
Chef Michael Elefante grew up in the kitchen 鈥 now he鈥檚 running it.
During 2017, besides local produce and farming, Elefante saw a revival of bacon, in addition to a surge in local alcohol and breweries. Looking into 2018, Elefante hopes that diners will become more adventurous.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to push alternative meats,鈥 he says. 鈥淚nstead of pork and beef, we want to push goat and lamb. We want to break the mold of eating the same stuff.鈥
Elefante also predicts a resurgence of good ol鈥 home-cooked soul food.
鈥淚 would predict soul food, not necessarily pertaining to African-American food, but your own culture鈥檚,鈥 Elefante says. 鈥淚鈥檓 really big on re-creating grandma鈥檚 Italian dinners 鈥 embracing family and whatever culture you鈥檙e from.鈥
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really cook to the trend,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 cook for the soul.鈥
Kenneth Foy, Dante's Fire
Kenneth Foy of Dante鈥檚 Fire sees interest in smoked meats.
Kenneth Foy, owner and chef of local favorite , says that 2017 was all about the local movement and 鈥渞etro redos on classics.鈥
Come 2018, Foy predicts that food will become more health-based and heart-conscious, while still trying to achieve the same flavors.
鈥淚 love my cream and butter, but I think as we become more wise as consumers and professionals, we need to look at the long-standing effects that eating poorly has on our customers and ourselves,鈥 he says.
More than anything, Foy predicts that smoking meat and dry-aging steak will see its share of the spotlight in the new year.
鈥淎lmost every one of my chef friends has purchased something to start smoking meat,鈥 he says. 鈥淪moking is going to be big.鈥
Renee Kreager, Renee's Organic Oven
Renee Kreager, owner of Renee鈥檚 Organic Oven.
Owner of , where the menu thrives on organic and locally sourced ingredients, Renee Kreager says that 2017 was the year of local coffee and beer 鈥 and is happy that they鈥檙e receiving the recognition they deserve. Renee鈥檚 Organic Oven offers a wide selection of both.
鈥淭he beverage menu is a shining example of how to experience what local and craft-focused products can add to a dining experience,鈥 Kreager says.
As for 2018, Kreager predicts the year to be plant-based and health-driven 鈥 all while keeping local and sustainable ingredients in the mix.
鈥淭his is what we have been patiently awaiting to be trending,鈥 she says.
Tyler Fenton, Reilly
Tyler Fenton, chef Reilly Craft Pizza and Beer 鈥 Credit: Courtesy Reilly Craft Pizza and Beer
If you ask Chef Tyler Fenton of , 2017 was the year of poke, in addition to a heavier focus on grains.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not new, but people are now re-realizing that freshly-milled flour is a whole lot more flavorful and nutritious than old, generic AP flour from a supermarket,鈥 he says.
Looking into the new year, Fenton foresees a shift toward 鈥渧egetable-centric cooking.鈥
鈥淭his is not to say vegetarian food necessarily,鈥 he says. 鈥淏ut using protein in a supporting role, rather than the center of the plate.鈥
As an example of trendy veggies, Fenton says their Brussels sprouts 鈥 complete with hot sauce and pecan brittle crumbs 鈥 is a dish that Reilly has embraced.
鈥淲e are very happy to convert Brussels sprout haters to lovers,鈥 he says.
He also predicts that 2018 will see a rise in popularity for 鈥渓ess commonly-known dishes.鈥
鈥淢ost people are familiar with classic Roman pasta dishes like cacio e pepe and carbonara,鈥 he says. 鈥淏ut their equally delicious, close relative, pasta alla gricia, hasn鈥檛 quite made it mainstream yet. As chefs dive deeper into the history of different cultures, I think we will start to see a lot of exciting food continue to be reinvigorated.鈥