(Also, here are a few that we don’t mind so much… well, right now anyway.) It seems like almost every week, a hot new trend is taking over the pages of our favorite food and travel outlets, explaining in great detail why a style, a dish, an ingredient is inexorably in (and what isn’t). The editorial cycle for the culinary elite has become so vicious – and mainstream – that the New York Times is even
covering food trends as a trend. It’s all very meta, and a little confusing (as
The Atlantic was quick to point out.) So what does this mean for hardworking, hungry publicists? It means paying careful attention not only to what we like to see on the table right now, but also what our favorite editors are chowing on. A few current memes:
Fine-dining is out, comfort dining is in.
This is a tough one. While we wholeheartedly agree with John Mariani’s recent post in his
Virtual Gourmet Newsletter: ‘What is Bon Appetit Magazine Trying to Sell Us?’ It’s hard to argue with this trend – our Denver team has watched a new restaurant open almost every day this summer (seriously) and we’re hard-pressed to think of a local spot that requires a blazer anymore. Sure, it’s nice to be able to go to virtually any restaurant and not have to run home to change into your Sunday best. But let’s keep it real – just because you
can get away with dressing down, doesn’t necessary mean you should. Would ‘The Dude’ abide? Maybe. But that comfort food doesn’t necessarily mean “cheap,” either. Mariani is right – the best restaurants should be chosen namely for their food, but ambiance and décor are important too…all lasting traits.
Not for being edgy or ego-driven. Mariani recently mentioned (and we wholeheartedly agree): “I sometimes think most people should be barred from restaurants open less than two years. Then they can get over the trendiest part of the operation.” And, more than likely, if a restaurant has been around after two years, they’re creating an experience worth revisiting again and again…
Beer.
This one is hard to encompass in a few sentences, but here are things we love about beer within the editorial food trend landscape.
Aged Beer Menus/List. This is awesome. Expect to see more of this. Example:
Sanford Restaurant in Milwaukee, featuring Executive Chef, Justin Aprahamian, winner of the James Beard Award for ‘Best Chef Midwest’ last year.
Beer Dinners. No, wine dinners aren’t going way, but expect to see a ton more beer dinners expertly paired with incredible food. Example:
Inaugural Crooked Stave Viceroy Snowmass Weekend – Exec. Chef Will Nolan has prepared a 10-course (not a typo) meal to accompany 10 cellar reserve series beers from Crooked Stave.
Cocktails.
Enough with the ‘handcrafted’. We get it, but also, so many ‘small batch’ producers…
aren’t, actually.
A trend we loathe: Tapas, Small Plates.
…whatever the hell you want to call them. Small plates are annoying. We get it. You want small bites of lots of different options. It’s the best way to sample a new menu or check out a new restaurant. Why hate them? Do they ever fill you up? No. Do they cost the same as big plates? Usually. Also done: Brussel Sprouts (yes, we get it, if you add bacon they are delicious. But not on
every menu). And while we’re at it, we get it, bacon is good, it makes everything (even things like Brussel Sprouts taste great), but we’ve created
BACON MANIA! The rising price of bacon should tell us we’ve taken it too far. Overall, food trends are nonsense. They come…and they go, but they’re important as
The Atlantic pointed out in their recent story, “Fun With Food Trends,” because they ensure innovation and creativity are driving forces among chefs and the world’s best restaurants. Some trends are better than others, and there are others we wish would just go away…but love them or hate them, they’re integral to the culinary landscape. - Campbell Levy (
@CampbellLevy)