Restaurant trends

[Jenise]

Have had quite a few high end meals at various ends of the country recently and noted a number of things in common at restaurants that are otherwise very different. Like:

* Pottery. Apparently out are the solid white plates we've all loved for so long, including squares and rectangles, and in, apparently, are organic colors like blacks and greens on plates that are sometimes deliberately imperfect as if they were made, or made to look like they were made, by a neighborhood potter. I guess it reinforces the 'local' look.

* Common to food on these organic looking plates are sauces that are simply splashed, poured or drizzled from a spoon. Squeeze bottle applications seem to be out, or at least out of place except in restaurants still married to the square white/modern art look.

* Food to one side. It's no longer a given that food will be centered on the plate. I'm seeing a lot of food arranged on one side or the other balanced by a large empty space.

What trends are others noticing?

Apparently out are the solid white plates we've all loved for so long, including squares and rectangles, and in, apparently, are organic colors like blacks and greens on plates that are sometimes deliberately imperfect as if they were made, or made to look like they were made, by a neighborhood potter.

This sounds like the ceramic equivalent of deliberately leaving lumps in mashed potatoes.

-Paul W.

In these parts (a little north of Paul) one trend is rustication. The more rustic the place looks the more you could expect to pay!

Farm to Table
Same beet and blue cheese appetizer everywhere
Major step up in the cocktail menus
Small plates rather than traditionall appetizer, main course, dessert
Wine dinners
Here in South Florida, more and more latino influences and seviche everywhere

[Jenise]

Farm to Table
Same beet and blue cheese appetizer everywhere

Beet salads are definitely becoming popular over here on the left coast, (more often with goat cheese than blue), but speaking of blue cheese beet salads have yet to replace the pear-walnut-blue cheese combo that remains ubiquitous even after a 15 year run now. As someone who eats a salad of some kind every day and therefore orders one nearly every time I go out, I am really let down by the rampant lack of creativity in restaurant salad offerings.

Mostly what Ken said, except that I am not in S. Fla.

I'm surprised, Jenise, that you still see so much pear-gorgonzola salads. Those have fallen off here in NYC.

I actually like pear/blue cheese/walnut or pecan salads, but why would I order that at a restaurant? I usually go out to get things I couldn't make at home, or wouldn't have thought of,
Here's a good NYC trend, but even I could get tired of it (but haven't yet)
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/10/burra ... -york.html

I actually like pear/blue cheese/walnut or pecan salads, but why would I order that at a restaurant? I usually go out to get things I couldn't make at home, or wouldn't have thought of...

Agreed. For that reason I rarely order salads in 'good' restaurants. I'm more likely to order them in standard restaurants where I need more vegetables or in nice restaurants where they do something with the salad. Last week in Charleston my wife had a pretty nice salad at Edmunds Oast, high quality lettuces with green beans, small roasted potatoes, radishes, peppers, and flavor-jolted ham/egg vinaigrette. That said, I still preferred my starter!!

[Jenise]

I'm surprised, Jenise, that you still see so much pear-gorgonzola salads. Those have fallen off here in NYC.

It's somehow become standard, and it's often the only alternative to a Caesar. Now, that's in a certain kind of restaurant for the most part, but I am truly surprised by the extent to which it lingers even in a few chef-driven restaurants that should have moved on by now. Not surprised that you rarely see it in New York, though, NY is probably ten years ahead of what happens in my neck of the woods.

[Jenise]

I actually like pear/blue cheese/walnut or pecan salads, but why would I order that at a restaurant? I usually go out to get things I couldn't make at home, or wouldn't have thought of,
Here's a good NYC trend, but even I could get tired of it (but haven't yet)
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/10/burra ... -york.html

Exactly.

Those burrata dishes sound heavenly. Delicata squash and brown butter? Wouldn't mind that! The lobster-burrata dish at Marea sounds divine as well.

Speaking of salads and being different about it, per my brother in San Francisco, breakfast side salads are becoming popular in his environs to replace or reduce the carb load of standard breakfast items. I could eat like that!

I don't think I could take a vinegary dressing in the morning. I can barely handle a plain bagel.

I'm with Jeff on that. For breakfast, I could maybe nibble on a little fruit salad but something with greens and dressing would not taste good to me. If I'm going to eat breakfast, I want carbs and protein. Preferably no earlier than 11 AM!

[Jenise]

I don't think I could take a vinegary dressing in the morning. I can barely handle a plain bagel.

Think that might be a guy thing. No stretch for me: I've eaten vegetables, including salad, for breakfast all my life. The things most people eat for breakfast are what I'd typically prefer at lunch, though I'd have been very happy growing up in Europe to hard rolls, good butter, and cold cuts.

No idea why some seem to want their plating to look unbalanced. Main elements off to one side, sure - do that frequently myself, but it has to be balanced by some other element for it to be pleasing to the eye as well as the palate. We sure seem to go through fads (thank God the branch of rosemary stuck in everything is long gone - I hope).

I agree with Dale about not ordering what I can easily cook at home - what's the point? I want to taste something unfamiliar, or difficult to make yourself, otherwise I could stay home and drink better wine to boot.

And one of my favourite 'salads' is Stilton and butter, creamed together with black pepper and a good dollop of Cognac and served in a pear half (either fresh or cooked) and often topped with walnut halves. Dated but simple, easy and very tasty with Port. Guess that one makes me a bit reactionary....

[Jenise]

No idea why some seem to want their plating to look unbalanced. Main elements off to one side, sure - do that frequently myself, but it has to be balanced by some other element for it to be pleasing to the eye as well as the palate. We sure seem to go through fads (thank God the branch of rosemary stuck in everything is long gone - I hope).

I agree with Dale about not ordering what I can easily cook at home - what's the point? I want to taste something unfamiliar, or difficult to make yourself, otherwise I could stay home and drink better wine to boot.

And one of my favourite 'salads' is Stilton and butter, creamed together with black pepper and a good dollop of Cognac and served in a pear half (either fresh or cooked) and often topped with walnut halves. Dated but simple, easy and very tasty with Port. Guess that one makes me a bit reactionary....

Bill, the platings don't look as unbalanced as you might think once you get used to the idea. I'll post a pic of some sweetbreads fried in a masa crust with mole sauce that I had a week or two ago at VOLT in Frederick, Maryland. I dare say, you'd have been quite happy with that dish.

As for the pear and stilton-butter, to my girlie brain that's a cold starter or even dessert, but not salad. Salad requires greens, or at least a vinaigrette.

I use it as a dessert, but I'll remember to at least put a token leaf of something on it should I ever use it as a salad when you are there!

Boy; has this thread strayed off topic!

[Jenise]

Boy; has this thread strayed off topic!

Yeah, isn't it FUN?