To enhance the group dining experience, a growing number of establishments feature communal cocktails served in everything from punch bowls to coconut shells. “These large-format drinks bring with them the spirit of conviviality,” says Kyle Chamberlin, publications manager at market research firm Datassential, which recently included the trend in its Spring 2018 issue of TIPS.
In response to an increasing number of guests adopting plant-forward diets, the nation’s chefs and mixologists are adding more vegetable-centric options to menus. Even beverage menus are on trend: The National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot list—culled from a survey of chefs—found culinary cocktails containing fresh, savory, herb-infused ingredients as one of the top alcoholic beverage trends for 2018.
When culinary folks talk about charcoal, it’s typically in terms of a heating agent for barbecued and grilled food. Increasingly, however, mixologists and chefs are looking at one form of the substance—activated charcoal—to provide color, flavor, and texture to their menus.
Labeling something Mediterranean can be a bit simplistic. The Mediterranean Sea Basin encompasses parts of three continents, numerous nations, and various cultures, topographies, and agriculture.“The Mediterranean may have a single meaning, such as geographic, but in culinary terms it is so much more,” says Juan Coronado, brand ambassador for Bacardi.
America loves cocktails, and it loves chocolate. So, with both products experiencing growth, why not put them together? The result has been an evolution of chocolate martinis, chocolate Manhattans, and numerous cocktails featuring products that range from chocolate-infused spirits and chocolate liqueurs to chocolate nibs and Oreo cookies.
Pairing food with alcohol has a long tradition, but it’s usually mentioned when combining wine with a meal. Increasingly, however, other hard beverages like spirits are being considered for matches. As mixologists become ever more innovative, the idea of putting together cocktails that go well with the chef’s creations is intoxicating.
There’s a lot more to hot cocktails than toddies.As mixologists become ever more creative, and customers seek more experiences, beverages that employ heat—not just temperature, but also spiciness and smokiness—are becoming more numerous.
Delivery has long been a component of America’s pizza parlors and Chinese food purveyors, but now—as time-strapped consumers demand convenience—all manner of restaurants are offering door-to-door To-Go services.
As restaurants ramp up their social media programs, operators typically consider the most popular platforms—Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest—to connect with consumers. But Billy Dec, founder and chief executive at Chicago-based Rockit Ranch Productions, has added another social media arrow to his overall marketing quiver: Snapchat.
For most people, combining bowling and arcade games with a food operation conjures images of a non-descript industrial building featuring several dozen lanes and offering burgers, brats, and beer as the cuisine.
There’s little more frustrating for a restaurant guest ready to leave than waiting for the server to bring the check, biding time for the credit card payment to be picked up, and then lingering for the card to return.
It’s become a popular trend for U.S. chefs to source ingredients from specific regions and farms, and many chefs and owners even meet the farmers who raise produce and animals before buying goods from them.
There’s something special about cheese when it comes to Italian food. Whether it’s shredded atop pasta, cooked in a casserole, layered on top of pizza, or simply served by itself, the right cheese can make or break a dish, chefs say.
