Author: Flavor & The Menu Staff

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Modern Italian cuisine in the form of street food is a doubly good thing, and Piada puts the focus on authentic ingredients prepared simply. Hence the popularity of its Calamari Piada, which features the giant Humboldt squid, wild-caught and marinated for 24 hours before being lightly coated with a seasoned flour mixture. “It is the most tender calamari I have ever worked with,” says Matt Harding, Director of Culinary at The Piada Group. Piada’s namesake dough is cooked on a heated stone with extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. It’s...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff The name of this dish—Beet Forest Cake—was born from the R&D behind it, as the final product took on the look of a traditional Black Forest cake.  But instead of the straightforward cherry-and-chocolate profile of a Black Forest, this cake boasts roasted beets, rich chocolate brownie, crème fraîche panna cotta and orange confit. “Once all of those components came together, I knew I had a winner,” says Britt-Marie Horrocks Culey, Coquette Patisserie’s Executive Pastry Chef/Owner. She first roasted the beets with a bit of brown sugar, coaxing out the natural sweetness, then...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff As a menu item, pho has picked up steam, making it ripe for signature tweaks. With Millennials largely driving interest, it makes sense that there’s some play around pho in the gastropub world, which has embraced global mash-ups beautifully. Victor Lopez, Chef at the Long Beach location of The Federal Bar, started playing with pho, looking to add it as a special. “The pho idea had been brewing in the back of my mind for awhile, so the first night we introduced it, we served it as traditional, just to test its...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Showcasing how umami can make a vegetarian dish utterly satisfying, the beloved Pappardelle con Porcini at Casa D’Angelo features pappardelle pasta, porcini mushrooms, fresh tomato, white wine, herbs and shaved Parmesan. “There are many variations of the recipe, most of which add white wine to the mushroom sauce to accompany the porcini’s flavor,” says Chef Angelo Elia. “However, our pappardelle is especially outstanding because it’s topped with truffle oil, which adds an amazing aroma and unique flavor, making it stand out.” “The sauce is light and flavorful, while the mushrooms add a...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Steaks are the most ordered item at Sizzler, so expanding that lineup makes good business sense. This heritage brand is testing the Horseradish Parmesan Steak, answering the trend for customization through flavor-loaded steak toppings. “We wanted to bring in another dimension to the steak experience by offering flavorful additions that are craveable,” says Tamra Scroggins, Director of Food Culture. Grilled tri-tip is topped with horseradish-Parmesan butter and a garnish of Asiago-Parmesan crisps. “Why do we love horseradish with steak? Simple umami,” she says. “The caramelized sweetness of the steak with the sharp,...