Author: Flavor & The Menu Staff

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Datassential’s 2016 MenuTrends puts lettuce wraps in the top-five fastest-growing appetizer category. It makes sense, as the crisp, fresh carrier is a great modern-day stand-in. At Gloria’s, the Tacos de Pescado are tucked in a romaine leaf instead of a taco shell. “When we set out to create our fish tacos, we wanted to marry a myriad of flavors and incorporate light and healthy elements,” says Gloria’s R&D Chef Nancy Fuentes. The “taco” is layered with grilled tilapia; purple cabbage marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and cilantro; a slice of avocado...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Toast by any name continues to invite innovation. The Shrimp Bruschetta at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill illustrates how elaborate you can get when layering trending flavors atop toast. The shrimp is tossed in citrus seasoning, then roasted. The bruschetta is toasted with Creole seasonings before being layered with the roasted shrimp, charred corn, and black bean salsa with fresh cilantro. Avocado pico de gallo finishes the dish. “Guests love the layers of flavors, colors and textures,” says Steven Sturm, Corporate Chef. “This was very popular, and when the LTO ended people continued...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Eleftherios (Terry) Natas, Regional Chef of Richard Sandoval’s El Centro D.F., uses guajillo peppers in about 75 percent of the dishes. Prized for its concentrated flavors of smoke, heat and fruitiness, this pepper deepens the complexity of many authentic Mexican dishes. “Guajillo peppers are always on the table when we’re creating new menu items,” says Natas. He features them in most of the restaurant’s marinades, salsas and moles. The mezcal-brined Smoked Pork Tenderloin is a recent example of a dish that stars the guajillo pepper. “You get the smokiness from the mezcal...

Piatti’s chef Dylan Giordan was inspired while travelling in Spain by a simple dish of chocolate, sea salt, grilled bread and olive oil.

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff The Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas at Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant are a great example of how far vegetarian options have come in the last 10 years. They stand out with a craveable combination of bold flavors and textures. Four white corn tortillas, dipped in housemade enchilada sauce, are filled with spinach, black beans, roasted zucchini, yellow squash, poblano and red peppers, and fresh corn. Roasted butternut squash serves to bind the other ingredients together, along with melted cheese. The enchiladas sit on a bed of roasted tomato/chipotle sauce and are topped with...