Chefs are staging a coup, toppling the reign of tender greens and bringing back the crunch. Driven by a more intentional approach to salad-building, romaine and iceberg are getting called up, tucking craveability and, yes, innovation, among their crisp leaves.
Author: Katie Ayoub
Thanks to the proliferation of ramen bowls, along with the new izakaya wave, chefs are discovering the flavors of comfort-forward Japanese ingredients and dishes, like karaage, katsu and okonomiyaki, promising craveable, memorable experiences.
Small potatoes are making big moves and showing off their skills as a shareable, sociable innovation platform. Minis, marbles, fingerlings—all respond beautifully to flavor techniques like roasting, blistering, smoking and smashing.
Old-fashioned comfort meets modern flavor innovation in today’s forward-thinking skillet preparations. Rustic and earnest, skillets today host bubbling pasta dishes, shareable dips and caramelized mini platters of veg-centric bar bites.
This overarching trend speaks to a menu strategy that appeals to today’s modern diners. Thoughtfulness of intent, transparency in sourcing and a mindfulness around flavor-building all give this trend long legs.