By Rob Corliss
September 22, 2021

If bread sets the tone for the meal, then flavored elements surely can carry that feeling throughout the entire meal. Pairing bread with a complement of flavor-packed spreads, butters, oils and dips elevates an already comforting guest experience.

Operators can implement this via signature bread service, snackable appetizers, trending sandwiches, sides and family-style groaning boards. All of these are primed for creating memorable flavor bundling, demonstrated in the in-market examples found on menus across the country and four areas detailed below.

“Menu Sightings”

Sourdough with harissa butter and giardiniera + Naan & Dips with tahini tofu, carrot “hummus”
Girl & The Goat, with locations in Los Angeles and Chicago

Sicilian-Style Bruschetta Boards: Fig jam, ricotta, pistachio crumble, balsamic drizzle
The Sicilian Butcher, based in Phoenix

Cast Iron Cornbread: Steen’s Syrup, smoked salted butter, strawberry-rhubarb preserves
Roots Southern Table, Farmers Branch, Texas

FLAVORED UP COMPLEMENTS

1 Super Spreads

Showcase spreads with rustic, distinctive meat-centric flavor to match hearty bread textures

Reuben Spread: Chopped corned beef + whipped cream cheese + sour cream + chopped Swiss cheese + chopped sauerkraut (spread on seeded sprouted rye bread)

Citrus Pork Spread: Chopped carnitas + blood orange marmalade + queso fresco crumbles (spread on toasted telera rolls)

2 Buttered Up

Elevate the comfort of bread/butter via pairing mainstay breads with flavored butters that incorporate a modern feel

Chutney Butter: Whipped cultured butter + Indian style tomato chutney + chopped mint (with warm naan)

Harvest Brown Butter: Whipped browned butter + grated white cheddar + minced roasted butternut squash (with warm pretzel bread knots)

3 Flavored Oils

Invigorate bread service with indulgent, highly visual aromatic oils for complementary swirling and dunking

Tapas Oil: Avocado oil + crispy charred chorizo crumbles + olive tapenade (with hand-torn ciabatta)

Ma-La Peanut Oil: Roasted peanut oil + small chopped salted peanuts + crushed Sichuan peppercorns + Aleppo pepper flakes (with bing – a griddled leavened scallion flatbread)

4 Dynamic Dips

Deliver the unexpected with lively, higher-end artisanal dip and bread pairings

Surf n’ Turf Dip: Puréed white beans/cauliflower + small chopped grilled rock shrimp + small chopped grilled flank steak (with brioche rolls)

Creamy Crunch Dip: Queso blanco + small chopped smoked bacon + chili crunch (with cornmeal breadsticks)