Welcome to the Best of Flavor 2019
This collection of 125 “best flavor builds” is brimming with flavor-forward wins that showcase not only culinary skill and passion, but also the heightened expectations of the marketplace. Consider this a playbook of menu trends and ideas, as a whole, summarizing the continued momentum of flavor-driven innovation. When asked to put their best flavors forward, our readers delivered, sharing not only their own passions, but as a whole, shining a light on the bold flavor innovations leading menu development today.
Buddha Bowl
Warm heirloom rice, sesame-glazed tofu, spicy roasted broccoli, carrot, citrus cabbage slaw, toasted peanut, cilantro, peanut-mango sauce
Paleo Spaghetti Squash Bolognese
Spaghetti squash “noodles,” marinara sauce with chipotle pepper, roasted vegetables, ground beef
Redneck Lo Mein
Lo mein, smoked chicken, collard greens, corn, black-eyed peas, caramelized onion, andouille-soy glaze
The Cubano Bowl
Mesquite chicken, rice, beans, tostones, mango salsa, avocado, sour cream, Havana sauce
Through The Woods Cocktail
Through the Woods with Koval Cranberry Gin, Matchless Coffee Soda, ginger, evergreen
The Cowboy Sandwich
Spicy-crispy chicken sandwich topped with bacon, cheddar, jalapeño, pickles and Hoss sauce
Guns & Rosé cocktail
Grape brandy, raspberry syrup, lemon juice, rosé, dehydrated lemon slice, mint-skewered raspberry
Tuna Bhel
Puffed black rice, raw tuna, avocado, green apple, sev, potato, green mango, tamarind chutney, green chile, radish, cilantro cress
Ten Vegetable Soup
Ten Vegetable Soup with brown rice, Red Fife, wheat berries, black chia seed, tamari, lime juice, lemon zest, Aleppo pepper, market vegetables
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Warm date cake, candied pecans, caramel sauce, bourbon cream custard, vanilla-bean ice cream
Seafood Paella
Jumbo shrimp, Maine lobster tail, littleneck clams, mussels, mahi-mahi, squid, baby octopus, saffron rice, piquillo pepper salad
Quinn's Filet Burger
Filet mignon, bacon-onion jam, arugula, Gorgonzola, Gruyère, whole-grain mustard, Kaiser roll
Fermented Jalapeño Farfalle
Fermented Jalapeño Farfalle with chickpea-miso compound butter, country ham, fresh corn
Spicy Cajun Chicken Sub
Cajun grilled chicken breast, cherry peppers, pepper Jack cheese, Cajun mayonnaise, mustard, toasted roll
Crispy Red Snapper for Two
Crispy Red Snapper for Two with jasmine rice, bok choy, shiitake, bean sprouts and coconut broth
Cauli Flowerpower Bowl
Cauliflower “rice,” chicken, carrots, bell peppers, snap peas, scallion, ginger, tamarind and chile-soy glaze, Asian slaw
The Best Cake You've Ever Had
Best Cake You’ve Ever Had with Medjool dates, brown-sugar caramel and crispy bacon
A5 Negroni
A5 Negroni made with Japanese whisky, Wagyu fat, Campari, sweet vermouth, blood orange juice
Blanco Burger
Two beef patties, smoked Gouda, Serrano pepper aïoli, lettuce, fried chicken skins, brioche bun
El Greco Street Bowl
Beef and lamb gyros, french fries, feta, tomato, Serrano pepper, green onion, spicy cucumber yogurt sauce
Smoke Break Cocktail
Smoke Break with Nikka Coffey grain whisky, cream sherry, Carpano Antica, black cherry and coffee bitters
Country Ham Tamal
Country Ham Tamal with pork carnitas, queso Oaxaca, mole coloradito, roasted squash, Swiss chard, pickled green tomatoes
Idaho Potato Pig Fries
Russet potatoes, sausage, carnitas, pork belly, harissa aïoli, Cotija cheese, cilantro
Plátano Maduro Pancakes
Plátano Maduro Pancakes with banana-passionfruit jam, whipped cream and vanilla-bean maple syrup
Bulgogi Steak Burrito
Bulgogi Steak Burrito with kimchi fried rice, cheese, kimchi slaw, carrots, green onion, sour cream, wasabi and Seoul Sauce
Jinya Tonkotsu Black
Thin ramen noodles, pork-based broth, pork chashu, kikurage, seasoned egg, spicy sauce
Cherry Popper Burger
Cherry Popper with a fried egg, pepper Jack cheese and pepper marmalade on a Hawaiian roll
Sauced and Loaded Fries
Curly fries with beef chili, cheddar, cheese sauce or three-cheese blend, bacon and ranch
Smoked Walnut & Blue Cheese Butter
Smoked Walnut & Blue Cheese Butter with smoked paprika, fresh parsley, sea salt
Mellow Yellow Jell-o Shots
Mellow Yellow Jell-o Shots with tequila, limoncello, lemon-lime cordial, gelatin
Costillas De Cerdo
Braised baby-back pork ribs, roasted creamy tomatillo salsa, potatoes, zucchini, white rice
Roasted Artichoke and Mushroom Toast
Roasted Artichoke and Mushroom Toast with black truffle goat cheese, caramelized onion, sherry gastrique
Big Fun Super Sundae
Gelato, chocolate sauce, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, Oreo crumbs, cinnamon-sugar doughnut holes, Airheads candy stick
Hollywood Blondie
Oreo cookie crumbs, chocolate chunks, caramel blondie, cake icing, vanilla whipped cream, toasted coconut
Miso Glazed Barramundi
Miso Glazed Barramundi with white miso and honey, plancha-grilled jumbo asparagus, chipotle oil
PST Club Sandwich
Smoked turkey, bacon, ranch dressing, Muenster, avocado, iceberg lettuce, giardiniera on sourdough
Chicken Lettuce wraps
Chicken Lettuce wraps with sesame-soy chicken, carrot, green onion, cashews, five-spice wonton strips, iceberg lettuce
Kimchi Carbonara
Kimchi Carbonara: udon, kimchi cream, Spam crumbs, green onions, sunny-side-up egg, pea tendrils
Fried Green Tomato Taco
Fried Green Tomato Taco with bacon, Cajun ranch, lettuce, pico de gallo, roasted corn
Pimento Mac & Cheese Sandwich
Pimento mac and cheese, tomato, bacon bits, buttermilk cheddar, sourdough
Spicy Tuna Chilindrinas
Duros, raw tuna, chile-soy vinaigrette, scallion, cilantro, crema, hot sauce, avocado, mango, sesame seeds, chile flakes
Bacon-Bacon Cheeseburger
Bacon-Bacon Cheeseburger with melted cheddar, American cheese, crispy bacon, slow-roasted smoked bacon, secret sauce
The Counter Burger
The Counter Burger with provolone, lettuce, tomato, sautéed mushrooms, crispy onion strings, roasted garlic aïoli
Blackened Tuna Burger
Blackened Tuna Burger with wasabi-ginger aïoli, marinated cucumber, onion, radish and carrots on a milk bun
El Cubanito
Tobacco-laced gianduja chocolate cigars, café-caramel flan, guava pastelitos, café con leche dipping sauce, Cuban coffee
Crispy Brussel Sprouts
Crispy Brussels Sprouts with fresh herbs, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame-Sriracha aïoli, mint, cashews
Heart Beet Salad
Baby lettuce, kale, beets, hemp hearts, avocado, orange, hazelnuts, goat cheese, crusty fig toast
Caviar Frites
Crisp Yukon fries, Petrossian caviar, salmon roe, citrus crème fraîche, and nine-spice ranch
Build Your Best Menu
10 dynamic, menu-ready builds and how to leverage them, brought to you by Minor's
Thai Lobster Roll
Lobster chunks, roasted potato, chipotle coleslaw, baon rouille, garlic, lemongrass, roll
Buffalo Cauliflower
Breaded cauliflower florets, housemade Buffalo sauce, crumbled blue cheese, scallions
Pan Seared Chicken Paillard
Pan-Seared Chicken Paillard with Lacinato kale, Brussels sprouts, pickled grapes, almonds, orange, Parmesan, honey gastrique
The Wolf Sandwich
Griddled bologna, Texas toast, lettuce, American cheese, Dijonnaise, sea salt and housemade kettle chips
Southern Oxtail & Dumplings
Braised oxtails, collard greens, beet greens, Trappey’s Peppers and potlikker jus
Fried Chicken & Waffle
Fried Chicken with a Serrano-pecorino waffle, miso butter, Brussels sprouts, bagna càuda and Sriracha honey
Brisket Benedict
Jalapeño-cheddar cornbread waffle, brisket, poached egg, hollandaise, gochujang, green onions
The Grammar Rugby Cocktail
Vodka, lime juice, simple syurp, Portell Cava, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto
Aguachile de Pulpo
Charred octopus with cold-smoked mussels, salsa macha, pickled papaya, charred avocado
Gnudi al Tartufo Nero
Gnudi with spinach, brown butter, toasted sage, Parmigiano-Reggiano, black truffle, chanterelles
Pastrami Burger
Sirloin, pastrami, caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, brioche bun
Cebiche Clásico
Cebiche Clásico with striped bass, leche de tigre, aji limo chile peppers, Japanese sweet potato, yuyo and micro cilantro
Tomatoes en Gelée
Tomato water-yuzu gelée, tomatoes, house-cultured cream, pistachio oil, allium flowers
Billionaire's Bacon
Thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon, brown sugar, red chile flakes, black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne
Brix Burger
Brix Burger with bacon jam, brisket, barbecue sauce, pickled beets, blue cheese, fried onions
Sonoma Grilled Chicken Flatbread
Sonoma Grilled Chicken Flatbread with double-cream Brie, caramelized onions, grilled chicken, hearth-roasted grapes, Parmesan, baby arugula
Tuna Tartare
Tuna Tartare with avocado salsa, mushrooms, fresh citrus, phyllo, cheese crisp, yuzu, olive-almond pesto
Shank JB Melt
Shank JB Melt with spiced beef shank, cheese curds, spicy mayo, cucumber, flaky pancake
Cauliflower Appetizer
Santo Cielo in Naperville, Ill. offers roasted and pickled cauliflower, chickpeas, crispy quinoa, labneh.
Pansy Dropper Cocktail
Pratsch rosé, Dolin Blanc, lime juice, mint simple syrup, Social Pink Grapefruit Ginger sparkling wine
Szechuan Dan Dan Taco
Szechuan Dan Dan Taco with ground beef, Sichuan pepper aïoli, bok choy salad, crispy wonton strips and Sriracha crickets
Grilled Barbecue Chicken
Grilled Barbecue Chicken with red grape-tamarind sauce and roasted red grapes
Short Rib and Taleggio Lasagna
Short Rib & Taleggio Lasagna with béchamel, Savoy cabbage and caramelized onions
Cold Brew Crushie
Brooklyn Cold Brew, locally sourced milk, raw cane sugar, whipped cream, sprinkles, cookie straw
Crispy-Fried Essex Clams
Crispy-Fried Essex Clams with preserved lemon, pickled peppers, dried black olive, squid ink anchoïade
Message in a Bottle Cocktail
Clarified milk punch, lemon, Blue Majik pineapple juice, blue algae, Bacardi 4-Year, cinnamon bark cordial
Tewa Tacos
Butternut squash, black-bean/corn salsa, blue-corn tortillas, red chile sauce, pomegranate-kale slaw, maple cream, pumpkin seeds, Cotija
cOnTrIbUtOrS
10 dynamic, menu-ready builds and how to leverage them, brought to you by Minor's
Acme Feed & Seed, Nashville, Tenn.
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute with 229 Parks, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Another Broken Egg, based in Los Angeles
Barton G. The Restaurant, Los Angeles
Bourbon Steak, based in San Francisco
California Milk Advisory Board with Melody / Los Angeles
California Pizza Kitchen, based in Los Angeles
California Tortilla, based in Potomac, Md.
California Walnut Board with The Lucky Well, Ambler, Penn.
Carnival Cruise Line, based in Miami
Cheesecake Factory, based in Calabasas Hills, Calif.
Coalition Food and Beverage, Alpharetta, Ga.
Colada Cuban Coffee House & Eatery, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants, based in Woodridge, Ill.
Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa, Fla.
Craigie on Main, Cambridge, Mass.
Crave Fishbar, two locations in New York
Cultivation Kitchen, Anaheim, Calif.
Daphne’s Mediterranean, based in Los Angeles
Del Frisco’s Grille, based in Southlake, Texas
Dos Coyotes, based in Davis, Calif.
Echo & Rig, Las Vegas & Sacramento, Calif
Espita Mezcaleria, Washington, D.C.
Eureka!, based in Hawthorne, Calif.
Fazoli’s, based in Lexington, Ky.
Firehouse Subs, based in Jacksonville, Fla.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, based in Tampa, Fla.
Flower Child, based in Phoenix
Flyrite Chicken, based in Austin, Texas
Gaijin Culinary Services, Las Vegas
Idaho Potato Commission with Mastiff Sausage Company, San Diego
Inn Ann at Japan House, Los Angeles
Jack in the Box, based in San Diego
Jinya Ramen Bar, based in Burbank, Calif.
Juice it Up, based in Irvine, Calif.
Little Tong Noodle Shop, New York
Loews Hollywood Hotel, Los Angeles
Lucky Rooster, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Luna Grill, based in San Diego
Macchialina, Miami Beach, Fla.
Main Event, based in Plano, Texas
Make Room for Truman, Park Ridge, Ill.
Mintwood Place, Washington, D.C.
Modern Market, based in Denver
Moxie’s Grill & Bar, based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association with Dickie Brennan & Co., New Orleans
Pearl at the Oyster Point Hotel, Red Bank, N.J.
Pei Wei, based in Irving, Texas
Pennsylvania 6 DC, Washington, D.C.
Playalinda Brewing Company, Brix Project, Titusville, Fla.
Prawn, Los Angeles & Pasadena, Calif.
Publican Quality Meats, Chicago
Punch Bowl Social, based in Denver
Rasika West End, Washington DC
Red Lobster, based in Orlando, Fla.
Restaurant Associates with California Table Grape
Romano’s Macaroni Grill, based in Denver
Seoul Taco, based in St. Louis
SkinnyFATS, based in Las Vegas
Starbird, based in San Francisco
Tacos 4 Life, based in Conway, Ark.
The Cafe at The Howard, Oshkosh, Wis.
The Counter, based in Culver City, Calif.
The Crack Shack, based in San Diego
The Delegate, Washington, D.C.
The Green Room, Burbank, Calif.
The Grilled Cheeserie, Nashville, Tenn.
The National Peanut Board with El Naranjo, Austin, Texas
The Scapegoat, Miami Beach, Fla.
The Shannon Rose, Clifton and Ramsey, N.J.
The Water Tower at The Williamsburg Hotel, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Toby’s Estate, based in Brooklyn, N.Y.
TooJay’s Deli, based in West Palm Beach, Fla.
True Aussie Beef & Lamb with Velvet Taco, based in Dallas