Food Trends in America

Tag: Restaurant Reviews

food trends



What is popular when talking about foods?  Meat and potatoes, salmon and rice, sushi, falafel… there are so many varieties of restaurants to go to- Italian, fast food, Brazilian Steak houses, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Middle Eastern, even Microbreweries are on this list and a plethora of other varieties as well.  There are almost too many choices when going out to eat.  And now with new trends being created constantly the styles and even where we eat is changing.
 
Here are some of the newer trends to check out:
 
Food Trucks
Not exactly a new idea, but the gourmet version of a food truck is.  There are University and City areas that are saturated with these on-the-go style food trucks.  All types of food are created for the mover and the shakers.
 
Small Plates/Tapas
A new revolution is the small plate or tapas restaurant or offering.  These delicious offerings are typically three to four bites, perfect for a palate that doesn’t know exactly what it wants and people who would like to try more than one delicatessen from a restaurant.
 
Game Meats
There is more to life than a beef burger, lamb patty or turkey burger.  Deer, Snake, Bison, Elk, Alligator and many other unfamiliar meats have been cultivated for your taste buds and minds to rap around.  Branching out is a norm.  Who ever thought that snake was on the menu?
 
Microbreweries and Hard Alcohol Restaurants
Gourmet Chefs have created not only delicious meals but alcohol pairings as well.  Jose Garces, of Iron Chef fame, has a bar in Philadelphia honoring food and whiskey under one roof.  What could be better for a night out?
 
Vegan Offerings
Many restaurants and food trucks understand that people aren’t always meat eaters.  The Vegans and vegetarians are being taken into account at many restaurants.  There are even vegan specific eateries that only serve vegan food. 
 
 
These trends are common now, but trends are just that- here today and gone tomorrow, so take advantage and reach out of your comfort zone and try something new.
 
Bon Appetite.
 

The Top 5 Things Restaurants Should N...

Tag: Restaurant Reviews

There are plenty of opinions out there about trends that are played out. People are sick of small plates. Down with communal tables. Recently, there was even an internet screed against bar food (what's up with that?). All of this is basically a backlash against trends in dining in general -- a way for us overfed writers to find something to complain about that's actually probably not all that bad. Oh, poor baby has to eat off a small plate at the communal table.
This list isn't about things we're sick of. It's about things that should never have happened in the first place. It's about food that we never, ever want to see on a menu or in a restaurant or at a wedding buffet or ANYWHERE, ever again. Not in cookbooks. Not in magazines. Not in chain restaurants. Nowhere. Here are the 5 things that no one should ever make or serve again.

5. Bourbon-glazed anything
Bourbon's proper place is in a glass, although using it in pies, chocolates and other desserts is fine. However, I've never come across bourbon in savory food, other than as an ingredient in barbecue sauce, that wasn't awful. As a glaze in particular? Gross. If you see "bourbon-glazed" anything, it usually means that whatever poor ingredient slathered in the "glaze" has some overly sweet corn-syrup-based nastiness all over it, be it pork ribs or salmon or some undeserving vegetables. Bourbon glaze is always sticky and cloying and horrible. Soy sauce is a seasoning. Bourbon is a drink. Keep your soy sauce out of my cocktails and your bourbon off my fish.

4. Raspberry vinaigrette
Let me guess. You've got some arugula, right? And some goat cheese? Maybe some pecans? Hmmm ... now ... what would every chef with zero imagination and even less taste put on this perfectly decent salad to ruin it completely? Raspberry vinaigrette!
Listen, I almost always hate any kind of berries in my salad, but raspberry vinaigrette goes way beyond that. It's like taking a nice, healthy plate of food and covering it with melted Jolly Ranchers with balsamic thrown in. All sweet dressings are disgusting, and raspberry vinaigrette is the pretentious king of sweet vinaigrettes.

3. Wasabi (or anything) in the mashed potatoes
Thank sweet baby Jesus, wasabi mashed potatoes are a thing that went out of style a long time ago ... but I'm not just talking about the dish, I'm talking about the whole concept of stuff in mashed potatoes. I don't want wasabi in my mashed potatoes. I don't want chipotle in my mashed potatoes. Horseradish? Nope. Sundried tomatoes? God, no. Butter, cream, maybe garlic. That's it. Mashed potatoes are delicious -- keep that other crap out of them. Which brings us to...
 
2. Lobster (or anything) in the mac-n-cheese Here's one of those examples where something is completely ruined by someone trying to make it fancy. Mac-n-cheese is good because it's simple, slutty food that doesn't need stupid ingredients like lobster thrown in to make it better. In fact, lobster ruins mac-n-ch ...

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Eat This Now – Greek Spaghetti with M...

Tag: Restaurant Reviews

Originally posted at EatingLV.com by John Curtas
 
If you’ve never had it,mizithra cheese is a semi-sharp goat and/or sheep’s milk cheese which contains a certain, distinctive sourness that makes it perfect for topping pasta.
 
Pasta like the big, thick bucatini strands the Yassou Greek Grille Cafe (whew!) uses to make their Greek spaghetti.
 
The recipe is simplicity itself, consisting of simply pouring browned butter over al dente pasta and giving it a liberal sprinkling of cheese and cracked pepper. Those flavors of slightly nutty, sour and sharp meld uniquely with the toothsome tubes, making each bite the very essence of simple, soulful satisfaction. Garnish with a little gyro meat and you have a humongous lunch for one, or a  perfect pasta repast for two.
 
Best of all, the whole enchilada only costs ten bucks.
Just thought you’d like to know.


Epicurean Palette

Tag: Submit A Restaurant Listing to Google

Sunday, September 25th 2011Epicurean Palette
Time: 1 – 4pm. Rain or shine!The premier food and wine event of the region! Join us for the 11th annual Epicurean Palette, a gala celebration of food and wine to benefit Grounds For Sculpture.
This is the most amazing event in a gorgeous setting.  I have been every year for the last 7 years and I love it.  Tons of different upscale restaurants preparing their one special dish....many wineries represented.  I can't say enought about this event.  It is a pleasure to walk the grounds and appreciate the sculptures.  I wish they would have it a couple of times a year!