Cocktail Trends to Watch for in 2015
Just as fashions in food tend to go in and out of vogue, so do trends in the bar world. So what did we predict would be big in 2014? Lots of soju and cider, as well as wine on tap. And were we right? You betcha! So here’s what we foresee for New York’s cocktail scene in the coming year, including fizzy champagne-topped tipples, and a resurgence of vodka and rum!
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New York’s Enduring Obsession with Uni
Uni seems like an awfully unlikely ingredient to trend hard, but lord knows it is indeed trendy, and has been for some time now. If we died tomorrow, it certainly would be center stage in our last meal. Just what is that gloriously briny shellfish?
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Food Trends to Watch for in 2015
When predicting the dining trends that would take over New York’s restaurant scene in 2014, we have to say, we proved uncannily accurate — cauliflower and ancient grains where simply everywhere last year! So let’s see if we can successfully spot the burgeoning trends of 2015, from the rise of Spanish cuisine to the hot new condiment, harissa…
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Chinese Food Has Its Day
In light of New York’s current, expansively multi-cultural dining scene, it’s hard to remember that for years, higher-end restaurants in the city were almost exclusively Italian or French. What’s interesting, though, is how long it took Chinese cooking to make its way out of the fast-casual ethnic realm…
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Trend Spotting: Seafood Charcuterie
Charcuterie has long been a staple on restaurant menus — classic, French preparations of smoked, cured or otherwise preserved meat (mainly pork), such as Sausage, Ham, Bacon, Pâté, Terrines, Galantines, Crepinettes and more. But recently, a number of eateries have expanded their repertoire to include charcuterie made of under-the-sea delicacies, including fish, lobster and shrimp…
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Trend Spotting: Everything Bagel Seasoning
It’s easy enough to follow the trajectory of certain food trends, like rabbit, Korean cuisine and kale. But “everything seasoning” is a funny one (you know, that dehydrated onion, garlic, sesame and poppy seed blend they sprinkle on top of bagels), which actually became a “thing” long before bagels underwent a culinary revival themselves…
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Trend Spotting: New York’s Renewed Bagel Obsession
We tend to take great bagels for granted, from the oversized, sesame seed-flecked frisbees at Ess-A-Bagel outposts to the highly burnished orbs at Bagel Hole in Brooklyn. But lately, a growing crew of young, hip chefs and shop owners have revived interest in the iconic breakfast item, like Black Seed and more…
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Trend Spotting: Sardines and Other Small Bait
As more and more restaurants get serious about only using sustainable fish, previously unappreciated small bait, like anchovies, sardines, whiting and mackerel, are finally being given their time to shine. And we’re not just talking about the canned stuff, unappealingly pickled and strewn on top of pizzas. The marine and freshwater dwellers are appearing on menus in a number of forms, prized by French, Italian, Spanish and American chefs alike for their strong, meaty flavor and edible, soft bones…
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Trend Spotting: Black Garlic
If you’ve ever seen black garlic (we recently spied it sold in plastic pouches at Trader Joe’s), you might have assumed that it was mistakenly left on the shelf for too long. Because yes, the flesh of the pungent bulbs actually is jet black, and comes cloaked in a withered, papery skin. It’s potentially pretty off-putting if you don’t know what you’re looking at, but surprisingly, seriously delicious as well…
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Trend Spotting: Ancient Grains Are In Fashion
Eaters everywhere have noticeably upped their consumption of “superfoods” (ingredients that boast a number of beneficial vitamins and minerals) in the last couple of years, like omega 3-rich salmon, heart-healthy acai berries, and even chia seeds (yes, the stuff that sprouts on those terra cotta pets), which actually contain 500% more calcium than milk. And not just at home…
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Trend Spotting: ‘Nduja
Never heard of ‘Nduja (pronounced “en-doo-ya?”). While most of us could readily identify paper-thin Prosciutto, savory Soppressata, and olive-studded Mortadella on a board of Italian charcuterie, the spicy Calabrian sausage has only just begun to command notice in New York…
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Restaurant Trends to Watch for in 2014
It’s kind of a favorite pastime for food writers to predict the new wave of dining trends for the coming year. And we have to say, our picks for 2013 wound up being pretty on the money, namely Gochujang surpassing Sriracha (could Korean food be any hotter right now?) and the unlikely return of Roast Chicken (Rotisserie Georgette, hello!). So we’re eager to see if we prove every bit as accurate with our forecast for 2014, from a proliferation of single-concept restaurants to a growing obsession with Filipino fare…
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Cocktail Trends to Watch for in 2014
Nowadays, restaurants pay just as much attention to their bar programs as they do to their food menus, which means that mixologists aren’t content to serve the same old drinks or trot out the same old tricks year after year. That’s why we’re turning our attention to trends bound to really take off in 2014, from wine on tap and an increased interest in Soju to the triumphant return of the classic cocktail.
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Trendspotting: Korean Cooking
Asian food has been seriously in fashion among New York’s top chefs for a while now. You’ll find Andy Ricker doing standout Thai at Pok Pok Ny, Zak Pelaccio making Malaysian fusion BBQ at Fatty ‘Cue, Joe Ng & Ed Schoenfeld doing Greenmarket Dim Sum at RedFarm, and Danny Bowien cooking hip, inventive Chinese, like Kung Pao Pastrami at Mission Chinese…
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Top Cocktail Trends to Watch For in 2013
Like Kale salads and Sriracha sauce, small batch bitters and speakeasy inspired cocktails are so 2012. So if you’re going to be feasting on Roasted Chicken and Fresh Baked Bread all year long (see our Food Trends to Watch for in 2013), you’ll want to pair them with some equally “of the moment” drinks. From chef driven tipples at The Third Man in the East Village to fancy Daiquiri’s at Donna in Brooklyn, here are the trends you can expect to see more of in the coming year!
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Restaurant Trends to Watch for in 2013
Do you remember when it was, exactly, that Sriracha became the go-to condiment in restaurants across the city? Neither do we, but that’s precisely how food trends work. They take root little by little, gradually seeping into public consciousness and onto our plates, until eventually, you’d be hard pressed to find a relevant restaurant without a Kale Salad or Housemade Charcuterie. But those are so 2012, and we’ve got our eye on the horizon. Here are the burgeoning trends we predict we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of in 2013…
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Trendspotting: “New” Mexican Cuisine in NYC
If you take a moment to reflect, you’ll find there’s been a slow and steady expansion of regional Mexican influence in the city. And we’re not just talking tiny, hole-in-the-wall taquerias in the outer boroughs and giant, midtown Tex-Mex chains. Fine-dining establishments have also taken inspiration from the flavors of Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz.
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Sriracha on the Rise
Momofuku Milk Bar Pastry Chef Christina Tosi’s Crack Pie is the ultimate holy grail of pies. Many have tried to replicate this pie (especially now that Milk Bar has a cookbook out) to no avail. Why is it called the Crack Pie? Well, it’s so good that it’s the only fitting description is that it’s “as good as crack.”
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Trendwatch: Sriracha
Sriracha is a staple in our kitchens, adding the perfect amount of spice to just about any dish, whether its cocktails, eggs, or Brussels sprouts. But we aren’t the only ones capitalizing on the unique sauce, In fact, Chefs all over the city routinely use Sriracha in marinades, ceviches, Bloody Mary’s, remoulades, frying batter, and more.
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Green Garlic on the Rise
It’s easy to overlook garlic. It’s bulbous and overly familiar, that big fat white bulb that’s found pretty much everywhere and in everything. It lends the same old flavor to tomato sauce and chicken alike. Not to mention the odors it leaves on your hands and breath. But not all garlic is alike. The garlic we all know has a smaller, sweeter cousin that’s subtle and fresh called green garlic. This immature garlic has a lot more texture and vegetal crunch than your garden variety garlic. It’s only in season for a short period, offering a taste that’s nothing like supermarket garlic. And there’s no need to be self conscious about the smell or wash your hands a dozen times. Green garlic and garlic scapes both lend a garlicky flavor that’s wholly delicate. It’s the garlic we’ve all been...
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