Chef-focused delivery : “2016 was the year of the chef-driven fast-casual concept, or fine casual, and that is a great thing — scaling high-quality food that is created with the consumer in mind, but also our supply chains is a wonderful endeavor. This year I am excited about chefs moving their restaurants out of storefronts and onto apps. From home meal replacement options to the best lunch delivery in NYC, chefs are fighting back on some of the litany of operational challenges they face with exciting and innovative combinations of technology, limite- edition menu items, and the ability to enjoy their food in your pajamas.”

Less meat burgers: “2016 saw the rebirth of the veggie burger as an oft-maligned lead weight designed to appease what the kitchen saw as an annoying subset to one of the most creative dishes coming out of any number of kitchens. At once a delicious bite of food and a political statement it is the perfect dish for our troubled times, and now in part thanks to science, one that often doesn’t come anything close to the dense pucks we’ve all accepted for years. Not only is the veggie burger having a renaissance, but creative chefs and operators are realizing that we can have our meat and eat less too by mixing in whole grains and creative ‘fillers’ to build a burger that is healthier, cheaper, and more sustainable.”

Modern Appetizing: “Outside of Manhattan and a couple other pockets of the country, I don’t know how many people really know about the wonderful food tradition that is appetizing, so I have been very excited over the past year to see a handful of operators expand and extend this wonderful world of salty and smoky snacks. Appetizing is an Old World tradition, in the truest sense, and the embrace of the craft fits well into the narrative of the current generation’s investigation of these great traditions. Whether it’s a smoked fish platter on a brunch menu or a true modern appetizing emporium, I look forward to seeing whitefish and caviar on more and more menus in the coming year.”

More Fermentation: “The top kitchens in the world have latched on to fermentation over the past several years, using it to develop entirely new flavor profiles, provide brightness and complexity to familiar dishes, and also introduce a health-friendly component to their often rich and indulgent food. From esoteric home-grown kimchi-iazations to kambuchas to lacto-fermented hot sauces to sourdough starters and charcuterie, chefs continue to discover and harness this powerful new technique. In 2017, look for more and more chefs to utilize fermentation to expand their menus and explore preserving food and minimizing waste.”

Find more details on Andiron Steak & Sea here.

Justin Shoults, Oak + Rowan (Boston) from The Biggest Coming Food Trends of 2017, According to 65 of America’s Top Chefs

The Biggest Coming Food Trends of 2017, According to 65 of America’s Top Chefs

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