Why should restaurants have all the food, and bars all the fun? Uniting the culinarian and the cocktailian puts equal emphasis on beautifully executed food and handcrafted cocktails (along with extensive beer and wine selections), all wrapped in a casual neighborhood environment with order-what-you-like attitude, affordable prices and "everybody knows your name" charm.

Menu Sightings
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To the consumer, sandwiches are familiar enough to get away with being exotic; that’s why authentic international sandwiches are showing up on the lunch menus of ethnic restaurants and cornering the market at innovative, quick-serve, urban sandwich shops.

_Think in terms of value-added, smaller portions with layers of flavor and texture, like meatloaf stuffed with quail eggs and Boursin and topped with heirloom-tomato chutney

_Incorporate local beers and micro-distilled products into core offerings and add beer or spirits to dishes, as in bourbon-barbecue pork sliders

_Spend wisely on local and artisanally produced ingredients to create value with pared-down menus

The American palate is ready for a worldview of spicy chile peppers, from tongue-tingling Mexican poblanos to Thai bird peppers and South American ajis amarillos. Salsas, marinades, dips and other sauces are natural vehicles for all this hot stuff, but chefs are branching out with usage, layering several types and infusing heat in more ways.

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Mexican QSRs are moving beyond jalapeños and chipotles to embrace new chile varieties and layered, multi-flavored profiles, while ingredient-seeking chefs are digging deep into global chile culture to spark menus of all types.

_Include chile names and bottled-sauce brand names in menu copy; give your favorite bottles some tabletop real estate

_Balance heat with varied peppers, fruit, honey, maple, cucumbers, yogurt and other cooling ingredients; don’t forget your beverage menu when adding sweet-heat

_Layer the heat by using chiles in brines, marinades, braises, rubs and finishing sauces

It’s all in the family — as in family-style dinners, Sunday suppers, chefs’ tables, large dishes for two, new-wave plats du jour and other ideas that address today’s quest for casual-dining formats and love of sharing; these high-value menuing concepts are also great for introducing patrons to new flavors and menu specialties.


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From more inventive takes on fast-food combo meals to down-home Sunday-night chicken dinners in upscale settings, the beauty of the new-wave blue plate is that it works in so many venues, offering great value without screaming “discount.”

_To minimize waste and streamline service, offer family-style service options any time you have big parties or when doing special events

_Serve retro food like meatloaf, fried chicken or fricassee in compartmentalized dishes, like the original blue-plate specials

_When creating specials, consider offering a beverage-pairing package that includes an opening cocktail, then other unique beverages paired with each course

Nothing develops satisfying texture and flavor like a good piece of fryer work; it’s a great fit with the small-plates and bar-foods trend and an appealing entry into ethnic specialties, such as Japanese tempura and Italian arancini. Some of the best examples are all-American, à la fried chicken, hush puppies, fresh donuts and even fried candy bars.
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Anyplace with a fryer basket and good ventilation can proudly feature fried food, from perfect fries to sophisticated takes on fritters and other more-ambitious menu items; many new restaurant chefs are spec’ing more-elaborate fryer stations, and there’s also been a resurgence in menus specializing in deliciously retro fried food.

_Whip up some batter and just start frying some unlikely ingredients — pepperoncinis, olives, peanut-butter-and-jelly balls — until you hit a new winner

_Name specific oils; “duck fat,” “butter-fried” and “bacon-fried” add value to menus

_Create higher-value garnishes and add textural interest with items like frizzled parsnips, beet chips, crisped leeks

Why should restaurants have all the food, and bars all the fun? Uniting the culinarian and the cocktailian puts equal emphasis on beautifully executed food and handcrafted cocktails (along with extensive beer and wine selections), all wrapped in a casual neighborhood environment with order-what-you-like attitude, affordable prices and “everybody knows your name” charm.

Menu Sightings
Join or Start a Discussion

Like the Italian enoteca, the Japanese izakaya and the British pub, the American-style saloon offers food, drink and solace in a wobbly economy and proves you don’t have to spend a fortune or get all dressed up to have a great meal.

_Think in terms of value-added, smaller portions with layers of flavor and texture, like meatloaf stuffed with quail eggs and Boursin and topped with heirloom-tomato chutney

_Incorporate local beers and micro-distilled products into core offerings and add beer or spirits to dishes, as in bourbon-barbecue pork sliders

_Spend wisely on local and artisanally produced ingredients to create value with pared-down menus