Five Exciting Restaurant Trends For 2016
Food fads come and go, and most good restaurants try at least some of them out for size. Those that customers take a liking to generally stick around and become classics, while fads that fail to find a following usually fade away. Most diners find it fun to try new things, however. Following are five exciting restaurant trends for 2016 that may or may not evolve into culinary classics.
Locally Sourced Meat
Although the farm-to-fork movement has been a prominent player on the national culinary scene for several years now, that's usually involved fruits and vegetables rather than meat. However, one of 2016's major food trends in locally sourced meat. Instead of those lamb chops coming all the way from new Zealand, for instance, they'll be coming from a farm within easy driving distance from the restaurant. This may result in less standardized cuts of meat, such as short ribs and hanger steaks, and many restaurants have started making their own sausage on the premises.
Comfortably Casual Atmospheres
Several years ago, it seemed as if almost every restaurant out there was trying to be a fine dining establishment. However, many chefs and restaurant owners are returning to a a casual front-of-the-house ambiance that focuses on inclusion and comfort rather than formalities. Although true fine dining will probably always have a place on the American culinary landscape, most diners really appreciate places with non-fussy atmospheres that make no pretensions.
Black Raspberries
Berries of all kinds have been on the superfoods list for a number of years, and for good reason. They're brimming with vitamins and antioxidants, and they taste fabulous whether baked into pies, stirred into pancake or muffin batter, or spooned over ice cream for a delicious after-dinner treat. This year's superstar berry is the black raspberry -- it's said to have three times the amount of antioxidants of red raspberries and blackberries.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal has been a family restaurant staple for years. What's different about 2016's oatmeal is that instead of the traditional two-percent milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, and walnuts, it's available with add-ons such as coconut milk and ancient grains. You'll also see steel cut and locally grown oats instead of the standard generic oats usually used to make oatmeal with.
Uniquely Flavored Water
Coconut water was last year's craze, and all types of flavored water are following on its heels in 2016. You'll find cactus water, birch water, and even gluten-free water on menus all over the country this year! For more information, contact a restaurant like The Loading Zone.