2016 was a good year for foodies. I know I was thrilled to be seeing more fried chicken on menus, staying in my pajamas while Uber Eats picked up dinner, and snapping Insta-worthy açaí bowls for breakfast and then said Mahalo to poke bowls for lunch. So what food trends does 2017 have in store for us?
According to restaurant consultant group Baum+Whiteman, this year is looking to be more of a shift in how we eat rather than what we eat. Here are seven food trends to look forward to at your favorite restaurants.
1. We Eat Vegetables Now
Plant-based restaurants are on the rise and will continue to impact the restaurant industry in 2017. Expect to see restaurant concepts that are solely dedicated to vegetables, such as fast-casual chain concept Sweetgreen, the Los Angeles-based restaurant where consumers can load up on veggie bowls with grains or salad.
These dishes will be plentiful and full of flavor that vegetarian restaurants used to have the reputation of lacking. And don’t worry, the world isn’t turning vegan or anything, but rather shifting to a flexitarian diet as a result of growing health and environmental concerns. So there it is, it’s time to embrace our vegetable friends.
2. But Sometimes We’ll Pretend It’s Still Meat
With 26% of consumers opting to eat less meat, you can expect to see plant-based alternatives in dishes where meat previously reigned supreme. The US Meat Industry and investors alike are taking notice of companies producing plant-based “meats” such as Beyond Meat, a plant-based burger producer marketing their product as the “bleeding vegetable burger.”
Does a bleeding burger kind of give you the creeps? Yeah, me too. But there are other alternatives out there too. In the past, most foodies agreed “alternatives” tend to fall flat, but with this shift in consuming less meat, you can find some really good stuff.
3. We Still Do Like Meat, Though (If It’s Artisanal)
Ironically enough, vegetables taking the lead isn’t totally turning us off meat. Food trends are predicting artisanal butchers to strike a comeback as the counter-trend to the vegetable craze. Consumers still enjoy meat but are looking for humanely raised, pasture-grazed protein glorified by an artisanal butcher. Expect to see all parts of the animal on the menu, including grilled beef heart and fried chicken livers. Yum! (?) I’ll take a charcuterie board, please.
4. We’ll Be Expecting More Out of Breakfast
Oh boy, am I ready for this one! Say goodbye to soft scrambled eggs, white toast, and a side of limp bacon. Brunch has spoiled us and we’ve noticed the potential of turning our first meal of the day into a gourmet star. Not only will breakfast sandwiches be built on artisanal breads with farm raised eggs and antibiotic-free bacon, but unconventional ingredients will be making an appearance as well.
Take the Nor’easter at LA’s Connie & Ted’s. Alongside scrambled eggs and smoked bacon are crunchy fried clams and tartar sauce on a buttery biscuit. Also expect to see more fried chicken and creative tacos on your breakfast menu. What a time to be alive and hungover.
5. We Want Everything In a Bowl
Our love of food bowls appears to be eternal. There’s the Insta-worthy smoothie breakfast bowls with fresh layered fruits, shaved coconut, and chia seeds. Or the layers of bright raw tuna with sliced avocado and cucumber over rice, poke or sushi style. There are also burrito bowls and noodle bowls. Add superfoods and protein to your salads and you have a power bowl. Cheers to anything-you-can-imagine-bowls in 2017.
6. Our Favorite Brands are Opening Stores
Formerly reserved for candy companies in Times Square, we’re now seeing some of our favorite food brands opening restaurants of their own. Kellogg’s has partnered with Christina Tosi of Momofuku’s Milk Bar to open a cereal bar in Times Square with an inventive and playful approach on cereal bowls, milkshakes, and parfaits.
And then there’s Kola House, Pepsi’s new restaurant and cocktail lounge in Manhattan’s trendy Meat Packing District. Kola House boasts a carefully curated cocktail list utilizing Pepsi’s new craft soda line, Caleb’s Kola. Trying to win back those kids-at-heart millennials, huh?
7. Restaurants Are Going Virtual
In the last couple of years, large companies such as Amazon, Google, and Uber have launched food delivery services that have changed the way consumers dine. Now, indie startups are launching restaurants that have virtually no seats beyond the consumer’s dining room table (or in my case, the couch). These startups are investing in low-cost commercial kitchens staffed with professional cooks to bring high-quality foods to the consumer while yielding a large return on investment.
And it’s not just the professional culinarians getting in on the home delivery service. This year, AirBnb began taking reservations for dinners in home cook’s dining rooms and apps such as ChefKiss allow home cooks to sell meals for delivery. Last but not least for virtual restaurants: Drones. Still a lot of heavy experimentation going on with this latest technology.
Interested in more to come for 2017? Check out this list of restaurant and food trends.