Comfort food and innovation are pairing up on this year’s list of what’s hot in trends and creations coming to diners from restaurant kitchens. The annual What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, released today by the National Restaurant Association, offers a detailed look at the topics, trends, and products–from the ordinary to the surprising–rated sizzling hot by chefs working in kitchens across the country.
Diners will see many more alternatives in restaurants this year, as owners and operators adopt eco-friendly packaging, plant-based proteins, revamped classic cocktails, specialty burger blends (mushroom-beef burgers, etc.), and unique beef and pork cuts, which all made the list of top 10 trends.
“These trends reflect Americans’ desires to combine the tried and true with the new and different,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research for the Association. “This mix of comfort and edginess is a microcosm of the world we live in. Consumers want something different, but want to keep what satisfies them at the same time, and more than 1 million restaurants around the country are ready to meet those wants and needs.”
