The conversation came up the other day of "What restaurant trends are people trying at home these days". Well first- I wanted to figure out what is considered the 2008 restaurant trends. So I went on my search and I thought this link provided some interesting insight.

http://foodfete.wordpress.com/2007/12/13/restaurant-bar-trends-for-2008/

Restaurant & Bar Trends for 2008

From Andrew Freeman & Co., a San Francisco marketing consultancy for the restaurant and hospitality industry, here is its list of Restaurant & Bar Trends for 2008:

    * Artisan Salt: fleur de sel, sel gris, Hawaiian pink, Himalayan black; even smoked salt has appeared in dishes from tuna tartar to salted caramel ice cream.

    * The Aussie Invasion: Well beyond wine imports, menus are loading up with Aussie olive oil, honey, fruit pastes, and seafood.

    * Lounging Around: More full-scale dining room menus and innovative bar menus are being offered in the lounge and bars. Now, guests can relax, order as much or as little as they like, and be casual as friends come and go.

    * Small Plates Go Global: From Japanese Izakaya, Indian Chaat, Middle Eastern Mezze to Spanish Tapas, the small plates craze keeps going and growing in every kind of restaurant concept across the country.

    * Artisans in Residence: From house-made salumi like prosciutto, sausage, coppa, salami, mortadella to house-cured olives. Chefs take more pride in making everything in-house.

    * Blooming Chefs: Chefs with a green thumb are growing their produce, usually organic, on their own farms, behind their restaurants, or on rooftop gardens. You can’t get more local than this.

    * The Cupcake Revolution: From delicious cupcakes with buttercream frosting to homemade twinkies and old-fashioned butterscotch puddings, nostalgic desserts remain a favorite. Now many are garnished with retro treats like Pop Rocks and Caramel Corn. (I can personally attest to this trend — one of my favorite local Atlanta hangouts is The Little Cake bakery on Roswell Rd. in Buckhead. Yum.)

    * That Size Fits You Perfectly: Dishes now come in small, medium, and large portions to satisfy a wide range of tastes and appetites. The entrée as we know it is not going away, but size does matter.

    * Fine Dining Re-Defined: Diners still crave four-star cuisine and service, only now they want these experiences in more relaxed settings.

    * I Can Get It For You Retail: Fine dining goes retail. Like that pasta or hand-crafted teapot? Today, even the best places have To-go sections or catalogs.

    * Sweet Says Hello to Savory: Caramel with foie gras, sorbet in your soup, salt on desserts, and truly tangy frozen yogurts – sweet and savory join forces with delicious results.

    * Extreme Green: Obeying the mantra of SOL food (seasonal, organic and local) is almost the norm. Now, restaurants are going completely sustainable with biodegradable disposable tableware, eco-conscious cleaners and a suite of green business practices.

    * A Split Decision: A range of wine service options: by the glass, the bottle, the 2 oz. taste, even the quartino. Quaffers have plenty of choices now. Still can’t decide? Split the difference and get the half bottle.

    * 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall: Gastro-pubs with dedicated beer lists, featuring special brews, house-made drafts and hard-to-find ales are all the rage. Adding to the experience are custom glassware selections and special pairing menus.

    * Reaching Beyond Riesling: Gruner Veltliner and Blaufrankisch. These wines from Germany and Austria (and others from beyond) may be tough to pronounce, but they are easy to drink and pair.

    * Bar None: The chef’s new signature dish - bar snacks. Homemade pretzels, paprika tossed nuts and hand-rolled sesame sticks take the place of stale popcorn and keep guests reaching for more.

    * Shaken, Stirred, Muddled and Organic: Bar chef/mixologists get more creative with hand-crafted one-of-a-kind organic cocktails utilizing fresh fruit, herbs, spices, vegetable purees, house-made syrups, and innovative infusions. More and more bars now have a selection of organic beverage options.

This trend list was developed by Andrew Freeman & Co., from a combination of close industry observation, coast-to-coast travel, discussions with industry experts, meetings with hotel and restaurant clients, press contacts, conferences attended and media sources.

So are you trying any of these things at home? If so, which ones?  What are some of the top recipes you are making?

And though we are only two months into 2009- there has already been some predictions of what’s going to be cooking  in restaurants around the nation.

http://eats.com/eats-editorials/foodie-news/restaurant-trends-for-2009-20081126618/

Thoughts about the list?  I’d love to hear them! 

I found this article extremely interesting! I'm from Australia originally and moved to the United States about 3 years ago- and so I especially found 'The Aussie Invasion' amusing!

When available (usually at Whole Foods etc) I always get Australian products if I see them- more so because the tastes remind me of home, I don't think they're necessarily superior to American or European products however. So in consideration of this, I think restaurants are probably just using Australian products to try and be trendy and forward-thinking.

The Extreme Green concept, again, I grew up with back in Australia. My mother always preferred to go to Farmers Markets for Fruit & Veg, and has almost exclusively always purchased Organic produce, and has been recycling all of the household plastics as long as I can remember. So again, this isn't so new to me, I still buy Organic and local whenever possible.

Blooming Chefs- I was actually planning on starting my own vegetable garden last year, as a matter of fact! However, my priorities changed and the idea kind of got left by the wayside. I'll probably attempt it this year however! (you'll get tired of hearing this- but my mother grew lots of her own fruit and vegetables!).

The Cupcake Revolution- I've always loved to cook, but my current passion for baking didn't really take hold until I moved to America. Back home however, I frequently purchased cupcakes as treats for myself from this wonderful bakery cafe called 'The Shingle Inn'- and they were beyond delicious! Now that I've got the baking bug myself though, I do definitely switch it up between cupcakes, little tarts, and big cakes, it just depends on my mood and the occassion!

Bar None- I socialize and entertain a fair bit, and home made 'bar snacks' and small appetizers have become something I'm especially good at, and known amongst my friends for! I only started following this trend within about the last year or so.

99 Bottles of Beer- my grandparents in Aus frequently made their own brew, again this is something I've wanted to attempt but haven't got round to doing! But I think I'll leave this one to my husband :)

Small Plates Go Global- I've always adored Japanese food, so Sushi, Yakitori, Tamago, Atsuage, etc are all things I've enjoyed making! I did a couple of Japanese cooking classes some time ago, and became further inspired by a 2006 trip to Japan, their food is so fresh and wonderful! In 2007 I spent time in Spain, and fell in love with Tapas, so again, I have adopted this concept whole heartedly!

As for the other points, I'm not sure they really apply to me. When it comes to Wine, I prefer to support local wineries (North Carolina where I live now as you're probably aware has a number of them, and from 06-08 I lived in Missouri, where again they were in abundance!) rather than purchasing imports. And apart from Sweet n Sour sauce, I'm not too much a fan of 'Sweet & Savory' together! Or maybe I just haven't tasted a decent dish of this concept!

Anyway, sorry for rambling, again, great article! It's interesting to know what is going on in the restaurant and dining world! I'll be interested to read other people's responses!

Thank you glamatomic for your response! I really loved reading... it's so great you are already doing so many of them! After I read your thoughts - I wondered who really inspires who? Does the home kitchen inspire the restaurants or do restaurants inspire the home kitchen? Maybe a little of both?

When you have time- I would love it if you shared your favorite Australian meal here: 

http://www.Pillsbury.com/CommunityForums/forums.aspx/11/610

So glad you have joined us on the boards! Sincerely, CC