It seems it is that time of year again: time for trends! This trends list comes from restaurant consultants Baum & Whiteman, and while some of them are fairly easy to spot (Food trucks! Southern! Korean tacos!), some seem unlikely (Chefs swapping kitchens?).
They predict doom and gloom for gourmet hamburgers, hot dogs, bacon, pork belly, and cupcakes, although we've heard all that before. One thing we like: Food truck "rodeos" in which "a dozen or more vendors turn an empty field or parking lot into a food fair on wheels." And then, as all good trends list do, it ends with catchy buzzwords:
Coconut water, bourbon, cucumbers, lavender, hibiscus, upscale food courts, umami, "stealth" miso, sangria with new twists, peppadew; fancy poutine, macarons, whoopee pie, Korean spicing and condiments, pesto variations, newfangled machines vending fresh fruit and vegetables, designer donuts, meatballs, burrata, tacos with global fillings, convenience store cuisine, artisan ice pops, “free from” food labels, popup restaurants, fregola, Greek yogurt, snacks, meatless Mondays, reinvented grits, down-home Southern cooking, black kale.
Just for giggles, let's see how it compares to the Andrew Freeman & Co. list from last week: it doesn't, really. The only items on both lists agreed on were yogurt and popsicles.
· Baum + Whiteman's 2010 Trends [PDF]
Food trucks. [Photo: Jessica Wilson / Flickr]