March 13, 2010
Join the conversation with Dining Editor Mary Brown Malouf
01/05/10
11:31 AM
On the Table

2010 Table trends

By Mary Brown Malouf
01/05/10 - 11:31 AM
2010 Table trends

NPR’s Bonny Wolf aired her list of upcoming food trends this past weekend and I have to say I think Bonny’s behind the curve.

(Of course, you could say I'm behind the curve—the New Year's hangovers are already days behind us. But I don't bother about the new year until my own personal new year starts.)

Donuts have been the new cupcakes for at least 18 months and beer has almost finished being the new wine. Bacon still rules, and chefs love playing with pork belly (why not? Compare the price to almost anything) but that's not news.

Wolf predicts cardamom will be the flava of the year, based on the (isn’t it already waning?) appetite for chai. CSA’s are big, but that is last year’s news, along with sustainability, chef’s gardens and beef alternatives (bison, venison, etc.).

As always, when times get tough, chefs start stewing, but please notice— besides all the cozy memories comfort food brings, it also puts a nice pad between the menu price and the bottom line. Cheap cuts are tougher cuts, and tougher cuts mean stew. Hence, Thomas Keller cooks beef stroganoff.

This happens every few years: Chefs in Big Deal Restaurants in the Big Food Cities hit hard times when dining dollars dip, and bingo! they rediscover "comfort food." The kind of food most of us eat in our homes most of the time.

At any rate, Utah is ahead on one of Wolf's trends: she predicts more lamb, and because our locally raised lamb is so good, Utah chefs have been giving it pride of place on menus for a few years.

Reader Comments:
Old to new | New to old
Jan 5, 2010 07:22 pm
 Posted by  Anonymous

Bonny is right on and Mary is way back in the rear view mirror. Comfort food is always in. Beef cuts that are cheap are not always tough, an obvious cliche. They just require a little more engagement. Beer is just getting around the first bend and cardamom is so unique to most chefs it could not be anywhere but undiscovered. Donuts have been an upcoming trend since they were invented.

Jan 6, 2010 11:05 am
 Posted by  Anonymous

I totally agree with Mary: in most cities, beer bars are the rage, but not a new trend (Bayou opened years ago, even in Utah) Beehive opened this year, but sruggled to get a license for at least a year before that. Donuts? Common, this morning I saw Starbucks (gateway) has mini, sprinkled, cake donuts in their pastry case... Starbucks doesn't exactly make cut new trends.

Jan 12, 2010 10:40 pm
 Posted by  Anonymous

My money gets spent at locally owend restaurants.

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About This Blog

A lack of serious ambition, a love of cooking and a degree in Latin naturally led to a career in food writing for Mary Brown Malouf.

Her 25 years of experience has included stints as executive editor of D magazine in Dallas, Texas; executive editor at wine.com in Napa, California; and restaurant critic for The Salt Lake Tribune.

Now, she’s the dining editor for Salt Lake magazine, where she writes about the food scene in Salt Lake City and beyond. Check in regularly for the latest restaurant news, great products from local purveyors, and conversation about all things gustatory.

If you have news, tips or other information about the dining scene you'd like to share, email Mary.

 

 

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