Forecasted Food Trends for 2013

Local sourcing, sustainability and kids' health dominate the predictions for menu trends in 2013 based on a survey of chefs by the National Restaurant Association. A poll of over 1,800 members of the American Culinary Federation on "What's Hot in 2013" found the top two menu trends for next year will be "locally sourced meats and seafood" and "locally grown produce." Other green culinary concepts that made the top 10 were "environmental sustainability as a culinary theme," "hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens)" and "sustainable seafood." Another NRA survey of 200 bartenders predicts "onsite barrel-aged drinks," "food-liquor pairings" and "culinary cocktails" to be the biggest alcohol trends next year.

Source: SupermarketNews.com

Food suppliers and manufacturers will aim to open their own concept restaurants. Dannon and Chobani's flagship yogurt bars in Manhattan, as well as the Ghirardelli Chocolate shop at Disney California Adventure have set the stage for an influx of such ventures. Brands will continue to be challenged for falsely using food labels with such terms as local, natural, artisanal and organic. Both independent and chain restaurants will look to boost distinctiveness and embark on edgier design and sustainability features to create unique individualism and separation from competition. Hey, we can help with that! Please give us a call to discuss a plan.

Vegetables:
Since meatless meals have become commonplace, vegetarianism and veganism will continue to evolve. Innovative salads with increased use of carrots, kale or brussels sprouts. Vegetables will also take center-plate at meals.

Grains:
Grains will increasingly be used for their nutritional values, especially those gluten-free items such as quinoa, millet, wild rice, amaranth, corn, oats and buckwheat.

Chicken:
Always-reasonably priced and versatile, chicken will remain trendy. Offering southern or spicy takes on classic fried chicken, with new quick-service and fast casual concepts continuing to pop up.

Snacking:
In 2013, the snacking trend will continue to be a key with tapas, mezze and upscale bar bites in full-service restaurants being more prevalent than ever, as well as the furthering of the food truck craze.

Values:
Dining deals and prix fix fare will continue as diners look for savings. The 2 for $20 dinner deals, popular for families and diners who want to enjoy a cost-effective meal, will continue as well.
Source: foodem.com, Technomic, Baum + Whiteman

Olesia’s Place

After driving past this new restaurant many times and glancing at its unique structure with curiosity, we finally stopped in, and are so glad we did. Set in a converted spa showroom that might look like a greenhouse from the exterior, Olesia’s Place, located on Royalton Road in North Royalton, provides a comfortable, upscale dining environment and simply delicious American-Ukrainian cuisine. They feature a wide selection of dishes, all made from scratch and prepared according to the traditional recipes of their heritage.

We stopped in just to check out their happy hour, but ended up staying for dinner as well. The Happy Hour is fantastic. Nicely priced apps, specialty drinks, and house wine pours along with domestic and Ukrainian beers. Whether sitting at the bar or in the dining area, you can enjoy the view of multiple fireplaces which provide a cozy atmosphere.

To start, we enjoyed the happy hour red wine pour (very nice) and he had the Chicken Shish Kabob Skewer appetizer, served with house-made sauce, couscous and salad. The portion could have been a light dinner entree, and is actually offered in larger portion on the dinner menu. The chicken was grilled, well seasoned and very good. But the stand out was the amazing couscous. Simple, flavorful, light and fluffy.

For dinner, we started with something we had never tasted before, Borscht. A traditional Ukrainian soup made with beets, root vegetables and finished with sour cream. Not a fan of beets at all, it was a real surprise for me. It was so savory, robust, and complex that we are still talking about it. We definitely will order a full bowl next visit, having just ordered a cup this time. Next up, Mushroom Pierogies, filled with mushrooms, cheese, spices and served with onions and sour cream. Homemade and just delicious. He had the Pan Seared Salmon with sautéed spinach, seasonal vegetable, apricot glaze with an added side that just had to be tasted – Stuffed Cabbage. It came stuffed with beef, rice, onions, spices, and served with tomato or mushroom sauce. He opted for the mushroom sauce, which was an excellent choice.

All in all, Olesia’s Place provides a beautiful, warm, welcoming interior perfect for a cold evening. They have a great happy hour, and a dining menu that deserves full exploration. It also seems to have a nice patio for when the weather gets nice. Enjoy. And check out their website too. Nicely done and shows you just what to expect.

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