David LeFevre | Photo by Joshua Lurie
for dineLA.com
“Look into your crystal ball.”
That’s what we asked ten of our favorite chefs, restaurateurs and bartenders to do. Here are their predictions for what to expect in 2012 on our plates, in our glasses and the dining scene in general.
The biggest trend for 2012 will be a push towards healthier dining focused around special diets. More and more people seem to either have allergies to, or just would rather not eat, certain things such as wheat, gluten, processed sugars, etc. Of course, you also have a growing number of vegans and vegetarians. I feel it’s important in the restaurant world to accommodate these diners as I’m sure many other restaurateurs will agree.
~ Andrew Kirschner - Chef-Owner, Tar & Roses
The big trend for desserts in 2012 is going to be wild and garden ingredients. All types of chefs, from fancy to rustic, will be trying to incorporate different, less used herbs, fruits and vegetables into their dishes to keep things fresh and innovative. Some examples: Rau Ram (a.k.a. Vietnamese Cilantro), Alpine strawberries, Curry leaves, Purple Shiso, Borage, Lemon Verbena and Lovage. Los Angeles diners are getting a little more adventurous.
~ Joshua Graves - Pastry Chef, Ray’s & Stark Bar
Negronis (gin, sweet vermouth and Campari) are going to be popular. You have the balance of bitters with the sweet and the acid from the lemon peel. You get into complex flavors. Americanos are an earlier version made with soda, sweet vermouth and Campari. For a Sbagliato you add sparkling wine instead of gin and soda. It’s got a little more zip to it. Another thing to keep an eye out for: Aperol, a lighter version of Campari which has a rhubarb tartness to it. The thing about Campari and Aperol is they can be for the meal or after the meal. Typically the ones with bubbles in them are particularly good aperitivos. What you’d have in Italy is a Campari or Aperol spritzer with an orange twist. The Negroni, because it’s stronger, is the perfect end for a meal.
~ Justin Pike - Bartender, The Tasting Kitchen
Traditional cuisines reinterpreted by cutting edge chefs. When chefs reach the limits of new ideas and creativity (see modernist chefs), they realize they can breathe new life into classic dishes, which were cutting edge once and ripe for trying again. Look how Grant Achatz went from modern to classic with Next. These old cuisines are like frescoes that need cleaning to become in focus again. I think there is a lot to be said for not having to reinvent the wheel as a chef by doing totally new cuisine, but by improving something that exists, a more modest and often satisfying goal. I wouldn't be surprised to see artisanal stabs at lesser known cuisines like Austrian and German, English, Indian or U.S. Southern come along.
~ Adam Fleishman - Owner, Umami Burger
The casual space is already exploding on the scene in LA, if not America. Not just because it's casual, convenient or inexpensive, but more eaters are moving away from mediocrity because the pure accessibility of better and unique experiences without having to break the bank.
Great casual concepts that are popping or growing all around LA: Mo-Chica, Fuku Burger, Umami Burger, Mendocino Farms, Ocho Mexican Grill, Chego and one of the most recently opened and excellent example of this movement, Fundamental LA. Two of the partners used to work at Michelin-rated Melisse and now they're making bomb a-- sammies! We've also met and befriended quite a few chefs...and more than a handful are considering more casual concepts too. There are already examples today like Josef Centeno's Baco Mercat, Michael Voltaggio's ink.sack, Ludo Lefebvre's Ludo Truck and now Joseph Mahon's formerly pop-up concept and [upcoming] brick-and-mortar Burger Parlor.
The last and possibly tastiest example is the most popular Japanese comfort food obsession to date, ramen, and its explosion in L.A.: Shin-Sen-Gumi, Ramen Yamadaya, Ramen Jinya and Tsujita LA.
Casual comfort food domination is all around us and even if we’re talking about and admiring fine dining, Michelin stars and celebrity chefs, we're mostly doing it at these places because we like them too and want more!
~ Nguyen Tran - Owner, Starry Kitchen
When it comes to trends around the country, New York City will continue to have Paris envy, San Francisco will continue to be obsessed with the newest carrot from a backyard farm and the ever-moving target which is the Los Angeles food scene will somehow produce a new trend that will fascinate the food centric public for a blink of an eye.
People are finally figuring out that waiting in long lines for glorified food trucks has become passé, pop-up restaurants are no longer thrilling, mainly because much like the delusion of Merlot, everyone is doing a mediocre one. And one last gripe, I hope that a trend for 2012 is tattoo removal. I mean really, cooks are not rock stars and I find it amusing that people have to express themselves with flames and food stuffs tattooed on their arms in an attempt to prove that they are worthy culinarians. Just cook great food consistently, please.
I am also excited about how the culinary world is embracing food and nutrition education for children.
~ Warren Schwartz - Chef Owner, Westside Tavern
People are slowly reverting back to the days of going to "Sam the Butcher” or getting fresh milk from “Dave the Milkman,” and going to a Farmers Market to get their fresh produce for their family from “Tommy the farmer." The direction that people are going in is one where people can go to the local butcher and not be afraid of incorporating a healthy grass fed meat sourced from a legit butcher that endorses and puts his hands directly on the product. People want more familiarity with their product and want to know where they are getting their product from. What happened to the days of milk delivery? It was fresh milk from the local dairy farm and alongside the milk lay a basket of fresh eggs. I believe this is becoming more popular and we will see much more of this in 2012.
~ Paul Shoemaker - Chef-Owner, Savory
The trend I see, or at least hope for, in 2012, is restaurants that are open all day long or at least between lunch and dinner. Having a one year old, the 4 p.m. meal is a sweet spot for us, and it's great to be in a restaurant and be able to eat great food with your son, and not be in the way of a busy service. Even without child, I think the afternoon meal with wine is a very romantic and special treat.
The comeback of the neighborhood restaurant is going to continue to build. You have a need for more talented chefs in smaller communities because the guests are demanding it and recognizing the value of it. With the rise of the Food Network and other programming, our guests are much more educated on current food trends and technique, and also more discerning. Guests who may not have been previously as excited to try more creative or adventurous food have had a buffer through television and the internet and are willing to try more cosmopolitan food.
And from the chef side, sharing information is much easier, therefore technique is becoming less difficult to learn. You are not having to go to huge metropolitan cities or overseas to learn like we used to. Combining those two sides, we are finding quality chefs willing to open neighborhood restaurants where they can be creative with their food and have guests that support them. Publications, websites, and awards much more interested in smaller, community establishments.
~ David LeFevre - Chef-Owner, M.B. Post
People want to taste where their money is going. Guests will look for honesty in the glass. It is not about specific cocktails, but the expansion of the market-fresh, sustainable philosophy that has always been a hallmark of California kitchens. More than any certain spirit or cocktail, promoting the genuine essence of flavor and respecting the integrity of product is what the bar is evolving towards over the next twelve months to five years. Flavors are going to come from fruits and spirits rather than sugar and pre-bottled mixes. Diners will want to taste the spirits they're paying for in all their pure, bittersweet, burning glory.
Bitter flavors will be big. Think Fernet-Branca, Aperol, Campari, smoky mezcals with a Sangrita sidecar, or straight sipping a snifter of Añejo Tequila. Pisco Sours will be big as well. Pisco has become a more recognizable flavor to American drinkers. It’s not so obscure that it’s pretentious, and while it’s still sweet and tart, it’s not an embarrassing drink to order when you’re out with friends. Pisco has a long history in California. It was in vogue with miners during the Gold Rush. Which is a little poetic considered against the backdrop of the current economic climate. You could say the Pisco Sour is the drink of a people hoping their luck will change.
~ Mary King - Bar Manager, Alexander Fazio - Mixologist, Border Grill Downtown LA
