Well, hello, 2023.
The dawning of the new year is here, bringing reflection and anticipation in all aspects of life, including what we’ll eat and drink. Each year as the calendar turns, industry professionals give forthcoming trends a lot of thought, hoping to calibrate their operations with customers’ evolving preferences.
Here’s what experts near and far say we should expect on our plates, in our glasses, and on the bill in 2023.
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The year’s hot new flavors
Among the new flavors you should expect to see this year is brine, or marine-inspired flavors like those found in oysters, kelp and uni, speculates The New York Times. That’s no big stretch in south Louisiana, where a shrimp garnish on a bloody mary, or the use of seafood boil in non-seafood dishes are commonplace.
Meanwhile, The Food Network anticipates tamarind will be the ingredient of the year, a claim that squares with the expectations of culinary producer Jay Ducote. “Ingredient wise, I think we’ll see a rapid rise of some fruit ingredients like dates and tamarind,” says Ducote, who uses tamarind in his Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce. “They’ve been in our pantries for a while, but now everyone is familiar enough with them to add them to menus for interesting sweetness or bitterness.”
Snack of 2023?
Meanwhile, The New York Times purports that chicken skins will be the snack of the year, so it’s possible we’ll see more of this cousin to traditional pork cracklins on local menus. You can already buy fresh chicken cracklin at Ronnie’s Boudin & Cracklin House and Chris’s Specialty Foods, and, in the past, it’s been featured as a garnish on dishes at Overpass Merchant and other local restaurants. It could be just the right low-brow finish to higher end dishes.
The search for cheap(er) eats
Elsewhere in national roundups, we see consumers leaning towards frugality, expressed through conscious supermarket shopping as well as the search for affordable options at favorite eateries. (Read about local cheap eats in 225’s December cover story). City Group Hospitality managing partner Stephen Hightower agrees. “We’re going to see chefs looking for more cost-effective ways to make dishes shine, like highlighting one vegetable rather than using three,” he says. “We may see this in shareable plates, smaller portions and chefs getting creative with fewer ingredients.”
It’s the experience
But on the flip side, consumers will also look for dining out to provide an uplifting, experiential component. That could mean desserts prepared tableside, inspired outdoor spaces or playful features like Jubans’ photo booth and The Supper Club’s nightly DJ. “I think people are looking for ‘experiences’ to gather at restaurants, so we’re working on fun pop-up bars, themed brunches and themed dinners featuring curated wines and craft cocktails,” says Making Raving Fans Hospitality Group partner Peter Sclafani, known for popular restaurants like SoLou and the aforementioned Jubans. “People are looking for fun, over-the-top décor and interesting cocktails.”
Quick and nutritious
Fast casual dining will continue to grow, but consumers will look for healthier options in this space, speculates Galen Iverstine, who relocated and expanded his nose-to-tail butcher shop, Iverstine Farms Butcher, last year. “Consumers are looking for quality proteins,” Iverstine says. “Our beef jerky and beef snack sticks are growing in popularity. Individuals have more access to information on nutritional values of foods and are starting to eat according to their personal nutritional needs.” On the other end of the spectrum, Overpass Merchant operator Nick Hufft sees vegetables taking a more prominent role. “Veggies will continue coming to center stage,” he says. “I think eating healthier is not just for the new year anymore.”
Yay to NA
The sober curious movement is driving the growth of high-end mocktails like those on Cocha’s zero-proof menu, and in spots like Bistro Byronz. “A couple of my managers worked on some of these at the end of last year, so we will probably formalize those menus,” says Byronz Restaurant Family CEO Emelie Alton. “I think it goes along with just a general continued growth in healthier living.” Red Stick Spice Company owner Anne Milneck, who added a tea bar to her shop in 2022, says she’s getting lots of requests about using brews in non-alcoholic beverages. “I’ve been asked multiple times to teach a mocktail class using our teas,” she says. And at Mid City Beer Garden, partner Kelli Paxton says customer demand has resulted in an increase in creative mocktail options, as well as a line of new CBD/THC seltzers. “More folks are asking for mocktails, so we’ve started making various shrubs and herb-infused syrups to accommodate the non-drinkers,” Paxton says.
Global—a normal part of culinary landscape—is growing
International cuisines will continue to grow in Baton Rouge, both in new concepts and on existing menus, speculates Mestizo owner Jim Urdiales. “Concepts like Tap 65 (Indian pub grub), the increase in taco trucks and the popularity of international supermarkets all show how global is just a regular part of the dining landscape,” Urdiales says. Additionally, Milneck says she’s seeing an uptick in interest in Japanese cuisine at Red Stick Spice Company, where you can now take cooking classes in Japanese home cooking and sushi making.
Server compensation changes?
Could it be that we’ll begin to see the server compensation framework begin to shift in south Louisiana? Heretofore, servers have been compensated almost exclusively through optional tips, except for larger tables where gratuity is included. However, the recently opened Barracuda Taco Stand builds in a 15% tip on all online orders, while Le Chat Noir, a highly rated restaurant that opened in New Orleans last year, adds 4% to every guest check for its Employee Care Fund.
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