Culinary Trends 2006

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By Antoinette Bruno and Heather Sperling


From our culinary trends survey of 2005, StarChefs predicted that 2006 would bring a shift in chefs’ approach to their cooking. As the novelty of foams and cryovacs wore off, we anticipated that the use of innovative techniques would become a means to an end rather than an end in themselves. We hoped to find an increase in the use of local organic produce, and sustainable meats and seafood. And we were curious to see if something new had eclipsed the tapas and small plates trend.

Through the survey and the hundreds of interviews conducted by our editorial department for our upcoming Chefs to Know book, we found that flavor is undoubtedly the centerpiece of most chefs’ philosophies. This holds true even in the experimental camp, where hydrocolloids and gums are the current tools of choice; they require little to no complicated equipment and can radically alter texture while leaving taste intact.

Sustainability is a hot topic in the chef world. Since 2005 we witnessed a 15% growth in the number of chefs who focus on locally grown, seasonal ingredients. While this focus on integrity of ingredients and the culinary community may be intuitive to a high-level chef, it is not necessarily so with diners. It’s safe to say that “local” and “sustainable” have not garnered the attention or popularity that “organic” has in the past year. Restaurants are an extremely influential source of consumer trends and information, and we can only hope that the chef community continues to do its part to educate diners on the importance of local, sustainable food.

Hopes and expectations aside, the real purpose of the Culinary Trends Survey is to learn about our readership and help them stay on top of current developments in the restaurant world; in a field as competitive, current, and fickle as the nation’s restaurant industry, staying current can make or break a restaurant’s success.

Chefs and Diners: Who They Are
50% of our respondents come from fine dining or upscale casual restaurants and 31% are Executive Chefs. 33% said their diners are sophisticated, i.e. aware of seasonal ingredients and artisan producers, and 20% speak of their diners as culinary adventurers who come to their restaurant in search of unusual food and notable preparations. In a notable drop from 2005, only 13% said their diners are “classic,” meaning their expectations and habits have not changed in the last 5-10 years.

Local and Seasonal
65% of chefs surveyed told us they focus on locally grown, seasonal ingredients, but only 10% come from restaurants where at least ¾ of the produce is locally grown. On the menu, 39% cite farm or producer names, and 19% include glossaries to further educate their diners on the food on their plate. Chefs Collaborative and similar such organizations undoubtedly help in promoting this trend, which sees media coverage on an almost daily basis. Members of Chefs Collaborative spoke to this at the International Chefs Congress, and to the ways in which chefs can integrate sustainable products into their restaurants.

Holidays
For the most part, chefs dread holidays, and for good reason. They tend to fall into two camps: the über-traditional and constraining that require themed set menus and limit creativity, or the family-oriented, where nary a diner leaves the confines of their festive home or backyard barbecue. The Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day were voted as the worst holidays for generating restaurant revenue, with the Super Bowl following closely behind. That said, Mothers Day, New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day are three of the industry’s most lucrative days. On any holiday, catering and to-go baskets can generate excitement and revenue much as celebratory prix-fix menus with wine pairings can.

Revenue as the Bottom Line
The government is the only business that manages to stay afloat without a profit…At the end of the day, ethics, trends and ideals aside, in the restaurant industry it’s revenue that is essential. Chefs struggle to create a balance between creativity and the reality of satisfying customers while keeping overhead and food cost in control. We asked our chefs to identify various actions they were taking to increase their check average. The three most common replies were: 1) adding small plates and lower-cost appetizer options to the menu, 2) taking the time to thoroughly educate staff on dishes, ingredients and wine pairings, and 3) offering a prix fixe tasting menu. Of those who offer tasting menus, 22% charge $31-$60, while 20% charge between $61-$90. A la carte, 35% of the chefs said they charge between $16-$24 per entrees, while the second largest group (30%) charge between $25-$33.

In the Kitchen and On the Plate
Over one quarter of our chefs report that they have an increased interest in science and chemistry, and use this knowledge in the kitchen with the use of gums, homogenizers, hydrocolloids or liquid nitrogen. One out of every five has experimented with complicated techniques that use innovative equipment: 31% use low temperature cooking, 19% experiment with Sous Vide, and 19% with foams. A full quarter approach food as science, while 52% approach food as art. 38% of chefs use custom plateware to present these creations.

Flavor as the Bottom Line
Much like revenue is the bottom line in a restaurant, flavor is the bottom line on a plate. StarChefs.com features many experimental and innovative chefs, and each stress the utmost importance of flavor as the key element in their culinary philosophy. 65% of chefs surveyed report a significant integration of sweet and savory in their dishes. Over half said they are experimenting with less familiar ingredients and exotic flavors. 18% experiment with what we call “sensory deception,” an interactive, playful approach to presentation where what you see is not what you taste.

What’s Next?
Looking toward the future, chefs anticipate that the flavors and ingredients of Latin and Central America will have the greatest influence on the culinary arts in the upcoming year. On a recent editorial trip to Mexico City and the Mayan Riviera, we sampled a phenomenal array of the spices, dishes and produce indicative of this ancient cuisine. We can testify firsthand to the stunning diversity of flavor in the southwestern hemisphere, and look forward to seeing it integrated into contemporary American culinary arts.

Country to Have the Greatest Influence on Culinary Arts in 2007


As for the primacy of Latin influence, Marcus Sammuelson of Aquavit and Riingo would beg to differ; at the recent International Chefs Congress he declared that African food would be the “next big thing” to spread to the European and American continents. Josh Dechellis has a different idea at Sumile, where he works to bring classic Japanese ingredients, flavors and philosophy into the American dining experience. These flavors from around the world will undoubtedly be making appearances in one of the most exciting trends of 2006-2007: the emergence of the dessert-driven restaurant. In NYC alone, four pastry chefs are forging into savory territory with clever, genre-bending restaurants. Will Goldfarb and Chickalicious have already done it, and Sam Mason and Pichet Ong have tantalized us with promises of what’s to come. Here’s to another year of ground-breaking developments in the world of culinary arts!