May 19, 2024
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Dining Predictions: Target 2018
Chris Sherman | 9/1/2008
Whatever the fashion in food, I see broader changes that will be on the menu longer:
› All-day dining: Graying customers, 24/7 lives, small-plate knoshing, smoothies, martinis and espresso all tear down mealtime borders. Look for restaurants open all day, breakfast for dinner, earlier suppers (and later), brunches beyond Sunday.
› On the go: Quickie meals emerge from coffee bars and convenience stores in push carts, lunch wagons and stand-up counters.
› Drinking up (and different): Beverage lists lengthen with fresh juices, myriad teas, a new world of wines and liquors as diverse as micro brews and imports. > Lower prices: The growing culinary talent pool is larger than the market for top-dollar dining; a plethora of chefs will instead make midprice places better.
› Faux-hosting: Restaurants add larger booths and tables and more private rooms to hold family holiday meals and celebrations out of the house to let someone else do the cooking - and the cleaning. › Take-out and delivery. More Americans will cook again, but ready-to-eat (or reheat) meals for the too-busy will expand from the make-and-take shops to all establishments, from supermarkets to sit-down restos. > Bragging rights: Smart restaurants seek out new sources and reveal their makers, from celebrity brands to artisan farmers.› Chain sparkle: Operators exploit corporate skills to move up in quality and price point and create diverse brands plus small chainlets and one-off concepts. Mom and Pop, beware.
› Global tastes: Immigrant energy and world-traveler tastes will make the smorgasbord groan. Look for regionally distinct versions of Italian, Mexican and Chinese and newer imports from Brazil to Cambodia. New big gainers will be Greek and Arab and a surprise boom in South Asian curries and Bollywood snacks, a fave with Gens XYZ as well as stylistas with genuine Indo-Paki roots.
