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REMEMBER WHEN ingredients alone had the ability to elevate a dish? No longer. These days, customers demand more sizzle on their plates. And that means an exciting cooking technique. As [...]

CUSTOMERS MAY BE INCREASINGLY savvy, demanding, and fickle--but they've got reason to be jaded. Many have already sipped neon-blue sodas, ordered lobster burritos and calamari tacos, and experienced peanut butter-and-jelly [...]

DEFINING COMFORT FOOD CAN BE A TRICKY AFFAIR. After all, one person's pot roast is another's steaming bowl of pho. But despite the nuances, there are certain dishes, and cooking [...]

Talk about using your noodle. Across the country, operators and upscale chefs are revisiting pasta to create fresh new side dishes that boost the appeal and value perception of entrees. [...]

IT'S ALL ABOUT PIZZA. Famous chefs are slinging their signature pies in airports and flatbread concepts (such as New York City-based Cosi/Xando) have morphed their thin, chewy sandwich bread into [...]

SIGNATURE BREADS have evolved into much more than upgraded bread baskets. These days, those same loaves are the focus of signature sandwich lines--or they're transformed to create entirely new dishes. [...]

ON A SPRING AFTERNOON, English maneuvers his Range Rover through downtown Boston. He's en route to two spaces that might suit a Latin-inspired steakhouse he wants to open. But at [...]

Given the current competitive pressure to create new foods and flavors, there's no doubt Mexican cuisine is in for an upgrade. The standards as we know them--tacos, burritos, fajitas--are all [...]

Indian cuisine has become popular in the US in large pasrt because of the many spices that are used in its preparation. The annual consumption of hot and other spices increased 10% in 1997 over 1996 according to the American Spice Trade Assn. Mogul Express in Edison, NJ, Mondo Burrito and Wild Ginger of Seattle, WA, Zealous of Elmhurst, IL, and The Garrick of New York, NY, are some restaurants offering Indian cuisine on their menus., As boundaries between traditional cuisines continue to blur, a new breed of Indian cuisine becomes the hottest player on the fusion front. I INDIAN-SPICED SALMON TARTARE. Coriander-crusted tuna. Burritos stuffed [...]

Restaurants are innovating the preparation process of sauces by using a wide variety of flavored condiments to build signature dishes. Marinades, drizzle, relish, vinaigrette, glazes and ragout are some of the most popular sauces that give a dish a special touch. The preparation process of more sophisticated sauces for various gourmet specialties at some restaurants is discussed., From dramatic drizzles to spirited condiments, a new world of sauces is stealing the show. There's a virus on the loose. Found in white tablecloth restaurants, quickservice eateries, and everything [...]

Restaurant chefs are revamping brunch items to add signature flairs to dishes and achieve higher price points. Entrees such as stuffed french toast, white chocolate raspberry truffle pancakes and eggs benedict made with crab cakes range between $8.95 and $9.95 and offer distinctive dining. Gauging covers helps reduce operations costs for the upscale meals., From breakfast burritos to new-fangled Benedicts, operators are serving up wake up calls by spiffing up morning classics. EVERY TOWN SEEMS TO HAVE ONE: A brunch spot that customers clamor [...]

Dishes based on Asian noodles are appearing on restaurant menus throughout the US. Such dishes have a near-universal appeal, and operators appreciate their profitability. Noodles are typically paired with small portions of seafood or meat and lots of vegetables, and the result is low food costs. One factor attracting customers to noodle dishes is their apparent healthfulness. Various restaurants' noodle dishes are discussed., The market of the future belongs to operators who know how to use their (Asian) noodles. Across the country, menus are being invaded. Customers are slurping soups, nibbling salads, and [...]

Comfort foods are diverse in the US because of the cultural diversity of the population. Many restaurants are serving comfort foods with regional or ethnic influences. These different kinds of comfort foods share large portions and good value. There are recipes for Southern-style macaroni and cheese, Alsatian choucroute and Alsatian Baeckeoffe., No longer feeding a nation reared on meat loaf alone, operators are scanning the globe to find enticing new versions of comfort foods. Not everyone's grandmother made the same sunday [...]

The restaurant industry has a number of concerns, and their effect on the industry will be mixed in 1998. Some of these worries include competition, legislation, pricing, costs that keep increasing and liability. Other concerns include labor shortages, food safety and the threat of ever increasing casinos, which siphon business away from local restaurants., Waiting for news on your biggest concerns? Read on for the good, the bad, and the ugly. According to the American Sleep Disorders Association, 60 million Americans suffer from some [...]

Brewpubs are developing new food flavors to complement their beer. Pubs such as the River West Brewery and Heathman Bakery and Pub have revamped their menus to include flavors such as fresh fish, shrimp, steak, sandwiches and dishes made with beers. Manhattan, N.Y.-based Typhoon Brewery serves Thai food and Baltimore, Md.-based Sisson serves Creole dishes., Brewpubs are earning increased respect for their hand-crafted beers--and the food they choose to complement them. Serve ice-cold suds with haute cuisine? Sling gourmet chow to hardcore chug-a-luggers? A joke, [...]

Brewpubs are expanding their menus beyond traditional pub fare. Traditional favorites such as Buffalo wings are still available, but dishes offering a wide range of flavors are being added to menus. Chef Daniel Lyon, of Chicago's River West Brewery, tries to accommodate the pub's mixed clientele. He has added innovative pizzas, fresh fish, and salads to the establishment's menu., Brewpubs are earning increased respect for their hand-crafted beers--and the food they choose to complement them. Serve ice-cold suds with haute cuisine? Sling gourmet chow to hardcore chug-a-luggers? A joke, [...]

Restaurant menu items are full of flavor in 1998. The reasons for this change are that the baby boom generation has aging palates which need greater stimulation. There are also higher immigration rates from Hispanic and Asian countries and these individuals are introducing new food preferences in the US. The lack of time for some individuals causes them to enter restaurants to experience homestyle favorites., From coast to coast, menus are satisfying palates with both excitement and comfort. LET'S FACE IT, IT'S AN EXCITING TIME to dine out. Evident in such menu items as Four-Tomato [...]

For some chains, there's nowhere to go but up. AS MORE AND MORE casual chains look to separate themselves from the ever-crowded pack, one trend is emerging among several big [...]

Applebee 's menu guru strikes out on his own. FRESH FROM implementing a brand new menu for Applebee's 1,300 units, John Koch, the chain's head of menu development, is departing [...]

Aiming to upgrade house salads, operators steal inspiration (and ingredients) from the rest of the kitchen. REMEMBER WHEN a pile of iceberg and a tomato wedge would suffice? No more. [...]

HEALTHY, VEGETABLE-BASED items drive the menu at Kaya, a new quickservice health-food option that gives meaning to the old real-estate maxim-it's actually a moveable cart that travels from floor-to-floor in [...]

Trend meets tradition when classic sandwiches get a creative new spin. IT'S DIFFICULT TO navigate a menu these days without bumping into somebody's version of macaroni and cheese, roast chicken [...]

Need a pastry chef? Take a number. And get ready to pay. BRUCE SHERMAN had finally found a pastry chef. Or so he thought. As executive chef of North Pond [...]

When it comes to vegetarian options, creative operators have discovered the benefits of faking it. THE INDUSTRY HAS COME a long way from the days when 'vegetarian option' meant a [...]

Shaken in woks, simmered in broth, or curled around chopsticks, Asian-inspired noodles have just begun to show their stuff. IT'S DIFFICULT to imagine a food that evokes more good feelings [...]

When it comes to an avalanche of rich sauces, ice cream, and frivolous toppings, customers want to clean up your mess. ICE CREAM SUNDAES ARE not just for kids anymore. [...]

Upscale Dining A RECENT WINTER afternoon finds Bob Okura, VP of culinary development and corporate chef for the Cheesecake Factory, helping implement a new menu at the company's Skokie, IL, [...]

Packaged deals are flying home as casual operators and fine-dining chefs learn the art of take-home restaurant fare. DESPITE THE ONGOING discussion about what it should be called (home-meal replacement, [...]

When a standard starch seems too heavy, borrow an idea from the dessert menu-flan WE'VE SEEN potatoes every which way, creamy mounds of polenta, and pilafs galore. What's new and [...]

Increasingly creative soups simmer in every segment. Here's how to make customers crave yours. CHICKEN SOUP MAY BE GOOD for your soul, but don't count on it working any miracles [...]

Move over panna cotta--chefs are getting sweet on desserts made from polenta. PREPARING POLENTA notoriously requires constant attention and a lot of patience. But stirring up interest in the dish [...]

Sink your claws into one of the most luxurious and appealing ingredients around. PROVIDING SUCH FIRM, sweet meat, it's no wonder crabs are the second most popular shellfish in the [...]

Score big with fondue, the retro party dish that entices customers to dip back into the sixties. FONDUE, THE molten dish of the sixties, is back and sparking a national [...]

What's down the road for tomorrow's menus? Plenty of flavor--and a few precautions. DOWN IN Birmingham, AL, customers are eating snails drenched in butter. In Manhattan's Grand Central Station, commuters [...]

Seasons Eatings! Here's what you need to know about the most celebratory ingredient around. NO INGREDIENT suggests luxury quite like caviar. Once reserved for czars and emperors, it's still an [...]

From salads to sauces to sandwiches, customers are demanding more flavor than ever. LET'S FACE IT, most chefs and operators would be hard-pressed to come up with one particular item, [...]

Warm pizzas are hot when topped with cool, crisp salads. IT'S NOT QUITE A SALAD, a pizza or a sandwich, but rather a combination of all three. A piadina, the [...]

Whether it's served raw on the half shell or creatively cooked, the infamous oyster is more seductive than ever. THE INCREASING popularity of oysters is almost as mysterious as the [...]

Upside-down cakes attract customers with down-home appeal and caramelized fruit flavors. THE NOTION of turning desserts upside down is nothing new. Take the classic French Tarte Tatin, a tart in [...]

From exotic ingredients to dramatic cooking techniques, the dishes of tomorrow will be more exciting than ever. DURING THIS TIME OF chimichurri and chipotle, tamarind glaze and adobo rub, and [...]

In cafes, wine bars and quickservice chains, flatbreads and panini are recruited as the best defense against uninspired sandwich menus. IF THERE'S A SECRET tO sating thrill-seeking customers, it's giving [...]

WHEN STAR's a 215-seat upscale American restaurant, opened in downtown Seattle's Pacific Place, an upscale shopping mall, locals were wowed by its beautiful dining room and eye-catching fare. But- the [...]

From coast to coast, menus showcase dishes of impressive complexity and pizzazz. CALL IT THE MISSION OF THE DECADE. The No. 1 characteristic fueling menus in every segment has been [...]

When it comes to creating a buzz, chefs know that few appetizers are as fun and eye-catching as crispy, savory cones. IT'S THE OLDEST TRICK in the book. Take a [...]

ALL ALONG, JEANNIE PIEROLA, chef/partner of SideBern's, an 8-month-old upscale restaurant in Tampa, had planned on featuring fusion specialties (she dubs her fare 'One World Cuisine'). Just the same, the [...]

AT CHEZ LOUIS, a new 180-seat upscale bistro in Manhattan, executive chef Matthew Tivy otters an array of French classics, including terrine of goose foie gras and hanger steak. For [...]

Simply defined, the word sustainable describes something that can last well into the future. But apply the term to something as complex as our food system, and you're likely to [...]

It's time to become fluent in the language of bistro-inspired comfort fare. LET'S FACE IT, THESE DAYS the term bistro is slapped on everything from moules etfrites to any number [...]

As down-home chefs unite to preserve their culinary roots, their influence is being felt in menus all over the country, SMOTHERED Rock Shrimp with country Ham. Cheddar-Corn Grits Cake with [...]

New french fry variations perk up side-dish menus. And you thought creativity ended with melted cheese. A PURIST MIGHT ARGUE that there is no way to improve upon a perfectly [...]