A food industry consulting company called Technomic came up with its top-11 food trends for 2011. The list is not really earth shattering, but it does bring up some good conversation. For example:
- More people ordering “Mad Men”-style cocktails. I haven’t noticed more orders of Gibsons (one of Roger Sterling’s favorite drinks) when I’m out, but it does seem like bourbon and scotch are trending upward. More bars in Madison seem to carry J&B than ever before (at least in my mind).
- Food trucks proliferating around the country. Madison is pretty steady in this category, but I’ve read about LA gaining tons of new vendors. Plus, Men’s Health wrote an article on this topic.
- A return to luxury dining. I was glad to read that high-end restaurants, a major victim of the bad economy, will see patrons return. Will that mean an end to all the prix-fixe menus?
- Convenience-store operators upgrading their food service. This seems to contradict the previous item, but I guess it makes sense, as more and more restaurants are appearing in gas stations. Take for example, the Athens Gyros in the Shell Gas Station in Waunakee.
While the newly remodeled space–which includes a larger bar–is impressive, the food was not. For example, the braised beef shortribs weren’t tender (they should melt in your mouth) and the accompanying gnocchi needed more of the sauce to give it some life.
