Specialty meats
Chefs are reimagining menu staples with lamb, wild boar and more.
“More and more there is a whole gamut of proteins for patrons to choose from,” Kruse said. “Part of the driving force behind that is… protein has been trending for the last five years… but operators know very well that we’ve had disruption in our supply chain. Beef was in trouble a couple years ago. Poultry markets have been challenged. That has opened the door for some of you to go way beyond.”
Arby’s recently debuted two unexpected sandwiches, one featuring smokehouse pork belly cooked sous vide, and one with free-range, grass-fed venison topped with cabernet-juniper berry sauce.
Poke, the Hawaiian fish dish, is “hotter than a pistol,” Kruse said, adding, “my suspicion in terms of customer interest is it really will be relegated to sushi lovers or ceviche lovers.”
The next hot protein may be duck, she said, suggesting applications such as sausage, burgers, flatbreads, tacos and hot wings.
Sophisticated sides
Sides are no longer sidelined, Kruse said. A category long lacking innovation, accompaniments are getting more culinary attention.
“The plant-forward interest has brought the side dish category along with it,” Kruse said.
At Houlihan’s, french-fried asparagus is dusted with parmesan and fresh parsley and served with a lemon-horseradish dipping sauce. Options at Smashburger include flash-fried green beans and carrot strips. Mimi’s Café offers “best-in-class” side dishes, Kruse said, including French lentils, roasted ratatouille and steak frites. The latter is described as “hand-cut, scratch-made, double-fried Russets” with sea salt and herbs.
“Talk about smart menu merchandising,” Kruse said. “That’s a winner.”
Future innovation in the side dish category will feature creative twists on fries, she said. SlapFish, a seafood chain on the East coast, for example features Chowder Fries, smothered in creamy clam chowder and bacon.
“It’s what you know, your customers love it, and there’s so much room to play there.”
