High-concept cocktails that take 10 minutes to make took a backseat to simpler cocktails made well this year. Small flourishes helped attract customers, such as the mole bitters that the Omni Hotels & Resorts added to its Old Fashioned cocktails in Texas or the black walnut bitters they added to […]
Read moreIndependent restaurants across the country upgraded their coffee offerings this year as customers became more accustomed to the higher-end brews of specialists such as Portland, Ore.-base Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Oakland, Calif.-based Blue Bottle Coffee. Exhibitors at Coffee Fest in New York City in March reported a marked increase in […]
Read moreLocal craft beer is a well-established trend now, but local distilled spirits have been coming on strong in the past couple of years. The Atlantic magazine reports that the number of small distilleries has jumped from 70 in 2003 to more than 600 today, and the American Craft Spirits Association […]
Read moreRestaurant chains have been experimenting with “hand-crafted” sodas that often have more sophisticated flavors and are slightly less sweet than traditional soft drinks. Starbucks this summer debuted a line of Fizzio sodas carbonated to order, available in three flavors: Spiced Root Beer, Golden Ginger Ale and Lemon Ale. Sonic Drive-In […]
Read morePerhaps bolstered by the popularity of the protein-rich Paleo diet, consumers this year clamored for more meat. Pita Pit scored a home run with its “double meat Wednesdays” promotion. In fact, customers reportedly kept ordering double meat on hump day even after the promotion stopped. Firehouse Subs rolled out a […]
Read moreBánh mì The Vietnamese sandwich, traditionally with roast pork, pâté, marinated and fresh vegetables, and herbs on a baguette crossed further over to mainstream this year as Yum Brands Inc. opened the first location of fast-casual concept Banh Shop, specializing in the sandwich (pictured), in Dallas this fall. Which Wich […]
Read moreMany restaurants found great success this year with mash-ups, taking two crowd-pleasers and merging them into one menu item. Last year’s croissant-doughnut hybrid, the Cronut, at Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City, was imitated this year by the Croisbun at Au Bon Pain, the Croissant Donut first at Jack […]
Read moreSpicy hamburgers It was a year of chiles in general, but especially on hamburgers, for which Sriracha, poblano and habanero were among the fastest growing menu descriptors, according to menu research firm Datassential. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers topped its Big Sky Burger with Sriracha sauce, The Tilted Kilt used grilled […]
Read moreChocoChicken Umami Burger founder Adam Fleischman, whose Los Angeles-based AdVantage Restaurant Partners is developing a number of new concepts, opened ChocoChicken in downtown Los Angeles in June, featuring chocolate-infused fried chicken. The casual-dining restaurant was developed with movie producer Sean Robins and chef Keith Previte, who form ChocoChicken Group along […]
Read moreThank you Bruce at Patrice & Associates! Dominique Roberts
Bruce was a great help in assisting me through the process! I haven’t been through the interview process in 23 years, and Bruce made me feel comfortable and assisted me through every step of the process!
