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Cream Cheese-Centric Becky’s Bites is NY’s Newest Novelty

Becky's Bites

Posted on Mar 12, 2015 in Trendwatch

Toast seems an unlikely object of culinary obsession, to say the least. But it’s been trending hard in New York for over a year now and we’re not talking about the simple buttered squares served with eggs in the morning, either. From Toby’s Estate to John Dory, Blue Ribbon Bakery & more…

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Trend Spotting: Soft Serve

Posted on Aug 17, 2017 in Trendwatch

Considering its inherent associations with smoke-belching Mr. Softee trucks, and corporate franchises such as Carvel and Dairy Queen (not to mention that it’s typically a pre-mixed, highly-processed, low quality product, composed of up to 60% air), soft serve has long been low on the totem pole on the ice cream world — it’s somewhat nostalgic and satisfies a sugar craving, but generally nothing to get roused about…

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It’s All About the Lettuce at Local Leaf

Local Leaf

Posted on Mar 12, 2015 in Trendwatch

Toast seems an unlikely object of culinary obsession, to say the least. But it’s been trending hard in New York for over a year now and we’re not talking about the simple buttered squares served with eggs in the morning, either. From Toby’s Estate to John Dory, Blue Ribbon Bakery & more…

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Oceana Opens a Poke Outpost

Posted on May 31, 2017 in Restaurant Spotting, Trendwatch

Assumed the poke craze was finally slowing down? Think again — if anything, it’s just attracting higher-end proponents. Witness the Livanos hospitality group, behind the Bill Telepan-helmed Oceana, which is sticking with its fresh fish theme at Oceana Poke…

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Trend Spotting: Gruel is Cool

Posted on Mar 15, 2017 in Food Spotting, Trendwatch

Until very recently, porridge has conjured up exclusively dreary, Oliver Twist images. Yet seemingly suddenly, gruel is the epitome of cool everywhere from ABCv to Chinese Tuxedo, Claus Meyer and more…

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“Single Concept” Trends Again with Cookie Dough and Congee

Posted on Mar 12, 2015 in Trendwatch

Toast seems an unlikely object of culinary obsession, to say the least. But it’s been trending hard in New York for over a year now and we’re not talking about the simple buttered squares served with eggs in the morning, either. From Toby’s Estate to John Dory, Blue Ribbon Bakery & more…

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Food Trends to Look Out For in 2017

Posted on Dec 29, 2016 in Trendwatch

Trends on the rise generally experience a slow burn — what may seem like mere coincidence one day (a handful of restaurants serving fried chicken sandwiches, for instance), may become an omnipresent, city-wide craze the next. So based on a few early adopters, these are the subtly flickering food movements we expect to catch fire in 2017, to a macabre obsession with charcoal, to a wave of meatless meat products.

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Trend Spotting: Nashville Takes NYC

Posted on Oct 13, 2016 in Trendwatch

NYC had a Southern-fried revolution years ago — and now eateries serving green tomatoes and biscuit and gravy are as commonplace as pizza parlors and Chinese takeout spots. But things have taken a hyper-regional turn with the rise of Nashville cuisine; starting with a major, local obsession with hot chicken, and expanding precipitously from there.

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Trend Spotting: Israeli Food is All the Rage

Posted on Aug 17, 2016 in Ethnic Eats, Trendwatch

Asian cuisines of all sorts have taken turns in the spotlight for going on a decade, from Thai, Korean and Filipino, to haute Chinese and most recently, Indian. But now, the Middle East is finally getting some love with the ascendance of Israeli food, celebrated at a diverse swath of eateries from casual lunch counters to tony hotel restaurants.

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Trend Spotting: High-End Indian On The Rise

Posted on Jul 28, 2016 in Trendwatch

The past year has already been a banner one for quality Indian fare in NYC, with an import of New Delhi’s lavish, world-renowned Indian Accent, preceded by a duo of sleek fast-casual health chains, along with the modern, critically-adored Babu Ji. But in the last couple of months, the status of the perennially overlooked cuisine has catapulted into the stratosphere, owing to the debut…

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Step Right Up: Seasonal To-Go Windows Are NYC’s Hottest New Food Trend

Posted on Jun 21, 2016 in Al Fresco Dining, Summer Eats, Trendwatch

Eating food on the go is a way of life in New York, but it takes on a completely different tenor come spring or summer. That’s because the weather is so agreeably lovely, it seems a shame to waste a second of it cooped up indoors. That’s why the following establishments have opened up seasonal, fast-casual windows; an ideal way to enjoy their excellent fare, without committing to a formal, sit-down meal!

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Trend Spotting: What’s With All the Bagna Cauda?

Posted on Apr 6, 2016 in Trendwatch

It seems an odd sort of thing to be trending, but boy have we been spotting Bagna Cauda all over the place lately! A Piedmontese dip, made with garlic, anchovy, olive oil and butter and served warm with an assortment of vegetables — like an Italian crudite — is popping up everywhere from Lilia to Lowlife…

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Down Home Comes to NYC

Posted on Mar 28, 2016 in Gourmet Gossip, Restaurant Spotting, Trendwatch

Ever heard of a meat-and-three? It’s a down-home restaurant style that’s considerably more popular in the South than it is in NYC — allowing customers to choose their protein (such as meatloaf or chicken-fried steak), along with a trio of soulful sides, such as creamed corn or mac & cheese. But as swiftly as New York has appropriated Nashville hot chicken, we’ve poached their beloved, countrified concept as well, with not just one, but two new debuts…

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Wisefish Proves that Poke’s Totally on Trend in 2016

Posted on Feb 9, 2016 in Ethnic Eats, Restaurant Spotting, Trendwatch

What’s that we said about poke pushing out ceviche as 2016’s raw(ish) fish du jour? The just-opened Wisefish has all but made our case about the on-trend Hawaiian dish, serving made-to-order bowls from a blue-tiled space in Chelsea. Right this way…

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Food Trends to Watch For in 2016

Posted on Jan 4, 2016 in Gourmet Gossip, Trendwatch

From a tasty wave of Hawaiian Poke to a tech-driven delivery takeover and African spices cropping up around the country, here’s the hottest food trends for 2016…

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Trend Spotting: Seaweed (Dare We Call it the New Kale?)

Posted on Nov 5, 2015 in Trendwatch

Every so often, an unsuspecting veggie gets inevitably thrust forward as the second coming of kale. Brussels sprouts. Kale sprouts. Cauliflower. And while each has had a good long run as the du jour brassica at health food stores and on restaurant menus, another form of non-cruciferous greenery seems poised to overtake them all. That superfood is Seaweed….

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Fall Trends: Tiki Drinks Are All The Rage

Posted on Sep 10, 2015 in Drink Spotting, Trendwatch

While drinking fruity, rum-based beverages only seems natural during the summer, in New York, it can hardly be considered a seasonal thing. Because, despite a bit of ebbing and flowing over the last couple years, an unabashed affection for tiki has remained a reliable constant in the bar world…

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Trend Spotting: The French Food Revival

Posted on Jul 15, 2015 in Gourmet Gossip, Trendwatch

It seems odd to speak of French food as a trend, considering that its associated techniques, ingredients, flavor profiles and dishes form the backbone of a seemingly endless, totally disparate range of cuisines, from Japanese to Haitian to farm-to-table American. And yet, in the last couple of years, the French influence in New York has been far more evident than the occasional cassoulet, a swipe of béchamel sauce, a quenelle of sorbet, or vegetables cut into a perfect julienne or brunoise.

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Trend Spotting: New York’s Tex-Mex Obsession

Posted on Apr 13, 2015 in Trendwatch

Two years ago, we reflected on the Mexican food renaissance in New York; a push towards refined, regional cuisine at places like Empellon Cocina, Gran Electrica and Salvation Taco, that stood in stark relief to the city’s stable of cheesy, Tex-Mex chains. Ha! So who would have thought that, barely two years later, the tide would swing directly in favor of those aforementioned Mexicali places, constituting a trend…

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Tracking New York’s Toast Trend

Posted on Mar 12, 2015 in Trendwatch

Toast seems an unlikely object of culinary obsession, to say the least. But it’s been trending hard in New York for over a year now and we’re not talking about the simple buttered squares served with eggs in the morning, either. From Toby’s Estate to John Dory, Blue Ribbon Bakery & more…

Read More
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