The Most Important Food Trends of 2013, from Cronut to Pork Belly
I can barley believe it, but another year in food has come and gone. No matter how hard chefs and media types try to fight it, clear trends, inexplicably (and sometimes deservedly) popular ingredients, and big news stories rise to the top and linger in our minds. So, let's take a look back at everything that was delicious, repulsive, maddening, and heart wrenching that happened in the World of Food in 2013.
Dominique Ansel Bakery1/11The Cronut
I had one brush with the cronut this year on a chilly September afternoon. The flavor: Fig and marscapone. Layers of fried dough, topped and filled with a classic flavor combination is a beautiful thing. But it's nearly impossible to ignore the hype surrounding NYC pastry chef Dominique Ansel's infamous croissant-doughnut hybrid. Introduced in May, the little baked good went on to be featured in seemingly every local, regional, and national media outlet for the rest of the year. (In late September, however, we declared it dead.) In addition to copious television appearances and Heidi Klum tweeting photos with them from her private jet, the Cronut King inked a cookbook deal.
2/11Brassicas
I haven't been able to eat at a restaurant without seeing a kale salad on the menu for the better part of two years now. But this year, fellow members of the brassica family of vegetables have slowly crept into the spotlight. Lead by the Holy Trinity of broccoli (placed atop a mussel emulsion at Aska), cauliflower (fried at Glasserie), and kohlrabi (shaved raw in a salad at Estela), these hearty vegetables could be found prepared every which way in restaurants across the country. Sure, you flirted with brassicas in 2010 when you were reintroduced to Brussels sprouts, but now you've fallen in love with the whole family.
3/11The Scandinavian Invasion
While restaurants like Acme in NYC and the Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis have been cooking modern Scandinavian food for a while, 2013 really saw the trend trickle down to influence non-Scandinavian restaurants, like Roberta's in Brooklyn where they serve a dish of scallops and sea buckthorn, and adopting the negative-space plating style pioneered at Copenhagen's Noma and Oslo's Maaemo. (Pictured: A dessert of whey and sorrel at Aska in Brooklyn, NY.)
4/11Time Magazine's "Gods of Food"
In November, Time magazine published a cover photo featuring chefs David Chang, René Redzepi, and Alex Atala and proclaimed them, along with a host of other chefs, "The Gods of Food." Not a single female chef was included on the list, sparking a national debate about the media's treatment of women in food. Then, matters only got worse when Time editor Howard Chua-Eoan gave an embarrassing interview to Eater.com, in which he said female chefs are a "relatively recent phenomenon" and "none of them [female chefs] have the recent breadth that these guys have." But at least we'll still have this awesomely adorable cover photo when all is said and done.
© Michael Graydon5/11LA's Downtown on the Upswing
After decades as a modern-day ghost town—where financial workers roamed the streets in search of chopped salads for lunch—downtown Los Angeles has become a dining destination, thanks to new restaurants like Bestia, Bar Amá, Bäco Mercat, and Alma (our pick for this year's Best New Restaurant in America). Between awesome bars like the whiskey-soaked heaven that is Seven Grand and Ari Taymor's ever-changing tasting menu, I don't feel as home anywhere else in The City of Angels more than I do when I'm in #dtla.
6/11@Tipsforjesus
In September, a do-gooder began leaving thousands of dollars in tips for servers and bartenders at restaurants around the country. The twist? Whoever was responsible for the gratuitous gratuities insisted on remaining anonymous, tracking his or her exploits via Instagram at @TipsForJesus. So far, the collective has tipped out over $80,000 and shows no signs of stopping.
7/11The Chef Cookbook Boom
This year saw the release of major cookbooks from the likes of Andy Ricker (Pok Pok), David Kinch (Manresa), Daniel Patterson (Coi), Roy Choi (Kogi Truck, A Frame), and Michael Anthony (Gramercy Tavern). Just a few years ago, cookbooks were written mostly by career cookbook writers and recipe developers, and firmly aimed at the home cook. It's not much of a secret that I don't cook at home much—stalk me on Twitter or Instagram and that will be obvious—but these books are as much about telling the stories of significant restaurants as they are signature dishes. Yes, we've now entered the Restaurant Cookbook Era, where tomes aspire to the realm of art.
8/11The Run On Brown Spirits
Whiskey and bourbon have a long tradition in the United States, but the popularity of brown booze has reached new heights in recent years. This is thanks, at least in part, to the worship of Julian Van Winkle and his Pappy Van Winkle bourbon. In October, 65 cases of the prized liquor were stolen from a warehouse in Frankfort, Kentucky. And yes, authorities have questioned my colleague Andrew Knowlton already. So, with supplies even further constrained than normal, serious drinkers covet it (and other high-end bourbons) even more.
Tom Schierlitz9/11The End of Sriracha?
Sometime last decade, Sriracha—an American-made hot sauce with origins in the Thai coastal city of Si Racha—became the condiment du jour. So you can imagine the Godzilla-level panic that ensued when a California judge ordered the Huy Fong Foods hot sauce plant—America's original Sriracha producer—to suspend operations because of the "extremely annoying, irritating, and offensive" odor it was producing. The supply for 2014 won't be affected, however, and the ruling may be challenged before 2015's inventory can take a hit. Or, you know, someone will "discover" another exotic condiment and no one will remember sriracha in two years.
10/11In Memoriam
Unfortunately, 2013 saw the passing of several of the country's most influential chefs: Judy Rodgers of Zuni Café, Charlie Trotter, and cookbook author Marcella Hazan. We lost three pioneers: I never went to Trotter's or Zuni, but I see their lasting influence every time I eat out, whether it's Trotter's trail-blazing vegetable-focused haute cooking or Rodgers' legendary perfect (and Foodist-Approved) roast chicken.
11/11RIP, Pork Belly (2004–13)
Well pork belly, you had a great run. Ever since your big break back in 2004, courtesy of Momofuku chef David Chang's pork buns, pork belly has captivated diners with its perfect balance of fat, meat, and flavor. From there, you went on to make appearances on every single restaurant menu in the country short of vegan and vegetarian spots, until, this year, chefs finally eased up. What's taken your place, pork belly? Why, your gamier cousin lamb belly, of course. Thanks for the memories.
