The Top 25 Restaurant Trends of 2014
From the bialy boomlet to uni overload, if it was trending in 2014, Andrew Knowlton was there to document it. What follows is a taste of everything he ate, drank, and experienced while compiling his list of America’s best new restaurants (see our 2016 list here!).
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott2/251. A Sign of the Times
Custom neon words and art are lighting up restaurants coast-to-coast, and we’re not just talking about beer logos in dive bars. SEEN AT: Rose’s Luxury, Washington, D.C.; Pinewood Social, Nashville; Monkey King Noodle Co., Dallas
3/252. Hipsters Like Ethnic Food, Too
Your Greek/Russian/Korean grandmother’s cuisine is being co-opted by a new generation. Old-world favorites served in new-school digs are turning tradition on its head. Here, a few past-present combos:
• Cholodetz (jellied beef and veal terrine) and house Negroni at Kachka, Portland, OR
• Spit-fired lamb and copper-topped communal tables at Souvla, San Francisco
• Bulgogi with jap chae and not-so-subtle stoner references at Pot, Los Angeles
• Mazemen ramen and pendant lights covered in doodles at Cheu Noodle Bar, Philadelphia
Courtesy Tom Dixon4/253. The Answer to Edison Bulb Fatigue
Inspired by the pots and vessels of India, Tom Dixon’s sculptural Beat Light Stout pendants ($1,425; lumens.com) are outshining exposed-filament bulbs in today’s best-designed restaurants. SEEN AT: Orsa & Winston, L.A.; Bouli Bar, S.F.
5/254. Keggers Come of Age
Bars have ditched ugly branded taps in favor of sleek wood and marble handles—as befits the craft beers they’re pulling. SEEN AT: Miller’s Guild, Seattle; Edmund’s Oast, Charleston, SC; Luksus, NYC
Alex Lau6/255. Freshman Class of 2014
Not every restaurant hires a fancy design firm. The chill vibe at a few of the most fun places I hung out at this year actually reminded me of my old college dorm room. Some examples:
Twinkly Christmas lights, some in fun star shapes (El Camino, Louisville, KY)
Curtains of plastic beads used as room dividers (Mission Cantina, NYC)
Movie posters or pics of swimsuit models (Night + Market Song, L.A.)
Glowing black lights and blinky neon to help set the mood (King Noodle, NYC)
Turntables spinning vinyl with bartender doubling as DJ (Expatriate, Portland, OR)
Alex Lau7/256. Raising the Bar Menu
From illustrated storybooks and reprinted record albums to zodiac charts and vintage ads, today’s most interesting bar menus are minor works of art. SEEN AT: Three Dots and a Dash, Chicago; the Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, NYC; Trick Dog, SF.
istockphoto8/257. Ship It
Who needs buildings when you have shipping containers? The corrugated steel boxes intended for freight work just fine as an outdoor bar at Parson’s Chicken & Fish in Chicago; a burnt-orange façade at the 404 in Nashville; a kitchen and bathroom at The Luxury in San Antonio; and a play area at Las Vegas’s Downtown Container Park.
Jarren Vink9/258. What Goes Around Comes Around...
Traditional rotisseries are the new must-have kitchen gizmo. The crisped-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside herb-covered bird at République in Los Angeles reminded me that a perfectly cooked chicken might just be the most comforting dish of all time. And what the rotisserie at Narcissa in NYC can do for beets, sweet potatoes, and even branzino is nothing short of revelatory.
Zach DeSart10/259. Pint-Sized Keepsakes
I’m a restaurant-swag junkie: matchbooks, business cards, menus. And now I can add branded drink coasters to that list. Death to the cocktail napkin; all hail the custom coaster! SEEN AT: Antonioni’s, NYC; Connie and Ted’s, L.A.; Percy’s and Co., Seattle; Tosca, San Francisco; The Obstinate Daughter, Charleston, SC.
Matt Gross11/2510. Dinner 2.0
My typical night at a tech-savvy restaurant goes like this:
Booking reservations
To get in, I sign up for OpenTable’s Hot Tables alerts, use an alt-res site like CityEats or SeatMe, or—gasp!—pay for a table via new apps like Table8 and Resy.Being seated
How crazy is it that hosts used to call you? Just text me when my table is ready, please.Paying the tab
Paper receipts are so ’90s. Now I sign an iPad and the bill goes straight to my inbox.
Zach DeSart12/2511. Gettin’ Eggy Wit’ It
Yup, eggs are still a thing. Here, a very recent history:
2008: Thomas Keller publishes Under Pressure; the sous-vide trend leads to a 62.5˚C egg boom.
2010: Salads, sandwiches, slabs of pork belly: Everything tastes better with a fried egg on top.
2012: BA declares Scotch eggs one of 25 things to look out for in the coming year.
2014 and beyond: Riffs on chawanmushi, a traditional Japanese steamed custard, turn up everywhere.
Zach DeSart13/2512. King of the Carbs
You can keep that doughy, jumbo cream cheese vehicle you call a bagel. I’ll take its unsung cousin, the bialy. Thankfully, you can now find them toasted and buttered far from their usual NYC habitat—at High Street on Market in Philadelphia and Alta CA in San Francisco.
Zach DeSart14/2513. Bottle Service
Empty liquor bottles are being recycled as water carafes—and judging by the “pitchers” at Kimball House in Decatur, GA, or Husk in Charleston, SC, they’re sure going through a lot of Bulleit bourbon these days.
Zach DeSart15/2514. Small Bites
A “snacks” section—or “nibbles,” “Biggie Smalls,” whatever the chef wants to call it—has become commonplace on today’s menus. This is excellent news when it means grazing on jerky with date molasses and Turkish spices at Sarma in Boston (pictured) or the James Beard onion and butter sandwiches at Expatriate in Portland, OR.
Erin Kunkel16/25The 9 Trends of Coffee Shop Design in 2014
Oversize couches and eclectic mugs are for the Central Perks of yesteryear. Today’s coffee bars are gallery-like spaces that take their vibe very seriously—making us want to spend all day there. Check out the anatomy of today's coffee bar.
Kevin Marple/courtesy CBD Provisions17/2516. Can You Handle It?
These meaty trends aren't for the timid.
Beef tendon
Common in Vietnamese pho, this tough connective tissue turns incredibly tender when braised. Fried, it puffs up into crunchy, airy “chips.” Either way, it’s offally good. Try it: beef tendon puffs at Alta CA in SF.Alternative fats
Just as it was starting to seem like potatoes couldn’t be cooked in anything but duck fat, other animals showed up to the party. Try it: chicken-fat rice at Kin Khao in SF; crab-fat wings at Hot Joy in San Antonio.Pig’s head on a plate
A slowly (and expertly) cooked hog’s head with juicy meat and crackly-crisp skin is magically delicious. Try it: with tortillas and salsa at CBD Provisions in Dallas; on a barbecue sandwich at Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland.
Eleanor Lonardo18/2517. Colorful Tile Is the New Reclaimed Wood
On floors or walls, uniquely patterned tile is a nice breather from the rustic wood panels that every restaurant seemed to be cladding itself in. SEEN AT: Tallulah's, Seattle (pictured); Fishing with Dynamite, Manhattan Beach, CA; Doi Moi, Washington, D.C.
Stuart Mullenberg19/2518. The ’70s Are Back
I’m not ashamed to admit it: This year I drank countless Harvey Wallbangers, Long Island Iced Teas, and Grasshoppers. In the right hands—Pépé Le Moko in Portland, OR, or The Square in SF—these throwback cocktails taste better than ever.
Jarren Vink20/2519. Whip It Real Good
How are restaurants improving on cultured butter, ricotta, and lardo? By whipping them. TRY: monkey bread with whipped lardo and seaweed butter at Piora, NYC; whipped ricotta with fresh-baked focaccia and olio nuovo at St. Cecilia, Atlanta; whipped butter selection at Arro, Austin.
Zach DeSart21/2520. An Apple a Day
Whether it was Anthem at Brimmer & Heeltap in Seattle or a Basque-style sidra at Davenport in Portland, OR, crisp, dry hard cider was my low-alcohol, meal-accompanying brew of choice.
Sarah Dodge22/2522. If These Walls Could Talk
Any restaurant can hang up some taxidermy and call it design. These days, the more inventive places are supporting the arts by commissioning one-of-a-kind murals that, inevitably, help make the whole room. SEEN AT: RockCreek Seafood & Spirits, Seattle; Tanoshii Ramen, Dallas; Eat the Rich, Washington, D.C.; The Harvest Bar, Sherman Oaks, CA.
Noah Fecks/courtesy Charlie Bird23/2523. The Year the Uni-verse Exploded
Remember when sea urchin was like caviar—a special-occasion luxury? Today it’s the new bacon. Some chefs have gone overboard (I’ll pass on the uni cocktails, thanks), but others nail it:
• Duck egg spaghetti with uni, guanciale, and lemon, Charlie Bird, NYC
• Bucatini with prawn and sea urchin at Fiola Mare, Washington, D.C.
• Uni toast with oyster gratin at Alden & Harlow, Cambridge, MA
24/25The Most Overblown Restaurant Trends of 2014
Our staffers name the most overdone restaurant trends of 2014.
@TURE_LILLEGRAVEN25/2525. Tracks of the Year
Turn It Up: "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" **
Turn It Off: "Happy" —Pharrell; "Get Lucky" —Daft Punk
