Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot? Food Trends For 2011

As the December days dwindle and we begin to creep closer and closer to 2011, we're already beginning to notice hints of change in the food forecast. From observing current trends and picking up on culinary foreshadowing, it looks like we aren't going to be disappointed with what 2011 will have to offer. Here are just some predictions about trends in food and drink trends that everyone can be excited about in the New Year.

Meals on Wheels
It's nearly impossible to ignore the effect our economy is having on the current restaurant scene. Because many restaurants have had to close their doors due to finance issues, many chefs have been finding themselves kitchen-less. The solution, possibly temporary, has been quite literally hitting the streets with gourmet food trucks. If you haven't noticed them yet, chances are you will in 2011 as more of them start springing up around some of our biggest cities. From Korean tacos to homemade desserts, food trucks are selling a diverse variety of food at reasonable prices while tweeting their current and upcoming locations to their loyal followers. Appetizers, entrees, and a multitude of delicious desserts can all be found on wheels nowadays, so tune into Twitter to find out where the next great grub truck will be parked near you.

Meet Meat
In 2010 we became very veggie friendly, stocking our fridges with locally grown farmers market produce heading to our favorite restaurants for "Meatless Mondays." But it's clear that many chefs are already becoming more creative with their use of meat (pork in particular), adding it to everything from appetizers to dessert (bacon ice cream, anyone?). As far as the home front is concerned, statistics for 2010 show an increase in males doing the family food shopping; if 2011 follows suit, chances are men will be bringing home the bacon and frying it up in the pan, too.

Happy Hour
As far as happy hour goes, we may be looking at some great new 5 o'clock trends in 2011. Bold new cocktails made with savory ingredients and retro ingredients like moonshine and bitters will be the leading cocktail choices in the New Year. Bars like the Orient Express
are already featuring old fashioned gin-based cocktails with traditional names like the Sleeper Car, while others are experimenting by making drinks with unusual savory ingredients like jalapeños, tomatoes, chilies and cucumbers.

As for wine trends, expect to find more specialized wine bars serving up organic and biodynamically produced vino as well as unique new varietals to try. We think both Turkish and Portuguese wine will be making their way into cellars across the country. Wine taverns like Ediand the Wolf will also start appearing as wine drinkers expand from traditional wine bars into more playful environments that can be compared to German beer halls.

Goodbye Cupcakes
We stood by and watched as more and more cupcake cafes, trucks and bakeries invaded our cities, but this year we think the dessert of choice is going to be authentic French macarons. Foreshadowing this new trend was Macaron Day of 2010, celebrated in March here in New York City. Next year, expect everyday to be macaron day as more and more people delight in these wonderful French treats. Places like La Maison Du Chocolat and Mad Mac will be representing with some of the best macarons 2011 will have to offer.

Benvenuti piu Italiani!
It looks like we'll be welcoming old-school Italian food back into the dining scene with open arms next year. New upscale pizzerias and eateries like Fornino, Motorino, Eataly and Donatella are forcing us to renig on our former Atkins-inspired no carb promises and once again embrace delicious pizza and pasta.

The Unfortunate Trends

Four Loko, an energy drink with 12 percent alcohol (and an unknown percentage of unidentified toxins), can be found at almost all 7 Elevens and gas stations for a extremely reasonable prices, making it one of the top choices for college students on an imbibing budget. Although this drink will be going through some changes soon due to government regulations, it will probably still be easy to find at least one disgusting version of it in 2011. To properly bid the original recipe adieu, Chef Matt Levin has made a four course meal to pair with Four Loko at his restaurant in Philadelphia, proving that the popularity of this horrible beverage will probably not decrease.

— Written by Valerie Cario

Photo credit: seriouseats.com, yumsugar.com

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