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As we look ahead to a new year,
a new decade, a new century and even a new millennium, a natural
urge to predict the future is playing itself out. Since here
at The Cooking School News we care first and foremost
about food and what is to come in the culinary world, we've
asked seven of our career program graduates—all culinary
entrepreneurs—to polish their crystal balls and let us
know what's ahead for our palates when dining out in the next
decade.
Colin and Renée Alevras (who met at Peter Kump's in 1993
when both were stagières in the work-study program)
describe their new venture, The Tasting Room in Manhattan's
East Village, as an American wine bar where they serve dishes
in two sizes: "Taste" and "Share" portions.
The pair foresees a future of smaller restaurants and seasonal
ingredients. "In ten years, guests, not just chefs, will
recognize the difference in seasonal ingredients from local
producers," they predict. While all of the new restaurateurs
and chefs interviewed agree that wine's importance in American
restaurants is growing, the Tasting Room team has a special
interest in promoting American wines, which are matched with
"seasonal ingredients which we purchase from local producers
as much as possible." Those seasonal ingredients are then
incorporated into dishes such as a salad of sweet lettuces and
mixed greens with toasted hazelnut and sherry dressing and mussels
in carrot-coriander broth.
Chris Christman and Robert Willis, both Kump's culinary arts
graduates and chef de cuisine and owner/chef de cuisine, respectively,
of Vaux, a new eatery—an "adult" restaurant,
they stress—in Brooklyn's tony Park Slope feel that the
world's wine territory is expanding: "American wines are
moving beyond California, Oregon and New York. We have a wine
on our list from Virginia and others from single-grape vineyards
across the country. The wines of Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa are increasingly popular, as are the wines of Chile."
Christman and Willis also predict simplicity. "We'll be
seeing fresher and fresher and fresher produce, and more organic,
locally grown produce."
Judy and Robert Limekiller, who also met at Peter Kump's, opened
their successful restaurant, Three Fish, in Westerly, Rhode
Island a little over two years ago. Since then they've garnered
favorable reviews and become savvy observers of the restaurant
business. They, too, feel that, "American vineyards are
constantly improving." The Limekillers chime in to predict
growing simplicity and a new respect for freshness in the next
decade. They feel the martini-and-cigar age is coming to a close:
"People are already tired of that drink and the smoke—not
to mention the fact that the hangover and the stale smoke smell
the next day are not exactly glamorous." The Three Fish
duo are guessing that teas brewed and served tableside, as well
as fresh juices, will grow in popularity as the call for martinis
dwindles.
Marc Murphy, chef/owner of Manhattan's elegant French restaurant
La Fourchette, thinks we'll be eating more organ meats in the
future. "As people are getting more educated about food,
they're trying pig snout terrine and lamb brains. They're relatively
inexpensive, so restaurants like to serve them, and they're
extremely flavorful, so customers like them too." The owners
of The Tasting Room concur, citing the appearance of tripe and
other offal on mainstream, upscale menus.
Murphy also foresees an era of newly casual, if still sophisticated,
dining. Says Murphy, "Over the coming decade people are
just going to start eating better food in general, especially
young people. They'll learn to sit down and eat meals. "
As he points out, his restaurant is already doing its part in
promoting a more relaxed dining experience. Murphy reports,
"While most restaurants allow an hour and a half for a
deuce [two people], at La Fourchette we slate two and a half
hours for a leisurely meal."
Willis of Vaux thinks he knows the reason for this movement
towards comfortable, yet stylish, dining. "I'm an aging
baby boomer," he reports. "I think the people in my
generation are looking for an environment that's comfortable
without being staid. We want somewhere low-key, not loud and
noisy—a place, perhaps, with more dash than cash, but one
that still reflects an individual sensibility. Restaurateurs
are responding to that." Such a future looks bright, indeed,
for diners.
La Fourchette, 1608 First Avenue, New York, NY (212) 249-5924
The Tasting Room Wine Bar & Café, 72 East 1st Street,
New York, NY (212) 358-7831
Three Fish, 37 Main Street, Westerly, RI, (860) 535-0573
Vaux, 278 B Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (718) 499-1433 |
