The American Foodie 2.0

It has taken more than two decades, but the restaurant community has finally grown up.

On both sides of the table, the conversation no longer is confined to how many great restaurants there are in Rhode Island or the influence of the nation’s largest culinary university. Those and other aspects of dining out in the state are now a given.

The National Restaurant Association is out with a profile of the contemporary restaurant patron. The group calls him or her “The American Foodie 2.0.” He or she is likely to ask a server about where a menu item was sourced and have specific dietary expectations.

Examining a profile of the American Foodie 2.0 from the association’s 2016 Restaurant Survey Forecast, one finds they would rather spend money on experience-based activities rather than physical things.

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The modern restaurant guest has high expectations of the dining experience, including the quality of the food, how it’s made and what’s in it. Most restaurateurs say guests are more knowledgeable about food, more adventurous in their food choices and pay more attention to food quality. Many consumers surveyed choose restaurants because of their eco-friendly practices, such as water conservation and recycling. Organic and sustainable foods influence dining decisions, especially among women. Chefs and owners say guests pay much more attention to nutrition content than they used to, and are vitally interested in gluten-free, low-carb, vegetarian and other items that meet specific dietary preferences. On the whole, we are generally more willing to try new foods and expand our taste buds than previous generations did.

Millennials are in the lead in trying a wider variety of ethnic cuisine, including foods considered unconventional by American standards. And they are predictable in their unpredictability. Their tastes are more global, yet they want more locally sourced food. Chefs cited locally sourced meats and seafood as the top menu trend for 2016, according to a separate association survey of chefs. Restaurateurs and chefs alike say they believe the trend for more restaurant gardens will become more popular. Here is an area where Rhode Island took an early lead.

Back in the early 2000s, there were a smattering of local restaurants sporting gardens on their roofs or outside the kitchen door, such as the former Empire across from Trinity Rep in downtown Providence – now the home of Bravo Brasserie. More recently, Gracie’s, which just happens to be located around the corner from Bravo, first planted a garden almost a decade ago. And longtime restaurateurs such as Lou Perella in Warren and chefs such as Tom Duffy at the Spiced Pear at the Chanler in Newport tend backyard gardens.

There are several restaurants statewide that feature chefs boldly reaching out to American Foodie 2.0, usually in the form of one-time special dinners. Chef Duffy at the Spiced Pear had time to think about new tastes and unique offerings this past winter. The culinary-centric hotel and restaurant is featuring a special run all month that lets its guests try something new. In fact the special is named, “Try Something New.”

Each month a palate-stretching creation comes out of Duffy’s kitchen. The first one was a dish that he had actually featured during last year’s Newport Restaurant Week – short rib of bison with huckleberry jus. Unusual, yet approachable. His most recent foray was something completely different: sliders.

They were nestled on sweet, Hawaiian-style buns and topped with tempting condiments such as Cambozola cheese, New England-style corn relish, balsamic onions and goat cheese. The main attraction? The perfectly formed patties – one each of kangaroo, camel and emu.

A millennial’s dream, according to the survey. And they did not taste like chicken, but more of a lean sirloin. •

Bruce Newbury’s Dining Out talk radio show is heard on 920 WHJJ-AM, 1540 WADK-AM and on mobile applications. He can be reached by email at Bruce@brucenewbury.com.

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