November 2011/Prepared Foods -- Browsing through the appetizer menu and socializing over small bites of food can help set the stage for a memorable meal--while giving operators the chance to boost the check. But, the economic recession has meant serious cutbacks in ordering extras like appetizers--meaning operators have had to get creative in promoting full-bodied flavors, variety and value to entice consumers to make an appetizer purchase.
For appetizers, the migration of global flavors to the left side of the menu continues, with newly emerging, ethnic “street foods” and starter salads with an Asian influence. Value is highlighted through low-priced meal deals featuring shareable appetizers, and mini-foods and “bites” offer big flavors through a small taste of something craveable. Finally, more operators are developing late-night snacks that delight restaurant guests with price specials on small-portioned food well into the night.
Technomic research, including findings from its online trend-tracking resource, MenuMonitor, reveals several of the trends and preferences that are impacting menu development for the appetizer category.
From the Street to the Plate
One of the hottest trends in foodservice is “street food,” which calls for an interpretation of a beloved culinary staple that is typically sold curbside from stands, food trucks or carts. Usually simple in preparation and featuring fresh, rustic ingredients, street foods are easily portable and eaten on the go. These small, handheld foods are a good match for appetizer menus--and are especially appealing to consumers who are curious about international cuisines.
Mexican street tacos and Mediterranean mini-pita wraps were added to several chain menus in 2011 and were specifically described as street foods or snacks:
* Street Pitas--Available in Gyros, Grilled Chicken or Mix-and-Match varieties; featuring two mini-pitas with Roma tomatoes, diced cucumbers, creamy Daphne’s sauce, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce (Daphne’s California Greek).
* Street Taco--A snack-size taco in a simple preparation of guacamole, cilantro and onion on a corn tortilla (Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill).
* Leo’s Street Taco--Seared beef tenderloin, diced cucumbers, avocado and cotija cheese, drizzled with a chipotle-cream sauce (Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill).
Independent restaurants are the breeding ground for truly exotic, global appetizers to emerge. For example, chaat, a popular street food in India and Pakistan, is being featured on Washington, D.C., menus as an appetizer. Chaat, which means “to lick” in Hindi, can be served hot or cold and traditionally has three components: a main ingredient, such as chickpeas, diced potato, mixed fruit or a vegetable; a spice blend or seasoning called chaat masala; and condiments, such as yogurt with mint, cilantro and sweet tamarind, or date chutney.
Masala Art in Needham, Mass., offers several chaats as appetizers. Selections include Dahi Bhalla, which are deep-fried balls of puréed black lentils bathed in seasoned yogurt and drizzled with chutneys. At Rasika, the signature dish is Palak Chaat--crisp, flash-fried, whole spinach leaves seasoned with roasted cumin powder, black salt, red chili powder, tamarind and date chutney. In Chevy Chase, Md., Indique Heights offers a “street-snacks” menu with each menu description listing the dish’s city of origin in India. Appetizer selections include Papri Chaat from New Delhi, made with potato, crispy flour, chickpeas, yogurt and tamarind chutney; and Bhel Puri from Mumbai, featuring puffed rice, crispy gram flour noodles, cilantro and tamarind chutney.