The National Restaurant Association (NRA) released its "What's Hot" culinary forecast of menu trends for 2013 on Thursday which helps restaurants plan any changes for the coming year.
The NRA surveyed more than 1,800 professional chefs - members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) - to find that children's nutrition and local sourcing will continue to be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2013.
The top 10 menu trends for 2013 include:
1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Healthful kids' meals
4. Environmental sustainability as a culinary theme
5. Children's nutrition as a culinary theme
6. New cuts of meat (e.g. Denver steak, pork flat iron, teres major)
7. Hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens)
8. Gluten-free cuisine
9. Sustainable seafood
10. Whole grain items in kids' meals
"It is encouraging to see that children's nutrition remains a top priority for chefs and that they continue to put their creativity in healthful kids meals to work on restaurant menus," said Joy Dubost, Ph.D, R.D., director of Nutrition & Healthy Living for the National Restaurant Association.
"We have seen an increasing interest in health and nutrition among consumers over the last several years, and that interest is also extended to children's menus, which has helped make our Kids LiveWell program so successful."
According to the statement, the NRA also surveyed nearly 200 professional bartenders - members of the United States Bartenders' Guild (USBG) - revealing that onsite barrel-aged drinks, food-liquor pairings, and culinary cocktails will be the hottest trends on restaurant drink menus in 2013.
What's Hot bartender survey - top 10 drink menu trends for 2013:
1. Onsite barrel-aged drinks
2. Food-liquor/cocktail pairings
3. Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients)
4. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
5. Locally produced spirits
6. Locally sourced fruit/berries/produce
7. Beer sommeliers/Cicerones
8. Regional signature cocktails
9. Beer-based cocktails
10. Locally produced beer
"Artisan products, local sourcing and culinary creativity are trendy on restaurant menus and our new research shows that to also be true behind the bar," said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research and knowledge for the National Restaurant Association. "Increasing recognition of mixology has elevated restaurant drink menus to a new level that allows bartenders to showcase their skills in blending textures and flavors similarly to how chefs approach food in the kitchen. This is good news for today's increasingly sophisticated and adventurous consumers, who have a wider variety of alcoholic beverages from which to choose when dining out."
