Chefs Explain 9 Things That Are Different About Menus Right Now

19009年的大流行迫使过去一年以无数方式改变用餐行业，而变化仍在发生。当然，餐厅看起来与去年不同，但它们看起来也与上个月不同。随着大流行的不断发展（本地和州卫生部门发布新准则，天气变化以及餐厅的面孔史无前例的工人贫乏），该行业不得不继续适应。食客可以在“街头工厂”和稀疏的桌子上看到它。他们还可以在餐厅菜单上看到它。

“Labor shortages and crazy weather have made sourcing very difficult, so we have learned to be very flexible across the board," said Fredo Nogueria, chef-partner atValsin New Orleans. "This year has been a challenge on so many levels, and it has forced me to be creative in different ways." Nogueria has turned to recipes that freeze well as a starting point for several dishes, like the versatile pâte à choux.

“We can have a person come one morning and make a batch of Parisian gnocchi and profiteroles, chill them, freeze them, and utilize them all week for two very different dishes that are derived from the same recipe, and take no time to prep and freeze remarkably well," said Nogueria.

From the proliferation of prix-fixe menus to an uptick in daily specials, chefs around the country weigh in on how—and why—their menus look different right now.

“由于餐馆的座位有限，桌子的周转时间是最重要的，因此我们已经设计了菜单，是一个半小时的经验。此外，目前正在提供的菜肴已被简化以帮助厨房更有效，专注于展示出色的烹饪技术，以使客人能够了解产品的质量。这两种更改允许餐厅提供高效的服务，而无需牺牲美食的体验。“—Shaun Hergatt, chef and owner ofvestry在纽约

“自2015年以来，我们一直在提供仅品尝菜单选项，但是我们当然有更多的课程预装。为了使人们在两个小时的时间内进出，我们将菜单置于六个课程中。它仍然为我们提供了创造性自由的空间，但是它使我们有足够的时间清洁，消毒和重置桌子，而无需在前门创造瓶颈。”—Nicholas Elmi, chef and owner ofLaurelandIn the Valley在费城和百灵鸟和着陆in Bala Cynwyd, PA

“Our menus have become tighter with fewer options because we have fewer seats which means fewer guests and less revenue to cover our expenses. Due to this, all restaurants need to keep labor costs down. That means we have fewer people in the kitchen, so we need to pare down the menu."—Michael Schulson, chef and owner ofSchulson Collectivein Philadelphia

“Keeping things simple was a big part of my overall plan while continuing to focus on technique, executions, and overall flavor."- Ricardo Jarquin，行政总厨The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resortin Miami Beach

“我早就意识到,我们的菜单总是had a section of items meant to be shared —had to be changed to items meant for one."—Marcie Turney, chef and co-owner ofSafran Turney Hospitality

“As patrons are getting more comfortable dining out, but still not fully 'back to normal,' our menu has changed from majority small plates to adding larger entree-style portions. We've come to find out that people are eager to dine out but still want to limit exposure, so they are going out less but wanting more out of their experience."- Kraig Hansen，执行厨师寓言休息室in Nashville

“在这个阶段，在大流行中，疫苗正在加速，人们更舒适地用餐，我面临着众多通常可用的挑战。将物品交给我们。vwin德赢ac米兰通过我们如何制作菜单和替代方案的灵活性。”—Shannon Goforth, executive chef of布拉德福德之家in Oklahoma City

“Spring is always one of the most exciting and energizing times of our year, especially when composing a menu. After a year that has felt like one long winter, this spring's bounty feels particularly special. With the reemergence of diners and the weather finally warming up, our focus has been to create a menu enthusiastically celebrating seasonal produce such as ramps, spring peas and amazingly fragrant muscat grapes—all of which we missed out on last year. We strive to offer a diverse selection of items while not overwhelming guests with too many options. We currently offer two menus: à la carte and a full tasting (vegan and omnivore), which gives us the flexibility to consciously cross utilize items and present the essence of these wonderful, fleeting ingredients in their various forms."- Mary Attea，执行厨师The Musket Room在纽约

“I am very excited about spring ingredients, including the spring ramps, peas, asparagus, and nettles. These items bring me joy. The brightness of the seasons changing, coupled with the freshness of these ingredients and optimism for brighter days, warm my soul and remind me that cooking provides me with bright, hopeful moments."—Gerald Sombright, chef de cuisine ofKnife & Spoon at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

“Since reopening, we have moved away from our à la carte menu and strictly offer a tasting menu using reservations only. This has allowed us the opportunity to streamline our menu and ordering, as well as minimize any waste. It has also allowed us to hire back a full staff because we know the exact number of covers we will do each night."—Vinson Petrillo, executive chef ofZero Restaurant + Barin Charleston, SC

“我们肯定现在要保留一个预装菜单，并保持较小。设置菜单提供了更大的稳定性，这是我们现在渴望的东西。直到我们找到更多的员工，我们才能添加更多桌子。因此，我们仍然取决于待办事项和预装菜单。”—Rose Previte, owner ofMaydanandCompass Rosein Washington, DC

“现在，酒店种植了所有草药，这是从流行前的变化。我们直接从柑橘树中利用水果，每天都会采摘并榨汁，而花朵是在花朵上收获的，用于柑橘花，用于我们的几种菜肴在整个酒店的食品和饮料出口中。我们的厨师每天在vwin德赢ac米兰厨师中每天觅食我们的桶仙人掌和刺梨；每天早上看到许多白人厨师大衣在路上奔跑，随时准备好起选择，这并不罕见仙人掌！创意采购，例如在当地和小型企业购买食材，是新的常态。”—Emily Dillport, executive chef atThe Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountainin Arizona

“People are looking for menus that offer some return to normalcy. Local ingredients that lend themselves to shared plates are a great segue but the market is still reeling from availability concerns. It's a perfect time to support local farmers while looking for what's usually readily accessible."—Jordan Hayes, executive chef ofThe Monogram LoungeandThe Hey! Hey! Club在密苏里州堪萨斯城的J.Rieger＆Co。

“We opened a brand new restaurant during the pandemic and intentionally did so slowly to make sure we could keep up with the precautions and product availability. Luckily, we were able to lean on our farm for produce, but even with that, we had to limit our menu due to scarcity and limited staff. Our menu still isn't built out to its fullest potential, but we're slowly getting there as things open up and we're able to accommodate more guests."—Sonya Cote, chef and owner ofStore House Market + Eateryin Bastrop, Texas

“菜单设计的趋势正在朝着较小的精品型菜单迈进，比以前更多地关注本地产品。- tenure和食品供应链中的不一致之处。我们看到从玉米淀粉到新鲜鸡肉使用的vwin德赢ac米兰一切短缺”—Rich Hudson, executive chef ofDatzin Florida

“As a result of the pandemic, Piccalilli's focus has recently shifted to offering a smaller, tighter menu while offering daily specials, allowing Piccalilli to have the flexibility to work with more high-quality, less shelf-stable ingredients. This allows us to work more creatively while not committing to any particular dish as a permanent menu item."—Macks Collins, chef and co-owner ofPiccalilliin Los Angeles

“We've found our diners are actually ordering the more unique and more technique-based items on our menu. So many people have mastered certain recipes at home, that it feels like special to go to a restaurant and order a dish that they could easily replicate. We're seeing an uptick in orders for dishes like our guinea hen and Hudson Valley foie gras terrine, octopus sopressata and sea bream. We're innovating on new menu items that really showcase more advanced cooking methods to appeal to those kinds of diners."—Liz Benno, operations manager atLeonelli Restaurant & Bar在纽约

“We have seen a huge increase in celebratory items, ie, we have had a 300% increase with our caviar sales. I feel myself and everyone wants to get to a place where we can celebrate together!" —Dustin Valette, executive chef ofValettein Healdsburg, CA

“With the recent influx of dining reservations at Sushi Note, we have an opportunity to surprise loyal patrons and new guests with exciting ingredients not previously incorporated into our sushi offerings, such as soremame (broad bean or fava bean) and caviar. Regulars tend to stick to what they know, so this "reopening" allowed us to experiment with unique flavors and elevate the entire dining experience."—Kiminobu Saito, chef ofSushi Note在加利福尼亚州洛杉矶

“Before the pandemic, guests may have gotten drinks at one place, a meal at another, and dessert at a final location, but now they make one reservation for one place and just want to celebrate getting out of the house with the full experience. They want to make the most out of their reservation, because they are just going out once a month instead of three or four times a week, and our menu reflects that to welcome them back into the restaurant."- Kraig Hansen，执行厨师寓言休息室in Nashville