Not all food trends are annoying, and though we know "to each his/her own" is a good rule by which to live, there are a few gems out there in the food world that we cannot wait to see more of.
Here are Five 2013 Food Trends That We Hope Stick Around in 2014:
5. Bread & Butter Service
Bread and butter programs have been #trending in the past couple of years...and we love it. If the breads and spreads are as exceptional as we've seen at restaurants like Provisions, Roost, or Underbelly, we certainly don't mind shelling out the extra cash.
Take, for example, Provisions' bread and cheese pairings -- a black-olive loaf with violet-date mostarda and a wedge of Red Rock cow's milk cheese is well worth the $9 price tag.
Keep the crusty baguettes coming. We look forward to more restaurants creating mindful pairings of their own.
4. The Revival of Downtown
Like a phoenix ascending from the ashes, it's clear that Downtown is back and better than ever.
This year we saw the rise of a downtown überblock with the introduction of hotspots like The Pastry War, Fusion Taco, Goro & Gun, El Big Bad, and OKRA Charity Saloon, which technically opened last December. We love walking around Market Square Park and reacquainting ourselves with old favorites like Warren's, La Carafe and Hearsay Gastro Lounge in between exploring the newbies -- like the upcoming live music bar and lounge, The Nightingale Club.
With the expanding train line, more bike lanes, and the bike-sharing program B-cycle, we hope for the area's continued development and success so we can put the days of the downtown ghost town behind us.