Binko wrote:I had no idea Sriracha has made it to McD's and BK already. In that case, I'm comfortable calling it a cliche.

I apologize for being unclear: that was a prediction of a future lament, not a current lament.

Evil Ronnie wrote:Oh yeah.....balsamic drizzle and cheap balsamic reduction. For G-d's sake, please go away!

I'm with you on this one! I went to a place with my parents this year (can't for the life of me remember the name) and every damn plate had this stuff.

Poached pear salad - squirt bottle pattern of balsamic on the plate.
Toasted ravioli - squirt bottle pattern of balsamic on the plate.
Pasta Bolognese - squirt bottle pattern of balsamic on the plate.

I swear I'm suprised the wine glasses weren't rimmed with the stuff.

JoelF wrote:I apologize for being unclear: that was a prediction of a future lament, not a current lament.

No, no. On re-read, you were clear. I was just reading along on my iPhone and glossed over the all-important double-ell at the end of "you'll."

Binko, with you on pretzel rolls, which I happen to like a lot. In fact, for the past three years, my daughter has made them on Thanksgiving and refers them as "Dad's pretzel rolls." There was a period (maybe last year, maybe before) when I was running into them on almost every menu (as bread on the table, as buns for hamburger, etc.) and although I like them, I really really like them, I have to admit that they are rising (or have risen) to cliche status.

I like the pretzel roll, too, on a big pub burger. I think it works well. It's the burger-on-a-brioche bun I can't stand. It's too sweet, too rich, too everything for a hamburger. I've even seen pulled pork on brioche somewhere. Ugh.

Evil Ronnie wrote:Oh yeah.....balsamic drizzle and cheap balsamic reduction. For G-d's sake, please go away!

On a similar note, I'd like to add Saba as a particular offender for 2012.

Also mac 'n cheese, specifically lobster mac 'n cheese, to the list. And kale- it's not the only leafy green!

As far as solutions, for salmon, I'd like to see a chef try to serve just the fat. I wonder if it's possible to trim out just the streaks of fat - maybe easier on a farm raised fish? When cooking at home the belly's my favorite part.

And for hamachi, while I agree the raw form has overtaken many menus, the collar is still welcome on my plate.

For chipotle, there's so many other types of chiles - seems like a simple fix to try different varieties.

I posted when Bon Appetit name sriracha the ingredient of the year in 2009 and wondered if it was to become the next chipotle...

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=27025&hilit=Sriracha

Has sushi jumped the shark yet? Just askin'

cabrito wrote:For chipotle, there's so many other types of chiles - seems like a simple fix to try different varieties.

The thing that chipotle has going for it, which is why it's become so popular in my opinion, is that haunting smoky flavor. That's makes it pretty distinct, whereas other chiles tend to fall into pretty basic categories. That said, the Peruvian aji peppers are pretty interesting and different from the capsicum annum, c. frutescens, and c. chinense peppers.

Meanwhile, I'm patiently waiting for piri piri chicken to become big.

Bacon everything.
Salted caramel.
Locally sourced ingredients with an elaborate provenance.
Fried (or poached) egg on everything.
Charcuterie.

Some of these are good, but must all caramel be salted?
Also, wasn't chipotle the cliche of, say, 2005?

Cheers, Jen

I can get behind all of that, even if I do love some of it (like the poached egg). I can sort of get telling the diner where the beef and cheese came from, but it really does get pretty ridiculous sometimes. I really don't need to know where every last ingredient in my dish came from. Just give me a footnote somewhere that says it's locally sourced, maybe listing your usual sources, and let me trust you to pick the best, and let me just judge on the quality of the final product.

I know it's kind of low-hanging fruit and easy to exaggerate and satirize, but some menus feel to me like they've been written for the characters in this Portlandia sketch.

Binko wrote:

cabrito wrote:For chipotle, there's so many other types of chiles - seems like a simple fix to try different varieties.

The thing that chipotle has going for it, which is why it's become so popular in my opinion, is that haunting smoky flavor....

And if it stops restaurants from using Liquid Smoke, then keep on using it. (Smoked Pimentón is also acceptable)

JoelF wrote:

Binko wrote:

cabrito wrote:For chipotle, there's so many other types of chiles - seems like a simple fix to try different varieties.

The thing that chipotle has going for it, which is why it's become so popular in my opinion, is that haunting smoky flavor....

And if it stops restaurants from using Liquid Smoke, then keep on using it. (Smoked Pimentón is also acceptable)

I was going to mention smoked paprika. I feel like that's kind of going the chipotle route, but I haven't seen it used anywhere near as extensively. Yeah, that's what I use when I want to impart smoked flavor to something that can't included smoked meat products in it (vegetarian/vegan dishes.)

Binko wrote:I like the pretzel roll, too, on a big pub burger. I think it works well. It's the burger-on-a-brioche bun I can't stand. It's too sweet, too rich, too everything for a hamburger. I've even seen pulled pork on brioche somewhere. Ugh.

I know the bun that the Lillies Q food truck gave you with pulled pork was brioche. Too sweet, for sure.

I think the pretzel bun works with a Kuma's-type burger with a bunch of other ingredients on it because the pretzel buns hold up well and don't fall apart with juices and help you keep everything together. But I'm really glad Owen & Engine's burger is served on a house-made potato bun and not a pretzel bun.

Pork belly.

Do hipster butchers count?

jvalentino wrote:Do hipster butchers count?

My opinion: too soon.

Hipster Butchers would be a great name for a band.

David Hammond wrote:

jvalentino wrote:Do hipster butchers count?

My opinion: too soon.

How about hipster bartenders?

Yes, that's also a great name for a band.

So my daughter says she doesn't mind brioche , she just wishes they would call it by it's true name, Challah.

So my daughter says she doesn't mind brioche , she just wishes they would call it by it's true name, Challah.

Similar in a lot of ways - can be sweet, always eggy - but Challah (at least any recipe I've ever seen) doesn't use butter. Brioche, on the other hand, is a butterball - the recipes generally use an equivalent of a stick of butter per smallish loaf.

Yeah, other than the sweetness, that's my main issue with brioche. It is just so incredibly rich because of all the butter. My favorite way of enjoying it is just on its own--it really doesn't need anything else. Although, I have to say, it does well in an especially decadent French toast, although I'm not a big French toast person myself.

Binko wrote:Yeah, other than the sweetness, that's my main issue with brioche. It is just so incredibly rich because of all the butter. My favorite way of enjoying it is just on its own--it really doesn't need anything else. Although, I have to say, it does well in an especially decadent French toast, although I'm not a big French toast person myself.

I heard someone suggest dipping bread in eggnog as a prep for French toast. Just in case you need to achieve yet a higher level of decadence.

Regards,

jvalentino wrote:Do hipster butchers count?

Lol, On my list or sure(tired of this back in spring 2011 - folks at the farms are much nicer.)

Ill add:

1) Rotating theme menus
2) Molecular gastronomy

I just had half a loaf of cinnamon bread left over and I made french toast using half eggnog and half milk-
it was wonderful..
but very sweet.

Honey has been on mine for over a decade. What's crazy is that it is usually honey flavored high fructose corn syrup. I don't buy or order any honey ____ flavored food.

Binko wrote:Yeah, other than the sweetness, that's my main issue with brioche. It is just so incredibly rich because of all the butter. My favorite way of enjoying it is just on its own--it really doesn't need anything else. Although, I have to say, it does well in an especially decadent French toast, although I'm not a big French toast person myself.

Had brioche French toast this afternoon at Eduardo's Enoteca (1212 N. Dearborn).



I can't remember the last time I ordered French toast, but when I heard they had this, and based on this discussion, I had to try it. The bread was cut relatively thin and it came with a rosemary-thyme butter that was pretty good; the acidity of the berries helped cut the richness.

Pretty good? That's a left handed compliment if I ever read one.

Evil Ronnie wrote:Pretty good? That's a left handed compliment if I ever read one.

Really didn't mean to damn with faint praise. It's just that I'm not a huge fan of French toast (which is why I probably have not ordered it in the last, I dunno, half-century).