There is something to be admired for the baker willing to push the envelope for the sake of an unforgettable indulgent experience. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of note-worthy untraditional cupcakes flavors from various bakeries in the U.S.. This ain’t your grandma’s spice cupcake, so leave your fond childhood memories behind and get your taste buds ready for an extreme cupcake-tasting! Warning – some of these flavors may not be suitable for the timid:

This Little Piggy Cupcake: The Cupcakery – This seasonal cupcake (available in October) is vanilla, topped with maple buttercream frosting rolled in applewood smoked bacon crumbs and is drizzled with maple syrup.

 

Merry Margartia Cupcake: Gigi’s Cupakes –  To all you mixed drink lovers, here’s the cupcake for you. Gigi’s offers margarita flavored yellowcake iced with margarita cream cheese frosting and rimmed in sugar crystals.

 

Chicken and Waffles Cupcake aka Late Night Breakfast: My Delight Cupcakery – Yes, you heard correct. You don’t have to go to Roscoe’s for your chicken and waffles fix; this original cupcake has a buttermilk based and stuffed with fried chicken and topped with buttery maple frosting.

 

Chicken Wing Cupcake: Coccadotts – While we’re on the topic of chicken, how about an order of a dozen chicken wing cupcakes for the big game? This is no joke! Offered during football season, Coccadotts whipped up these special batches make of cornbread and bleu cheese frosting topped with a real chicken wing!

 

Fat Elvis: Saint Cupcake – If you guessed there’d be bananas and peanut butter in this cupcake creation you are spot-on. Fat Elvis is made of banana chocolate chip poundcake iced with salty-sweet peanut butter fudge and topped with a banana chip.

 

Sunkist Chocolate: Cake Fetish – an orange-infused chocolate cake iced with orange buttercream, chocolate ganache and an orange slice.

 

Cannoli Cupcake: Cupcakes by Carousel – a vanilla cake, topped with an Italian-style cannoli cheese frosting, dipped in crushed cannoli shells and mini chocolate chips.

 

Chocolate Chip Pancake Mini Cupcake – Baked by Melissa – these minis are not much larger than a quarter and are dangerously delicious! This chocolate chip pancake mini is topped with maple syrup icing and mini chocolate chips.

Tried any of the cupcakes on our list? Share your experience or tell us about your favorite cupcake bakery!

We’re not just talking about thick cut fries with potato skins – new and exciting twists to a typically unsexy and neglected food part (the potato skin) are happening at an upscale restaurant near you. Maybe it’s because the potato is so commonly known as a comfort food (mashed potatoes anyone?) for many that creative chefs are finding renewed interest in reinventing it.

 

How do potato skins with Taleggio cheese, Brussells sprouts and pancetta sound? You can grab a plate of these gourmet appetizers off Chef-restaurateur Anthony Pino’s catering menu for $9. At R2L in Philadelphia, you can indulge in Chef Daniel Stern’s stuffed potato skin creation – flesh of baked potatoes with bacon, deep fried in their skins servied with aged cheddar, bacon, scallions, and horse radish crème fraiche. Can’t make it out to Philly? Head on over to your local T.G.I. Friday’s® to try their massively popular potato skins which are fully loaded with melted cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, served with sour cream and green onions.

 

Read more about this restaurant food trend here. Be sure to also check out our article on potatoes 5 ways to inspire you menu.
Get more potato inspiration from this video:

Do you offer any unique comfort food menu items at your restaurant? How are you bringing excitement to your menu offerings? Share with us!

Take advantage of the summer months to build your beverage sales, employee moral, and reputation as an innovative beverage leader.  How you may ask…

• Engaging No Alcohol opportunities…
• Spirit Alcohol drinks that deliver an extra ordinary experience
• Exciting and engaging wine program
• Unique beer tasting and pairings

All this is offered by servers and bartenders buying into a unique “Summer Drink Contest” designed to offer your guests the very best you have to offer all the while providing increased incremental sales, fantastic profit margins, and rewarding your best employees and managers!

Sound interesting? Let Synergy Restaurant Consultants make your Summer Beverage Profits happen!

 

 

The health-conscious are always on the lookout for healthy alternatives, and so too are nutritionists and dieticians. Instead of drinking milk, you should opt for almond or soy milk. Whole grain wheat bread is more nutritious than white bread. And up until now, many were led to believe that agave nectar was a great, healthier sweetener alternative to white/refined sugar.

Let’s take a closer look. The major factor that differentiates agave nectar from refined sugar is that it has a low glycemic index (GI) rating. In other words, unlike white sugar, agave nectar won’t cause high sugar spikes. Further, another “healthy” benefit is that agave nectar tends to leave you feeling “fuller” which may mean you might eat less.

Then why has there been some debate on whether or not agave nectar is a healthy sweetener? In fact, some are labeling it as one of the worst sweeteners!  It appears that many brands of agave nectar contain high levels of fructose – sometimes more than even high fructose corn syrup! The high fructose content can go directly to the liver, which can increase heart disease from the resulting increased production of triglycerides and it can also lead to insulin resistance.

Check out this list of the five best sweeteners that has the stevia plant rounded out the group at number one.

As with any sweetener, be it honey, white sugar or agave nectar, the key thing to note is too much of it will always be unhealthy – everything in moderation. If you own a restaurant, it is prudent to have available various sweeteners for your guest should they have specific dietary needs or preferences.

If you’ve been watching TV lately you may have caught the latest Taco Bell commercial displaying college-aged youth taking a road trip to get their hands on the new Taco Bell Dorito Tacos. You heard correct – these Dorito Tacos, or “Locos Tacos,” are your traditional Taco Bell Taco with a twist – that yellow shell you’re used to seeing is replaced with a Dorito Nacho Cheese shell.

These special tacos have been on menus at various Taco Bell Doritos test market locations and are finally debuting nationwide this Thursday.

Check out this video from a “Sneak Eat Tasting” of the Locos Tacos in Orange, California

The Doritos Locos Tacos item is just one of many new changes that Taco Bell has been making to their menu. While these Dorito-flavored tacos may seem more appealing to some segments, Taco Bell has recently also introduced their Cantina Bell menu in test locations, whose flavor profile is more gourmet and comparable to ingredients used at Chipotle – appealing to those consumers seeking fresh and healthier choices.

The evolving menu at Taco Bell illustrates the importance for restaurants to expand their selections to keep up with consumers’ changing tastes as well as competitor trends. When was the last time you reviewed your menu? What about your competitors’ menus? Keep notice of the well-performing dishes versus the poorly performing dishes. Could you add any new items to boost sales? These are all important things to note if you own a restaurant. Menu development is key for attracting guest and creating repeat customers. If you need assistance with menu development or menu engineering, contact Synergy for a free consultation.

“Heirloom,” “artisanal,” “black-label,” “locally-sourced,” “biodynamic,” “grass-fed”…you’ve probably heard these terms used on a menu and maybe even scratched your head on the meaning of a couple of them.

Menu descriptions are an extremely important aspect of a restaurant’s success. If you offer the dish, “Pad Thai,” you surely need to add more of a detailed description other than just “stir-fried noodles with chicken or shrimp.” An effective description would be something like, “Traditional, savory stir-fried rice noodles with crisp shrimp, scrambled-eggs, bean sprouts, and tofu, tossed with tangy tamarind sauce and crushed peanuts.” Not only does it include what is in the dish, but there are also adjectives like “tangy,” that can evoke intrigue, and hopefully some stomach growling!

As a restaurant owner, the last thing you want is for a guest to gloss over a great dish because they didn’t understand it. A successfully written menu item description, using a technique called “descriptive labeling,” has shown to greatly increase sales and guest ratings.

According to this NY Post article, a study where a control group was served “chocolate cake” while the other group was served the same dish with the name, “Black Forest Double Chocolate Cake”:

“Sales went up, taste ratings went up, ratings of the restaurant went up. It didn’t matter that the Black Forest isn’t even in Belgium.”

 

But what about some newly popular terms seen around restaurant menus across the nation such as “locally-grown,” “artisanal,” and “hand-crafted?” These terms have shown a surge in use due to the green and local movement as well as a technique for restaurants to convey a more home-made and rustic feel to their food. However, while many guests can enjoy a well-described and vivid explanation of a dish, some may be confused about what it means! So, how do you balance how to write a great menu that is descriptive, enticing, but at the same time, not confusing?

Here are some tips to help you write efficient restaurant menu item descriptions:

1)      Highlight the major ingredients used in the dish and any possible common allergens such as peanuts.

2)      Use interesting sensory adjectives. For example, “crisp,” “juicy,” “tender,” “smoked,” “zesty,” “savory,” tangy,” “creamy” and “crunchy.”

3)      Know your audience. If they health-conscious, use terms like “low-calorie,” “fresh, low-fat,” “low-sodium,” “low-carb,” “organic” and “heart healthy.” For green-movement guests, mention “organic,” “sustainable” and “locally-grown.”

4)      For some newer terms that many may still not understand, such as “biodynamic wines,” or “farm to table,” provide a small glossary on your menu that explains these terms.

If you’d like to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of your menu, contact our menu consultants at Synergy.

Food Network-crazed media experts’ voracious appetite for the next best thing in food mimics the nightly trials of an addict looking for a fix.  In the case of 2011 and years past, the fix for the day was fat, glorious, glistening renderings of fat.  Remember last year’s pan-fried chicken revival, and 2010’s burger craze?  In addition to some of the most consequential, fat foraged eating habits relished in recent years was the elitist and extravagant molecular gastronomy movement, sating your appetite if only for a moment while leaving your checkbook fraught with $300.00 tasting menu price tags.  Forget all that.  If 2012 proves to break every promise uttered, rest assured it remembers just one concerning food trends; the dismissal of overindulgence.

 

Increasingly murky economic outlook for this year has yielded noticeable trends among consumers and the phrase of the day has become “perceived value.”  This consumer vernacular could translate the demise of once popular and posh steakhouses and Italian restaurants where pairing a $50 steak to a $100 barrolo is considered the norm.  Don’t look forward to many more chefs celebrating the grand, 16-course sit down that drain entire evenings along with your pocket book.  Contrarily, this year’s cuisine will focus more on easy to understand and affordable dishes which focus on one or two artisan ingredients signifying its relevance.  Hence the phrase, “perceived value.”

 

Along with wallet-conscious consumers comes the ever-increasing gravitation of those interested in healthy, locally sourced and organic cuisine.  Years in the making, the farm to fork movement has come to define the food world, lending consumers a place of origin to picture when considering their next dining experience.  Antibiotic-free, wild, free-range and local have become synonymous with health and environmentally conscious decision-making, easing the guilt of consumers regarding their carbon footprint and their diet.  With rising food costs coupled with enormous increases in energy cost and consumption, the local food movement might prove to be as rewarding as it is cost effective for restaurant chefs.  Look forward to restaurant/ farms and simple comfort dishes proudly proclaiming the origin of its ingredients.

 

This year might mark the return of humility to the food industry in terms of health and economic consciousness, but not in terms of value.

Potatoes – we love them! Baked, fried, mashed, there’s nothing quite like them. While the classic French fry, made from the russet potato, is the beloved sidekick companion to many dishes, expanding your menu to include more variety is a great way to attract guests.

Try out these great potato menu options:

1) Sweet potato fries or chips: You can bake these or fry them. Naturally sweet, these go great with ketchup.

2) Potato croquettes: these golden fried goodies contain mashed potatoes mixed with your choice of ground meats, herbs, vegetables, and/or seafood. Their crispy crust is made of breadcrumbs and seasoning. See this great recipe for potato croquettes.

3) Latkes: these potato pancakes are delightfully crunchy and satisfying. They are made of potato, flour and egg and are usually seasoned with garlic or onion and can be served with savory or sweet toppings like sour cream or sugar. Check out this great recipe for latkes.

4) Scalloped potatoes: baked with milk, flour, butter and cheese, the classic scalloped potatoes dish is warm and hearty.

5) Potato soup: on a cold day, treat your patrons to a hot potato soup to warm them up. There are tons of potato soup varieties, such as loaded baked potato amped up with apple smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and chives, leek, cheese, country ham, Cajun and the list goes on.

There’s no shortage of ways on how you can get creative with your side dish offerings. You don’t necessarily have to keep a new item on your menu every day – try offering specials on different days of the week to keep your guests wondering. Also, take advantage of using ingredients that are in season as well, for best taste and better pricing.

If you need assistance developing or expanding your menu, contact our menu development team at Synergy.

While there are surely plenty of hardcore meat-lovers in the United States, the number of vegetarians in the nation is on a steady rise. According to the Vegetarian Times study, there are 7.3 million (or 3.2 percent of American adults) Americans who are vegetarians and an additional 22.8 million who follow a vegetarian-inclined diet.

Further, a recent study conducted by Bonnie Riggs, of the leading market research firm, The NPD Group, forecasts five major influences that will continue to drive consumer behavior of diners in 2012. One key point is the higher consumption and demand for healthier and lighter foods.

The statistics alone cries out for the need of more vegetarian menu items at restaurants. We have to admit, your run-of-the-mill fast-food chain salad, typically loaded with high calories and fat, won’t always cut it in terms of flavor and nutrition.

Our recent work over at LYFE Kitchen exemplifies a wide range of healthy food for vegetarians and carnivores alike, without sacrificing taste. Let’s take breakfast, for example. Breakfast menu items anywhere usually conjure up images of soggy, buttery pancakes with sausage or breakfast sandwiches whose calorie count alone could fulfill your daily recommended value. Over at LYFE kitchen, a vegetarian breakfast burrito made of whole-wheat tortilla stuffed with red peppers, onions, avocado, baby spinach, chipotle aioli, cheddar cheese, your choice of scrambled eggs or egg whites; with salsa, served with fruit salad, is nutritious, delicious and just 496 calories.

For lunch, you may want to take a bite into LYFE’s classic burger – grass-fed beef or gardein*, organic romaine, tomato, red onion, agave pickles, agave ketchup and cheddar cheese on a multigrain bun – entirely vegetarian! A classic favorite, eggplant parmesan, works great for dinner – breaded and baked eggplant medallions, topped with pomodoro sauce, ricotta and five-cheese blend, served with garlic broccolini. Vegans also have many menu items to choose from at LYFE Kitchen.

 

Take a look at this blogger’s vegan experience at LYFE Kitchen.

 

“My fears were wasted energy because as it turned out not only would we be dining on all vegan dishes, one of our dining companions would be none other than Chef Tal Ronnen, one of the two Executive Chef’s at LYFE Kitchen!

Chef Tal told us that we were about to enjoy a meal that would be delicious, satisfying and coincidentally, cholesterol free. That’s right, zero cholesterol. Every dish would be under 600 calories and each would be packed with flavor.” Read on.

For those who are lactose intolerant or just looking for a lower-fat and lower-calorie dairy substitute, it’s easy these days to find an alternative to milk. Milks derived from soy, rice and almonds have been growing in popularity at a fast rate. According to a recent report released by research firm Packaged Facts, the total retail sales of dairy alternative beverages in the U.S. reached $1.33 billion in 2011. Of the alternative milks, almond milk posted the largest gains the same year.

There are numerous reasons people choose to pass on milk – plant-based milks are great replacements for those with milk allergies, lactose intolerance, genetic disorder PKU (phenylketonuria), vegan lifestyles, or those seeking overall healthier choices (good nutritional value with no hormones or antibiotics sometimes found in cow’s milk).

Almond milk, for example, is rich in protein, omega fatty acids, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc while containing no cholesterol or saturated fats.

“Currently, the most commonly known and popular of the commercial plant milks is soymilk. Following in consumer recognition and consumption are almond milk, rice milk and coconut milk, in that order of preference. Additionally, hemp milk, oat milk, hazelnut milk, flax milk, sunflower milk and multigrain milk are available at the retail level, although they enjoy only a very minor market share.”Read the rest here.

These alternative milks have made their way into recipes as well. Not only are they great to drink but excellent in cooking, even baking!

Coconut milk

You are probably used to seeing cartons of soy, rice and almond milk in the refrigerated section of your favorite grocery store, but have you checked the international foods or Asian aisle yet? You’ll likely find canned coconut milk though it’s generally not meant as a dairy drink substitute. Very popular in Asian cuisine, coconut milk (which is the juice derived from grated coconut meat), is used in a number of popular dishes like curry, for instance. It is a ubiquitous ingredient found in dishes from countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysian, Philippines, Burma, India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and even Brazil, Caribbean islands, Polynesian islands and Pacific islands.

In terms of nutrition, coconut milk contains high levels of saturated fat (actually, it is rich is medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which the body processes differently than other saturated fats and is known to promote weight maintenance without raising cholesterol levels) and calories. This is mainly true for the canned variety, however, these days, there are newer coconut beverages with better nutritional profiles, like the So Delicious® Coconut Milk Beverage.

Check out this video tutorial on cooking Panang curry (Thai traditional dish) featuring the use of Aroy-D brand coconut milk. Looking for some other uses of coconut milk? Run a YouTube search query for cooking with coconut milk and you’ll see how popular this ingredient is, with nearly 2,800 video results!

With these current trends, it is highly advisable to incorporate milk alternatives into your restaurant menu in order to accommodate your guests’ differing needs.