The Christmas lights have been taken down; the colored ornaments are packed away; the last Christmas CD has played; it's all over but the "Happy New Year". Except for the poinsettias - I can't seem to bear the idea of taking them out of the dining room just yet...
We are wading into the New Year with care - 2008 sort of bit us in the a__, so we find ourselves being a little wary of 2009 as a result. What is in store for us and for other restaurants, both in this area and the business at large? The predictions for the "next big thing", the trends for the coming restaurant year, have been popping up all over for several weeks, in many venues. Some will even possibly come to Kent County - not smoked bourbon perhaps, but people caring more about the source of the things on their plate is something we've already seen increase, and we know the small plate thing has never really gone away since we started doing that at the KVI in 1995. I'm not sure the "mixologist" title will reach bars in Kent County, nor the burgeoning popularity of Peruvian cuisine, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the idea of the "occasional" or "underground" restaurant, despite the fact that it could be considered unfair competition. I'd go. I especially like the idea that Tom Colicchio has, to do an occasional restaurant within a serious one - his is called Tom: Tuesday Dinner, where he does a farm-to-table (talk about a trend!) menu for limited guests in an intimate venue within the kitchen of Craft. I could see that happening here, with perhaps a guest "grower" as an assistant in the kitchen. Another trend I could see us tapping into would be the broader range of options for kids. Right now we offer the small ones a choice between grilled cheese or pasta with butter...and while that seems to satisfy them, maybe a "mini-plate" of a real menu item would appeal as well, not to mention broadening those growing taste buds a little. And while we are on the right track with the sustainable/local/heirloom/organic/free-range bandwagon, it would certainly be a great trend to see more meat produced on Kent County farms to be sold to area consumers. We'd be happy to purchase locally grown chickens and turkeys, more beef and veal, and I'm sure others would be too.
What is to come is anybody's guess. What we know is that we have to continue to change with the times, to know what our customers want and give it to them. Those customers don't always tell you what they want with their voices, they tell you with their feet and their pocket books. Our job is to pay attention and respond.
We are wading into the New Year with care - 2008 sort of bit us in the a__, so we find ourselves being a little wary of 2009 as a result. What is in store for us and for other restaurants, both in this area and the business at large? The predictions for the "next big thing", the trends for the coming restaurant year, have been popping up all over for several weeks, in many venues. Some will even possibly come to Kent County - not smoked bourbon perhaps, but people caring more about the source of the things on their plate is something we've already seen increase, and we know the small plate thing has never really gone away since we started doing that at the KVI in 1995. I'm not sure the "mixologist" title will reach bars in Kent County, nor the burgeoning popularity of Peruvian cuisine, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the idea of the "occasional" or "underground" restaurant, despite the fact that it could be considered unfair competition. I'd go. I especially like the idea that Tom Colicchio has, to do an occasional restaurant within a serious one - his is called Tom: Tuesday Dinner, where he does a farm-to-table (talk about a trend!) menu for limited guests in an intimate venue within the kitchen of Craft. I could see that happening here, with perhaps a guest "grower" as an assistant in the kitchen. Another trend I could see us tapping into would be the broader range of options for kids. Right now we offer the small ones a choice between grilled cheese or pasta with butter...and while that seems to satisfy them, maybe a "mini-plate" of a real menu item would appeal as well, not to mention broadening those growing taste buds a little. And while we are on the right track with the sustainable/local/heirloom/organic/free-range bandwagon, it would certainly be a great trend to see more meat produced on Kent County farms to be sold to area consumers. We'd be happy to purchase locally grown chickens and turkeys, more beef and veal, and I'm sure others would be too.
What is to come is anybody's guess. What we know is that we have to continue to change with the times, to know what our customers want and give it to them. Those customers don't always tell you what they want with their voices, they tell you with their feet and their pocket books. Our job is to pay attention and respond.
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