The greatest menu hits of 2018
By Patricia Cobe on Aug. 01, 2018How do you strike the right balance between adventure and familiarity?
That’s the challenge for menu developers in every segment. Consumers seem to want both. And that came through loud and clear in FoodService Director’s third annual survey, in which we asked chefs and foodservice directors to choose a top new dish that is rocking their menus.
Some of the most successful menu introductions of the past year embraced new ingredients and cuisines, while others put a fresh spin on old favorites, the survey’s respondents revealed. Several items even spanned both trends, applying adventurous flavors to familiar platforms. Read on to see which dishes made the list.
All photos, unless otherwise noted, are courtesy of the operator.
Bowls emerged as a top trend in every segment. Chefs are filling them with everything from Asian noodles to breakfast ingredients, plant-based preps and more. A bowl is a convenient format for the grab-and-go and build-your-own customer, as well as a vehicle for creative plating at sit-down dinners.
Beijing noodle bowl with chicken
Although this Asian-accented dish features chicken, we’ve found that bowls are a subtle but effective way to highlight vegetables. The recipe includes kohlrabi, turnips, edamame, carrots and cremini mushrooms that we roast with Sriracha and add to the miso broth. Together with the thin noodles, they make for a plant-forward bowl instead of a meat-focused dish. —Matthew Cervay, Geisinger Health Systems
Build-your-own rice bowl
Our most successful rice bowl is at our Sabai concept. Students have a choice of cooked rice (jasmine, brown or fried), a protein (beef, chicken, pork or tofu) and several sauces, including sweet Thai chili, hoisin, satay sauce or Sriracha mayo. For those who dine in, the meal is served in a bowl, but for students who request it to go, we serve it in a bento box. —Julaine Kiehn, University of Missouri
Pan-seared Arctic char in fennel broth
The pan-seared fish is served in fennel broth, accompanied by grilled fennel, maitake mushrooms and roasted marble potatoes, so a shallow bowl makes for the best presentation. This entree was inspired by the Food with a Purpose movement—nothing was wasted. The fennel bulb was grilled and the fennel tops and undesirable parts of the mushrooms were used for the broth. —Brian Campbell, Eurest Executive Chef
Pho bowls
We trialed three options of pho—beef, chicken and tofu-vegetable—to get customer feedback for a pho bowl concept we are developing for our retail operations. Over the course of five days, the number of bowls we sold at lunch went from 56 per meal period on Monday to 98 on Wednesday. For the pho variations, we place the protein, noodles, carrots, cabbage and onions in a bowl and cover them with hot broth. Guests add fresh garnishes, including sprouts, basil leaves, sliced jalapenos and hot sauce. With the positive feedback, we are launching the Bowled Over pho concept in the Fall. —Shawn Dolan, UNC Medical Center
Photograph: Shutterstock
Jeweled orzo salad
Orzo is the perfect platform for a veg-centric pasta dish. Its size and shape make it easy to incorporate any seasonal vegetable in a 50/50 ratio of pasta and vegetables. This dish has been a great addition to the line, as it serves as a side to chicken kabobs and other Middle Eastern entrees, or even as a main dish. Nuts and dried fruit make it extra satisfying, and while it is currently a vegan dish, a little feta sprinkled on top adds to the depth and richness. —Hadi Montazeri, University of Colorado Boulder
Ramen noodle bar
At our station, we offer two types of broth, ramen noodles, assorted veggies, tofu, pork belly, tamago egg, seaweed, sesame seeds and sesame oil for students to build custom ramen bowls. Any made-to-order item is a hit with students—they love to customize. —Aran Essig, University of Northern Colorado
Photograph: Shutterstock
Korean beef broth bowls
Our bowls, combining beef with veggies in a Korean-accented broth, were our most successful introduction this year. —Drew Patterson, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Photograph: Shutterstock
Customization Italian-style
La Vincita at Loyola Marymount University in California offers students the ability to build their favorite pasta bowls with fresh ingredients. We offer a choice of fresh pastas, seasonal vegetables, proteins (chicken, shrimp or housemade meatballs) and sauces (housemade marinara, pesto or Alfredo). We put love into everything we do, and our students recognize that and take comfort in knowing exactly where their food comes from. —Alfonso Campos, Loyola Marymount
Photograph: Shutterstock
Riffs on chicken
Chicken held its 2017 spot as the most popular protein in our survey, with many operators using it as a base for experimentation. These dishes take creativity from coop to plate.
Fried chicken club
The fried chicken club is offered at Noble Fork Sustainable Diner in Cafe 25, which is a station that embraces the principles of slow food. The sandwich evokes nostalgia of American comfort food, but the ingredients are upgraded and sustainable. The organic chicken is locally sourced from California, as is the bacon, sourdough bread and Swiss cheese. House-grown, GMO-free hydroponic romaine lettuce, organic tomatoes and artisanal aioli round out the sandwich. The dish is the top seller at the station and has quickly become a customer favorite. —Craig Tarrant, Dining at Microsoft
Coconut chicken vindaloo
Our guests line up out the door for our rendition of coconut chicken vindaloo. We dredge a chicken breast in dried coconut, panko and Indian spices, then pan-fry it. We serve it on a bed of cilantro-cumin rice topped with a deep red vindaloo sauce. Roasted ginger-cumin veggies are served on the side. The combination of sweet, savory and sour flavors and bright colors make for a dish that’s fantastic-tasting and eye-catching. Sales started out slow, but with basic education and sampling, our patrons began to love the dish, and word-of-mouth turned it into a best-seller at the 725 Grille at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. —Brent Russell, ProHealth Care Inc.
BBQ chicken nachos
We pile roasted barbecued chicken on tortilla chips and top it with nacho cheese. The dish has a restaurant look that the students really like. —Todd Bull, Grossmont Union High School District
General Tso’s chicken
K-12 students made our dish a favorite, despite its spicy flavors. We cut the chicken in chunks and cook it in the sauce, then serve it in wraps and over brown rice. —Betty Morrison, Glascock County (Ga.) Consolidated Schools
Today’s consumers are indecisive, and as much as they seek flavor adventure at one meal, they may crave comfort food at the next. These operators deliver on those cravings, offering old favorites with a new twist.
Eggplant lasagna Florentine
Layers of seasoned grilled eggplant are covered with four cheeses—Parmesan, provolone, mozzarella and a ricotta-spinach mixture. We top it with marinara and bake it until bubbly. The residents really relate this dish to their upbringing. It provides a home-cooked feeling and is vegetable-focused. —Matteo LaFica, Home of the Good Shepherd
Cincinnati chili on spaghetti
One of the cult classics we adapted to make healthier is our version of Cincinnati chili. It started off slow, but the combination of spices, tomato and even chocolate in the recipe has gained us new customers looking for comfort food while keeping a trim waistline. —JP Krause, Children’s Hospital Colorado
Photograph: Shutterstock
Cedar plank salmon
Our cedar plank salmon is a top seller. We marinate the salmon fillet in a sweet-savory Asian sauce, then cook it on a water-soaked cedar plank in our pizza oven for just about 10 minutes. We serve it with a field green salad and steamed white rice. —Shawn Noack, Morningside of Fullerton
Housemade chili
We switched from a commercially prepared chili to a housemade chili made from scratch, and it’s become our most successful new recipe. Plus, our research determined that making the chili in-house was more cost-effective and garnered better student response. School staff is also enthusiastic about the dish. —Kevin Frank, Detroit Public School
Photograph: Shutterstock
Made-to-order wraps
At our World’s Fare venue, we offer a variety of tortilla wraps and fillings on a rotating basis. These include turkey, ham, bacon, fajita chicken, tuna, hummus and tofu, with shredded cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and spinach to add on. Customers can build their own or order a house recommendation. We’ve been very happy with student acceptance of our wrap bar. —Ann Johnson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Photograph: Shutterstock
Cowboy grilled cheese
We originally created our sandwich to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day on April 12, but it was so popular, we moved it into three a la carte locations. Thick Texas toast is the carrier, and the filling is a combination of cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, barbecued beef brisket, pickled jalapenos and pickled onions. —Robert Mayberry and Tia McLeroy, University of Texas at Austin
Noncommercial chefs take a virtual trip around the world for culinary inspiration, but in the last year, Asian cuisines seemed to dominate. These dishes are influenced by Thai, Korean, Indian and other Asian flavors.
Kid kimchi
For our quick, kid-friendly kimchi, we source Beauty Heart radishes, purple daikon radishes and carrots from our Farm to School supply program. The vegetables are dressed with Sriracha, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and applesauce. Our student populations are becoming more diverse, making their flavor choices more diverse and daring. —Mark Augustine, Minneapolis Public Schools
Photograph: Shutterstock
Rice and spice menu
Our menu cuts across the globe, from Indian to Greek and multiple Asian cuisines. Plus, we’re able to offer this one concept in three different versions at the same station. Indian curries, for example, are served as a rice plate option, a wrap or a rice or salad bowl. —Roy Sullivan, UCSF Health Systems
Photograph: Shutterstock
Sesame and ginger seared ahi tuna
We season the tuna steak with sesame and ginger, then sear it rare. It’s served on a “pillow” of baby bok choy with a chilled soba noodle salad on the side and wasabi orange essence drizzled on the plate. The Japanese flavors and culinary style resonate with B&I operators. —Glenn M. Batten, Eurest Regional Chef
Photograph: Shutterstock
Bibimbap
Residents really enjoy our Korean bibimbap. We serve the warm rice bowl topped with sauteed vegetables and an egg, with gochujang on the side so diners can add it to taste. —Jason Koprivich, Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services
Photograph: Shutterstock
Korean fried chicken street tacos
Our customers have become fans of Korean street tacos. We fry the chicken in-house with authentic seasonings, then spoon it into tacos and top it with mirin pickled vegetables, Korean chili paste sauce, lime, garlic aioli and cilantro. —Jonathan Smith, TouchPoint Support Services
Photograph: Shutterstock
Pork banh mi with house nuoc cham
We introduced students to Vietnamese cooking with our sandwich, and it became a big hit. It consists of roasted pork on a wheat roll with garlic “mayo” and a salad mix of carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, basil and mint, plus the signature fish sauce, nuoc cham. —Brent Trudeau, Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District
Mexican and Moroccan ingredients—two other trending cuisines—also showed up in some of the top favorites.
North African flatbread
We added a new plant-forward concept called Tero, and one of our most popular flatbreads is topped with marinated chickpeas, roasted eggplant, roasted carrots, olive oil potatoes, fresh tomatoes and feta cheese, finished with baby arugula and a lemon-tahini drizzle. It's healthy, the flavors are on-trend and it is beautiful. We also build the same ingredients into a bowl called Casablanca. It has a quinoa-couscous blend as a base. —Tracey MacRae, University of Washington
Photograph: Shutterstock
Mexican ravioli
Combining Mexican ingredients with ravioli is a winning combination. Layers of cheese ravioli and taco meat mixed with salsa created a different version of a classic that is really good. —Stephanie Dyehouse, Cincinnati Public Schools
Fiesta Cafe
Our Central Delivery System Food Services team introduced the Fiesta Cafe, offering Southwestern cuisine made to order. The options include shrimp and crab ceviche, barbacoa, carne adovada, carnitas, grilled vegetables, grilled salmon, chicken guisado and a variety of other fillings for tacos and burritos. The station was introduced at two of our busiest retail outlets in Albuquerque and has been a great success attracting new and repeat customers.—Zlatko Jancic, Presbyterian Healthcare Services
Street corner
Habaneros, an on-site street-food concept, is set up at Bosch headquarters. We offer Mexican-style street food, such as tortas and tacos, that can be customized. Some other successful items launched recently are our “Mexiroccan”-influenced grain bowls and panini-pressed Burgers without Borders. —Iraj Fernando, Southern Foodservice Management
Plant-based and veg-forward eating are now permanently entrenched in consumers’ dining behavior. Noncommercial chefs are feeding the habit with evermore creative recipes and platings.
Beet pastrami
We marinate sliced, raw beets in pastrami seasoning to mimic the meat flavor. Then we layer the marinated beets with local kimchi and sun butter on local rye bread. The sandwich is a student favorite. —Frank Turchan, University of Michigan
Photograph: Shutterstock
Buffalo cauliflower tacos
Students in the university’s nutritional sciences program rotate through our production and service units, then spend several weeks working in one location to develop and serve a recipe. These tacos were created by student intern Lauren Newman and served at Jester Second Floor Dining. The cauliflorets are tossed with olive oil, chili powder and garlic powder, then roasted in the oven and piled into corn tortillas with a vegan ranch dressing. They were the most popular vegan entree ever served on the vegan line. —Lauren Pelchat, University of Texas at Austin
Charred cauliflower puree
This has become a signature menu item at Harry's Cafe, a concept in the Pritzker School of Law that was voted one of the top 10 cafes by Chicago Reader in 2017. It features cauliflower prepared in three different ways—as a charred cauliflower puree, roasted cauliflower and truffle-flavored—combined with garlic pistachios and Parmesan. An herb ciabatta is served on the side. —Chris Studtmann, Northwestern University
Orange You Glad
We introduced pressed juices on campus, and this orange version became a favorite. It’s a great fit for our students, who are very concerned with health and wellness. It offers a good break from the usual inundation of sugar-added drinks. —Dewey McMurrey, Texas Tech University
Photograph: Shutterstock
Jackfruit tacos
We have a very vocal plant-based diet contingent in our community, so we’ve been using jackfruit as a nonmeat alternative on Mexican menus. The jackfruit is shredded, seasoned and caramelized a la plancha, then served in small corn tortillas, street taco-style. The tacos are garnished with cabbage pico de gallo, avocado, fresh cilantro and tomatillo salsa. As a final touch, we grate cauliflower over the dish to simulate cheese. —Eric Eisenberg, Rogue Valley Manor Retirement Community
Photograph: Shutterstock
Turkey-beef meatballs with zucchini noodles
To put plants in the spotlight, we serve zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti in this dish. The meatballs are prepared with a mix of turkey and beef for a leaner result, and the noodles—made by spiralizing fresh zucchini—are the focus of the plate. A spicy marinara sauce completes the recipe. —Jennifer Leamons, Carolinas HealthCare System
Photograph: Shutterstock
Grilled shrimp and avocado toast
We feature avocado toast as an action station, and it’s turned into a really a big hit. For this version, grilled bread is topped with avocado mash, grilled shrimp, chopped bacon, cherry tomatoes, arugula, pickled onions, feta cheese and a fried egg. Customers can jazz up the dish to their liking with garnishes, including chia seeds, flax seeds, chili flakes, balsamic reduction, pesto or Sriracha. —Michael Kasperek, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Emily’s Garden
We converted our vegan/vegetarian station, Emily’s Garden, to feature primarily all vegan foods with the option of making it vegetarian by adding goat cheese, feta, etc. It has been wildly popular, and one of the best-sellers is our build-your-own rice bowl/noodle bowl. We offer a variety of broths and toppings, including carrots, daikon, quinoa, lentils, barley, edamame, rice noodles and even fresh berries for the Thai coconut curry broth. This ties in nicely with our goal of reducing meat proteins by providing more fruits, grains and vegetables. —Mark Miller, Skidmore College
Salad bar with cook-to-order stations
We expanded our salad bar and incorporated cook-to-order stations at four locations: Garden Greens, Global Cuisines, Gourmet Noodle and Chef’s Table. We’ve increased the quantity of fresh vegetables at all these concepts, which gives students the opportunity of customize healthier options. —Greg Gefroh, University of North Dakota
Photograph: Shutterstock
Chefs Cut
We introduced a new luncheon feature to offer trending recipes and seasonal features to our guests. Chefs Cut highlights everything from a spice-rubbed duck breast to simply prepared grilled chicken, but we offer the dishes with all the appropriate condiments and accompaniments. —Cameron Clegg, Parkhurst Dining
Photograph: Shutterstock
Chefs like to stretch their culinary boundaries. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t. These edgy items—three of the four from senior living chefs—and one successful menu platform prove that the stretch was worth the risk.
Lemon tea-poached salmon
We started experimenting with tea as an ingredient in both sweet and savory applications after I visited a tea company in Sri Lanka last year. Our salmon poached in lemon tea has been a real hit. Poaching in tea not only adds subtle flavor, but it is also a health-promoting technique. —Rocky Dunham, Elizabeth Jane Bivins Culinary Center
Photograph: Shutterstock
Braised pig cheeks
As baby boomers start to come into retirement communities, our diners are getting more adventurous. We introduced braised pig cheeks prepared with almond mole and a cauliflower olive salad, and it was very well-received. —Shep Drinkwater, Vi at Bentley Village
Photograph: Shutterstock
Bruschetta with herbed ricotta and roasted grapes
Simple dishes such as apple-soy glazed salmon and herb-roasted chicken remain favorites with residents, but this new appetizer got a great response. We roast the grapes with a little balsamic vinegar and flavor the ricotta with basil, sage and Parmesan. Grapes are rarely served cooked, but roasting makes them really delicious. Plus, they help control blood sugar and fight inflammation—benefits that seniors appreciate. This is a small item but it’s bursting with flavor. —Jeff Muldrow, Mather LifeWays
Photograph: Shutterstock
Spud patch
In this zero-waste recipe, we utilize root-to-stem vegetables, lean protein and fresh dairy to create a one-of-a-kind experience. The dish is composed of pan-seared scallops with beet “soil,” potato dumplings in a basket, vodka creme fraiche and watercress salad. The potato peelings are fried and seasoned to add texture to the salad. Then we dehydrate beets and combine them with pistachios to create the “soil” for this spud patch. Dehydrated vegetables are another great way to utilize trim or imperfect produce that is commonly wasted. —Chris Ivens-Brown, Eurest Chief Culinary Officer