It was one of those “aha” moments. Wylie Dufresne, chef-owner of wd~50 in New York and a leader in molecular gastronomy, shared the stage with Dan Coudreaut, executive chef and director of culinary innovation for McDonald’s, at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago. On the topic of menu innovation, Dufresne allowed that he learned a lot from McDonald’s, saying to Coudreaut, “You’ve done the work. The question is what can we learn from it.” It was an openhearted confession that nicely sums up what the show represents — an opportunity to sample the best ideas and products in the industry.
It’s all about authenticity. “Real” foods are a megatrend in the making, and the show offered a look at how the trend is evolving. Attendees could learn the details of local sourcing and determine whether a forager, an expert on finding supplies within a given region, is right for their operations. The show was filled with vendors of foods grown on family farms. One purveyor of sustainable produce dazzled attendees with micro greens that shone like small jewels, while another promoted all-natural snacks in compostable packaging sourced from managed pulp plantations.
Ideas are the currency of the industry. There were several attention-grabbing items at this year’s show, including edible spoons, beef straws for slurping Bloody Marys and hamburger holders for neater burger consumption. Entering its second year at the show, the Food Truck Spot, dedicated to all aspects of mobile catering, boasted food-truck manufacturers, leasers of fully equipped trucks and a fledgling food-truck franchising group, a sign that the phenomenon has legs as well as wheels.
Demonstrating further ingenuity were the NRA’s first Food & Beverage Product Innovations Award winners. Among items making the cut were telera rolls, necessary for true Mexican sandwiches, and pizza, which scored two awards — one for hand-stretched wood-fired crusts and another for whole-grain stuffed-crust pies that meet standards for school lunch programs. Gourmet items like spreadable roasted-garlic herb butter and Ibérico de bellota heritage pork, tasty Spanish ham made from pigs fed on acorns and herbs, were also recognized.
Ethnic food is more approachable. The number of ethnic-food booths has expanded in the recent past, and this year the focus was on making ethnic accessible. The Korean exhibit deconstructed its cuisine with cooking demonstrations on pancakes, pickles and tapas. At the nearby Japan Pavilion, the emphasis was on taking the mystery out of umami and teaching the basics and versatility of relevant ingredients like soy sauce and miso. And in a nod to Middle Eastern cuisines just starting to gain acceptance here, falafel wraps and hummus chips were represented.
Chefs are people, too. Celebrity chefs have become fixtures at the show, but rarely have they been as engaged or engaging. “Top Chef” judge and restaurateur Tom Colicchio wowed high school students with his tips and tricks of the trade, “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro unveiled a custom cake created just for the occasion, and Gale Gand of “Sweet Dreams” stole the show when she gamely led a flash-mob dance through some tricky choreography.
As Dufresne pointed out to Coudreaut, it’s all about learning from one another and pushing the envelope, and at its 92nd anniversary, the 2011 NRA Show provided plenty of opportunity to do both.
Nancy Kruse, president of The Kruse Company, is a menu trends analyst based in Atlanta. E-mail her at nancykruse@aol.com.
