Bret Thorn

Senior Food Editor
Nation's Restaurant News

Bret Thorn is responsible for reporting on culinary trends in foodservice. He joined Nation’s Restaurant News in 1999, after spending about five years as a journalist in Thailand, where he wrote business and food stories. His columns in NRN won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for best staff-written editorial or opinion column. A magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University in Medford, Mass., with a bachelor’s degree in history, Mr. Thorn also studied at Le Cordon Bleu Ecole de Cuisine in Paris.

Articles by Bret Thorn
'21' Triple Crown
This cocktail combines classic Kentucky Derby drink ingredients
Season's 52 Quinoa
Consumers, restaurants embrace quinoa
Chains and independents alike are seeing success with the superfood
Kale is the green of choice on spring menus
The trending veggie appears in salads, flatbreads, condiments and even cocktails
CPK pizza
Menu Tracker: New items from KFC, Little Caesars
Boston Market, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Bahama Breeze, California Pizza Kitchen, Culver’s, Dairy Queen, Noodles & Company, Seasons 52 also introduce new items
Kevin Gillespie plans new Atlanta restaurant
Churrascaria-inspired Gunshow is set to open in May
Trending tables
Trending Tables: 50 hot restaurants
NRN looks at popular tables in 10 major cities
Salmon spring roll
Ada Street executive chef Zoe Schor uses house-cured Atlantic salmon as the wrapper for this spring roll.
Scott Nelowet
French Fry Heaven targets off-hours dayparts
Founder Scott Nelowet said the concept aims to grow by serving customer needs between meal times
Delicatessen blueberry pie sundae
Spring berries brighten dessert menus
Chefs are giving dessert classics the seasonal treatment
Seafood
Restaurant seafood sales rise during Lent
Americans ate more seafood during the period this year than in previous years, GrubHub finds
Buffalo Sweetbreads
Buffalo sweetbreads
New York City chef Jesse Schenker spices up sweetbreads with Sriracha sauce
Gordon Biersch ribs
Menu Tracker: New items from McDonald’s, Burger King
Wendy’s, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., La Madeleine Country French Café, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Doc Popcorn also introduce new items
Lobster
High prices push lobster off restaurant menus
Late winter storms are shrinking the supply and driving up prices
The latest chefs on the move
Senior food editor Bret Thorn tracks the latest chefs on the move, including Marie Grimm, Kim Letzia and David Sears
Bret Thorn
Stay informed about what you're serving 
NRN's Bret Thorn looks at the increasing trend of consumer concern over sourcing
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