As Nation’s Restaurant News marks the half century since it first published in 1966, we look at some menu offerings that changed the face of food.

Each decade offers a seminal moment in foodservice, from salad bars to better burgers.

“Creativity is thinking up new things,” noted Theodore Levitt, of Harvard Business School, in the Harvard Business Review in 1963. “Innovation is doing new things.”

Here are restaurant innovations that shook their decades.

While the burrito’s roots go back to the 1960s Mission District of San Francisco, it took Chipotle Mexican Grill to bring the burrito to the masses. The food marked a decade of expanding fusion foods and growing acceptance of the fast-casual service model. Burritos’ popularity also signified an increased adoption of spicier food profiles. The chipotle, after all, can be a potent pepper.

Chipotle’s buffet-line customization has been adopted broadly, especially in today’s fast-casual pizza segment. The rise of the burrito also led to packaging innovations, including brands as Qdoba Mexican Eats and Austin, Texas-based Freebirds, with the foil-wrapped burrito serving as both container and structural support for the hand-held food.

When Norman Brinker pioneered the casual-dining segment with the first Steak and Ale restaurant in 1966, the salad bar was as much a focal point as the menus printed on giant cleavers and wine lists offered on bottles.

The unlimited salad bar and quick delivery of bread were built as value propositions for diners, said Paul Mangiamele, CEO of Legendary Restaurant Brands LLC, which owns the Steak and Ale brand today.

Although the last Steak and Ale restaurant closed in 2008, the concept’s salad bar set the stage for standalone salad concepts like Greenz and Salata to thrive. The salad bar remains a signature centerpiece at casual-dining brands like Ruby Tuesday, which debuted its enhanced Garden Bar this year.

The Aughts ought to be known for one thing: the better burger. The new Millennium saw a growing number of better-burger brands, with each offering its own twist: Smashburger, Umami Burger, Elevation Burger, BurgerFi, Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes, and Jake’s Wayback. The roots for the premium burgers go back to the 1960s, but it was Shake Shack that wowed the markets with an initial-public offering in 2015 valued at $1.8 billion. The burger segment continues to attract attention: in March Chipotle Mexican Grill applied for a trademark for the term “Better Burger.”

Peppers and plant-based meals: With consumer tastes tending more to the spicy — witness the explosion of Sriracha and Buffalo-sauce items this decade — NRN can safely predict more peppers on meals. And with growing consumer interest in fresh fruits and vegetables, we can expect more plant-based meals on the horizon.

With all-day breakfast making big news lately, it’s hard to remember when McDonald’s didn’t dominate the morning meal. But it was 1975 when McDonald’s stepped into the national breakfast arena with the Egg McMuffin.

Created by California franchisee Herb Peterson, the Egg McMuffin was first offered regionally in 1972. It was served open-faced with a freshly cracked egg, American cheese and Canadian bacon on a toasted, buttered English muffin.

Since McDonald’s October 2015 debut of All-Day Breakfast as part of the brand’s turnaround, McMuffins are available all day long. In response, quick-service brands have been beefing up their breakfast offerings to compete, such as Taco Bell’s rollout of a $1 value menu this March.

The egg-washed, deep-fried Bloomin’ Onion at Outback Steakhouse typified the often-fried menu items of the 1980s.

“In 1988, we had a vision to bring flavor that had never been tasted and presentation that had never been seen before in casual dining,” said Tim Gannon, a founder of Outback Steakhouse, in an email to NRN.

“The Bloomin’ Onion combines bold spices inspired by the flavors of New Orleans with a gourmet, upscale presentation.”

Weighing in at about 1,950 calories and 134 grams of fat, the Bloomin’ Onion’s sales soared in the casual-dining heyday.

Rivals joined the party as well. Chili’s Grill & Bar introduced the Awesome Blossom, but discontinued it in the early 2000s. And the menu item’s power can be still be seen in Outback Steakhouse’s parent company, which is, of course, named Bloomin’ Brands Inc.