Author: Flavor & The Menu Staff

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Steaks are the most ordered item at Sizzler, so expanding that lineup makes good business sense. This heritage brand is testing the Horseradish Parmesan Steak, answering the trend for customization through flavor-loaded steak toppings. “We wanted to bring in another dimension to the steak experience by offering flavorful additions that are craveable,” says Tamra Scroggins, Director of Food Culture. Grilled tri-tip is topped with horseradish-Parmesan butter and a garnish of Asiago-Parmesan crisps. “Why do we love horseradish with steak? Simple umami,” she says. “The caramelized sweetness of the steak with the sharp,...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Tying in to its theme of hearth-based cooking, the S’mores Soufflé is one of the most successful dishes on The Promontory’s menu. The s’mores build captures the essence of the campfire while elevating it to signature status. The secret is switching out the classic chocolate bar for a rich, elegant soufflé. “To me, s’mores are a quintessential open-fire, Americana dessert,” says Jeremy Brutzkus, Pastry Chef. He starts with a smoked chocolate soufflé, then adds smoked graham cracker-malt ice cream and brûléed marshmallow. “When eating this dish, you get the rich dark chocolate...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Monica Kate, Corporate Executive Pastry Chef for Kneaders Bakery and Café, discovered scones while traveling through Scotland when she was 19. This quick bread is as common in Britain as the muffin is here, but has never made big inroads in the United States. Fitting well within Kneaders’ from-scratch menu offerings, Kate brought in the traditions of the Old World and made the flavors more accessible to today’s palate. While her recipes are built on the idea of an English breakfast scone, Kneaders’ scones are slighter sweeter and more moist than traditional...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Adam Hegsted, Chef/Owner of Wandering Table at Kendall Yards in Spokane, Wash., won first place in the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s “Swap Meat for Alaska Seafood” contest with his Salmon Osso Buco recipe. In it, he subs in wild Alaska sockeye salmon for veal. “The idea is built around classic osso buco. Obviously, salmon can’t be cooked as long, but it can really stand up to some of the same bold flavors,” says Hegsted. “There are many flavor nuances at work in the dish. First you have the flavorfulness of the salmon...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff With modern innovation around fried chicken pushing craveability and creativity to new heights, the challenge is finding the right balance of adventure and familiarity with your customer base. “Our Korean Chicken is a unique take on emerging flavor trends delivered in an approachable, low-risk way,” says Michael Slavin, newly appointed Culinary Director for Houlihan’s, Inc. “It has appeal with our loyal guests, who are always up for trying something new, but it also appeals to new guests who are just discovering Houlihan’s. The best part for me is taking the cult following...