Street-Level Trends

A cross-country tasting tour leads to new pathways of menu innovation

Street-level trend tracking reveals emerging menu opportunities

Live research reveals fresh ideas across menu parts

Classic ingredients enjoy flavor-forward new treatments

In 15 days that averaged 19 hours per day, Gerry Ludwig's team visited 116 new restaurants across the three cities, tasting 1,205 dishes along the way. This year’s greatest takeaway was the growing influence of global cuisines on mainstream menus.

Gerry Ludwig and his team visited 113 restaurants and tasted 1,107 dishes on their annual street-level trends tour, finding actionable insights that can translate onto today's menus. Here's part two in our series, delivering even more on-trend takeaways.

While researching the Trends Tour of 2018 part 2, a few dishes stood out - the frico taco, onion dip, and the breakthrough of Sea Buckthorn.

The twentieth Worlds of Flavor Conference provided the opportunity to reflect on the exciting changes and innovation that have moved foodservice forward over the past two decades, and contemplate the changes to come. As global cuisines continue to exert their influence on American menus, whether highly authentic or playfully mashed-up, that world becomes just a bit smaller with each passing year.

Gerry Ludwig and his culinary team’s annual street-level trends tour visits 113 restaurants and tastes 1107 dishes to bring you actionable insights into current food trends

Frico and French onion dip are among some of the menu standouts from Chef Gerry Ludwig’s 2018 trends tour. See how they’re creating buzz on menus.

Countrywide research reveals five next-level beverage opportunities

Street-level research reveals creative sparks that can flame menu innovation

Having tasted 1,197 dishes for the On Trends 2017 research, these were the three dishes that really stood out

Fried rice is versatile, economical and shareable

Emerging flavors and forms that will carry the torch for the casual cuisine mega-trend.

Street-level research brings fresh ideas and menu strategies