Fearless Food and Drink Predictions for 2012

By Rich Manning

One of the fun things to do when time stumbles into a new year is to take a shrewd, hard look at the items and trends that could potentially define the next twelve months of our life.  Arguably, nowhere is this type of scrutiny more intriguing than in the worlds of food and drink.  While it is quite amusing to sit around and forecast the performance of the 2012 line of Aston Martins or the latest assortment of Kate Spade handbags, tracking the trends of the culinary landscape is packed with the most pleasure because it has the most immediate impact on our daily lives.  After all, everyone has to eat, which makes following the latest and greatest in the culinary landscape practically essential.

So what are the gastronomic items to keep an eye on throughout the upcoming year?  What are the things that will be in vogue or fall out of favor?  Obviously, we do not know for certain – which is good, because it makes things more interesting.  However, we can still use what we have learned in 2011 to boldly predict what the Orange County food scene may hold for us all in 2012.

Expect a war over foie gras.  As you may know, effective July 1, California is imposing a ban on the sale of foie gras in restaurants.  However, there are already rumblings of chefs up and down the state ready to stand up to the looming prohibition by flat-out ignoring the ruling, despite the threat of daily fines and potential protests.  It stands to reason that this mindset may trickle through OC, particularly amongst places in which the serving of the goose liver delicacy is elevated to an art form.    

More food truck enterprises will find permanent homes.  Since The Lime Truck chef Jason Quinn opened his brick-and-mortar eatery The Playground in Santa Ana to great success and acclaim, it’s only natural that other players in the mobile kitchen industry would follow suit.  The people behind the popular trucks Seabirds and SlapFish have already unveiled plans for permanent locations in 2012; expect more of the same from other OC trucks throughout the next twelve months.

In the cocktail world, everything old will continue to be new again.  Old Fashioneds.  Sidecars.  Pimm’s Cup.  These decidedly old-school potent potables are the drinks of the guys on “Mad Men,” and they are the libations of choice for those looking to fit the scene today.  The revival of these drinks began because people either found out or rediscovered the essence of cool that these mid-century drinks carried.  However, they will continue to be white-hot because, when properly put together, they taste really, really good. 

Look for more examples of high-end “comfort food.”  Blame it on the economy.  Or blame it on the fact that younger generation of haute cuisine patrons have a strong hankering for the kind of food that their mothers used to make.  Regardless of the reason, more and more well-heeled establishments will be building upon the newer trend of offering items that, at their basic elements, replicates the soothing vibe of a home-cooked meal.  Of course, in the hands of a master chef, it’s a given that a plate of meat loaf with a side of macaroni and cheese will be doctored up to an elegant, artisanal level  that is far superior to the homespun version.  Just don’t ever tell your mother this.

Expect an even greater focus on simply prepared food with local, fresh ingredients.  Make no mistake:  The farm-to-table movement that has affected all levels of cuisine has not lost an ounce of steam over the past few years.  In fact, it continues to grow.  Several restaurants in Orange County have gotten into the practice of either growing fresh ingredients on-site or on farmland that they are connected with in some way.  These hyper-local, seasonally dictated flavors will continue to inspire chefs from across the board to create menus built around simplicity and straightforwardness. 

The continental cuisine that dominated the high-end dining scene for decades will be harder to find.  The rise of artisan comfort food as well as the steady interest in simple, local fare will continue to be executed at the expense of the very dishes that defined the essence of fine dining for decades.  In some cases, it may even come at the expense of entire old-school culinary establishments, as was the case when OC icons Riviera Restaurant at the Fireside and The Arches shuttered in 2011.  Finding dishes like Beef Wellington, Steak Diane, or menu items that are flambed tableside will be the exception rather than the rule in 2012 more than ever before.  And things may get even tougher for this kind of cuisine:  Unless the younger generation cultivates an appreciation of this elegant type of food, it runs the risk of ultimately fading away.   

Rosé wines will officially lose their stigma.  There’s a funny thing that has happened as Orange County residents have become more educated about wines:  Instead of shifting into a greater sense of snobbery, they have embraced the idea of simply drinking whatever wine you like, whenever you wish.  No wine will take fuller advantage in this growth of perception than rosés.  Long considered an embarrassment in a bottle by wine aficionados, rosés have now developed a sturdy and expanding reputation as being the perfect “patio wine;” the kind of wine where you can simply enjoy on its own as the day winds down, without having to worry about food pairings.  By the end of 2012, those who still insist on mocking rosés will do so because they just do not know any better.

Look for a higher proliferation of unusual animal parts on the menu.  Offal, otherwise known as animal organ meat, is no longer the weird, nasty food that is solely reserved for culinary daredevils.  Case in point:  Orange County has stretched their collective palate to embrace things like chicken livers, bone marrow, and sweetbreads; items that would have been nearly impossible to find here a decade ago.  In 2012, expect more chefs like the eponymous talent at Broadway by Amar Santana to lead the way in taking OC’s burgeoning acceptance of the animal as a whole to more extreme, intriguing levels.

Of course, keep in mind that these are merely predictions.  When 2013 rolls around, there is a decent chance that we look back at this list and marvel at how off base some of the forecasts were.  However, there is only one way to find out how much weight these culinary prophecies hold.  That is, going through the year, one plate of food at a time.  And for this, we should all be excited and grateful.