Menu Innovator Blog

meatless meals

Meatless Holiday Meals? It’s Possible.

By Mary Kay LaBrie / December 15, 2021

The smell of the turkey roasting for hours in the oven. The baked ham with that sweet honey glaze. The Christmas Eve feast of the seven fishes. That delectable Christmas Day bone-in prime rib – perfectly medium-rare – or the crown pork roast stuffed with chestnut stuffing – the Chestnuts were roasted on an open…

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teas

Tea Time In a New Time

By Mary Kay LaBrie / December 7, 2021

Depending on the household, many people grew up drinking tea. However, if you asked for a cup of tea, you’d likely be offered English Breakfast or Earl Grey or whatever tea was popular in the family’s culture. For others, “Tea Time” was associated with scones, cucumber sandwiches with the crust cut off, and blue-haired ladies…

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healthy food

Healthy Food Fast

By Mary Kay LaBrie / September 6, 2021

Dieting on the Back Burner? Many people have gained weight or have put their diets/health on the back burner since the pandemic began, but since things are steadily going back to normal, many people are trying to compensate for their yearlong cheat day by eating healthy food. Some people have been able to get back…

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food collab

Flavors Collide with Food Collabs

By Mary Kay LaBrie / August 2, 2021

Food is like Music We’re used to hearing the term “collabs” when people talk about the music world. One artist who doesn’t normally work with another artist – and the two team up and record a hit single. Sometimes it’s two artists who create music in the same genre (country meets country). Sometimes it’s two…

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diversity

Diversity is Key

By Mary Kay LaBrie / July 19, 2021

Expanded Services It’s not without saying, COVID changed the way many restaurants operate.  Diversity is key, and many ventures have expanded their services surpassing just delivery and takeout. They have tested, tried, failed in some cases, revisited options, and have now refined their extended services. Not just as an effort to rake in more money…

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healthy food

Healthy Food Here and Now

By Mary Kay LaBrie / May 4, 2021

Dieting on the Back Burner? Many people have gained weight or have put their diets/health on the back burner since the pandemic began, but since things are steadily going back to normal, many people are trying to compensate for their yearlong cheat day by eating healthy. Some people have been able to get back to…

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non-dairy

Non-Dairy Products On The Rise

By Mary Kay LaBrie / April 20, 2021

Non-dairy products are booming and expanding. A few things helped us get to this point; one being cultural diversity (thank you coconut milk!) and the broadened ingredient list that diversity contributes to, two being health and wellness movements, and three being sustainability practices combined with people trying to curb their carnivorous and glutinous habits.  Why You Might…

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interchangeable ingredients

Interchangeable Ingredients Made Easy

By Mary Kay LaBrie / April 13, 2021

Versatility affords operators the ability to test new concepts You’ve got a popular salad on your menu. So you decide to take some of the same ingredients and create a flatbread. That’s a success. So you decide to create a bowl. That works. Then a pizza and finally, a sandwich. Now you have not one,…

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seaweed

Seaweed & Aquaculture

By Mary Kay LaBrie / April 6, 2021

From nori, the seaweed paper used in sushi, to a topping on shrimp burgers, there’s no doubt that seaweed is gaining in popularity. You may not know that there are a staggering variety of seaweeds, almost 600 subtypes, and they all vary in texture, color, and shape. These include Kelps, Dulse, Hijiki, Kombu, Arame, Wakame,…

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vegeterian options

Plant-Based Movement

By Mary Kay LaBrie / March 9, 2021

Plant-Based Movement Expands Product Lines and Menus Only a short year or so ago, plant-based burgers became all the rage. You found the beef substitute popping up on restaurant and fast-food menus.  But according to cnet.com Health and Wellness, plant-based beef, pork (in the form of sausage), bacon, chicken, and fish products are now in…

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