Menu Innovator Blog

italian

Da Marco, Houston, TX (Italian)

By Tony Lagana / June 10, 2021

Chef Marco Wiles was born in Italy and raised in the United States. As a child, he began cooking with his aunt during summers spent in northeastern Italy. He worked for several celebrated restaurants in Houston before opening DaMarco in an old house in the Montrose section of Houston. Since then, he has opened several…

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Chinois on Main, Santa Monica, CA (Asian)

By Tony Lagana / June 3, 2021

Chef Wolfgang Puck is one of the most well-known chefs in the world. With his multiple restaurants,  cookbooks, signature products, and cooking shows, he has appeared numerous times on television and in printed materials. Chinois on Main opened in 1983 and boldly introduced Asian fusion to the United  States, combining fresh California ingredients with Asian…

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Avec, Chicago, IL (Mediterranean)

By Tony Lagana / May 27, 2021

Avec opened in October 2003 as a partnership between Chef Paul Kahan, restaurateur Donnie Madia  and wine steward, Eduard Seitan. They have since opened a second location and offer national delivery  of their dishes. Chef Paul Kahan is well known throughout Chicago for his outstanding culinary feats in  11 restaurants. He grew up around food…

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ham and egg sandwhich

Tech Companies Challenge Third-Party Delivery Services

By Tony Lagana / February 18, 2021

Complicated Convenience As the restaurant industry is rapidly evolving with the new use of third-party delivery services, there are still some hiccups. Lack of communication, process, and transparency lead to such issues, such as inaccurate orders, misunderstood/misinterpreted dishes, and late delivery times. Another large issue caused directly by third-party services is absorbent rates, sometimes taking…

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vegetable soup

Soup’s On

By Tony Lagana / February 9, 2021

Top Soups Chicken soup, the all-American comfort food, doesn’t mean only chicken noodle. With ethnic cuisine being a huge influence in our society, this includes soups such as chicken tortilla (Latin) and Asian chicken noodle soups as top sellers. For example, Booyah, popular in the Midwest, is a thick chicken and vegetable soup made in…

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seafood

Seafood Trends on The Rise

By Tony Lagana / February 4, 2021

While familiar favorites like salmon and tuna will never be off menus, consumers are consistently looking for more options. Fish like branzino, red-fish, Arctic Char, and barramundi appear on more menus, and octopus is now the fastest-growing shellfish mentioned. Clearly, US seafood palates are expanding, and restaurants should keep a close eye on the trends. …

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italian cuisine

Spiaggia, Chicago, IL (Italian)

By Tony Lagana / January 27, 2021

Chef Eric Lees just took over the helm of the Spiaggia kitchen as its new Executive Chef from the former longtime Chef, Joe Flamm. Chef Lees grew up in Minnesota and has been no stranger to the fine dining culinary scene. Upon moving to Chicago, Lees worked at the famed Quince restaurant, which has contributed…

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wolfgang puck

Spago, Maui, HI (New American)

By Tony Lagana / January 25, 2021

Who is not familiar with famed celebrity chef, Wolfgang Puck who has risen to the United States, amassing over 20 top fine dining restaurants, over 80 Wolfgang Express locations, catering businesses, numerous cookbooks, and television appearances? Born and raised in Austria, Puck’s love of the culinary world began at a very early age when he…

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korean cuisine

Momofuku Ssam Bar, New York City, NY (Asian)

By Tony Lagana / January 23, 2021

As the child of Korean immigrants in Virginia, Chef David Chang did not always dream of a career in the culinary arts. Deciding between professional golfing, religious studies, finance and culinary, Chang did not begin his culinary training until 2000 at the French Culinary Institute. Chang moved to Japan after his training and worked in…

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plant based diet

Meatless Goes Mainstream

By Tony Lagana / January 21, 2021

The rise of the ‘wellness movement’ is leading the way for all new sorts of diets and health concerns. Making a meal with dietary restrictions can pose a challenge when trying to replace ingredients with a standard substitute or making a dish that excludes a major food group. Chefs are reimagining dishes with dietary restrictions,…

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