2010 Food & Drink Predictions – Food Carts, Liquor from South of the Border & Questioning the Locavore movement

Every year I pen a prediction list on the trends in Food & Drink for the upcoming year.  And every year, I’m partially right and partially wrong.  The trick is to be on the “right” side more often than not.

I wish I had my post from last year, but alas, my home server died this year and I’ve been unable to recover the contents.  So, for now, you’ll have to make due with future predictions without a look at my track record from last year.

1. Food Carts/Pop-Up Restaurants (again)

   I’m pretty sure this was on my list from last year, but it really got going in 2009, and is set to continue its rise in 2010.  More and more mobile & makeshift restaurateurs + food vendors are starting to setup more stable shops and perfect the business model for running the spontaneous services.There’s even talk of a TV show based on NYC street food vendors (by Courtney Cox & David Arquette).  If it hasn’t broken through to mainstream yet, 2010 might be the year US food carts & pop-up restaurants are on everyones’ lips.

2. Liquor from South of the Border – Mezcal & Pisco

   Many drink industry pundits in SF are calling 2010 the year of Mezcal (the “child” of Tequila production).  However, I’d like to extend it to include the introduction of Pisco into the US consciousness.  Why?  Well, our love of all things Latino growing this year and ready to take off in 2010.These liquors go great with the spicy, earthy and flavorful food of Mexico & South America.  Mezcal being a smoky brown liquor that adds a complexity to many contemporary cocktail, and Pisco, a smooth, pungent brandy from Chile & Peru (traditionally) has many uses from punches to sours.

   With famous chefs like Jose Garces developing a modern take on Latino cuisine (such as at his restaurant Chifa in Philadelphia) and the meteoric rise of Rick Bayless (thanks to his win on Top Chef Masters), there will be lots of good food for these liquors to match with in major metropolitan areas.  In addition, the trend-setting bartenders of NYC & SF are embracing Mezcal & Pisco for more interesting cocktail concoctions.

3. Realization that eating “local” doesn’t mean you get the best product, just possibly a little cheaper and maybe slightly better for the environment.  But Locavore dining continues to rise, as does trying to “mimic” the qualities of overseas produced goods.

   Michael Pollan and others raised the nation’s consciousness about eating healthier & more local ingredients.  However, these positions will be proven to be pragmatic given our environmental & economic situation, and not necessary the best choice for our discerning palates.I was recently talking to a friend in the “industry” and they argued that some local products were actually very inferior to those brought in from overseas.  Thinking about this, it made me realize I wouldn’t trade a Sonoma Pinot for a French Burgundy.  While wine benefits from the terroir, the conditions for growing produce, raising meat & preparing them for delivery to markets are different from producer to producer and region to region.I am by no means against things that are environmentally & economically more sustainable.  In fact, I appreciate good quality local ingredients.  However, I think the consciousness will swing by to “high quality” products, regardless of where they come from, with a focus on trying to produce local versions that get “close enough” to the imported or trucked-in counterparts.

It will be a big year for the food & alcohol industries as they undergo changes to deal with the economic situation of the world.  So, I can’t wait to see what they can put on our plate and in our glasses!