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Bret Thorn

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  • 5 min

Chicken curry has growing appeal on mainstream restaurant menus

🍗 Twin Peaks Restaurants, under Director Alex Sadowsky, have incorporated Indian flavors into their menu, tracking the trend for five years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects chicken consumption to reach 103.8 pounds per capita in 2025, up from 103.2 pounds in 2024, compared to a decrease in beef consumption from 58.3 pounds in 2024 to 56.1 pounds in 2025. Chicken remained popular during the pandemic, with Americans consuming an average of 96.5 pounds in 2019. Twin Peaks’ chicken tikka offerings, released in August, have seen a near 50% increase in popularity. Technomic identifies chicken curry as the third fastest growing chicken category. The term "curry" traces back to the Tamil word "kari," from South India. Chef James Wozniuk from Makan serves Ayam Goreng with a salted egg yolk sauce, and Tender Greens offers Japanese chicken curry, with the current version reflecting British influence on Japanese cuisine from the late 1800s. Chicken curry-adjacent dishes like the Smoked Blackened Chicken at Shor Bazaar in Hawaiian Gardens, Calif., have also gained popularity.
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  • 2 min

New on the menu: Two dry-aged burgers and an updated Mai Tai

🍝 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, has guided F&B trends reporting and won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award. He hosted "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast and wrote "Kitchen Dish" for The New York Sun (2005-2008). Thorn, a magna cum laude Tufts University graduate and Phi Beta Kappa member, studied at Le Cordon Bleu and in China, and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014.
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  • 2 min

Sage Hospitality Group acquires Alex Seidel’s Mercantile Provisions

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, hosts the podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn". He wrote for The New York Sun from 2005-2008. Previously, Thorn spent five years in Thailand writing for Manager magazine and Asia Times. A graduate of Tufts University (1990) and Le Cordon Bleu Paris (1986), he won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award. Inducted into the Disciples d'Escoffier in 2014, Thorn lives in Brooklyn, NY. Contact him at [email protected] and follow on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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  • 2 min

New on the menu: Crab bombolini and burnt ends in huckleberry

🍴 Senior Food & Beverage Editor Bret Thorn has been with Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016. He launched the podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" and wrote "Kitchen Dish" for The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008. Educated at Tufts University (BA in History, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and Le Cordon Bleu Paris, he also studied in China and worked for ABC News during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and authored entries in the Oxford Encyclopedia and Companion in 2012 and 2015, respectively. He's a Disciples d’Escoffier inductee as of 2014.
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  • 2 min

New on the menu: Watermelon tataki and a fancy Hangtown Fry

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, reports on F&B trends and oversees coverage. Host of podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn," he also wrote for The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008. Thorn lived in Thailand, writing for Manager magazine and Asia Times newspaper, later joining Restaurant Hospitality's staff in 2016. Awarded the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award in 2006, he's a magna cum laude Tufts University graduate and studied French cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Inducted into the Disciples d'Escoffier in 2014, Thorn resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. and has expertise in various cuisines, restaurant operations, and service trends. Contact at [email protected] and find him on social platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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  • 2 min

Chefs could win $22,000 in ArsNova recipe contest

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, identifies food and beverage trends. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast. Wrote for "The New York Sun" from 2005 to 2008. Worked in Thailand as a journalist for "Manager" magazine and "Asia Times" from 1992 to 1997. Graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University in 1990. Studied traditional French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 1986. Awarded the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award. Inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., Thorn is a Colorado native from Denver. His expertise spans French cuisine, Asian cuisines, particularly Thai, and restaurant operations. Contact: [email protected], LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@foodwriterdiary), Instagram (@foodwriterdiary).
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  • 2 min

Mochiko Mochi Pizza brings a new type of crust to the flatbread space

🍕 Sushirrito founders Peter Yen and Ty Mahler launched Mochiko Mochi Pizza in Burlingame, California, in November and expanded to San Francisco and Palo Alto Sushirrito locations in early 2023. The pizza features a unique crust made from mochiko flour, offering a crispy and chewy texture. The menu includes eclectic toppings, like pepperoni and spicy minced pork, with large pizzas priced at $18 ($20 for a combo) and medium pizzas at $13 ($15 for a combo). Only medium sizes are available in San Francisco due to oven size.
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  • 2 min

New on the menu: Two versions of ‘Eggs in Purgatory’

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, writes on food trends and F&B coverage. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast and columnist for The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008. Magna cum laude from Tufts University, studied French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. Won 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, inducted into Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014, and authored entries in Oxford food reference works (2012, 2015). Lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
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