Miscellaneous

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016, tracks F&B trends. He hosted "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), and contributed to Manager magazine and Asia Times in Thailand (1992-1997). A Tufts University history graduate (1990), he studied at Le Cordon Bleu (1986) and in China during 1988-1989, including witnessing the Tiananmen Square events. Thorn won the Jesse H. Neal Award (2006) and joined Disciples d’Escoffier (2014). Contact at [email protected]

🍓 Blue raspberry, not found in nature, became popular in U.S. restaurant menus, especially in candies, beverages, and desserts. Developed in the 1970s to differentiate raspberry flavors, it's currently trending in 2025. With 84% awareness among U.S. consumers and 60% having tried it—mostly millennials—its menu presence has surged 52% in four years. Dunkin' and Sonic include it in their drinks. Datassential confirms its ubiquity in quick service and chain restaurants.

🌳 The Nook philosophy emphasizes creating spaces that inspire creation, integrating nature as a fundamental element. The article advocates for planting fruit trees, suggesting an investment of $30 per sapling, highlighting the value in the experience of nurturing, the beauty of seasonal growth, and the joy of harvesting the fruit.

🍳 Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, tracks food and beverage trends and hosts a podcast. He started at Nation’s Restaurant News in 1999, contributed to The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008, and joined Restaurant Hospitality in 2016. Thorn is a magna cum laude graduate from Tufts University, studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and reported for ABC News during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. His work includes a Neal Award-winning column and contributions to Oxford food encyclopedias; he was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014.

🍩 Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, reports on food and beverage trends. Host of podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn," he contributed to The New York Sun (2005-2008) and worked in Thailand (1992-1997). A magna cum laude Tufts University graduate and Le Cordon Bleu-trained, Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and was inducted into Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. He resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. Email: [email protected] Social Media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

🍴 Lita, a modern European bistro in London's Marylebone, awarded a Michelin Star in under a year since opening. Founded by Daniel Koukarskikh and led by Head Chef Luke Ahearne, the restaurant is celebrated for its modern European cuisine. The Michelin Star signifies outstanding quality and creativity. Lita opened last March and offers dishes like "Pan con tomate with Cantabrian anchovies" and "Native Scottish lobster baked rice." Located at 7-9 Paddington Street, Lita has become a top dining destination in London.

🏬 A barn transformed into one of the country's most stunning wedding venues and a near-collapse gristmill in rural Maine restored to become a world-renowned farm-to-table restaurant with 60,000 annual reservation attempts for 1,500 seats. These examples showcase the potential of repurposing historic or overlooked sites into extraordinary, sought-after destinations. The message: Act now, seek out hidden gems, and create beauty through craft and creativity.

🍺 Milk of the Poppy, a new apothecary-themed cocktail bar and restaurant, will open in Santa Fe, N.M., this spring at 418 Montezuma Ave., near Jean Cocteau Cinema and Beastly Books. Designed to accommodate 100 guests and provide an experience akin to a modern traveler's tavern, it features a 1,200-square-foot lounge with seating for 55 and an outdoor garden with 30 additional seats overlooking the Sky Railway train. The menu draws inspiration from historical beverages and offers a selection of seasonal dishes, with the venue located within a 1910 adobe building.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Food & Beverage Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, reported on food and beverage trends. He wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), and in Thailand for Manager magazine and Asia Times (1992-1997). A magna cum laude Tufts University graduate and Phi Beta Kappa member, he studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and was IFEC president in 2005. He authored entries for the Oxford Encyclopedia (2012) and the Oxford Companion (2015), and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, has shaped food and beverage trends reporting since 1999. He won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. Thorn, a Colorado native living in Brooklyn, NY, holds a BA in history from Tufts University, and studied at Le Cordon Bleu. He worked with ABC News during the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989.