Miscellaneous

☕ Chef Dominique Crenn unveiled an afternoon tea menu at Café Dior in Dallas, launched in early May, located in the Christian Dior boutique. The café opened on February 22. For $75 per person, offerings include chicken salad sandwiches and piña colada baba au rhum. Teas are priced separately, and Veuve Clicquot champagne is available for $25 extra. Crenn, set to be inducted into the MenuMasters Hall of Fame, crafted a menu blending tradition and innovation.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, provides F&B trend insights and oversees coverage. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, he wrote for The New York Sun from 2005-2008. His contributions include articles for Manager magazine and Asia Times during 1992-1997 in Thailand. A magna cum laude graduate from Tufts University, he also studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and in China during the Tiananmen Square events in 1989. Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. A Denver native, he resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. and has extensive expertise in global cuisines and restaurant operations.

🍳 Huddle House, led by CEO James O’Reilly and COO Blain Shortreed, celebrates 60 years with a significant brand evolution. The transformation includes a new logo, taglines, and restaurant designs, focusing on urban and non-traditional settings like airports and malls. After 18 months of development, menu innovations feature items like Smashed Huddle Burger and waffle tacos. In 2024, Huddle House led in guest sentiment in the family dining category, achieving record franchise signings, targeting continued growth through 2025.

💕 This heartfelt reflection underscores how a mother's love manifests through everyday tasks like cooking and cleaning, creating an atmosphere of hospitality that is deeply human and soul-nourishing. It emphasizes that true hospitality is not about grand gestures but a lifestyle that celebrates the beauty and importance of everyday acts. The author expresses gratitude to their mother and wife, acknowledging their profound impact on creating a loving and nurturing environment.

🍻 Suwincha "Chacha" Singsuwan, who leads the beverage program at Bangkok Supper Club in New York City, received the Michelin Guide New York 2024 Exceptional Cocktails Award. At the club, cocktails are crafted with kitchen ingredients and leftovers, aiming for sustainability and unique flavors. Examples include the Fish Sauce cocktail and the Beets ‘n’ Cream cocktail. Similar culinary cocktails are found across the U.S., such as Austin's Equipment Room serving the Lady Marmalade, and Houston's Aiko offering the Furusetto. The trend reflects a generational shift towards viewing cocktails as companions to food, leading to lighter, more refreshing drinks that complement dining experiences.

🍴 Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, reports on food and beverage trends. Hosted "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, wrote "Kitchen Dish" for The New York Sun (2005-2008), and contributed to Manager magazine and Asia Times during his five-year stay in Thailand. A magna cum laude Tufts University graduate, studied at Peking and Nanjing Universities, and learned French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu. His work earned him the 2006 Neal Award and presidency of IFEC in 2005. Authored entries in the Oxford Encyclopedia (2012) and Companion (2015), joined Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. Contact him at [email protected] or through LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@foodwriterdiary), and Instagram.

🍴 Patina Restaurant Group, with over 40 venues including New York City's Empire State Building and Disneyland, rebrands as Patina Group after nearly 40 years. Under Delaware North, it plans to double its portfolio and expand into luxury catering, new eatertainment concepts, and culinary digital content within five years. The first of 10 new locations, Hundredfold by chef Timothy Hollingsworth, will open in Belmont Park Village, New York, this summer with more projected by 2030. Additional concepts include a 2026 venture with chef Carlos Gaytán and a San Diego lounge. Patina Group also operates Space 220, an eatertainment venue in Walt Disney World's Epcot.

🏖 Jumbo Collection presents "Sogni sul Lago" catalogue set in Lake Como's atmosphere, showcasing luxury furniture with artisanal craftsmanship. Key pieces include the Guirlande collection with a gold leaf and White Namibia Rhino marble table, the Floral dining table with brass inlays, and the Jupiter dormeuse inspired by Jugendstil. These items embody a connection between the local landscape and design, reflecting Jumbo Collection's 30-year dedication to Italian craftsmanship as art and lifestyle.

🌿 In the post-COVID-19 landscape, the plant-based food trend has surged, fueled by consumer desires for health, sustainability, and ethics. This shift includes an increased demand for beans, lentils, nuts, and mushrooms, with popular products like pre-made veggie burgers and vegetable-based ready meals offering alternatives to meat. The trend reflects a significant movement within the foodservice industry.

📖 Joanna Fantozzi, with over seven years in journalism, specializes in the restaurant and hospitality industry. She has a BA in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and an MA in arts and culture journalism from CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Fantozzi has worked for Insider, The Daily Meal, and joined Informa's Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, currently serving as Senior Editor since August 2021. She has moderated industry events like MUFSO and Restaurants Rise.