The restaurant industry has undergone tremendous changes over the past 10 years, in no small part due to technology and changing lifestyles. With diet, nutrition, and sustainability top of mind, diners are seeking to rediscover traditional cooking methods, explore global cuisines, and restaurants that offer value.
Restaurants have to work hard to stay competitive and relevant to an increasingly foodie customer base. Nowadays, customers are more knowledgeable about food than they used to be and pay more attention to quality. Chefs are changing their menus seasonally and planning their menus to stand out from their competitors to offer diners dishes that they wouldn’t typically make at home.
With customers who are gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, low-carb, or no sugar, just to name a few, there also are a lot of different dietary restrictions. But the growing trend is customers are seeking healthier, more sustainable food options. More people are becoming aware of how our food is being mass produced and are making an effort to consume organic products with no GMOs, chemical additives and preservatives, and artificial sweeteners.
At the same time, American palates are growing more adventurous. It used to be just Italian, French, and some Chinese cuisines. But now, more diners are willing to try other ethnic foods and flavors, such as Spanish tapas, Greek gyros, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Moroccan, and Mexican.
People also go out to eat now for the dining experience, so fine dining establishments have seen a steady growth in customers coming for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.
In our fast-paced, Internet world, customers are expecting things to be done quickly and efficiently. Apps on smartphones allow customers to order food online, make reservations, check calorie counts, and make payment options. Technology also has allowed customers to express their opinions in real-time on Web sites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor. On one hand, restaurants appreciate the feedback when it is positive, but have to be cautious to take negative feedback with a grain of salt.
For the past 10 years, Town&Gown’s “Taste of the Month” column has highlighted the diversity of food choices in the Centre County community. It has been an opportunity to educate and inform readers about the rich bounty at our farmers’ markets, the craft alcohol movement that brought microbreweries, wineries, and distilleries to the area, and, of course, the best restaurants to satisfy every craving and appetite. Also, it has shared delicious recipes from readers, T&G staff, and local chefs.
With more than 90 restaurants featured and counting, it has been a privilege to have been a part of this wonderful journey. This month marks the 100th “Taste of the Month,” and, in honor of that, this edition is a special one. Town&Gown asked three local chefs/restaurateurs to take a look back at the changes in the food and restaurant industry in the past 10 years and what diners can expect to see in the coming New Year.
Paul Kendeffy is executive chef at the Carnegie Inn & Spa in State College. He also is the former co-owner/chef of Zola’s New World Bistro, Alto’s, and The Gamble Mill.
Eric Sarnow is executive chef at The Hummingbird Room in Spring Mills. He was a chef at the acclaimed Le Bec Fin restaurant in Philadelphia and has spent time cooking in France and on world-class yachts.
Jennifer Zangrilli is director of operations for Dante’s Restaurants, Inc., which owns popular State College establishments Bar Bleu, The Deli Restaurant & ZBar, the Saloon, the Hop Shop, Hi-Way Pizza, Inferno Brick Oven & Bar, Liberty Craft House, and Mario’s Italian Restaurant.
How has the food scene changed in the past 10 years in State College and the surrounding areas?
Kendeffy: It’s a more complicated market now. I think you need to take it back more than 10 years. The market for lunch has changed so much. Right now, it’s fast casual. The Carnegie Inn’s market right now is special occasion, birthday, and anniversary. That is who we are based on what our menu is and where we are located. And there is nothing wrong with that. We offer fine dining for dinner, and we don’t do lunch. I think that the market is too saturated with many restaurants, and what it comes down to is who has the best quality food for the best price and value. People want a big portion, even if they can’t eat it. When people come to the Carnegie, they are expecting something on the menu that they can’t or don’t necessarily want to make at home. People aren’t going to come here for a steak and baked potato. That is just not why you would come to a place like this. People are coming here for the intricacy of the sauces, the soups, the cuts of fish, and the different flavors that we do. The time that we put into the detail of it which you won’t do at home or you are not going to find those ingredients to make at home.
Sarnow: When my wife, Claudia, and I moved to the area 20 years ago, we had just recently returned from living in France and we were committed to the European model of local sourcing and seasonal menus, but this was long before “farm-to-table” was a known concept. We struggled to make connections with farmers and producers, and sometimes there was resistance from customers to the price point for organic, sustainable, and local products. These days, everyone is looking for local products, the network for sourcing has grown exponentially, and consumers are willing to pay a premium for quality. As the cost of food continually rises, I think customers look for a dining experience not just a meal. Dining becomes the “evening out,” a way to connect as a couple or a personal connection with friends after being plugged in all day.
Zangrilli: I feel for full-service restaurants — expectations are for a better quality atmosphere at a faster pace. Yet, food and beverage quality expectations haven’t increased along with it. Meaning, people want to dine/drink in a place they think is cool, regardless if the food, beverage, and service quality is good or of the same level. We feel that our customers want a full experience that makes them feel special in an environment that transports them from their everyday lives, or at least give them a small break from it.
As a chef/restaurateur, what inspires and motivates you in your menu planning?
Kendeffy: Right now, it is our garden. Obviously, it is slowing down now. People are ordering a lot of seafood these days. On the weekends, you will see a lot of big cuts of meat. We sell a lot of rack of lamb. No matter where you get your beef now, there is a stigma about how the beef is being raised. The hormones, if you go to the grocery store to buy meat, it’s profit now and weight. At Carnegie, I buy the best I can find. No GMOs, everything organic and as local as we can get it.
Sarnow: Our love of travel is our greatest motivation, meeting people as individuals and getting to know their culture and their “food story” is our inspiration.
Zangrilli: Seasonal, fresh, and locally sourced ingredients drive us, but also finding creative ways to utilize lesser-known foods to continually educate ourselves and our guests is what inspires us.
What are the food trends that people can expect to see moving forward?
Kendeffy: I would hope, from a national standpoint, that some chefs would settle down a little bit and stop being so weird because they think it’s being cool. They are putting food on a plate that makes no sense because they feel like they are being creative and inventing something. People want dinner at the end of the day. People want a meal. People don’t need their tomato to look like a light bulb. I would hope that this would be a trend. Chefs can get back to actually cooking food that people want to eat, instead of satisfying their own ego and making food that is just silly but they think is creative.
Sarnow: As a by-product of the Internet age, I believe we have access to so much information that styles/trends change very quickly, but quality is always in style.
Zangrilli: I believe a return to simpler styles of cooking and taking the types of dishes we may have all grown up with and tweaking them in a unique way.
How do you get feedback from your customers?
Kendeffy: Most people e-mail me because most of them know me. I know 80 percent of the people who walk through this dining room. We get a lot of online feedback. TripAdvisor is the most reputable, honest feedback. It’s just such a small town, people tell me.
Sarnow: We have a wonderful clientele that loves to give feedback because personal interaction is the basis of our business plan. We have a constant ongoing dialogue with our customers.
Zangrilli: Old fashioned talking to people! The feedback is then used to improve upon a dish — if it’s not something that everyone is enjoying — but at the same time, we know when we have a hit and not to change it.
What are some of the new concepts/features that you want to tell readers to look forward to in 2017?
Kendeffy: We are going to stick with what we do best, and that is French-American food. Not trying to reinvent the wheel. I am just trying to put out good, honest food. Good portions, good value, and the best quality food that we can find. This is that kind of place. We change our menu every few weeks. Come and see it! In the upcoming winter months, look forward to heartier dishes such as duck confit, braised meats, root vegetables, things you would expect for that time of year.
Sarnow: Our monthly Supper Club is going strong, and we will be expanding our cooking classes and our barn shop retail store along with our new focus as a wedding/large event venue. You can follow our progress on Facebook or be added to our mailing list by contacting us at MissRubysSupperClub@gmail.com. Come try our burnt honey ice cream with Moroccan poached pear and homemade gingersnaps, curried root vegetable bisque, rack of lamb with grilled eggplant filled with homemade ricotta, and Margret de canard (duck) with tart cherries and five-spice seasoning and crisp wonton wraps.
Zangrilli: We are still in the planning stage for our 2017 strategic plan. Stay tuned!
