Five-Star Appetizers for Your Restaurant, Part 2

July 12, 2019

We featured some delicious and fun appetizers on our blog a couple of weeks ago, and we still have more to share! In part 1, we talked about trends that include octopus, cauliflower, vegan, and Asian influences. If you want to go back and check out those trends, you can read it here: Five-Star Appetizers for Your Restaurant. Apps are an easy way to try out new flavors and textures. You can see how well they go over, and then decide if it warrants a test on the main course spot. Here area few more that your Mid-Missouri restaurant may want to try out.

The Wing Thing

Did you know that 44% of menus feature wings, and the number is still growing? There are obvious restaurants who focus on wings primarily, and any good sports bar is going to have at least a few choices - however, they don’t have to be limited! Wings are fun to eat and serve as a wonderful vessel for many different sauces and flavors. Play around with the sweetness, the spicy tones, and come up with something signature to add to your restaurant menu.

Slide ‘em Over

Sliders are not new, we realize this, but they are a really fun twist, and a diner favorite. Switch them up and use prime rib or Reuben influence to make them unique. Some restaurants are even making bratwurst sliders on their app menu.

Weeds of the Sea

Much like vegan is picking up in popularity, seaweed is really trending right now. It adds a unique taste to many dishes and also packs a big variety of health benefits. According to Datassential, seaweed grew over 15% on menus over the last four years. Cucumber seaweed salad, anyway? What about pairing it up with prawns or making a unique seaweed wrap?

Middle-Eastern Influences

Middle-Eastern flavors are popping up in restaurants across the U.S., and restaurants in St. Louis are no different. Chefs are looking for new opportunities to integrate ethnic cuisine into their menu, due to high demand from customers, and this is a great way to do it. Think of items like hummus, falafel, feta, and other veggies with that middle-eastern twist.

Burrata

What is burrata? Don’t worry if you don’t know, you aren’t the only one asking. Burrata has seen a growth of more than 113% on all U.S. menus, but only 19% of consumers actually know what it is. If you don’t know, it’s a cheese very similar to mozzarella. The difference is that it is mozzarella that is formed into a pouch and then filled with soft, stringy curd and cream. It can be served in many, many ways, from a burrata cappers salad to serving it with mushroom-truffle honey.

Add a Fresh Twist This Summer

The summer season begs fresh flavors and trying something new. This is why so many people update their wardrobe and get their hair cut in the summer. There’s just something about making things fresh and updated - and the same applies to your menu. You don’t have to do a complete overhaul (in fact, definitely don’t do that!), but you may want to add some new apps, a few new drinks (Check out this blog we did about summer drinks for restaurants!), and maybe a fresh salad to spruce things up. As always, if you find that your refrigerator isn’t keeping up with the newly hot temps, or your broiler isn’t working properly, don’t forget about your commercial kitchen repair team in Mid-Missouri.

Fast Fix is ready to help you stay on track, keep fulfilling orders, and making happy customers by helping you keep your appliances up and running. Visit our website to learn more about our commercial appliance maintenance agreement in Missouri. If you find that you need a new piece of equipment to make your appetizers - don't forget that we can help with that, too!