COMFORT FOOD

Chefs are revisiting European classics and putting global spins on American staples //

By Amelia Levin

We’re also seeing a growth in “upscale comfort,” with chefs taking familiar favorites like cheesy casseroles, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese and adding fancy ingredients like truffles and truffle oil, smoked cheeses — even uni.

Nostalgia’s back, baby. We kicked off the new year with our 2024 trends summary and our February monthly trend — culinary heritage and comfort food. Apparently, we’re right on target.

“A new generation of chefs are rethinking what classic cuisines can be,” third-party research firm Datassential’s 2024 Food Trends report states. “Look across the country and you’ll find new Italian restaurants with bolder, spicier, often TikTok-friendly dishes on the menu, French spots that combine both light and indulgent dishes, new takes on classic desserts and pastries, and a less stuffy view of fine dining.”

Fried snacks like empanadas and arancini, along with fried chicken cutlet sandwiches and Eastern European favorites such as pierogies and paprikash, are just beginning to gain traction on menus nationwide, according to Datassential’s Comfort Food report released in October 2023.

Coming more into focus are reinvented French and Italian classics. According to Datassential, cassoulet is the top-growing comfort food option on menus in the past 12 months, growing 33.4% on menus during that time. Osso buco is another classic dish that’s growing in popularity, Datassential reports.

Chef Roy Villacrusis of Asiatic Culinary Services takes a global approach with his mac and cheese, which features chicharron seasoned with Ethiopian berbere and ayib (Ethiopian cheese) (left)(credit: Barilla). Chef K.N. Vinod of Indique in Washington, D.C., draws from his Indian heritage with his Kerala shepherd’s pie featuring seasoned lamb leg and curried mashed potatoes (right) (credit: Aussie Beef & Lamb).

According to both Datassential and a recent report from Unilever Food Solutions, Mexican cuisine has fast become the source for North America’s favorite comfort foods, especially amongst Gen Z and millennials. “Most diners want to enjoy comfort food at least once a week, so whether it’s an LTO or a menu mainstay, Mexican-influenced dishes are worth considering,” Datassential’s October 2023 Comfort Food report states.

Birria tacos have exploded on the restaurant scene, claiming a 139% growth on menus across the U.S. in the last year, and a whopping 2,995% menu growth over the last four years. The spiced and stewed meat, often served with the broth it was cooked in, has become a consumer favorite across the U.S.

On the Menu

Bacon Paprikash at Greenbush Brewing Co., Sawyer, Mich.

Pastina in Brodo at Frank Restaurant, NYC

Osso Buco Taco at Rye, Craft Food and Drink, McKinney, Texas

Cassoulet at Small Batch at the Cupola, Harbor Springs, Mich.

Akara at Upohar, Lancaster, Texas

Menudo at Cielito Cafe, Houston

Albondigas Soup at Don Juan’s Mexican Grill, Glendale, Ariz.

Comfort foods — from here and afar — offer chefs a blank canvas to play, experiment and please their crowds.

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