2024-01-27 08:04:35
Time.news – The years of the pandemic, between plexiglass dividers and continuous home deliveries, have produced many changes in our restaurants. And today, with the venues once again full of customers without masks, it is not difficult to observe how some classic elements, such as menus, are reliving a sort of ‘new youth’, involved in an increasingly evident creative process of rebirth. and linked to current events. The New York Times investigated these “revealing time capsules”. an interactive longform, aimed at demonstrating how these elements have more personality than ever. Even in the age of QR codes.
The new trends
The journalists of the prestigious American newspaper returned to the editorial office with 121 ‘physical’ menus from as many restaurants. The subsequent analysis, between clearly evident elements and more hidden details, allowed us to draw up some new ‘trends’ that they have in common.
The dishes that never fail
There are some items that have particularly struck gastronomic experts. The ‘Caesar Salad’, for example, is never lacking and has also conquered venues with a strong traditional imprint, such as oriental, Cuban or South American ones. However, everyone personalizes it by adding specific elements. It can also be found with miso, to give a slightly more extreme example.
Caviar is another ingredient that is popular. It can be found everywhere and in all possible forms, so much so that “you might even find it inside a Mexican quesadilla”, the report states. But Yuzu, a typical Japanese citrus fruit, also stands out, and, as regards desserts, we note the forceful return of panna cotta, a very popular dessert especially for its simplicity in an era of continuous increase in raw materials.
There is also a very strong return to creativity when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks. The varieties of teas, freshly squeezed juices or non-alcoholic cocktails are multiplying, increasingly sophisticated and complex, which can cost as much as their alcoholic cousins.
The aesthetics
The menus have shrunk. And in turn the characters and fonts used are increasingly smaller, lighter, easier to distinguish for the eyes. Many restaurants prefer a vertical menu no longer than half a page, the size considered best for holding it in the hands. In short, enough with the pages to browse and, increasingly, with too many dishes to choose from.
The revolution also concerns colors. White, cream, and other more standard colors are giving way to ‘highlighter’, ‘fluorescent’ versions, with precise references. For example, Barbie’s typical ‘shocking pink’. The objective, writes the NYT, is also to create clear contrasts with the color choices adopted for the room, the tables and chairs and the environment.
Mascots and animals
Standing out also means identifying with increasingly original shapes, characters and animals. The menus thus abound with clippings, abstract shapes, artistic drawings inspired by figures such as Matisse, Chagall, Cocteau or even more modern cartoonists. For experts, “restaurants have increasingly become brands” just like “fashion labels”. And sometimes stylistic choices of this type pay more than opting for highly sought-after logos.
Informality wins
An apparently shaky formatting, a simple paper, a generally messy appearance could make many people turn up their noses but, in reality, these are often well-conscious choices to ensure that a sense of accessibility, familiarity and closeness between chef and customer. Humanity as the preponderant ‘goal’.
Sensitivity towards staff and producers
There is great attention towards its workers, with the underlining of some initiatives, such as the presence of ‘service costs’ intended to guarantee higher wages and more favorable conditions. 20% of the menus analyzed by the NYT also include explanations, even rather long ones, that explain these policies. There is no shortage of team names, in the dining room and in the kitchen, with indications of their specialties and talents.
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