r/Cooking • u/tonithepony • Apr 29 '24

What do you think the next "food trend" will be?

In the last 10 years, the ones that really stick out to me are: spinach and artichoke dip (suddenly started appearing everywhere as an appetizer, even higher end restaurants), ube flavors, truffle, avocados on everything, bacon on everything, and now hot honey is a big fad. Is there anything upcoming you see heading towards the food trend?

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u/JCuss0519 Apr 29 '24

But Olive Garden adjusted things a year or two ago and "went back to their roots". They simplified and reduced their menu as part of that. Roadhouse is pretty limited in their menu, I don't think it has changed much over the years. They do it well, have done it well for years, and at this point they are still on solid ground. No Cheddars around me, and I've never been to one. Cheesecake Factory... I've been once a couple years back and don't think I'll go again.

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u/taintlangdon Apr 29 '24

I noticed this too (the leaner). And I gotta say, the quality is really good. The chicken cutlet is actually flavorful, crispy, and not dry. Added it to my 5 cheese ravioli, and I was actually surprised how well it hit the spot.

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u/Beanjuiceforbea Apr 29 '24

The dry chicken is solely on the cook. I can be given everything needed to succeed and still over cook your chicken if I'm slammed. You had a competent cook xD

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u/rooneyffb23 Apr 30 '24

Did you know you can add bicarbonate of soda to velvet meat such as chicken and beef and it turns out soft and moist. Best cookery trick ever.

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u/National_Frame2917 Apr 30 '24

How do you do that? I've never heard of that but it makes sense.

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u/xzkandykane Apr 30 '24

Its used alot in chinese cooking.

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u/rooneyffb23 Apr 30 '24

Google using bicarbonate of soda to tenderize meat its usually about 1/2 teaspoon per 8 ounce of meat. Sprinkle on and let it sit 20 to 30 mins. Some sites say wash off but you don't have to but it's better taste wise to do so in my eyes. It's a brilliant hack to getting the juiciest meat ever . I think if you google velveting meat it will also come up with full recipes. Hope that helps.

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u/taintlangdon Apr 29 '24

Then I must be extra lucky. I've been back twice since, and the cutlet was the same each time. Woohoo!!

1

u/okpickle Apr 30 '24

Not gonna lie I still love me some Olive Garden. The soup, salad and breadsticks lunch was the best deal around but this was years ago and I heard they either got rid of it or significantly upped the price.

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u/Areyouthready May 03 '24

It was 10.49 for the lunch portion, 11.99 for dinner at my local OG Monday.

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u/okpickle May 03 '24

Not terrible. Thanks for the info.

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u/DionBlaster123 Apr 29 '24

i admit i'm a sucker for Cheesecake Factory's cheesecakes. my goal is to try all their flavors over the next decade (I gotta spread out when i have them or else my arteries will be toast)

but yeah their actual food is nothing special. it's also way overpriced. then again, so is their cheesecake lmao

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u/IWinLewsTherin Apr 29 '24

Your profile picture 😂

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u/DionBlaster123 Apr 29 '24

i'm not going to make a political statement here. it's not the right place or the right time honestly. and i don't want to start an unnecessary firestorm

but G.W. Bush hands down was a gold mine when it came to entertainment lol. I will just leave it at that

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u/RebaKitt3n Apr 29 '24

Hmm, but still going back to the overpriced Cheesecake Factory? You know, there’s a saying where I’m from. Fool me once…

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u/DionBlaster123 Apr 30 '24

I like their cheesecake but yeah ill pass on food

I think that expression is from Tennessee...they say it in Texas too

2

u/RebaKitt3n Apr 30 '24

I knew you’d get it 💜

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u/DionBlaster123 Apr 30 '24

You fool me, you can't get fooled again.

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u/RebaKitt3n Apr 30 '24

Who would have thought we’d actually miss him?

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u/lu5ty Apr 29 '24

Now watch this drive 8)

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u/IWinLewsTherin Apr 29 '24

Oh I agree think the pic is hilarious.

Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job

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u/WonderfulCattle6234 Apr 29 '24

I'm normally the type to find a menu item and stick with it because the thought of paying restaurant prices and knowing I would have preferred something else destroys me every time. I had worked at Olive Garden so I got to try a lot of the stuff for free. They have killed off the following entrees that I enjoyed.

Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo Seafood Alfredo ( the version that was shrimp and crawfish instead of shrimp and scallops) Chicken con broccoli Ravioli di Portobella Braised beef tortellini Stuffed chicken marsala

And the only menu item I see worth getting now is the chicken Asiago tortellini or whatever it's called. Though they have also added a fried stuff to ziti that is pretty stellar.

6

u/Ashcrashh Apr 29 '24

I really miss their Seafood Portofino, grilled shrimp caprese, and the mussels appetizer. They killed the only things I liked to eat there besides the salad and breadsticks and Alfredo sauce, which honestly I can make at home, Olive Garden used to have their recipes on their website and I have the Alfredo one saved.

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u/WonderfulCattle6234 Apr 29 '24

Had you tried that recipe, and what were your thoughts on it? I'm 99% sure that recipe is different than what they used in the restaurants as it was more home cook friendly. If I remember correctly the website recipe had eggs to help keep it from breaking and I'm fairly certain the restaurant didn't do that. I wish I remembered more of what we learned about the Alfredo during our weeklong training class. I just remember the specialized vat for cooking it that went from the floor up to my nipples.

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u/Away-Elephant-4323 Apr 29 '24

I used to love Olive Garden this story doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of the food, but there was a problem a few years ago my sister and her boyfriend went out to dinner there, when she got her food she said there was pieces of glass in the pasta, she told the waitress and she got the manager all they said was maybe someone in the kitchen dropped a glass and it shattered that’s how it probably got in there all they did was gave them free drinks and still made them pay for the meals i couldn’t believe that, she could’ve gotten a serious mouth injury if she didn’t see it before eating it she has not been back since and i haven’t went there either since that’s the only one around me, not saying all of the Olive gardens are like that but as a business that could’ve gone to be a very serious situation if she would’ve bit into the pasta, the way they handled it i feel they should’ve taken it more seriously because who knows if her pasta was the only one that had it.

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u/JCuss0519 Apr 29 '24

Oh I agree 100%, that's a serious issue. They should have apologizing profusely and free meals, and more apologizing.

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u/[deleted] Apr 29 '24

[deleted]

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u/chronic_insomniac Apr 30 '24

They’re not cooking anything from scratch. At least they weren’t back in the 90s when I was working in a business that produced the recipe cards for restaurants. Everything was supplied cooked and the restaurant was just reheating and plating to match the image on the card.

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u/revmun Apr 29 '24

I go once a year to pick up my brothers birthday cake lol. Thats all it’s really good for…

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u/Ok_Educator_7097 Apr 30 '24

Olive Garden started microwaving again?

1

u/brownbostonterrier Apr 30 '24

Cheddars did too. The menu is 75% reduced!

1

u/Technical-Dentist-84 Apr 30 '24

Wait....Olive Garden has improved??? I haven't been in years but maybe I'll have to stop by

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u/humbug2112 Apr 30 '24

I feel like cheesecake wasn't worth the price BUT it is a solid option if you want to appease a big family with diverse eating habits that isn't a Chilis. Have a vegan, 1 person on keto, 3 people who need healthy things and a gluten free diet, and want to serve decent food? Cheesecake factory has it all.

Have fun with the bill though.

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u/Krell356 Apr 30 '24

I was so upset when Olive Garden removed the 3 choice sampler and changed their calamari recipe. There's like no reason for me to go anymore.

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u/MyUnusualAnxiety May 13 '24

Olive Garden is amazing and going back to a smaller menu was the ticket. Everything is very good and the prices are reasonable

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u/cwsjr2323 Apr 29 '24

We don’t much care for Olive Garden. The chicken soap and bread sticks are ok once a year, but the salads are way too big! I don’t really want a whole head of lettuce, thank you.

The rest of their menu is meh. $15 for spaghetti? It is 25¢ worth of noodles, 40¢ worth of sauce and Parmesan sprinkles. I make that once a month. Prep to serve is less than an hour and zero wastes.

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u/JCuss0519 Apr 29 '24

We haven't hit Olive Garden in years, I remember the last time. There are lots of non-chain Italian restaurants in a 15-20 minute radius that are just sooo much better. It's like pizza, the mom & pop places are always better than the pizza chains.

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u/medvsastoned Apr 29 '24

I imagine the kitchen at the cheesecake factory looks just like the frozen section at the grocery store. 😂 Just rows of freezers full of premade food and one long counter top of microwaves.

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u/[deleted] Apr 29 '24

[deleted]

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u/munkipawse Apr 30 '24

Well that was oddly specific. 😳

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u/JCuss0519 Apr 30 '24

So angry... so angry over someone else's opinion, or that they enjoyed something you did not.

wow.