So we’re back. It was a fine break. Maybe a little TOO fine, y’know? We lost momentum, y’know? Like, y’know what we mean? We slept a lot. Ate soooooo much garbage, which made us sleep more, and we definitely patronized as many of our favorite local restaurants as we could while tipping like maniacs. We ordered some fancier masks because COVID is just part of our lives now, we guess, and we only saw vaxx’d and boosted buds and did no traveling. It was nice, really. Warm a lot of the time. Many movies. Many foods. Many good.
But now we’re back, and we know you were probably freaking out over the big fat Fork-shaped hole in your lives, so let us just say that we thank you for your patience while we rested up for the coming onslaught of 2022. And speaking of 2022, we figured we’d ease back in with some painstakingly researched info on what sorts of food trends you’re likely to see in the new year. Let’s just jump right in, huh?
Restaurants Will Try Even Harder
You heard of that thing where restaurants have special heated domes for diners (Market Steer Steakhouse in Santa Fe does this)? Or how kitchens are really upping their collective game across the world wide spectrum of eateries? We expect this will go even further in the new year as your favorite spots continue doing their best to hang on and to offer up incentives for cautious folks looking for a bite out. From what we’ve seen, you might expect more experiential, uh...experiences, and you’ll probably find some pretty bonkers wines out there. Specials, too.
Plant-Based Rolls On
While we don’t think the lab-grown meat about which you’ve heard so much will become commonplace just yet, we do think a hefty chunk of the American populace will either continue its trek toward less meat or at least they’ll start thinking about possibly embracing it. Maybe eating a big fat steak made sense when more folks were doing things besides watching old movies on HBO all the time, or before the factory farming industry became the kind of water-guzzling industry that straight up wrecks the planet, but for the sake of our health, the environment and also just things that taste good, expect newer and better options, old standbys and a real run on eggs. We know that last one isn’t plant-based, but it’s a great way to not eat MEAT-meat and still get some protein. Have you also looked around at the world of mushrooms lately? There are many amazing options.
Takeout, Take Us Away
The takeout stylings to which we’ve all grown accustomed will keep on keeping on, only restaurants will find better ways to go about it. Expect nicer packaging (Yama’s Greek Rotisserie’s takeaway, for example, feels like opening a gift) and, hopefully, more sustainable ways to go about it—recycled materials, reusable containers, biodegradable what-have-yous. And while we still think the delivery apps are basically evil, some folks will make some much-needed dollars dropping burritos at your doorstep, so tip them huge (maybe even in cash since we’re hearing horror stories about the app companies altering their tip payouts after the fact).
Nü Füd
This is really more of a hunch, but we think that as older restaurants who never tried hard after awhile go by the wayside, we might see new kinds of places open up. Santa Fe, for example, has so many new pizza joints now (with, we hear, more on the way), and we’re hopeful folks from faraway lands who came here might offer up some of their own cuisines.
Booster Club
We really think you’re gonna see an explosion of immunity-boosting things like berries, nuts and fermented foods. We know those things are already out there, but get ready for your social media friends to get all up in your fucking face with stories of the kimchi stinking up their kitchens—and cleaning out their guts.
Mocktails
Now that our lives are pretty well cemented as at-home most of the time, folks who like a nice drink will phase to mocktails because it’s not great to drink that much if you can help it. Don’t forget that addicts are still people and don’t deserve to suffer, but maybe also stock up on pineapple juice and fizzy stuff that doesn’t have a weird taste.
Air Fryers and Pressure Cookers and Stuff
We know those things aren’t new, but we do know that people who’ve spent the last few years having “Should we get an air fryer?” debates will finally get those things. Basically, even though we have oodles of extra at-home time, ain’t nobody want to spend all night trashing their kitchen for some chicken fingies or stew.
Coffee Time
Lastly—and knowing this list is in no way meant to cover every possible angle—we think people are finally going to start getting serious about coffee this year. Who even knows how much longer the greatest bevvie of all time will exist? Why not get delicious stuff at home instead of the literal dirt taste of Folgers? If you need help trying out some stuff, pop by Ohori’s or Iconik or Opuntia and ask someone. Tell them your preferences and what your setup is like at home. Get a better setup. Realize that spending eight extra bucks a month isn’t a big deal and will make your life so much better. We like lighter roasts. Excelsior!
The bassmaster general has stated coffee is good for your health. (With thanks to the culture editor for helping us find a good coffee song!)
Also
-Somebody spray painted “Support Local” on the side of the Santa Fe Chipotle, and we think that’s pretty cool. In case you forgot about our feelings on the matter, click this link.
-As we said earlier, Santa Fe’s getting yet another pizza spot, this one called Santa Fe Pizza Gallery. We hear it’ll open in a few weeks and that it’ll take about two minutes to get your pizza. Woah. Here’s a little link.
-And while we’re talking new places, you heard about Crash Murder Business? Not only are they named after animal groupings (like a murder of crows, for example?), we hear the coffee is out of control good. We also hear one of the regular staffers is very much on the case and is gonna drink that coffee. We found the biz on Instagram, too. If you try and like it, let us know. We love coffee. No, but, like, we LOVE it.
-Los Alamos-cum-Santa Fe French café-slash-crêperie Mille is set to open in the former location of Bouche on Alameda Street on Jan. 12. And as if that weren’t enough, the up-and-coming Santa Fe spot will host a walk-in hiring event on Friday, Jan. 7 from 9 am-2 pm. Word is they’re looking for both part- and full-time employees, so there you go. Us? We’re just excited to get down with some new crepes, you know?
-Craft distillery Altar Spirits is now officially open in the Railyard, and given the pedigree of its staff (we’re talking so many familiar Santa Fe restaurant faces), we’re betting it is gonna really impress people who like craft drinks. Altar joins other boozy options like Violet Crown Cinema, Bosque Brewing, Second Street Brewery and the also-soon-to-open Nuckoll’s Brewing from Violet Crown’s Bill Banowsky. Score for you, fans of booze.
-Word on the street is that gluten-free Revolution Bakery has perfected its vegan cinnamon rolls. You might think that’s nothing, and you might be making some snide joke to yourself about how you’ll eat birds and cows and their secretions forever. But for the vegans out there, or just the people trying to eat a little less dairy and stuff, this is huge. We’ll check it out soon, probably, and if/when we do, we’ll let you know.
-Arroyo Vino is bringing back its Dinner and a Movie series on Jan. 8 (that’s only two days from when Le Fork comes out) wherein the menu is designed around a movie. This time out, it’s Big Night, a movie about restaurant stuff. So what’s on the menu? Well, you’ll find a nice little antipasto salad, rosemary focaccia, baked ziti and a little bit of the ol’ tiramisu. Solid! There’s wine, too, and it’s great for two people.
-Beloved downtown fine dining spot Santacafé announced via its website that it will take a break to update its menu and the restaurant itself, as well as to give its staff some much-needed time off. You can catch ‘em again starting Feb. 4. Same goes for owner Quinn Stephenson’s other eatery, Coyote Café (though the Rooftop Cantina at the Water Street double-eatery opens daily at 11:30 am), which will reopen for service beginning Jan. 27.
-We don’t really know what else is going on locally just yet, but we’ve heard whispers on the wind of new eateries with liquor licenses and exciting desserts. Anyway, give us a break—it’s the first week of the new year...the terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad new year. Actually, this is a pretty good number of items, so we’re not sure what you’re complaining about. Jeeze, readers. When are you gonna get your lives together? Here’s to 2022!
Fingers crossed.
More Tidbits
-Writer Corey Mintz has a little something over on Eater-dot-com wherein they get into why chefs have been (and rightly so) knocked down a peg. Up the workers is the basic premise. It’s cool.
-Biden (that’s our president) has a new plan to boost meat competition. Or, rather, he’s out to boost competition within the meat industry. What does this mean? Well, according to this Reuters piece, it hysterically means that he wants to address “‘meaningful competition’ in the meat sector.” #MeatSector
-Y’all hear that Taco Bell appears to be adding chicken wings to its menu? Good news for drunk you at 12:30 am sometime soon, right? But don’t drive drunk. Get a friend to take you.
-There’s a new cookbook on the scene, and it’s a bilingual thing. Click right here to check out The Spanish/English Dictionary of Cooking and Baking (And Eating and Drinking).
-Lastly this week in not-just-local food info, HuffPost breaks down the food trends of 2021, which, we think, is apropos given our main topic this week. Counting things down is fun, and given how social media (and other culprits) stole our attention spans, reading countdowns is a bite-sized and easy way to kill a few minutes. Oh. Our. God. Are we part of the problem with our lists and history lessons and 100% accurate and in no way made up facts about foods? Can we be so out of touch? No. It’s the children who are wrong.
A Totally Scientific Breakdown of The Fork’s Correspondence
In this week’s print edition of SFR, things get Greek when an SFR staffer eats at Yamas Greek Rotisserie a bunch of times in one week.
Number of Letters Received
48
*Mostly just readers telling us we’re weird.
Most Helpful Tip of the Week (a barely edited letter from a reader)
”You should never leave.”
*OK, but shouldn’t we, though?
Actually Helpful Tip(s)
One reader says maybe if we’re trying to get back into the Great Fork Recipe-Off, it might be wise to cook up some categories. We like this idea and we’ll mull. Oh, how we’ll mull.
*Thanks!
Already mulling,
The Fork
