Step aside, pumpkin spice. Here are 5 food trends to look for this fall
With leaves changing all over the country, we thought we’d change up our palates a little bit, too. Pumpkin spice is just a little too obvious for us this year.
We took a look at a few of this season’s most exciting food trends gaining traction (or renewed interest), as well as where you can find them around town. Here’s to a season of experimentation.
Chicken and Waffles
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Chicken and waffles is a classic Southern dish, but expect to see it getting quite the revamp in the coming months. On TikTok and Instagram, users have tried it all, from infusing wings and waffles together to adding Oreos to the mix. Recently, Spoke & Hub has hopped on the trend with a Spicy Chicken Croffle Sandwich, which boasts a spicy chicken breast, a brioche waffle bun and condiments to tie it together.Â
Plant-Based Meat Substitutes
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We’ve heard about the Impossible Burger and all its ilk, and it doesn’t look like the trend toward plant-based meat substitutes is going anywhere anytime soon. At MJ’s Cafe, even traditionally meat-based dishes like enchiladas or red beans and rice change out animal products to let still-delicious veggies like eggplant take center stage.
Dairy-Free Coffee and Tea
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October in Louisiana doesn’t mean the end of warm, sunny days, but forget about iced coffee—there’s no use trying to pry our hot autumnal drinks from our not-so-cold hands. With more people trying to reduce their consumption of animal products in an effort to protect the environment, many are turning to non-dairy options in the coffee shop, whether oat milk lattes from the biggest chains or Light House Coffee’s “Apple Chaider,” a mix of chai, apple cider, oat milk, maple and vanilla syrup and cinnamon.
Accessible Global Cuisine
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Happy Meals are coming back, but Americans still have a taste for foods beyond the burger-and-fries variety. In the trend toward more accessible global cuisine, Louisiana has seen restaurants like Tap 65 ushering in unique flavors within a casual setting, where diners can dive into something like an Indian Street Food Board or a simple pour of a happy-hour draft, all under the same roof.
Urban Produce
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Even in the confines of a city, people have always found ways to incorporate a bit of edible greenery into the concrete jungle. These days, the importance of utilizing space and embracing sustainable growing practices has never been more important. The Indigo Hotel’s King Bar & Bistro downtown even cultivates herbs from its own rooftop garden, proving that the trend toward urban produce is both doable and delightful.
