Top-notch Food Trends & where to find them in Cherry Creek North
Fashion trends come-and-go, but food will always be there. Or the saying goes something like that...
Whether it is wearable, edible, or watchable, a trend is still a trend and sticks around for only so long. Only a few select trends find their way into our hearts or closets (hello leggings!) forever. So if you are a foodie on the find for the latest fad, look no more, Cherry Creek North has you covered.
Read on to explore some of the top food trends in 2018
and how you can experience them in your own Denver neighborhood.
Craft-made Coffee & Single-sourced Beans (Aviano Coffee)
Calling all coffee beginners and connoisseurs alike! Aviano Coffee is right on-trend with single-sourced beans and will be able to brew you up a cup in any one of their three locations in Denver. This quaint company that is leading the coffee industry in terms of trends is sourcing Intelligentsia single origin beans from some of the most sought after, family-owned farms and co-ops from around the world.
Why single-sourced you ask? By focusing on specific flavor notes of certain growing regions, coffee characteristics are able to shine through, and showcase some of the purest quality and taste. Not a coffee drinker? Aviano proudly serves up organic teas and delicious bites.
Hawaiian Foods (Blue Island Oyster Bar)
We are heading to the beach for this next trend, but no sunscreen is needed, unless you are dining on the outdoor patio at Blue Island Oyster Bar. By now you’ve probably seen photos of poké bowls while flipping through your Instagram feed or at your local Whole Foods Market store. Pronounced “Poh-KAY” and rhymes with okay, this traditional Hawaiian dish is making its way into mainstream mouths faster than a fish out-of-water. What’s the big deal you ask? Head to Blue Island Oyster and nosh on the Ahi Tuna Poké from their raw bar menu. The combination of perfectly marinated ahi tuna, pineapple-soy, snap peas, cucumber, Chinese mustard, and crunchy wonton chips will have you back again-and-again.
Some are calling poké the new generation of sushi, but we will let you be the judge of that.
Mock-Tails (True Food Kitchen)
Too many bloodies at your last brunch? Or just looking for a tasty drink that the kids can enjoy too? Stop everything you are doing and head to True Food Kitchen on the corner of 2nd and Detroit for mouth-watering mock-tails that will make you want to loose the booze. Next time you stop-in be sure to try a mock-tail from the seasonal spring menu. Some of our favorites include: Sparkling Honeydew Refresher with ingredients like ginger honey and a zest of lime, The Hangover Rx, which boosts flavors like pineapple, orange, honey, and revitalizing coconut water, and our personal favorite, the Medicine Man, a heavy brewed green tea with hints of cherry, pomegranate, honey, and sea buckthorn, which is rich in Vitamin C and carotenoids. There is nothing to mock about this top trend until you try it yourself!
Hyperlocal Foods (Departure)
Hyperlocal is the new local when it comes to the food and restaurant industry. The local food movement is nothing new, especially in the Colorado food scene but we are starting to see the hyperlocal trend take-over markets and menus. Hyperlocal you ask? Think of it this way the next time you eat a salad with greens that were made on a restaurants rooftop garden, or spices in a Moroccan tagine that were grown, picked, and dried out from a neighbors farm only a few buildings down. Chefs are not only sourcing hyperlocal products, but they are telling the back-story of where your food came from and the people that grew it. These are the stories that keep customers coming back for more and chefs are seeing why this trend is good for the community and business.
Next time you are looking for a fun eating experience with eclectic ingredients head over to our friends at Departure on 2nd and Columbine. Culinary Director, Gregory Gourdet, servers up masterful remixes with bold, global flavors, and certainly understands the hyperlocal food trend. From the herbs sprinkled on the unforgettable Bibimbap, to hyperlocal-sourced greens you will find in the salads, Departure is right on-trend with your tastebuds!
