Now Trending: Shareables

Q: Why are shareable plates trending right now?

A: I think going out to restaurants as a group is really becoming a social outing; trying new restaurants, learning about the chefs at those restaurants…it's what people are doing for fun nowadays. And I think that to really maximize their eating experience at these restaurants, they’re looking to order shareable, smaller plates versus an entrée per person. It's a bit more of an adventurous way of eating. You can try different flavors, proteins and ingredients that you haven't tried before, and I think that’s what everyone loves about it: you can try a little bit of a lot of things.

Q: Are you seeing any chefs doing really fun, creative things with their shareable menus?

A: Douglas Katz is doing some awesome stuff at his restaurants, Zhug and Amba, right here in our Cleveland neighborhood. What I think his restaurants do an amazing job at is that when their front of house staff greets you, they go right into explaining the shareable plates concept to you because this might be a new trend for some that are used to that classic way of ordering with one entrée per person.

And what I love about Doug's menus is they are wildly creative and everything is delicious. On his menus, you'll find familiar dishes, like popcorn chicken (one of my favorites!), but you’ll also see ingredients like Thai basil and amchoor powder. So he's taking dishes that are familiar, craveable and snackable and adding an ingredient that might be new to you, and you are like, oh, what is that? Then, they’ve already made it approachable enough for you to feel comfortable asking the front of house server.

Q: With Spring being just around the corner, it’s an opportunity for chefs to get creative with the freshest ingredients of the season. Any advice or ideas for chefs looking to maximize these ingredients?

A: When you prioritize using seasonal ingredients, you have the opportunity to maximize their usage. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to focus a bit and make your recipe around these specific ingredients. When they’re in-season, they taste the best– and they’re the most cost effective. It’s a win-win!

Q: Shareable plates may sound intimidating to some chefs who don’t have much downtime or room in the budget for additional recipe creation. How does working with Minor’s products help chefs explore the small plates trend while staying on budget?

A: That’s easy! We take some of the prep and guesswork out of the process, so you can spend more time on getting creative.

Q: We have a handful of shareable recipe ideas on our website. What are some of your favorites?

A: So happy you asked. Here are some of my favorites: