Every season has certain ingredients, flavors, and dishes associated with it, but autumn is particularly plentiful because it’s the harvest season.
As apples, pears, and squash mature and hunting seasons open for fowl and deer, home cooks and commercial chefs alike adjust menus to include hearty dishes that combat cooling weather with cozy vibes.
Pumpkin spice may be dominating the beverage sector, but restaurants take a much more diverse approach to fall menus, with seasonal, farm-to-table offerings, elevated breakfast and brunch menus, rich meat dishes, and decadent desserts.
Consumers are following suit with home-cooked meals, although often with simpler recipes and more budget-friendly ingredients. What’s happening in fall harvest-inspired menus leading up to Thanksgiving?
Farm-to-Table Menus
Noma’s Game & Forest season is arguably the pinnacle of farm-to-table dining for the fall season, although, sadly, 2024 will mark the last iteration of this annual feast as the restaurant reinvents itself as a “pioneering test kitchen.”
The year’s menu has not yet been announced, but 2023 saw innovative offerings like a guinea fowl baked in salt crust with hazelnut dipping sauce, a pear salad with buckthorn dressing, and a sandwich of crispy cherry leaves, goat cheese ice cream, and white truffle.
Stateside, there are several notable farm-to-table restaurants to offer inspiration. Sonoma’s SingleThread, a restaurant in Healdsburg that boasts three Michelin stars, sources seasonal ingredients from its 24-acre biodiverse farm in Dry Creek Valley to create 10-course tasting menus.
Harvest at Castle Hot Springs in Morristown, AZ, offers a “harvest of the day” menu featuring fresh items pulled from their on-site garden.
Then there’s Outstanding in the Field, a literal moveable feast that selects “field kitchens” across the country, and around the globe, to source local ingredients and artisans for 1-night dining events hosted by farmers, fishermen, ranchers, vintners, and more.
Related: New Holiday Beverages on the Rise: New and Innovative Flavors
Elevated Breakfast
When you think of fall foods, breakfast may not be the first meal to come to mind. However, some restaurants are making their mark with breakfast and brunch items featuring fall flavors.
Casual dining chain Another Broken Egg Café will offer lobster hash Benedict, pumpkin waffles, and a maple spice cold brew in the fall.
Eggs Up Grill will have pumpkin cream pancakes and an oatmeal cookie cold brew. While these aren’t necessarily Thanksgiving-centric, they do offer insight into unique options for fall-inspired recipes.
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Spicy Meat Dishes
Rich meat dishes are a shoo-in for fall menus, and sausage is on the rise. Bob Evans will bring back its famous sausage chili, along with cheesy chili fries. Panera has added croissant breakfast sandwiches to the menu, including one with sausage, egg, and cheese.
Spicy meat could be part of a larger trend that includes an uptick in consumer sausage purchases. According to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey, the demand for sausage has increased recently, a move that could signal consumers seeking budget-friendly alternatives to higher-priced protein sources.
Home Cooking Trends
Inflation has impacted consumer shopping habits in a range of categories, including food. What does it mean for meal planning heading into the fall season, and specifically Thanksgiving?
Consumers may lean away from expensive meats in favor of cost-effective alternatives. In addition to choosing sausage over steak, consumers are opting for plant-based main dishes.
With an estimated 18% of households purchasing plant-based meats, sales of Tofurky and vegan ham on the rise, and the price of poultry up 0.9% from last year (with beef/veal up 4.2%), more consumers may stock their table with vegetarian and vegan options.
Traditional or Trendy?
Following trends in the food industry can be a tricky business. When it comes to fall menus, especially for holidays, observing traditions is a great place to start, but it’s always a good idea to stay on top of trends and work them in where it makes sense to capture consumer interest.
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