Michelada ModernaFrontera Grill, Chicago Beer cocktails—I am starting to see them in many of my favorite Mexican restaurants. This one features Pacifico beer served in a salt-and-chipotle-powder-rimmed glass with lime and orange juice. It tastes like summer in a glass. Selected by: Belinda Chang Check out the entire list of Clean Plate Award winners. |
| Snapshot: Crazy for Grazing |
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Snacking is snagging the menu spotlight as inter-meal dining soars in popularity.
According to a recent Coca Cola Food-service study, the number of restaurant snack meals continues to grow faster than all other dayparts and now accounts for over 12 billion visits a year. These places have created between-meal menus to satisfy the most serious snack attack. Bin Wine Café, Chicago The weekend Nosh Menu, available Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m., features items like Café Cured Olives ($5), Crispy Tempura Green Beans with citrus aïoli ($8) and a House Made Falafel Sandwich with harissa and tzatziki ($9). Hawks, Granite Bay, California Hawks’ lounge menu is available Sunday through Friday from 2:30 p.m. to close and Saturday from 4 p.m. to close. Items include Ahi Tuna Tartare ($15), Spicy Hawks Wings ($6) and Green Been Beignets with lemon aïoli ($10). RED, Industry Hills, California Among the items on RED’s afternoon/lounge menu, available all day, are three styles of Chicken Wings (teriyaki, sweet chile and Szechuan BBQ; $9), Steak or Chicken Nachos with roasted-tomato salsa and guacamole ($10) and a Kobe Burger with crispy sesame shallots ($14). Fork, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Fork’s Midday Menu, available between 2:30 and 5 p.m. on weekdays, includes Hummus with Kalamata Olives and Pita ($6.50), Herb-Roasted Pulled-Chicken Salad ($11) and Beet Salad with avocado, goat cheese and green peppercorn vinaigrette ($9.50). |
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My personal cocktail
Bonano reports that the $9 to $12 cocktails have increased customer loyalty and check averages. “Lots of folks who would be purchasing wine with dinner no matter what are now beginning with these unique drinks.” |
Osteria Marco in Denver, Colorado, prides itself on a bar menu that reflects its culinary philosophy. “We had planned to pair cocktails with food,” explains chef-owner Frank Bonanno, “but what’s really taken off is the notion that a patron can approach any bartender and say ‘make me a cocktail.’ After questions such as ‘sweet or savory?’ or ‘up or tall?’ the tender makes a drink crafted to the guest’s palate.”