As is the tradition at Eater, our closeout of the year is a survey of friends, industry types, bloggers, and readers. We've already covered Best Standbys, Top Newcomers, Best Restohood, 2012 in One Word, and the Biggest Dining Surprises of the year, the Best Meals of the Year, and the Breakups. Now, headline predictions for 2013:
[Salvation Taco by Krieger]
Q: What Are Your Headline Predictions for 2013?
Robert Sietsema, Village Voice critic: Breakfast is the new frontier, and more restaurants will be extending their hours to the forgotten meal.
Jay Cheshes, Time Out New York critic: Ivan Ramen soup shortage causes noodle riot.
Darin Bresnitz, Snacky Tunes/Finger on the Pulse:
- More Chefs Move to Brooklyn, Serving Composed Food in Casual Setting
- All Hail The Queen, Long Island City's Reign
- Whiskey & Soda, Please, A Return to Classic Drinks
Gabriella Gershenson, senior editor at Saveur: The year of the baker: Lehamim Bakery from Tel Aviv is opening soon, we already have Eric Kayser, Beurre & Sel, a new Bien Cuit in the West Village and Hot Bread Kitchen's flagship from 2012. It's time!
Foster Kamer, senior editor at Complex:
- Danny Bowien Named American Ambassador to Ishmaelia.
- Eddie Huang's Book Optioned for Silver Screen by Ang Lee
- Humm and Guidara Announce New Project: 36 Peck Slip, A Maritime Adventure.
- Eddie Huang's Book Adaptation Killed by Huang's Subsequent "Fuck Ang Lee, He's A Snitch Ass Motherfucker" Blog Post.
- GoogaMooga '13 Tainted By Outbreak of Actual Tourists, Who Actually, You Know, Flew In For This Bullshit
Josh Ozersky, TIME columnist: Josh Ozersky Found Dead in Williamsburg in Gangland-Style Slaying.
Kat Kinsman, Eatocracy managing editor:
- Tater tots on every table! (And please don't get all schmartisanal with them. Food service version is fine - feel free to get cute with the toppings.)
- Thoughtful non-alcoholic drink options that won't cause your server to roll their eyes at you when everyone else orders a cocktail
- Southern dishes with actual ingredients from the South in them
- Grain and vegetable-based entrees that aren't an afterthought
- A nutria in every pot! Okay, maybe not that far, but definitely more invasive species and sustainable protein
Chris Stang, Immaculate Infatuation: Guy Fieri gets his revenge.
Robert Simonson, Times cocktail writer: There's an interesting disconnect between what makes liquor headlines and what's really happening in the drink world. You can read 100 articles about the rise of carbonated, bottled cocktails. But, really, that trend, like most you hear about, represents maybe one percent of the bar and drinker population. The huge, unstoppable drinking trends don't get as much ink, because they're not as interesting or likable to the press or the reader. You can talk all you want about how aperitif wines are on their way back. But really that's nothing compared to the number of ludicrously flavored vodkas that are released every year, and how much they sell. There will be more of those in 2013—although it's hard to imagine stranger flavors than the ones they came up with in 2012—as well as flavored whiskeys, which have produced a river of profit for the whiskey distillers.
Adam Kuban, Slice founder: Watch for a big-screen adaptation of Amanda Cohen's Dirt Candy comic-book cookbook.
Mimi Sheraton, former Times critic:
- More jarring in-your-face food, service, noise and darkness, alas.
- More small plates that confuse diners and give restaurants greater profits.
- More hideous mixed drinks for kindergarten palates.
- And, a wish, for a return of authentic cuisine bourgeoise.
Andrew Friedman, author and Toqueland editor:
- Blah Blah Blah Brooklyn!
- Blah Blah Blah Upscale Counter Tasting Menus!
- Blah Blah Blah This Chef is Mad at that Chef!
Danyelle Freeman, Restaurant Girl: Last year was the year of the forager, so I'm going to go with 2013 as the year of the hunter. That's right, chefs hunting their own meats. You never know.
Scott Solish, Eater nightlife editor:
- Keith McNally Does Brooklyn
- Prime Meats Closes
- Au Pied Du Cochon Opens in Williamsburg
- Chef's Tout Their Ability to Serve Baconless Meals
- Beatrice Inn Fires Their Chef, Hires Paul Sevigny to Drum Up More Business
- SantaCon is held on Halloween
Bret Thorn, senior food editor, Nation's Restaurant News: Mixologist's Hand-Crafted Barrel-Aged Cocktail Tastes Just Like Vodka-Spiked Hawaiian Punch, Hilarity Ensues.
Jordana Rothman: More new-wave Asian food; more second-act antics for food world icons (publishing imprints; Lucky Peach-style quarterlies; TV and film cameos); the ascendency of the craft cocktail dive bar; heirloom grains; and—dear god—insects. Thanks Rene Redzepi!
Josh Beckerman, blogger and foodie magician:
- 4-star Sandwich Shops Take Over NYC and Brooklyn.
- A Boom in Tapas Joints.
Andrew Steinthal, Immaculate Infatuation: NYC diners continue to support downtown and Brooklyn restaurants that were affected by Hurricane Sandy. #RebuildRedhook #EatDowntown
Alexander Hancock, Eater associate editor: Ivan Ramen Opens and the Lower East Side Implodes. (Or, Asian Infatuation Hits Apex, Slow Decline in Trendiness Begins.)
Marc Shepherd, NY Journal: Either Jean Georges or Eleven Madison Park loses the fourth star.
Ben Leventhal:
- Apple, Momofuku Labs Tangle in Patent Dispute
- Eric Ripert Opens Le Bernardin Private Cooking Studio and Lab
- Lee Schrager Annonces Fargo Food & Wine Festival
Kate Krader, Food & Wine restaurant editor: France will be back, big.
Levi Dalton, I'll Drink to That: Super expensive, thousand dollar plus bottles of wine will only be consumed BYOB or in private homes. This is basically already the case with New Yorkers. Nothing says "tourist" like spending huge dollars on wine at a restaurant. You know how residents of Milan (and New York!) have fabulous old art in their homes that isn't even hinted at by what you see of their apartments from the street? Wine is now like that, too. Four star restaurant sommeliers in New York currently make the majority of their money consulting for private clients, and that's only going to continue.
Also, wine pairing tasting menus are over. Whether they choose them themselves or not, customers want a bunch of different small courses. Are sommeliers going to pair 20 different one ounce pours? Nope, they aren't. And once you start saying, well, this wine can go with this and this and this, you may as well be saying "get a bottle." It's over.
And, and, and: Wine from California is coming back. But it won't be the same wine from California. Or the same grape. Or necessarily from the same place as it used to be when it was on New York lists before. Certainly it will be at a different price point. But California is coming back.
Amanda Kludt, Eater editorial director: Average Tasting Menus Prices Reach $300 Pre-Wine; Pete Wells Awards Three Stars Each to Gargiulo's, Randazzo's, and The Good Fork; 2013 will be the Year of the Comeback: Chris Cannon, Tien Ho, Red Hook, FiDi, Perry Street, Almondine, and more; Wylie and Carmellini's New Restaurants Change the Cooper Square Corridor Forever.
Ryan Sutton, Bloomberg critic:
1. Jose Andres finally steps up to the plate and announces he's opening up a Minibar, Jaleo and China Poblano in New York.
2. Some very good restaurants that have re-opened post Sandy will nonetheless shutter again.
3. Restaurants Hunker Down for Next Big Storm in Summer/Fall 2013 (We got hit by Irene in 2011 — at least in Long Beach we did — and then Sandy in 2012 — so if you really really think that Sandy was a once in a generation storm, then I've got a bridge to sell you, my friend. No, it doesn't mean we'll get hit next year, but I feel safe saying this will all happen again).
Greg Morabito, Eater editor: Humm and Guidara Go Downscale With Eleven Madison Pork.
· All Coverage of Year In Eater [~ENY~]
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