A wide range of restaurateurs, foodies and other advocates in Georgia are hearing the call to eat local food. Star chefs continue to prepare local seasonal menus to introduce diners to the large amount of natural products available just around the corner. As a general rule, restaurants change their menus to introduce new dishes or to keep a fresh selection. A cook-to-table restaurant relies heavily on seasonal produce and ingredients, so the menu changes more frequently than a traditional restaurant.
As a diner, you can come back again and again to try the last dish made with ingredients that are available for a short time and enjoy the chef's creativity. Seasonal menus are trending right now, with 49% of consumers thinking that a seasonal menu is more appetizing. For them, “seasonal” means “fresh” and means “full of flavor”, two crucial things when creating dishes for your menu. By offering a seasonal restaurant menu, restaurants take advantage of helping to maintain local farms and food suppliers.
That's because seasonal dishes on limited-time menus often include seasonal ingredients from local farms. Farmers respond to the demand for quality food by expanding their efforts beyond traditional crops and livestock techniques, as they have more income to make it possible. It's also important to remember that a seasonal menu gives you the opportunity to use products that are at their best. On the other hand, farms that practice sustainable agriculture tend to have a minimal impact on the environment and, at the same time, maximize yields.
Changing and improving restaurant menus regularly is important because it maintains the relevance of your business and provides an opportunity to increase your profits. In essence, this movement means that the food on the restaurant table is made with ingredients coming directly from a particular local farm or ranch, without having to go through intermediaries, such as distributors, grocery stores, etc. By creating a seasonal restaurant menu, your chefs have the platform to tap into their inner creativity. Different meals are prepared in the different seasons of the year, and a rotating menu allows your restaurant to take advantage of this diversity and play with all these flavors.
Depending on the location of the restaurant and the climate, seasonal vegetables, fresh produce and meat products are ideal to add to your menu. During a tasting, the chefs will prepare the new menu offerings and will have the opportunity to talk to other employees about the ingredients and flavors of the season. It will make your loyal customers want to come and try the new dishes, and you can entice new customers who haven't dined at your establishment to come and try the new menu or the new dishes. It also shows your customers that you are keeping up to date with trends in the restaurant industry. Since these menus change frequently, it's ideal to consider having a restaurant menu with a QR code and a digital menu ordering option.
Chez Panisse, by restaurateur and food activist Alice Waters in Berkeley, California was one of the first restaurants to support farm-to-table food.
