Earlier in the week I reported on the top hot trends of 2010, according to a survey by the National Restaurant Association (NRA). While local foods top the 2010 restaurant trends, these items were deemed yesterday's news:

Ostrich/emu (63% said it was Yesterday's News)
Organ meats/offal (57% )
Bottled water (57%)
Energy drinks (54%)
Energy drink cocktails (50%)

 Read the whole survey

This post appealed to my love of restaurants and my love of dining! This week, William Grimes, the author of "Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York" and a former restaurant critic for The New York Times, will be responding to readers' questions about the history of dining in New York City.

I already wrote in about Tavern on the Green and asked about its general history as one the cities (and the worlds) most famous restaurants. What New York City restaurant/ neighborhood do you want to know more about? Ask Here!

 Do you know what Amuse Bouche (pronounced ah-mewz-BOOSH) is? Because it's listed as the hottest appetizer/ starter in the National Restaurant Association's Chef's Survey of What's Hot in 2010.

I'll admit I had no idea what Amuse Bouche was when I read it. I dug out my trusty Food Lover's Companion, which listed the following definition: French Derivative for appetizer, typically referring to a small one--or -two bite portion to tickle the tastebuds.

Aside from tastebud--tickling appetizers, other hot trends for starters include:
Mini--burgers/sliders
Appetizer combos/platters
Appetizer salads
Asian appetizers

Read the whole What's Hot list.

Side dishes, by their very nature, often get overlooked when planning a restaurant menu. I'm guilty of this. My restaurants served the standard garlic smashed potatoes, rice pilaf or French fries. Side vegetables were limited to seasonal veggies, or the old standby of steamed carrots. Blah, I know. But customers liked 'em. Go figure.

 But...if I had do-over, I'd add some cool side dishes like the ones that topped the What's Hot in 2010 Chef Survey.

1. Quinoa
2. Braised vegetables
3. Brown/wild rice
4. Steamed/grilled/roasted vegetables
5. Buckwheat items