Food

Crafting a Southern-inspired Christmas menu is “a balancing act,” declares Don Drake, executive chef of Magnolias in Charleston, S.C. That’s because even though patrons relish the upscale restaurant’s modern takes on traditional cooking, they tend to judge its holiday dishes against their own cherished memories of home-cooked fare.

The big trend in soft drinks is do it-yourself—an offshoot of prolific mixology programs. With a spritz of seltzer, housemade infusions and syrups do double duty in sodas as well as cocktails, commanding a markup. Even Starbucks is testing artisan sodas as the coffee giant tries to diversify its beverage offerings.

Two in five people say they are willing to spend more on meals that showcase new and interesting flavors, finds a recent Technomic study of consumer flavor trends. And consumers—especially Millennials—are seeking a broader spectrum of food choices, indicating that options for more authentic and traditional foods are increasingly important. Adding or adjusting sauce applications is just one easy and economical way to satisfy this customer craving.