More chicken sandwiches and other restaurant trends for 2023

After years of losing business to pickup and delivery, restaurant dining rooms are a thing again.

That assertion comes from the National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot 2023 Culinary Forecast.”

“All restaurant dining is local, and according to the survey, more than 70% of respondents agree that customers want to gather on-premises — as hungry for connection as sustainance,” the survey reads.

It draws on the expertise of more than 500 professionals from the American Culinary Federation, a professional organization for chefs and cooks, according to its introductions. Participants weighed in on what they see as menu trends for the coming year.

The results are presented in a list of overall trends and then broken down into several categories.

Here are some of the key findings.

Dining in

Customers are eager to connect over dining experiences, shared meals that can’t be easily replicated at home, according to the survey.

That thinking seems to be shared by Black Angus Steakhouse, which has a dropdown menu for experiences on its website. They include happy hours and weekly specials. In May, the Sherman Oaks-based chain introduced a live music program bringing local bands into its restaurants on Friday nights.

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar has a beer club with special events such as pairings nights such as the upcoming Bacon Experience, Jan. 30-Feb. 2 in restaurants throughout the Costa Mesa chain.

Chicken sandwiches

Nashville hot chicken has become so mainstream that Iowa and Kentucky football players devoured it in an eating contest before facing off in the Music City Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

Although the “chicken sandwich wars” began in 2019, the trend remains so hot that the association gave it the No. 2 spot on its overall list and two spots on its luncheon list: “Chicken Sandwich 3.0,” featuring spicy and sweet heat fusion flavors, and fried chicken sandwiches.

Chicken sandwiches were big at Wingstop, which debuted 12 flavors at once in late August. They included Lemon Pepper Punch and Mango Habanero heat.

Hot Honey, selected by gourmet syrup company Monin as its 2023 flavor of the year, made appearances at such chains as Wendy’s and Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, a full service chain.

Charcuterie boards

Plates of cured meats and cheese tap into the desire for a shared dining experience, according to the association.

Among restaurants that serve them are Meat on Ocean in Santa Monica, which charges $44 for a five-item board and $53 for a seven item board, according to its website. The Rustik Fork in Riverside charges $35 for a board with assorted meats, cheeses, fruit and nuts, according to its brunch menu.

Graze Craze, a chain founded in Florida 2020, specializes in customized charcuterie boards and catering. It is planning to open California locations in Chula Vista and Modesto.