The hassle of deciding what kind of food everyone’s in the mood for may be over. According to a recent New York Times article, “a growing number of restaurants around the country are serving the best-loved tastes from as many as a dozen countries.” What’s the reason for this trend? Economics. With half of all new restaurants going bankrupt within three years, competition is fierce. The result is a kind of global cuisine that drives purists crazy but gives average diners more choices. And it’s certainly an improvement over last year’s trend–trying to fuse them all into one dish.
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People like choices. This summer 2.78 million of them braved 90-degree-plus temperatures to sample selections from Taste of Chicago’s 71 participating restaurants. At Foodlife in Water Tower Place, 12 stations sell Italian pastas, Asian stir fry, Mexican quesadillas, Middle Eastern pilafs, and American hamburgers. And restaurants from Bossa Nova to Daniel J’s to Stella D’Italia provide delightful examples of this trend.
Desserts are less global, but absolutely fabulous: creme brulee ($3.75); banoffee pie ($4.75), with a graham cracker and melted toffee crust, bananas, and a topping of fresh whipped cream; and chocolate fudge tart ($4.25) with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Those truly committed to healthy eating can try the fresh fruit, organic fruit sorbets, or no-fat chocolate angel food cake.
