Third Grade Social Studies 
Appetite for the Future
What will dining be like in decades to come? We asked the state’s top chefs and foodies.
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“Eat Locally” and “slow food” are only phrases used mostly by pretentious people who really have no idea what they even mean, and just jump on the bandwagon with everyone else to be safe. I’m willing to guess the majority of them don’t even cook themselves, and this will soon be dead fad. Convenience will always win in America. — Tyson Cole: Uchi, Austin.
More mainstream.
—Charles Clark: Ibiza & Catalan Food & Wine, Houston.
I think it is a natural progression, it was first. If these ideas and methods fade away we will lose a lot more than just things associated with the culinary world. — Bryan Caswell: Reef, Houston.
“It will/must gain strength.” — Jeff Blank: Hudson’s on the Bend, Austin.
Eating locally and slow food are here to stay. — Jeb Stuart: Shade, Houston
I think they sound great and people love to say they support these movements, but they’ll still stop by Whataburger when it’s convenient. Green is the big buzzword right now, and people will probably try to eat green, shop green and live green in theory, but practically I doubt much really changes in day to day behavior. — Jon Bonnell: Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Fort Worth.
More mainstream. I truly believe we have not even started to climb this enormous mountain to sustainability industry wide. If the public gets it, all restaurants will follow suite, and once the price comes down, the bandwagon will get bigger. — Jason Dady: The Lodge, San Antonio
the ideas will continue and blend into the mainstream — Bruce Auden: Biga on the Banks, San Antonio
This depends on the media -- Anthony Bombaci: Nana, Hilton Anatole hotel, Dallas.
An 80 billion dollar industry just doesn’t go away, but it will shed its political self righteousness — Stewart Scruggs: Wink, Austin.
It'll grow but just as a small percentage of the population growth or the growth of chains and fast foods. So it will grow but proportionally comparing to the growth of the bad it's a small dent. — David Garrido: formerly of Jeffrey’s, now developing Garrido’s, Austin.
Yes, they will continue to become more mainstream because they make sense. — John Tesar: Mansion Restaurant, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel, Dallas.
Yes it is reality. — Dean Fearing: Fearing’s, Ritz-Carlton hotel, Dallas.
I really believe the change will continue to be to get back to nature=respect the land=sustainability=support locally=feed the body & soul with clean & positive food=no tolerance of feedlot meats & bio-engineered food=integrity & respect of food=sharing of food=real value of our food — Lisa and Emmett Fox: Fino, Austin.
FADS. — Bud Royer: Royers Round Top Café, Round Top.
They will continue to grow. — Robert Rhoades: Hudson’s on the Bend, Austin.
They will become the expected practice. — Tom Fleming: Central 214, Dallas.
I believe that “yuppie fads” are one thing, eating locally, as goofy as it sounds, is another. We have by degrees, always eaten locally. — Scott Tycer: Gravitas, Houston.
No fad, just common sense approach to cooking and it tastes REALLY good. — Scott Cohen: Watermark Hotel Company, San Antonio.
If we can make these more affordable for the average consumer they will become mainstream. The key is affordability. Nothing would make me happier. — Will Packwood: Cibo, Austin.
I would like to believe that these are not just fads. While realizing that not all the public are engrossed in the culinary scene people are becoming much more conscience of what they’re eating, where the product comes from and how it’s raised. Gaining a lot more attention to the locally grown surportive and made from scratch Restaurants. — Jason Gould: Gravitas, Houston.
Seasonal, organic “non-processed” and “locally produced” are time-honored traditions in other cultures but have only been hovering on the American (and Texan) culinary landscape for several decades. Eventually, sooner than later, these trends will become part of our fabric. — Stephan Pyles: Stephan Pyles, Dallas.
I hope that chefs will understand what buying local does. It helps your economy, maybe not much but it does. We have to be willing to take the extra step to put the freshest and best ingredients out there, not just pick up the phone and place an order. When you know your farmers name and see the love and passion that he or she puts into their products, it make us better as chefs. You don't waste anything. — Chris Shepherd: Catalan Food and Wine, Houston.
I hope they will become more and more mainstream, but it is up to the chefs and consumers who care to demand more and more of this from their suppliers. Most of the Farmers Markets you go to are more “arts & crafts” than small farmers. People have forgotten where their food comes from; parents will take their kids to a petting zoo, but are afraid to let them know that some of these animals provide food for us. It will never become more than a fad until people face up to the reality of “how that steak got on your plate”. When people finally make that connection, that’s when they quit being fads —Mark Schmidt: Café 909, Marble Falls.
This unfortunately will always be fringe, simply because of economics! — William McKenna: Texas Culinary Academy, Austin.
We believe that this will remain as more people re becoming more conscientious about what they consume. — Diana Barrios Treviño: Los Barrios, San Antonio.
I hope not. — Marion Gillcrist: La Traviata, Austin.
More mainstream. — Avner Samuel: Aurora, Dallas.
Yes, they will be more mainstream. customers want to see the money they spend stay in the community that they live. — Randy Evans: Brennan’s of Houston, Houston.
Hopefully not, if it can be more widely accessible. Local, slow and well crafted food will set the frame for memorable moments that stay with all for a life time. — Alma Alcocer-Thomas: Jeffrey’s, Austin.
Slow food rocks but, not too slow. Eat locally is great if you have a whole bunch of good farmers. Yuppy fads Suck. you know who you are. — Paul Petersen: Café Cenizo, Gage Hotel, Marathon.
Both will remain, guest enjoy local ingredients and organic green is on the rise. — Mark Cox: Mark’s American Cuisine, Houston.
Eat locally and slow food is here to stay in one form or another because both concepts involve much more than just the presentation and taste of the food on a plate. Our consumers are becoming just as concerned with the environment and the nutritional and health benefits of the food that they eat. — Lou Lambert: Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, Austin.
These are not fads, but rather lifestyle adjustments that will continue to gain momentum. — Charles Butt, H-E-B, and John Campbell, Central Market
They will continue. Maintaining a connection to a local, regional identity in the face of Globalization is a human reaction, not a fad. — Nick Badovinus: formerly of Hibiscus, now developing F\NB, Dallas.
Definitely not a fad. — Andrew Weissman: Le Rêve, San Antonio.
I truly hope that farmers start growing more food in American and I want to start seeing more locally grown and locally produced products because in order for the world to become green, we need to start relying on ourselves and not on other countries to provide. Locally grown vegetables, fruits, spices, etc. will continue to be sought after and will eventually decrease our energy costs of shipping products from other areas. — Kent Rathbun: Abacus, Dallas.
There will be a place in the market for these things so that they will be available as an option for consumers, but probably not large in scope. — Chris Pappas: Pappas Restaurants, Houston.
YES! — Michael J. Cordúa: Americas, Houston.
Lets hope so. The chains do not like these concepts. — Bruce McMillian: Tony’s, Houston.
Yes local, slow and natural will continue to be a mainstream topic. — Jason Weaver: French Room, Adolphus Hotel, Dallas.
I think eating locally and slow foods should become more mainstream, but I don’t know if it will. That said, it will stick around, because I think that those two concepts, as well as eating organic, small-farm ingredients, is something that people do enjoy and appreciate when they experience it. — Tim Love: Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Fort Worth.
Yes. — John Sheely: Mockingbird Bistro, Houston.
I hope they are not yuppie fads, or this country is in big trouble. — Rebecca Rather: Rebecca’s Table, Fredericksburg.
No answer. — Robert Del Grande: Café Annie, Houston.
19. How will the state’s emerging Hispanic majority impact the culinary scene?
There wont be cheap labor much longer … and that’s a good thing! You will need to take care of your guys economically and emotionally or they will move to the next gig. — Lance Fegen: Glass Wall, Houston.
More Hispanic labor will benefit the industry. Most of the Hispanics are loyal, talented, and hard-working. —Chris Ward, Mercury Grill, Dallas.
I think the expectation of true Regional Mexican food will be a must — Tex Mex will slowly fade away and the demand for true authentic cuisine with become more predominant. — David Bull: Bolla, Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa, Dallas.
No change, some come for shopping and buy homes in new suburbs, then go dine in restaurants where the others worked, as it has been for a while it will remain for a while — Damien Watel: Bistro Vatel, San Antonio.
Every restaurant in Texas employs Hispanic workers and cooks. They are the backbone of our industry, and without them many local establishments could not survive. Their influence on the culinary scene is vast due to the ever increasing popularity of Tex-Mex cuisine and new and innovative variations brought forth by American chef. — Tyson Cole: Uchi, Austin.
Hispanic people have more of an open mind to try different foods, like French, Spanish and Creole. Plus, dining at late hours and more work force, but less expensive.
—Charles Clark: Ibiza & Catalan Food & Wine, Houston.
Our culture is already threaded with this impact and has been all my life — Bryan Caswell: Reef, Houston.
“More of the same for the next few years.” — Jeff Blank: Hudson’s on the Bend, Austin.
The impact will be more cultural diversity in the culinary lexicon. -- Jeb Stuart: Shade, Houston.
I believe that the Hispanic population is the backbone of the Texas food scene today. Look behind the kitchen doors at your favorite chef hotspot. The finest kitchens are more likely staffed with Mexican immigrants than budding new chefs. They are an essential part of the Texas food scene because of their outstanding work ethic. -- Jon Bonnell: Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Fort Worth.
As in any state, it will affect everything from the workforce to the diner’s preferences.. --Jason Dady: The Lodge, San Antonio
Texas is so diverse that I don't see that it will change the scene. -- Bruce Auden: Biga on the Banks, San Antonio
Aren’t they already doing this? -- Anthony Bombaci: Nana, Hilton Anatole hotel, Dallas.
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