FSR March 2023

S P O N S O R E D B Y B A R I L L A

for comfort and that satisfaction to help ground them in their days. For a lot of people, pasta does just that. And that’s great news for chefs, because pasta truly is the ultimate canvas.” A Menu Must-Have When Harding’s restaurant group conceived of Piada, a fast-casual concept based on serving the

at Piada see pasta as the ultimate culinary canvas. Conveyer of flavor So why is pasta such a great base for innovation? One of the rea sons is its versatility. Each cut lends itself to being paired with different sauces, opening up a world of possibilities, says chef Michael Boyer, food and bever

lar service. After all, these issues were widely publicized and con sumers were thought to be in forgiving moods. That patience may be running out, Slavin says. “Guests are craving unique and interesting menu items,” Slavin says. “That stands in direct con trast to the previous two years of menu reductions and more of the same old stuff. Your custom

North African Flavors Chef Michael Boyer, food and beverage product development with Nord strom Restaurant Group, says he anticipates seeing North African flavors con tinue to trend in the pasta space. “Look for greater incorporation of flavors like harissa, chermoula, pre served lemon, dukkah, and saffron,” Boyer says.

ers are likely getting tired of that by now. When they dine out, they want something new.” Matt Harding, executive chef of The Piada Group, owner of 49 fast-casual Italian restaurants and one full-service restaurant, agrees with Slavin. Harding contends that what diners are looking for goes beyond great food. For this rea son, versatile, reliable ingredients that can guarantee interesting menu options are essential. Hard ing suggests that pasta, then, is the perfect way for chefs to meet the moment. “One thing I know will never go out of style, like a good clas sic suit, is hospitality,” Harding says. “I’m a huge advocate for getting back to what hospitality used to mean. And when diners go to a restaurant, they’re looking

age product development chef at Nordstrom Restaurant Group. “For example, I’m obsessed with the mouthfeel of Barilla’s new Al Bronzo product line,” Boyer says. “It has such a clear differ entiation from other pastas with its custom blend of the highest quality semolina, produced with bronze die, forming an extra rough texture which collects and captures sauce and flavor so well.” Boyer notes that this is the very reason why pasta is often at the heart of a burgeoning trend— or, rather, is the perfect place to begin when seeking to showcase a new trend. A chef can always find a cut of pasta that perfectly soaks up the trend’s distinct fla vors or ingredients. For the most recent National Pasta Month—celebrated glob

authentic Italian street food that inspires its name, pasta wasn’t on the menu. It quickly became clear that an Italian concept in the U.S. could not afford to leave pasta off the menu—guests were craving it when they came to Piada. After all, Datassential points out that 84 percent of American consumers say they “love” or “like” pasta. “I think pasta is so popular because it invokes a tremendous amount of nostalgia,” Harding says. “You’ve got a story and a feeling you get when you order pasta at a restaurant. It’s just that emotion and comfort we could all use more of.” Pasta dishes now make up the majority of what Piada sells. In fact, the concept’s top-selling item has become a “build-your own” pasta bowl—even guests