The fall season officially got underway yesterday! So now would be the perfect time to update your restaurant’s menu. Welcoming the new season is a great way to entice customers to visit your eatery. It’s always a good idea to keep things fresh. So what new treats should you add to your menu to celebrate the fall?
Here are three steps to designing a delicious fall menu for your restaurant:
1. Add some pumpkin to the proceedings.
Pumpkins and the autumn season go hand in hand. Once the fall starts, we almost immediately begin thinking about Thanksgiving and Halloween. Between pumpkin pies and jack-o-lanterns, it’s practically impossible to have fall without the giant orange squash. It’s a wise choice to add pumpkin-based items to your menu for the months to come. As Mark Plumlee of RestoBiz insists, nothing says fall like pumpkin on your menu!
“Pumpkin isn’t just for sweet dishes — it makes for gourd-geous savoury dishes too,” he informs, “Roasted pumpkin has an earthy, neutral flavour, which means it can pair beautifully with a variety of other flavours in salads...Pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) are a fantastic addition to fall salads. They add crunch and flavour to every bite!”
2. Bring in some butternut squash.
Butternut squash soup is a practical staple at many a Thanksgiving dinner. The orange colour of the treat alone is enough to make it a fall-time favourite. But, as Kathryne Taylor of Cookie and Kate declares, vegetarian butternut squash chipotle chili with avocado is a dish just right for fall weather and football games. HERE is the recipe!
“It strikes that balance between spicy and sweet that I love in Mexican food, like a good mole sauce,” she writes, “Chipotle and chili powder provide ample spice to round off the sweet, seasonal flavor of butternut squash. Top with crispy tortilla strips and plenty of creamy, diced Avocados from Mexico for a hearty meal that will satisfy vegans, carnivores and gluten-free eaters alike. Meals like that aren’t easy to come by, you know?
3. Put more maple on the menu.
Mmmm...maple! It’s both very Canadian and very autumn-esque. Maple glazed salmon can make a delicious addition to any menu. However, if your restaurant offers breakfast, you may also wish to consider promoting items that include maple flavours. Pancakes anyone? Of course, don’t forget to spruce up your dessert menu!
Food & Wine offers up no less than 34 sweet and savoury maple syrup recipes. Among them is a spinach salad with warm maple dressing. “Studded with blueberries, apple slices, crumbled feta, and toasted almonds, this satisfying salad is blanketed in a warm dressing to gently wilt the spinach,” describes their website, “Smoked paprika and Dijon mustard add a piquant brightness while balsamic vinegar gives complexity to the sweet maple syrup.”
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