The future of dining in Iowa

The end of 2015 brings with it a fresh start for the new year.

We talked to chefs, restaurateurs and other culinary luminaries across Iowa to find out where they think the food and beverage industry is headed in the future.

Here, 16 talk about the future of dining in Iowa.

Kelly Foss

Director of Des Moines' Downtown Farmers' Market

More restaurateurs and home cooks will continue to connect with local growers and producers, seeking everything from seasonal produce, unique cuts of meat, eggs and honey. At the Downtown Farmers’ Market, for example, this trend has grown dramatically in the past five years, and shows only signs of increasing. Something that might be a few years off for downtown Des Moines is the concept of a food hall, such Eataly in New York and Chicago. This would be a fun destination combining various restaurants, gourmet food products, kitchen items and other food-themed shopping, with a common dining area all in one large space.

John Andres

Chef and instructor at Central Campus Culinary Arts for Des Moines Public Schools

I see the future of our industry becoming more personalized and specialized. The future will always bring new ingredients, combinations, and preparation and presentation methods, but I see the future of our industry truly focusing on customization and locality. Quality and availability of great ingredients are expanding so quickly, and people’s dietary restrictions and preferences are becoming more and more specific. Our customers are growing to expect higher quality and specificity in food and service, and our industry is ready to deliver.

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Mike Rastrelli

Owner of Rastrelli’s Restaurant in Clinton, Iowa, and 2010 Iowa Restaurant Association restaurateur of the year who also served as the chairman association

I would think that you will see restaurant gardens and more local-sourced meats and seafood along with local brewed beers on menus. Increased carry out options. Diners will still look for a place to sit down, enjoy their meal and converse with family and friends in a very relaxed atmosphere. Restaurants will provide opportunities for staff to grow and be creative in food preparation and service.

Lynn Pritchard

Chef and owner of Table 128 Bistro+Bar in Clive and the Iowa Restaurant Association’s restaurateurs of the year in 2015

I believe we'll continue to see a proliferation of local, if not hyper-local products such as ingredients, beers and spirits for both back and front of the house. Iowans are loving the local food movement and clamoring for more and as chefs and business owners, we love that. To parallel my thoughts on local foods, I feel like more chefs and restaurants will be utilizing less known cuts of meat. The global demand for "high" cuts has grown so quickly and inflated their costs. Chefs will continue and grow their use of these cuts once thought to be inferior.

Sarah Pritchard

Owner of Table 128 Bistro+Bar in Clive and the Iowa Restaurant Association’s restaurateurs of the year in 2015

Iowa is seizing the art of dining out. I predict a growing number of people will continue to come together over food and drink to connect with others in a personal and meaningful way. It is the best social medium. Restaurants will continue to elevate the dining experience and the craft of food and drink with a growing number of enthusiastic, passionate hospitality professionals who are investing nationally and locally in professional development opportunities.

Dominic Iannarelli

Executive chef at Splash Seafood Bar & Grill and Jethro’s BBQ who also won the Iowa Restaurant Association’s annual culinary competition in 2013 and was named the Iowa Restaurant Association’s chef of the year in 2013

I think the future of dining looks fantastic. Here are some trends to watch for. Casual dining will become more sophisticated, especially in the area of what perceived value is. Casual dining will see protein and portion sizes drop, and in most cases quality of products used will increase. Local quick service concepts will continue to grow. And lastly, consumers will start trending back to wine.

Michael R. LaValle

Of the Des Moines Embassy Club, Centro, Gateway Market, Riverwalk HUB, Trellis Catering and J.A. White Riverboat, as well as the Iowa Restaurant Association’s restaurateur of the year in 2011

I believe this is the Golden Age of restaurants in Iowa, if you have access to capital. Let’s face it, no one cooks at home much anymore and chefs have supplanted parents in our food culture. Just as our society in general has a shrinking middle class, so do the nation’s restaurants. Family and independents will find it increasingly difficult to compete with well-funded corporate and multi-unit ownership restaurants. This will result in more solutions such as food trucks, food carts and “pop-up” restaurants on the casual/value lower strata. While on the upper niche of formal dining with the exception of lavish steak houses frequented by business diners, some three-star temples of gastronomy and private clubs, “fine dining” as it was once known will be expensive to build and run and there will be much fewer in all markets outside of large cities. Let’s somehow bring back the Main Street cafés in Iowa. Please.

George Formaro

Executive chef at Orchestrate Hospitality and the Iowa Restaurant Association’s chef of the year in 2011 and a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef, Midwest chef at Centro in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur in 2013 and 2014. Django was a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2009.

I think the future of dining will be rooted in a rediscovery of classic dishes and preparation. With as fast as the world moves these days, diners are looking for honest, soulful food with a sense of history. Simple, handmade cuisine with a focus on technique and execution will never go out of style.

Mike Holman

Executive chef of Two Rivers Hospitality Group (Dos Rios Cantina & Tequila Lounge, Big City Burgers & Greens) and the Iowa Restaurant Association’s chef of the year in 2015

I think that the future of dining is transitioning back to what guests are familiar with.  I think that there will still be a market for elegant and artistic food and plates, but I see the trend returning to food that is comfortable and approachable. When I do dine out I want to eat something that has meaning and intent; something that I can tell has thought, and patience and love in the preparation.

Troy Trostel

Executive chef and owner of Trostel’s Greenbriar in Johnston, and the Iowa Restaurant Association’s chef of the tear in 2000. He also won the 2014 Iowa Restaurant Association culinary competition

I see a continued emphasis on customers wanting to know where their food is sourced and how it was produced/raised. We are so fortunate here in Iowa to have an abundance of outstanding local producers who are committed to sustainable farming of our meat and produce. I see less sophisticated dining and a more casual approach in complexities of dishes.

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Suman Hoque

Executive chef and owner of HoQ

I think we'll see a lot of the current food trends continue. I think people will continue to be more interested in where their food comes from so we'll see more availability of organic products. I think people will also continue to be more health conscious and embrace smaller portion sizes and specific diets like gluten-free and Paleo. As craft beer and cocktails continue to grow in popularity, I hope to see them take over in local bars and restaurants. We may see delivery of food change as well and the amount of prepared food picked up or delivered increase as people try to squeeze delicious, healthy food into their busy lifestyles. But I hope that people continue to embrace farming and gardening and being an active part of the food process.

Abbe Hendricks

The wine lady at Gateway Market, Centro, Django and Malo

I think the future of dining is a combination of simplicity and refined elegance. I see a more intense focus being put on the service aspects of dining, with highly educated and meticulously trained staff, who take care of the guest without being noticed — the epitome of dining out. Guests' needs are anticipated before the guest knows they have any, and the dining room is run like an orchestra. The food and wine will become more integrated, with meals always complimented by a glass of wine on the table. Cocktails will highlight the beginning and end of a night out, and restaurant bars will define the culture of what it means to meet someone for a drink — in lieu of the corner tap.

Christopher Diebel

Managing partner of Bubba, opening in late spring 2016

Chefs and bartenders alike will celebrate regional offerings by exploring the unique ingredients and techniques that make them special. As customers are exposed to new genres and re-introduced to classics, the demand for authenticity will rise. Small batch, hyper-local and seasonal ingredients provide one-of-a-kind experiences that increasingly discerning guests crave. Nightly “chef’s features” and curated theme dinners will help satisfy the customer’s appetite for distinct opportunities. Décor will follow this trend accordingly, with more emphasis being placed on the ambiance that complements the user experience.

Tag Grandgeorge

Chef and owner of Le Jardin

With such a high percentage of restaurant payment transactions being placed on credit cards, I see strong potential for table side POS systems with payment capabilities. This will also segue into "no tipping" policies. I would include the service fee in the menu price to limit the possible awkward interaction between the server and the guest table side.

Sean Wilson

Chef and owner of Proof and James Beard Foundation nominee for Best Chef Midwest in 2013, 2014 and 2015 

The future for dining and the culinary scene in Des Moines is on the rise. The art of cooking is a primitive one, but one that will stand the test of time. Cooking professionally is an art unto itself. Like the director of a film, it’s an art that the chef can’t do alone, and is as good as the actors (cooks and servers) and screenwriters (farmers) that are portraying (executing) the chef's vision. Dining in my mind is one of our society’s greatest forms of entertainment. Think about it. Eating alone or with a group can be a celebration of life or death. It seems we are always talking about where to eat before an event, during an event, after and event. We talk about eating or dining while we are currently eating.

People say that technology is the future for everything that man does. I disagree whole-heartedly, at least when it comes to cooking. The machination or automation of fine cuisine just won’t work. This is true because machines or computers lack the human perspective. The human perspective is needed to discern flavor combinations, seasoning, dealing with the different pH levels, sugars, water content of any number of ingredients may it be animal or plant. The human tongue and the cook’s perspective through personally researched information and one's Rolodex of different experiences are what give the cooks the difference from one cook to another. If we go down the path of automation, the unique experiences will die off, and everything would taste or look the same.

As for Des Moines, we are riding a wave of new cooks who either have left and returned with an arsenal of new ideas, flavors and techniques or chefs who have transplanted to Des Moines from other larger cities to break out from the white noise of over-saturated markets to do something that they want to do, either out of the box or filling a niche that doesn't exist in Des Moines. Des Moines is far enough away from Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City that the food scene here will organically define itself and create its own identity here in the Midwest.

David Baruthio

Chef and co-owner of Baru 66 in Windsor Heights and James Beard Foundation nominee for Best New Restaurant in 2011 and Best Chef Midwest in 2013

More and more authentic food. Quality ingredients that are not modified too much. Locally and seasonally sourced when available. More health-conscious dining. A strong demand and progression toward dietary education. Gluten-free, lactose-intolerant, vegetarian and vegan are expanding demands. Forgotten vegetables are popular. Chicken is making a comeback as a favorite, it has been undervalued in the past. A well-raised and well-prepared chicken still has its place. On a sweet note, chocolate and salt, a fusion of savory and sweet, will continue. Orchard fruits are also on the list to become more in demand. Online reservations will be the thing. No more phone calls.