![\"Karrie](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Karrie-Hills-from-PlainClarity-Communications.jpg\")
<\/a>Karrie Hills, executive chef at Red Door and Wellington Steak & Martini Lounge<\/b><\/p>\n
741 W. Washington St.; 729 W. Washington St., Mission Hills<\/p>\n
Outgoing:<\/i> \u201cI would love to see pretzel buns get buried. They\u2019re just absurd \u2014 bad calorie content, flavorless, hokey and chewy. And they\u2019re manufactured mostly by the big guys. I want handcrafted French or artisan rolls, something that someone made with love.\u201d<\/p>\n
Incoming:<\/i> \u201cI see a lot of nutrient-dense foods appearing on menus and in grocery stores, like kale chips instead of potato chips. Also, San Diego chefs have now gained farming education from local farmers when sourcing, so I think we\u2019ll see a lot of them growing their own herbs and vegetables onsite or nearby. We\u2019ll also see a lot of gourmet tacos come around and new types of pork dishes using different parts of the pig, like maybe the backstrap instead of just the belly.\u201d<\/p>\n Erick Castro, co-owner and head bartender at Polite Provisions <\/b><\/p>\n 4696 30th St., Normal Heights<\/p>\n Outgoing:<\/i> \u201cRepetitive drinks on the same cocktail list, where half the drinks contain the same ingredients such as St. Germain or ginger beer. When the cocktail scene started spreading, we wanted to make drinks that were approachable, but we overshot the mark by making them too elementary.\u201d<\/p>\n Incoming:<\/i> \u201cThis year we\u2019ll see an increase in hospitality because for a long time, mixologists were seen as cranky gatekeepers to the world of cocktails \u2014 snooty if you ordered a vodka and soda. But I\u2019m already seeing across town bartenders that are really friendly and making drinks with zero pretension.\u201d<\/p>\n Abe Botello, executive chef at West Coast Tavern<\/b><\/p>\n 2895 University Ave., North Park<\/p>\n Outgoing:<\/i> \u201cI\u2019m really over the farm-to-table concept as a selling point because we all source from local vendors now. I\u2019m also not a fan of communal table settings since I like to be personal with whoever I\u2019m dining with.\u201d<\/p>\n Incoming:<\/i> \u201cI see a lot of chefs uniting ingredients from different types of cuisines into familiar American dishes, using Asian or South American twists. The shrimp and grits that I have on my menu, for example, have a Latin influence with chorizo, jalapenos and limes.\u201d<\/p>\n Jason O\u2019Bryan, head bartender at URBN Coal Fired Pizza<\/b><\/p>\n 3085 University Ave., North Park<\/p>\n Outgoing<\/i>: \u201cCocktails on tap. Owners love them because they eliminate waste. Bartenders love them because they\u2019re incredibly easy. And customers love them because they get their drinks fast. But as everyone rushes to put their cocktails on tap, people are finding that it\u2019s hard to do well. And we\u2019ve hopefully seen the last of bartenders trying to impress with the sheer weirdness of ingredients. It’s not impossible that a Himalayan gooseberry and quinoa tincture would taste delicious in tequila infused with charred baby octopus, but I’m inclined to doubt it.\u201d<\/p>\n Incoming<\/i>: \u201cWe\u2019re starting to see nostalgic or children\u2019s flavors used in inventive grown-up ways like in Karl Strauss\u2019s peanut butter cup Porter, root beer-flavored bitters and cocktails garnished with marshmallow fluff.\u201d<\/p>\n Jojo Rossi, corporate chef for Whiskenladle Hospitality, including Prepkitchens<\/b><\/p>\n 1660 India St., (Prepkitchen Little Italy)<\/p>\n Outgoing:<\/i> \u201cI would personally like to see the cronut disappear. Otherwise, as long as the food is delicious, we don\u2019t care if it\u2019s trendy because we have to be relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n Incoming<\/i>: \u201cSoutheast Asian cuisine is hot because it\u2019s lighter and has fresher vegetables and raw herbs that taste brighter. At our Prepkitchen in Little Italy we have house-made kymchee a few times a week. And at all locations, we have Vietnamese-style chicken wings. Gluten-free and vegan options will continue to rise in restaurants, although I would also like to see more pastry departments come into neighborhood restaurants.\u201d<\/p>\n Matt Gordon, chef\/owner of Urban Solace; Solace and the Moonlight Lounge; and Sea & Smoke<\/b><\/p>\n Respective addresses: 3823 30th St., North Park; 25 East E St., Encinitas; 2690 Via De La Valle, Del Mar<\/p>\n Outgoing<\/i>: \u201cFor our third restaurant (Sea & Smoke), we\u2019ve moved back to a minimalist feel and away from reclaimed-everything d\u00e9cor, which has become an easy way out in restaurant designs.\u201d<\/p>\n Incoming<\/i>: \u201cThe amount of restricted diets seems to be more and more, so chefs are experimenting further with dishes that have no nuts, no honey and no flour. Being knowledgeable about the ramifications of food on some people is important, whether it\u2019s perceived or real.\u201d<\/p>\n Alberto Morreale, co-owner and executive chef of Fig Tree Caf\u00e9s<\/b><\/p>\n 416 University Ave., Hillcrest; additional locations in Pacific Beach and Liberty Station<\/p>\n Outgoing<\/i>: \u201cUpscale restaurant concepts are going away. People are no longer interested in spending a lot of money on places just for their names. They\u2019re looking for affordable old-fashion recipes reinvented.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>