Different flavors come and go as trends. A few years ago, pomegranates were all the rage. Bacon is also especially popular these days. Then again, bacon is never unpopular. Like bacon, watermelon is perpetually in demand, but it appears to be popping up on restaurant menus more than ever before.
The creations are mainly drinks. Big chains like Ruby Tuesdays, Red Lobster and Chili’s all offer multiple options when it comes to watermelon margaritas and mixed drinks. Non-chain restaurants joined the party, too. BRGR Kitchen + Bar in Kansas City had a watermelon-infused tequila for their version of agua fresca.
You can order watermelon with your meal, too. Orlando-based Bahama Breeze, known for its laid back Caribbean-style food and atmosphere, featured a watermelon-based appetizer with feta cheese and balsamic dressing. Diners at Stetson’s Modern Steak + Sushi in Chicago can order a pressed watermelon salad (made with both yellow and red watermelon) with arugula, feta cheese, and topped with a Serrano pepper vinaigrette.
And if you visit Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream in Pasadena, CA, you can even have watermelon for dessert thanks to their freshly made watermelon sorbet.
But nowhere is the watermelon more popular among restaurant chefs than it is in New Orleans. A recent article outlined the tasty trend, spotlighting delicious dishes at four of The Big Easy’s restaurants, and offered some insight from a few of the city’s watermelon-loving chefs.
Velvet Cactus chef Jeff Roots explained how he knows when the watermelon season has officially begun: “If I’m on the beach and I start to think about a cool bowl of watermelon, I know that it’s time. Add a cold beer or a margarita, and I’m good to go.”
Who needs a restaurant when you’ve got a beach, watermelon and cold beer?
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