A restaurant meal offers freedom from kitchen duty and more choices about what to eat. Today more people are eating out on a regular basis – the “everyday” diners – making simple, affordable meals all the more important, and better-for-you options critical. Distinguish menus with Grapes from California – as a fresh healthy side option or as a signature ingredient in salads, sandwiches, entrees, and beverages.
Grapes are comfort food – they deliver a juicy burst of flavor, are always ripe when they come to market, and they’re just simply beautiful.
Grapes are healthy – a natural source of antioxidants and other polyphenols (see Healthier Menus). Offer them as a fresh side on your menu and add them to your salad bar for an instant fresh and healthy choice.
Grapes are the easy upgrade to any dish – chicken salad with grapes is simply better – and more special than one without. That goes for salads of all kinds, and sauces and toppings for center-of-the-plate items too, such as fresh grape salsas or relishes.
Grapes from California are America’s local grapes – California produces 99 percent of the commercially grown grapes in the U.S. No matter what states your units reside in, if they are buying California grapes, they’re buying local.
Grapes are on trend – grapes in salads with goat and blue cheese, roasted grapes, grapes in sauces, grape-studded focaccia – these items are all the rage in fine dining (See Fine Dining and 21 Ways) and are finding their way into chain menus, too.
Grapes go global too – grapes provide a sweet-acid balance that complements an array of world flavors, while their juicy goodness pairs well with bold spicy heat. Visit the Grapes Make the Plate page on the CIA’s ProChef website for more grape ideas.
The commission has an array of resources available to help implement grapes on menus, including menu promotion assistance for new introductions and special offers, and menu development services. Contact us for easy ways to add fresh grapes to the menu.
Do you already have a great recipe featuring grapes that you serve at your restaurants? Or perhaps you already use grapes on the Kids’ Menu or elsewhere. We’d love to hear about it! Contact us.
Californians have been cultivating grapes for more than two centuries. Today, 99 percent of U.S. table grapes are produced in California's warm, dry climate that is ideal for grape growing. With 89 grape varieties grown, California grapes come in three colors—green, red, and black—and are in season from May through January.
