There’s going to be more of a focus on “taste first rather than social media visuals,” said Chris Coombs, the chef and co-owner of Bosse Enoteca and Bosse, a pickleball facility in Natick, Mass.
Plates that are designed to look good on a screen “don’t hold up when flavor is an afterthought, said Briken Fejzullai, the founder and managing partner of WarrenPeace, an intimate cocktail bar in Tribeca.
“Diners are suffering from aesthetic fatigue,” said David Leite, a three-time James Beard Award winner based in Connecticut and founder of Leite’s Culinaria. “When every restaurant looks like a stage set, nothing feels special.”
Some restaurants are even banning cell phone use, including Bogie’s Place, a steakhouse in downtown Boston, located in the back of two cocktail bars – JM Curley’s and The Wig Shop on Temple Place.
In recent years, simple but overdone favorite dishes like Caesar salads, rigatoni with vodka sauce, and smash burgers have been all the rage. Some menus have even packaged Caesar salads with a side of fries as “a girl dinner.” Those will be left behind in 2025, said chef Jason Santos, the chef-owner of Buttermilk & Bourbon and Citrus & Salt, both located in Boston.
A smash burger.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Jonny Curiel, the chef of Alma Fonda Fina, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Denver, said guests are more cost conscious and are dining out with more intention, choosing restaurants that are personal and authentic. Those are traits that have made his own restaurant a national hit.
“Our restaurant reflects layers of my story as a Mexican chef from Guadalajara, and most of our spaces have chef’s counters where the chefs cook directly in front of guests and serve the food themselves,” said Curiel. “This is where guests interact with chefs, understand the story behind each dish and leave feeling connected to our restaurant in a deeper way.”
One facet of the “Instagrammable” experience we won’t let go of? The bathrooms, said Libby Slader, the owner of Libby Slader Design, a full-service branding and design firm in Providence.
“We’re still making sure that bathrooms either meet the design or even exceed the design in the restaurant,” said Slader. “People really associate the bathroom with the cleanliness and the thought and the detail of the kitchen.
“People are still taking selfies in front of a mirror, so there needs to be some thought behind it,” she added.
This story first appeared in The Food Club, a free weekly email newsletter about Rhode Island food and dining. Already a member of the club? Check your inbox for more news, recipes, and features in the latest newsletter. Not a member yet? If you’d like to receive it via e-mail each Thursday, you can sign up here.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
Dining and Cooking