Modern Shareables

Gen Z is loving shareable plates, and hey, we are, too. They’re fun, they’re Instagramable, and an awesome way to sample a menu.

THE GEN Z dining cohort, which has surpassed millennials in restaurant visits, according to Technomic, prefers to share their food – in person and on socials. According to research from Y-Pulse, 66% of those surveyed enjoy restaurants that serve shareable food.

“Shareables have always been seen by operators as a low-risk, high-reward way to offer their guests new flavors,” says trends expert Katie Ayoub, of Katie Ayoub & Associates. “Consumers might hesitate to commit to a bold global entrée, but if it shows up as part of a shared plate or small-format item, they’re much more willing to take that leap. For operators, that opens the door to innovate with trending ingredients, unexpected mash-ups and premium touches without alienating guests. But today, other drivers are also at play, making shareable a huge opportunity in foodservice: They answer the call for community and connection, and for interactive dining. They also speak to the demand from consumers for highly personalized dining experiences. Another driver is value perception. Diners perceive shareables as delivering more value. They can try more things for roughly the same spend, and operators benefit from incremental sales as groups order an extra small plate or two. It’s a win-win that’s perfectly aligned with how people want to eat right now.”

Modern Shareable Ideas Offered by US Foods® Customers

All You Can Eat 2.0

At Ambar, a Balkan-inspired restaurant in Chicago, owned by Ivan Iričanin, CEO of of Street Guys Hospitality, allows diners to choose from its “Dining Without Limits” tasting menu of more than 30 small plates for just $34.99. The unlimited sampler features regional specialties like sirnica (cheese pie), sarma (meat and rice-stuffed cabbage rolls) from northern Serbia, sirnica (grilled kebabs, and fan-favorites ajvar (roasted red pepper and eggplant relish) and beet tzatziki from the mezze selection, served with fresh pita bread.

Oysters

“Oysters are the best vessels for shareable appetizers,” says US Foods Food Fanatics® Chef Richard Papier. “They really hit the ‘wow’ factor.” Plus, Papier says, they’re also a low lift in terms of preparation.

“You can take a cooked product like our Chef’s Line® pork belly, chop it up, throw it in the fryer and plate fried oysters or raw oysters in their shells with the crispy pork belly; maybe a little pepper jelly sauce and some smoked blue cheese. It’s quick to assemble, looks fancy and takes hardly any cooking skill beyond using a fryer. The colors are beautiful on the plate and the topping variations are endless."

At Brasero in Chicago, grilled oysters come topped with citrus garlic butter, chopped fresh cilantro and a plantain-cashew crumble.

Solo Oxford in Mississippi serves fried oysters with sweet potato buffalo sauce, dill aioli and herbs – as well as simply grilled with lemon, parmesan, herb butter and optional jumbo lump garlic crab meat for the easy (and delicious) upsell.

At The Point in Washington, D.C., roasted Chesapeake oysters are topped with garlic-lemon butter, sourdough crumbs, parmesan and grilled baguette toast points for serving and sharing.

Skewers

The meat, veggie and flavor combinations are boundless when it comes to skewers – plus they look fun when served, and are easy to share. At SYN Rooftop Bar & Lounge in Reston, Virginia, Chef Alexis Hernandez, serves Peruvian-style chicken antichucos (aka, skewers) using aji panca mojo-glazed chicken and potatoes, topped with a crispy quinoa garnish for a little crunch and served with cilantro and aji amarillo aiolis for dipping.

Notes: “Aji Amarillo is a chile from Peru, which we confit in-house to reduce the spiciness, while preserving its fragrance and flavorful kick in the sauce. Substitute mild chili paste if Aji Panca is unavailable.”

Sliders

Sliders are an easy, popular shareable that can be modernized with trending ingredients.

At Janken in Portland, Oregon, wagyu sliders come with a kimchi remoulade and housemade fries. Meanwhile, King Street Oyster House (with locations in Virginia, Maryland and D.C.) serves a variety of sliders on its popular Happy Hour menu, including salmon BLT sliders with basil aioli, fried oysters and spicy remoulade, and meatball sliders with whipped ricotta and marinara.

Sea-Cuterie

Move over, pork-based charcuterie boards;“ sea-cuterie” boards offer a lighter option, using raw and smoked options.

Case in point: The Ivy City Smokehouse Fish Board at The Point in Washington, D.C., comes with pepper salmon, salmon “candy,” Great Lakes whitefish salad, tomato, red onion, horseradish cream and grilled naan bread – available on the all-day and brunch menus.

Check out US Foods’ recipe database for more slider, skewer and seafood recipes and ideas.