Cacio e pepe, cauliflower crust and more dining trends you'll see on your travels
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As the year comes to a close, we know you're working up an appetite for hot new restaurants and craving trips to experience some of the world's greatest culinary trends. And according to OpenTable, it probably involves a lot of cauliflower crust.
The online restaurant reservation service just released some interesting stats about this year's most popular dining trends. In fact, 10 billion diners were seated using the software — more than the world's population, said COO Andrea Johnston. If you, like me, plan your travels around where you're eating next, it's time to take notes.
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First and foremost, health is at the top of diners' minds. "Keto" was mentioned in reviews a whopping 683% more compared to 2017, while "plant based" mentions increased 136%. The words "cauliflower crust" also skyrocketed by 487%. Are you listening, airlines?
Diners are also looking to indulge a bit, especially when global cuisines are on the menu. "Queso" mentions increased by nearly 31% while "nachos" increased by 19% over the last three years. Review mentioning "potstickers" saw an uptick of 61% and "cacio e pepe" — a tried-and-true Italian delicacy — increased by 96% since 2017.
If you're planning on booking trips based on where you're eating, you'll want to look into a trip to Washington, D.C. The city is home to Founding Farmers, the most-booked restaurant of the year. It features American plates crafted from ingredients sourced from family farms all across the country, whenever possible.
Overall, American was the most popular cuisine for breakfast and lunch, but most diners were looking to feast on Italian for dinner.
OpenTable isn't just great for making restaurant reservations. As of January, you can redeem your OpenTable points for hotel stays booked through Kayak, making it an easy way to get a solid discount on your dream getaway. Combine that with the points you'll earn by having a card that earns you bonus points for dining and you're golden. Our top picks are the American Express® Gold Card (4x points at restaurants) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x points).
Related: The best credit cards for restaurants and dining out
Is there anything better than knowing all that cauliflower crust and cacio e pepe is getting you closer to your next trip? We think not.