The Ten Most Annoying Food Trends of 2012: From Pork Belly to Lobster Mac and Cheese

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2. Molecular Gastronomy
This was a tough one to put on the list. I kept telling myself that molecular gastronomy is more a style of cooking -- a technique -- rather than a trend. But still, it has most definitely gained extra trendy points over the course of the last year. Diners see it as the "Cirque du Soleil" of food. It's weird, and mind boggling, and cool. But unless this is your niche, your signature way of creating and designing food, I think it's yet another marketing gimmick for restaurant goers. People went to El Bulli because this was Ferran Adrià's thing. People go to The Bazaar because this is José Andrés' thing. The same goes for Grant Achatz at Alinea in Chicago. But if all of a sudden a menu has traces of agar agar and maltodextrin, it seems like it's trying to keep trendy, rather than sticking to its roots.

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1.Truffle or Truffle Oil
The ultimate offender of menu porn. First came lava cake, then came pork belly and bacon, and now comes anything truffle related. Restaurants that think putting the word truffle on the menu will a) make something taste better or b) make something worth the surcharge of $20 are silly. The flavor profile of truffles have been completely thrown out the window, and now it's just a matter of making a dish decadent. Gold is also really decadent but usually when people see it on a dish, they think it's a waste. The same goes for truffles -- leave it to the dishes that deserve it.

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