Mediterranean salads top the list when casual diners seek change.

A Mediterranean-style salad holds the most appeal as a new flavor for diners at casual-dining restaurants, according to a Culinary Visions™ Panel study conducted by Chicago-based Olson Communications.

“When restaurants want to add new salads they should look to the Mediterranean for inspiration,” said Sharon Olson, president of Olson Communications. “We discovered a full 60% of customers are highly likely to choose that type of salad when they have ethnic salad choices that also include Latin and Asian.”

“Artisan” on the menu used to entice diners. Not so much today. And “local” trumps “organic.” Meanwhile, overall restaurant spending is expected to grow.

Interest in where food comes from, as well as changes in restaurant spending, will both drive the foodservice rollercoaster in 2012, according to Mintel’s latest report.

“Overall, restaurant economic prospects for 2012 look positive,” says Eric Giandelone, foodservice director at Chicago-based Mintel. “In spite of the down economy, Mintel estimates that the U.S. restaurant industry will be worth $416.4 billion in 2012, showing that operators really have listened to consumer wants and needs and made appropriate changes.”

If any restaurant understands olive oil, it’s one named Extra Virgin. Here, the executive chef of the Arlington, Va., eatery extols the virtues of olive oil beyond the flavor it imparts to dishes.

Anytime is a good time to consider heart health. After all, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America, killing more than 600,000 people yearly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even making small changes in your lifestyle and diet can add up to big results, over time. One such change that can give people a healthy benefit for the heart and beyond is to make the switch to olive oil.

Kraft Foodservice offers its top 12 trend predictions for 2012

The chefs at the Kraft Culinary Centre pulled from their industry experience, culinary savvy and uncanny intuition. The result? Twelve insightful predictions on what will shape foodservice in 2012.

1. Customization Reigns
Freeman Moser III, senior executive chef
Customization allows you to create a unique interaction with your diner. I saw Pine & Gilmore deliver a lecture years ago about mass customization, where they stressed the need in recognizing that customers are “markets of one.” That resonates deeply in today’s foodservice culture. Fast casuals are succeeding here: Panera Bread’s “You Pick 2™” is a great example of allowing diners to choose their experience.

Current and emerging trends as revealed at the 20^th-annual Catersource Conference & Tradeshow in Las Vegas last month.

Courtesy of Olson Communications

Catersource is the leading catering-specific tradeshow in the United States that features food, equipment, serving ware and professional services. Caterers can see creative concepts and new, money-saving resources as they network with foodservice experts and industry leaders.

The conference is also marked by exclusive events such as the culinary challenge tabletop competitions, catering-excellence achievements and the coveted CATIE (Catered Arts Through Innovative Excellence) awards.

Here are highlights of the 2012 conference and trade show, Feb. 26-29, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.