Bites & Sips: Pizza Wars, Cabbage-Core and Pairings Galore

1Cabbage Comeback

Credit: Diane’s Place

In Minneapolis, Hmong-American restaurant Diane’s Place combines cabbage and bamboo with a finish of coconut-curry broth.

In what appeared to be a culinary oxymoron, The New York Times headlined that “London’s Sexiest Produce Star Is a Cabbage” and reported the roaring success of the humble vegetable at some of the city’s trendiest eateries. The cabbage in question is hispi, a milder, sweeter hybrid that is conical in shape and a first cousin to the familiar robust-and-round crucifer whose pungent aroma has been a hallmark of traditional British Sunday roast dinners for decades.

Though the suddenly glamorous hispi has not achieved similar star status here in the U.S., chefs’ overall use of cabbage continues at a simmer. It is a starting point for flavor innovation at Fet-Fisk in Pittsburgh, where the Nordic menu features Grilled Cabbage Caesar with aged goat Gouda, anchovies and breadcrumbs. At Animae, an upmarket steakhouse in downtown San Diego, Coal-Roasted Cabbage with brown butter miso and lime is a long-running side dish.

It’s on the center of the plate at James Beard Award winner Diane’s Place in Minneapolis, a Hmong-American operation where the Bamboo & Cabbage entrée is finished with coconut-curry broth. And at Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant Dirt Candy in New York City, a kettle of Smoked Cabbage Broth, the house version of traditional Chinese hot pot, is a meal starter served with a variety of sauces and condiments.

Special props go to Bathhouse in Brooklyn, N.Y., a new-age spa featuring communal Eastern-European traditions, including a restaurant with a distinctly 21st century vibe. Among a tasty trio of cabbage-forward offerings are Spicy Pickled Cabbage with Sichuan peppercorns, cilantro, chive and chile oil; Charred Cabbage with scallion, ginger, togarashi and avocado mayo; and a creatively mashed-up Pho Borscht with beets, cabbage, cilantro and crème fraîche.

2Perfect Pairings

Credit: Blue Duck Tavern

Last year, D.C.’s Blue Duck Tavern upped the indulgence through its Bourbon Whiskey & Bone Marrow Pairing, featuring Oven-Roasted Bone Marrow and a trio of bourbon cocktails.

The marriage of food and beverage is both an art and a science. Culinary historians point to practices of ancient Rome and Egypt, where the combination of specific foods and drinks was believed to stimulate the appetite, aid in digestion and/or promote a good night’s sleep.

Contemporary diners are familiar with wine-and-food combinations meant to maximize the pleasure of both elements, and suggested pairings have long since moved beyond the purview of a trained sommelier. Many operators have stepped up with creative duos meant to enhance diner experience, promote specials, boost checks and build buzz. To achieve these ends, they’re thinking way outside the box with some unconventional matches.

The recent past has seen head-turning promotions like the Bourbon Whiskey & Bone Marrow Pairing late last year at Blue Duck Tavern in Washington, D.C. Here, the pairing coupled Wood Oven-Roasted Bone Marrow made with onion Bordelaise, pink peppercorn and caraway crumble with one of three featured quaffs, like MB Roland Dark-Fired Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Also in D.C., Little Blackbird put a distinctly different spin on the concept with wine-and-candy pairings this Halloween that proved that treats and tricks aren’t just for kids. Grown-ups got in on the fun with off-the-wall options like Chardonnay & Candy Corn, Lambrusco & Peanut Butter Cups, Almond Joy & Sauternes and Milky Way & Madeira.

If chain approaches are more conventional, they are nonetheless engaging. North Italia restaurants announced the arrival of a new Prosciutto di Parma appetizer with a suggested complementary glass or bottle of Jermann Pinot Grigio from a respected Northern Italian winemaker in a match-up that reflects shared heritage and terroir.

On a nonalcoholic note, this summer saw the introduction of Morning Mocktails from Einstein Bros. Bagels. Meant to pair with the brand’s fresh-baked bagels and schmears, the fruit-forward lineup includes Bros. Bay Breeze with cranberry, lemonade and passionfruit and Dragon Fruit Lemon Drop, which blends the title ingredient with lemonade.

And in a winking nod to foodie trends, the menu at Hash Kitchen sports a section titled simply IYKYK that features a single item: #GIRLBRUNCH comprises a Caesar salad, fries and a dirty martini.

3Moveable (Pizza) Feasts

The pizza wars, ignited by the pandemic shutdown, have raged on post-Covid, and as major brands jockey for dominance, they have amped up product innovation.

Domino’s leveraged the popularity of stuffed-crust pizza with Parmesan- and mozzarella-stuffed versions; Papa Johns acknowledged the power of the rip-and-dip trend with Papa Dippa, pizza cut into strips and sold with four sauces; and Pizza Hut brought back its popular Triple Treat Box, a recurring offering that celebrates the decade-mark this year. The value play features two medium pizzas, breadsticks and choice of dessert starting at $19.99.

These new product initiatives come at a time when nontraditional competition has launched a full-scale assault on the segment. Sam’s Club got into the pizza-delivery business this spring with “hot, fresh” pies starting at $8.98, and the sizzling-hot convenience-store sector poses an especially serious challenge. Iowa-based Casey’s, for example, bakes up enough pies in its nearly 3,000 stores to qualify as the fifth largest pizzamaker in the country.

Amidst the ongoing pizza wars, the product remains a customer-pleasing combination of comfort, convenience and customization. Digital media are awash with stories of its presence and importance at signal events in the life of a diner, like the purchase of a first home. In fact, the Reddit group /FirstTimeHomeBuyer has carried pictures and stories that portray pizza as the ideal move-in meal, with images of proud new owners sitting on bare floors while tearing into the iconic pizza box.

In 2024, Pizza Hut research revealed that 87 percent of Americans have ordered pizza during a move, a finding which led the brand to test the nifty Moving Box Table, in which a piece of cardboard became a column that supported the pizza-box “tabletop.”

It appears that the chain missed an opportunity, however, when it failed to pair the product with its limited-time Tomato Wine by Pizza Hut crafted from tomatoes, aromatics and toasted oak reminiscent of a pizza crust. Despite its ruby-red color and lack of grapes, the wine was said to drink like a white wine when properly chilled.