The Mushroom Council is always reviewing menus from all parts of the country to see what are the latest trends and uses of mushrooms. Below are a few highlights from all sectors of the foodservice industry where mushrooms appear on menus in new and innovative ways.

Casual Dining: Three-egg omelette with sausage, bacon, green peppers, mushrooms, onions and diced tomatoes, topped with shredded Cheddar cheese. Served with hash browns or grits and choice of bread (Denny’s)

Chain: Chicken and Garlic Gourmet Pizza: Grilled all-white meat chicken, lots of chopped garlic, white mushrooms, Roma tomatoes, red and green onions and Italian herb seasoning. Baked with a blend of three cheeses on creamy garlic sauce (Round Table Pizza)

Fine Dining: Portabella Burger with Truffle Aioli and Cremini Mushroom Duxelle (Chef Todd Humphries of Martini House, St. Helena, Calif.)

Read what chefs around the country are saying about mushroooms…

“Mushrooms are a subtle vehicle that carry any flavor. When I’m developing an item, I know that adding mushrooms will improve the quality and flavor of the food. Mushrooms play a huge role in the future of PF Chang’s. We’re currently developing a new menu and mushrooms are a big part of it.” — Research and Development Chef Robin Stotter, PF Chang’s, Scottsdale, Ariz.

“Mushrooms are the answer when we ask ourselves, ‘What could this use, what would really make this exciting?‘” — Corporate Executive Chef Bob Okura, Cheesecake Factory

“It’s so rewarding to see our guests respond to umami, the sublime experience that mushrooms bring to our signature dishes. When I see someone’s eyes close briefly as they are eating, or the sauce wiped clean from the plate, that’s when I know I’ve earned a guest that will come back again and again.” — Chef Alex Guarneschelli, Butter Restaurant, New York

“I use a variety of mushrooms to put the savory, silky, earthy, sexy and decadent into my food at Panzano. There are so many mushrooms with so many flavors and textures. They are like spices…all completely different but all wonderful. Mushrooms allow me to take a dish of something that might be ordinary and have very little flavor, such as chicken, and turn it into an extraordinarily flavorful and decadent dish. Also, because of their wonderful and different shapes, they are used in different ways… like little flavor carrying vessels.” – Chef Elise Wiggins, Panzano, Denver, CO

“Mushrooms are very versatile and go well with all Moroccan dishes, from salads and stews to fillings for pasta. Mushrooms add dimension to any dish with their flavor, texture and contrast. They allow me to ground dishes and bring them back to earth.” — Chef Mourad Lahlou, Aziza, San Francisco

“Greens is a vegetarian restaurant with California-Mediterranean influences. As a result, we use a lot of mushrooms. Portabellas, crimini and white mushrooms have a lot of the qualities of their fancy cousins foraged in the wild. They pick up the complexities of other ingredients and add their own meaty, rich and inviting flavor.” — Chef Annie Somerville, Greens Restaurant, San Francisco

“Mushrooms fit seamlessly into the WELL (Wolfgang’s Eating, Loving and Living) program, Wolfgang Puck’s initiative to source exclusively local, natural, sustainable and organic ingredients. The pre-sliced and value-added forms available help us in the back of the house, and mushrooms can be featured as the ‘hero’ ingredient that helps us sell a menu item out front.” — Chef Andrew Hunter, Wolfgang Puck Express

“You can tell our guests crave mushrooms because sauteed mushrooms are the number one addition to our steak orders. It’s easy to execute, it improves the guest experience, and delivers profit right to our bottom line.” — Chef Dave Ohlsen, Black Angus Steakhouse