“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.

When someone has been imprisoned for 20 years, oftentimes corporations won’t hire him or her. Galen Scott Sampson, through his Baltimore restaurant’s apprenticeship program, is changing that mindset by building passionate, experienced culinarians who are difficult to refuse.

By Lynn Schwartz

Galen Scott Sampson, the chef-owner of The Dogwood Restaurant in Baltimore, is a chef with two callings. The first is a commitment to Sustainable American Cuisine. The second is to contribute to his Baltimore community. Sampson has accomplished both.

The restaurant has achieved accolades, locally and nationally, including being named one of the best sandwich shops in the nation by Bon Apétit in 2007, and touted as one of the Top Ten Kitchens in Baltimore by The Baltimore Sun. Sampson’s community service has received recognition, too. He was featured in 2008 as a CNN Hero for providing culinary training to individuals who, because of their past history, have little chance of employment. The restaurant slogan sums it up: “Eat Well. Do Good.”

A short, focused speech poses an opportunity for students to make an impression and explain themselves. It is also a way to build interest in what they are doing or want to do, as well as enlist support and sway opinion.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Because last month this column discussed networking, this month we will focus on elevator speeches—what they are, why they are important and how to deliver them for maximum impact. Since you probably know about elevator speeches and probably use them, this column might be something you want to distribute to students who do not know about or would benefit from being reminded about elevator speeches. Therefore, the bulk of this column is aimed at students.

In a continuation of last month’s focus on teaching nutrition within a short class period, Chef Weiner explains how to emphasize the remaining six of 10 unchanging basic facts.

By Adam Weiner, CFSE

Last month I wrote about why culinary teachers find it challenging to teach about nutrition, and gave the first four topics to cover in a 50-minute classroom:

1. To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn (or burn more than you consume).

2. To be healthy, you must consume a wide variety of foods.

3. Generally, the closer food is to its natural form, the healthier it is.

4. Yes, Virginia, you really do need to have some fat in your diet.

This month we finish our list of 10 things to teach about nutrition.