Here we are again. Another year is behind us. The year 2014 has nearly come to a close with 2015 awaiting, and with that enters new resolutions, goals, hopes and aspirations we hope to attain: "Welp, that didn't happen this year; there's always next." As I was ruminating on this, it seemed too easy to begin droning on about stale (but worthy) New Year's resolutions that included dietary changes and visits to what will be the overcrowded and profusely sweaty gym in January. But then I started thinking about the ebb and flow of food trends. Anyone involved or interested in the culinary industry knows food trends, just like fashion, evolve and shift with the eras. There are great debates about such things - whether an ingredient has been played out like your favorite song on the radio or how some things are just plain, damn tasty. Here are a few trends and fads I've seen make their way to the Tacoma area, and some things on the horizon:

Bacon and Pork Belly

This one seems hardly like a fad. I mean, has bacon ever not been in style? I surely hope there never comes a time when I tire of indulging in our fine piggy friends, but it's true: bacon is truly in vogue, and pork belly, its meatier sister, has graced plates across the nation (and the South Sound). It's made appearances as appetizers at places such as 208 Garfield or accompanied your burgers at Dirty Oscar's Annex, been sprinkled atop your maple bar and given the moniker "Oprah" at Legendary Donuts - it's even been sneaking into craft brews and cocktails. It's salty, fatty and delicious and is noshed upon by those with dietary restrictions since bread and carbs have become public enemy number one. Some say it's an overused ingredient. I say, bacon wrapped everything please.

Sriracha

Sriracha is the king of spice and has made tabletop appearances just about everywhere. Intentioned to accompany Asian cuisine, this spicy number has been used in everything in recent years, from dousing sautéed veggies to adding heat when concocting creamy sriracha mayo and other sauce combos. Early in the year, when rumors began swirling that Huy Fong Foods would be shutting down production thanks to spicy fumes from the plant irritating residents nearby, the rooster bottles were flying off the shelves like canned goods during a zombie apocalypse. Lucky for us, the company is still in action and the "hipster hot sauce," rooster sauce, or whatever you affectionately call it, doesn't seem to be slowing down its culinary takeover. 

Eggs

Eggs: not just for breakfast anymore. Repeat after me: "yolk porn." Yes, this phrase exists, usually following a hashtag, and will lead lookers down a rabbit hole of visuals featuring perfectly poached eggs. Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge's Chef Hudson Slater even concocted a whole pairing dinner around the egg in 2014 and is a self-professed fan. Heck, even a potluck-dish fave like deviled eggs has graced the plates at joints such as Point Defiance Tap and Grill and Marrow.

Flavored Salts

Adding flavored salts is an easy way to add some oomph to any dish from start to finish and makes appearances rimming cocktail glasses, spicing up proteins and even being sprinkled as a finisher on desserts. Libertine Salts is a major player in the local scene with its plethora of flavored salts in delectable combos such as alderwood smoked chipotle or Italian truffle sea salts. You can find these flavored salts online or gracing local retail spaces and even in local dishes in the Tacoma area.

Farm to Table

I don't know that the "farm to table" emphasis is as much a trend as it is a movement. The focus on sustainability and locally sourced ingredients is sweeping the nation, including the South Sound, as more of a lifestyle change than anything else. The good news is there's no shortage of farmers in the Pacific Northwest, and the focus on fresh continues to gain traction.

Waffle Panini Sandwiches

This one's a new one on the horizon and wasn't even a blip on my radar until Chef Slater directed me to some online sources that left me drooling on my keyboard. I have yet to see a Tacoma establishment use this sandwich toasting method - involving the pressing of gourmet ingredients between two slices of bread in a waffle iron to result in a toasted, melty Eden of sammie - but Slater seemed excited at the idea and apparently it's an anticipated food trend of 2015. Google it, you'll be excited too.