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#TOP15 local trend stories of 2015

Rachel Nania | rnania@wtop.com

December 16, 2015, 3:48 AM

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Cat yoga  D.C.’s cat cafe Crumbs and Whiskers hosted cat yoga classes in 2015. What, exactly, does this entail? Read how some yogis purrfected their down dog at cat yoga.   (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Modus Hotels is currently involved in two D.C. micro-hotel projects, including a 245-room POD Hotel-affiliated project at 627 H Street NW in Chinatown. (Courtesy Modus)
Microhotels  A growing trend is the shrinking room. In recent years, there’s been a shift toward tiny houses and petite apartments. And now the minimalist movement is hitting hotels. Read how sleeping in a smaller room can save you money, plus plans for mircohotels the in D.C. area. (Courtesy Modus)
Courtesy Modus
In a year where fast-food giant McDonald’s saw a 4.6 percent slide in U.S. sales, fast-casual restaurants increased their sales by 10.5 percent. Sweetgreen was one of D.C.'s first healthy, fast-casual concepts. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The new face of fast food  Double-stacked burgers and super-sized fries are no longer the portrait of fast food. Instead, quinoa bowls, wood-fired flatbreads and locally sourced lamb pitas are winning over the hearts of time-strapped diners in the District. Read more about the growing trend of healthy fast-casual establishments in D.C.   (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
DAYBREAKER is a morning dance party, art performance and social event. (Courtesy DAYBREAKER)
‘Raving’ before work Most adventures that involve flashing neon lights, electronica beats, break dancers and acrobats with hula-hoops usually end in the early hours of the morning. But in the case of DAYBREAKER, that’s when the party is just getting started. Read about the new wellness trend. (Courtesy Travis Vaughn)
Courtesy Travis Vaughn
The main course on the Petit Gourmand children's tasting menu at Trummer's on Main: a beef shortrib stroganoff, served with homemade paparadelle pasta. (Courtesy Dusty Lockhart)
The kids menu goes gourmet  Clifton’s acclaimed Trummer’s on Main restaurant is catering to a new clientele with its tasting menu designed exclusively for children. Read why the restaurant’s owner and chef want to change the way children eat.   (Courtesy Dusty Lockhart)
Courtesy Dusty Lockhart
Elevated parks  A big project is turning a decades-long vision of connecting D.C.’s Southeast neighborhoods into a reality. And you have to see the modern design to believe it. Read more about the 11th Street Bridge Park. (OMA & Luxigon)
OMA & Luxigon
Three of the four founders of Denizens Brewing Company are women. D.C. is seeing a growing number of women leading the food and beverage industries. (Courtesy Denizens Brewing Company)
Women claim their place in the kitchen (and the brewery and the distillery)  More women are taking over traditionally male-dominated roles in D.C.’s food and beverage industries. Read about the shifting dynamics in the food and beverage industries. (Courtesy Denizens Brewing Company)
Courtesy Denizens Brewing Company
Patrons at the launch of Miami's newest Peruvian cafe, LeMar, were treated to the sweet and citrusy cocktail with a hint of lime, Wednesday, Dec. 18 213. The cafe will be operated by Chef Gaston Acurio, who owns 40 cafes around the world. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)
A South American brandy rises to popularity  Move over, vodka. There’s a new neutral spirit taking over the cocktail shaker at your neighborhood bar. It’s pisco, and the brandy native to Peru and Chile is experiencing a renaissance in the U.S. Read more about the spirit and how to use it at home. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)
AP Photo/J Pat Carter
For the last three years, Dupont Underground has been transforming the 75,000 square-foot subterranean space, once home to D.C.’s streetcar system, into a cultural hub. (Courtesy Arts Coalition of the Dupont Underground)
Plans for the Dupont Underground surface  One of the most exciting developments in the District is happening underground. WTOP has the details and a tour of what’s happening 20 feet below Connecticut Avenue at the Dupont Underground. (Courtesy Dupont Underground)
Courtesy Dupont Underground
Urban Heights is a new Filipino-inspired restaurant in Bethesda. It is one of several Filipino restaurants to open this year.
Filipino food makes its foray into the District  Four Filipino restaurants opened in D.C. in 2015. Read more about the boom in formerly underrepresented cuisines. (Courtesy Urban Heights)
Courtesy Urban Heights
Beth Wolfe has been leading the beer and yoga classes at Capitol City for five months and hosts similar events at DC Brau, Mad Fox Brewing Company and Oby Lee, an Arlington wine bar. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Beer and wine’s latest pairing: yoga There’s growing interest in downward dogs and drinking. More local wineries and breweries are hosting fitness and tasting sessions. Read more about the trend. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Ma doesn’t deny that presentation also played a role in his decision to work with Kendrick. Diners eat with their eyes first, he says, so overall appearance can make or break a dish. “A white plate is a great blank canvas and it makes the food stand out, but I think when you start to put [food] on a plate specifically made for you or made for that dish or made for your cuisine, it will show something to the diner,” he says. (Courtesy Cloud Terre)
The art of dining: How artists enhance the dining experience  Artists work side-by-side with chefs, going over everything from the style and flavors of the food to the ambience of the space and then design tableware to enhance both. Read more. (Courtesy Cloud Terre)
Courtesy Cloud Terre
Local Roots Farms is growing hydroponic lettuce in its shipping container farm. Soon, the business hopes to grow more fruits and vegetables and break into the D.C. market. (Thinkstock)
Shipping containers are the new farms  Neatly plowed fields, towering stalks of corn and a charming red barn all paint the picture of a classic American farm. But that image is about to change. The new face of agriculture could be a cluster of steel containers. Read how one local organization plans to use shipping containers to bring fresh produce to the area’s food desserts. (Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
At Fuego Cocina y Tequileria, executive chef Jeff Tunks makes Jalisco-style roasted goat tacos. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
‘The meat you should eat’ There’s a new meat making its way onto the plates of Americans — only it isn’t new at all. It’s thought to have been one of the earliest domesticated animals, and it’s a staple protein in several cuisines and cultures around the world, but for many Americans, goat is new. Read where you can find it in D.C.  (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
The craze for bone broth is heating up, as more learn about its nutritional benefits. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Bone broth trend gets hot  Forget kale, wheatgrass and cayenne pepper — the main ingredient going into today’s health drink of choice is bone. Read how simmered stock made a mainstream comeback in 2015.   (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
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Modus Hotels is currently involved in two D.C. micro-hotel projects, including a 245-room POD Hotel-affiliated project at 627 H Street NW in Chinatown. (Courtesy Modus)
In a year where fast-food giant McDonald’s saw a 4.6 percent slide in U.S. sales, fast-casual restaurants increased their sales by 10.5 percent. Sweetgreen was one of D.C.'s first healthy, fast-casual concepts. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
DAYBREAKER is a morning dance party, art performance and social event. (Courtesy DAYBREAKER)
The main course on the Petit Gourmand children's tasting menu at Trummer's on Main: a beef shortrib stroganoff, served with homemade paparadelle pasta. (Courtesy Dusty Lockhart)
Three of the four founders of Denizens Brewing Company are women. D.C. is seeing a growing number of women leading the food and beverage industries. (Courtesy Denizens Brewing Company)
Patrons at the launch of Miami's newest Peruvian cafe, LeMar, were treated to the sweet and citrusy cocktail with a hint of lime, Wednesday, Dec. 18 213. The cafe will be operated by Chef Gaston Acurio, who owns 40 cafes around the world. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)
For the last three years, Dupont Underground has been transforming the 75,000 square-foot subterranean space, once home to D.C.’s streetcar system, into a cultural hub. (Courtesy Arts Coalition of the Dupont Underground)
Urban Heights is a new Filipino-inspired restaurant in Bethesda. It is one of several Filipino restaurants to open this year.
Beth Wolfe has been leading the beer and yoga classes at Capitol City for five months and hosts similar events at DC Brau, Mad Fox Brewing Company and Oby Lee, an Arlington wine bar. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Ma doesn’t deny that presentation also played a role in his decision to work with Kendrick. Diners eat with their eyes first, he says, so overall appearance can make or break a dish. “A white plate is a great blank canvas and it makes the food stand out, but I think when you start to put [food] on a plate specifically made for you or made for that dish or made for your cuisine, it will show something to the diner,” he says. (Courtesy Cloud Terre)
Local Roots Farms is growing hydroponic lettuce in its shipping container farm. Soon, the business hopes to grow more fruits and vegetables and break into the D.C. market. (Thinkstock)
At Fuego Cocina y Tequileria, executive chef Jeff Tunks makes Jalisco-style roasted goat tacos. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
The craze for bone broth is heating up, as more learn about its nutritional benefits. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

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#TOP15 | 2015 | d.c. | food | trends | yoga
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