7 Trends for 2013: Coffee, Paleo, Barbecue, More

As 2013 gets underway, a few clear culinary trends are emerging. Whether you're a caffeine enthusiast or hopelessly devoted to healthy eating, at least one of these fads will likely strike your fancy.

1) Coffee. Caffeine junkies with a taste for the finer things are in luck: The indie coffeehouse craze is sweeping our Starbucks-obsessed city in a major way. Ascension Coffee recently debuted in the Design District, boasting a $20,000 Synesso Hydra Hybrid espresso machine and numerous single-origin coffees; Austin import Houndstooth Coffee will bring minimalist java chic to East Dallas soon; and Origin Natural Food, opening soon in the Knox-Henderson area, will specialize in locally roasted coffee, as well as healthy take-out meals, which brings us to our next trend... [City of Ate/CultureMap Dallas]

2) Healthy eating. While competitive eating and Doritos tacos continue to plague the earth, the city becomes increasingly obsessed with health and weight loss: Besides coffee, the aforementioned Origin Natural Food will also source grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and organic vegetables for healthy takeout meals designed around principles of the Paleo diet. Lower Greenville's upcoming H&G Supply Co. will also be centered around principles of the trendy "caveman diet", aiming to redefine "man food" with a Paleo-inspired menu. The city's fixation on liquid lunches of a different sort will also continue—juicing is a trend that will carry on into 2013, with recently opened ventures like Le Jus, a juice bar within a boutique at tony shopping center Highland Park Village, and Roots Juices, a company that will deliver juice cleanse programs to your door. [CultureMap/ShopTalk/DMN]

3) Seafood. Landlocked Dallas will continue to witness the elevation of its seafood scene, a trend ushered in by the arrival of places like Driftwood, Spoon, and TJ's Seafood Market in Oak Lawn. Marc Cassel's 20 Feet Seafood Joint should open in East Dallas any day now with casual fare like clams and lobster rolls, and Jon Bonnell of Fort Worth's Bonnell's will debut "fine coastal cuisine" at the upcoming Waters in Fort Worth. [CraveDFW/DFW.com]

4) Gastropubs. The trend that just won't die, gastropubs will continue to take over the city's dining scene. Cook Hall debuted at the W Hotel back in October, tragically replacing Tom Colicchio's fine dining Craft, and Oak Cliff's highly adventurous Campo was shuttered and reopened in December as Outpost American Tavern, a gastropubby spot featuring cocktails, craft beer and pedestrian dishes like deviled eggs and short ribs. The generically named group Restaurants America, which owns Primebar, Park Tavern, and the recently opened Mockingbird Taproom, also plans to open another gastropub called Central Standard at the up-and-coming 1400 Hi Line Drive high-rise building in the Design District. [EDFW/Escape Hatch]

5) South American food. Don't expect to see the Peruvian delicacy of guinea pig popping up on menus anytime soon, but South American food is definitely trending: Nazca Kitchen opened on Walnut Hill just before the end of the year, and a mother and daughter duo debuted Joyce & Gigi's near downtown soon after. Time for Dallas to fully embrace caipirinhas and feijoada. [EDFDW/CultureMap Dallas]

6) Barbecue. Is it blasphemous to list barbecue as a trend? Perhaps, but it cannot be denied that many chefs are trying to cash in on the city's undying love for barbecue: Babb Bros. recently opened at Trinity Groves, Maple & Motor's Jack Perkins is getting into the brisket game with Slow Bone in the Design District, chef Kenny Bowers will soon open Kenny's Smoke House at the Shops at Legacy, and there's also 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House, a "a contemporary Texas smoke house" coming soon to Frisco; there's also a barbecue truck on the horizon. [DFW/CultureMap/Strauss PR]

7) Sausages. The hot dog craze ushered in by places like The Bowery (which recently closed) is sure to continue, with the recent debut of Jerry's Wood-Fired Dogs in Lakewood and the Lucky Ducky Dogs food truck, plus the impending arrival of Hofmann's Hots at Trinity Groves. Also just announced: Samson's Encased Meats, which will open on Oak Lawn in March. [EDFW/CraveDFW]

· Food Trend Forecast: What's Cooking in DFW for 2013 [DFW.com]
· 10 Food Trends to Track in 2013 [Restaurant Hospitality]
· All Trendwatching posts on Eater Dallas [-EDFW-]