The Chicago Tribune broke some news today that’s of intense interest to foodies everywhere—the three Next restaurant menus for 2013. I’ve already told you about Next, and how its chefs will serve a particular cuisine for just a few months, then shut down briefly before changing over to a completely different menu, so that if you miss one, you’ve missed it forever.

Think of it as the Brigadoon of restaurants, there, but not there.

It was announced earlier this month that 2013 would start off with The Hunt (that is, wild game), with a Vegan menu rumored to follow … but now we know for sure what next year has in store for us.

First up, The Hunt, for which we are told, “expect to see bear jerky and venison heart tartare.”

(more…)

While I was off eating at The Black Hoof, Lai Wah Heen, Momofuku Shoto and Cafe Boulud in Toronto, some exciting foodie news was revealed which I’ve only now caught up with—and it’s news I’ve been waiting to hear ever since the artists behind Next restaurant asked what we’d like to see tackled for future Brigadoon-ish menus.

According to Eater, Penny Pollack announced on Twitter the other day that Kyoto would be followed by “The Hunt,” which would be a “midwestern game–focused menu.”

Plus, over on Facebook, someone shared that “I was told last night by Chef Rene that Vegan will be the menu following The Hunt. I’m not 100% sure if he was joking or not, but he seemed pretty serious to me.”

I hope that time and money will allow me to attend seatings for both. Even though I’m about as far from Vegan as a person can get without killing and butchering his own meant, I’d love to see what Grant Achatz and Dave Beran can do with vegetables!