Friends of Eater on Headline Predictions for 2015

MC Slim JB, restaurant critic for The Improper Bostonian: "I’m going to lean hopeful, pray that the recovering economy will support a worrisome expansion of restaurant seats in the city, and expect that new-broom Mayor Marty Walsh, with his appointment of an all-new Boston Licensing Board and purported commitment to the late, beloved Tom Menino’s ideals about providing access to better food for all Bostonians, will wreak some positive changes on our dining scene. We need that greenmarket, for starters, Mr. Mayor.

Against a welter of evidence to the contrary, I hope that Uber will retire the "Be Evil" plaque that seems to currently inspire its executives, and become a more ethical thorn in the side of our corrupt, deplorable taxi system. Affordable ride-sharing alternatives are not just a boon to customers, but to the many restaurant employees who work past the T’s closing.

I firmly expect that the legacy of the great John Gertsen, whom I literally wept to see leave Drink for San Francisco this year, and still-here peers like Jackson Cannon of Eastern Standard, Row 34 and The Hawthorne — specifically, their indispensable training of successive waves of highly- skilled craft bartenders — will continue to be felt in the presence of fine cocktail, wine and beer programs in bars and restaurants all over the city. The next time you raise a glass here with something really good in it, remember how uncommon that was ten years ago, and thank those folks and their gifted lieutenants."

BosGuy, blogger:

• "Brian Piccini and Chris Coombs say they will open a fourth restaurant in Boston."
• "Eataly will open in Boston."

Rachel Cossar, blogger at Foodista on Pointe and special contributor to The Daily Meal: "Amazing things by The Gallows team...can't wait!!!!!!"

Marc H., founder of Boston's Hidden Restaurants and Boston Restaurant Talk: "New food trucks continue to hit the streets, frozen yogurt places continue to go the way of the stagecoach, a *lot* of restaurants go under in the first quarter of the year, and hot dogs become the next big food trend (fingers crossed)."

Damien Smith, community manager for Yelp Boston:

• "Server Tweets Photo Of Receipt, Outrages/Delights Nation."
• "Restaurateur Sets Strict No _____ Policy, Outrages/Delights Nation."
• "Damien S Predicts 2015 Headlines; Outrageous, Delightful."

Scott Kearnan, editor of Zagat Boston: "More doughnuts, more goodbyes to landmark old-timers, more… cowbell?"

Rachel Leah Blumenthal, editor of Eater Boston:

• "Frank Pepe Pizzeria Expands to Boston (for Real This Time)"
• "Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Expands to Boston and Everyone Weeps Barbecue-y Tears of Joy"
• "Wegmans Heroically Opens Up All Over Boston and Kicks Out All the Lesser Supermarkets"
• "Diners Revolt Against Shared Plate Trend by Going Out to Eat Alone More Than Ever"