Friends of Eater Predict the Dining World Headlines of 2015

As is the tradition at Eater, our closeout of the year is a survey of friends, industry types, and bloggers. This year, we asked the group eight questions running the gamut from meal of the year to top restaurant newcomers. Their answers will appear throughout the week. Responses are related in no particular order; all are cut, pasted, and (mostly) unedited herein. Please, add your answers in the comments.

Jordana Rothman, food writer and editor, cocktail expert:
I have a feeling we're going to see more blockbuster chefs from other major American dining cities begin to move in on New York in the next few years. Locally in 2015, we're going to be talking about next moves from chefs like Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson, Amanda Cohen, Hadley Schmitt, and obviously Wylie Dufresne. And it will be interesting to see what chefs like Bryce Shuman and Ignacio Mattos do with their success over the next year.

Shake It Up: Taylor Swift to Create Special Shake Shack Burger

Darin Bresnitz, Snacky Tunes/Finger on the Pulse:
"Shake It Up: Taylor Swift to Create Special Shake Shack Burger"

Erik Torkells, Tribeca Citizen founding editor:
Restaurants will finally get the Department of Health to back off on some of its stupider regulations.

Lockhart Steele, Vox Media editorial director; Eater co-founder:
"Wells Awards One Star to New Torrisi/Carbone Restaurant, Motherfucking Slapface, Terming It 'Surprisingly Tame'"

Michael Kaminer, New York Daily News restaurant critic:
South Bronx gets tipped as next hot restaurant neighborhood. Frantic coverage of "SoBro" ensues.

Charlotte Druckman, food writer:
"Recipe for Tragedy: Beloved Food Writer Kills Herself Over News of J.G. Melon's Pending Closure"
"Filthy Paws: Cat Cafe Shuttered by DOH, Again"
"No Service: McDonald's to Start Accepting Reservations, Will Charge Fee"
"Green Supremacy: Brooks Headley's Superiority Burger to Open in Every Shuttered Crumbs Location"
"Bridging Le Gap: Daniel Announces Fast-Food Roast Chicken Chain, 'Rotisserie Boulud' to Launch in Brooklyn"
"The Grand Illusion: Dominique Ansel Releases First Ever Imaginary Dessert"

Mitchell Davis, James Beard Foundation executive vice president:
Torrisi & Carbone open two new restaurants, Carmellini opens four new restaurants, French food is back, Italian food is back, Peruvian food is coming....

Bret Thorn, Nation's Restaurant News senior food editor:
"Dominique Ansel introduces ground glass and sparrow mucous Cronut, crowds line up for it anyway."

Robert Sietsema, Eater NY restaurant critic:
Salmonella or Listeria scare at an ambitious international hamburger chain.

Greg Morabito, Eater engagement editor:
"Torrisi Team's New Chinatown Restaurant Shanghai Surprise Has Madonna Mural, $45 Egg Foo Yung"
"Carmellini Throws Midtown a Bone by Opening Lafayette Spinoff on 39th Street"
"East Village Hot Spot Serves Tacos That Are Fed-Exed from Mexico"
"The Velvet Koozie, New York's First Bro-Centric Fine Dining Restaurant, Opens in Murray Hill"

Hillary Dixler, Eater associate reports editor:
"Parm Staten Island to Open Next Week"
"After Eight Months, Jeremiah Tower OUT at Tavern on the Green"
"Roy Choi Promises a Kogi NYC Is 'Definitely a Possibility'"

Ben Leventhal, Resy co-founder; Eater co-founder:
"Jeremiah Tower, Uninterested in Catering 365 Weddings per Year, Leaves Tavern on the Green"

Danyelle Freeman, Restaurantgirl.com:
More original kinds of fusion. I think chefs are tired of trying to reinvent the wheel. They're excited (and relieved) to experiment with new ingredients and seasonings from all over the world, creating a unique style all their own in the process.

Until just this year, fusion was considered a bad word and few chefs braved that very controversial territory. Now, it's like the Wild West; everything and anything goes. I think we'll see a ton of chefs using American cooking as the foundation for a flurry of innovative dishes, flavored with everything from Korean condiments to Indian curries, Mexican sauces and moles and more.

Helen Rosner, Eater, features editor:
"World's Largest Loaf of Gluten-Free Bread Used to Make World's Largest Avocado Toast"

Max Falkowitz, Serious Eats senior features editor:
"Major Food Group Announces a Single-Person Restaurant in a Converted Phone Booth With $2000 Prix-Fixe"
"There's Now an Avocado Toast Restaurant in the West Village

Devra Ferst, Eater NY associate editor:
"Jeremiah Tower Decides Living in Mexico Is WAY Better than Running Tavern on the Green"

Major Food Group Announces a Single-Person Restaurant in a Converted Phone Booth With $2000 Prix-Fixe

Joe DiStefano, Chopsticks and Marrow:
"Ozersky Becomes Vegan Stripper"
"Starbucks Introduces Brodoppio
"McDonald's Courts Hipsters with Kale Shamrock Shakes"
"Night Market Comes To Queens"

Matt Rodbard, Food Republic contributing editor:
"We Can Now Start Eating Meat Again"
"Josh Ozersky Runs For Senate In Virginia"
"Ryan Sutton Has Dinner With Bobby Shmurda"
"New Jersey!"

Ryan Sutton, Eater NY restaurant critic/data lead:
"The Neo-Bistrot Movement Takes Hold in New York As More Young Chefs Open Small Restaurants Like Contra Serving Ambitious Set Menus at an Affordable Price"
"More Restaurants in San Francisco Raise Prices and Go Service-Included to Deal With Rising Minimum Wage"
"Mayor DeBlasio Declares Moratorium on New Steakhouses Because We Don't F&ckin Need Any More"
"New York and Other Major Cities See Increasing Number of High-End Restaurants Serving Mexican, Middle Eastern, Chinese, and Other Cuisines That We Aren't Typically Used to Paying A Lot For"

Kat Odell, Eater editorial producer:
"Parsnip is the new kale."

Nick Solares, Eater NY senior editor:
"As Real Estate Prices Continue To Skyrocket Chefs Seek Out Hotel Partnerships"
"More and More Chefs Will Have Fast Casual Side Projects"

Chris Stang, The Infatuation co-founder:
Imoossible to predict, other than that many of them will be about brunch.

Tejal Rao, Bloomberg restaurant critic:
"Bloomberg Restaurant Critic's Dog Sniffs Out World's Largest White Truffle"

Foster Kamer, Complex / First We Feast senior editor: 
I'd like to point out that at least two of my predictions from last year, including the one about Ridgewood trend pieces-actually came true.

With that in mind:

"Middle Village: The New Ridgewood"
"Is It Brooklyn? Is It Queens? It's BEENS!"
"Josh Stein and Mr. Cutlets: Live from the Catskills, '15"
"Occupy Wythe Ave."
"Sean Brock (Or At Least One Southern Chef Of Note) Finally Opens Up Shop In NYC"
"Something Hilarious About Any Of The Chefs Who Have Opened Places In Hong Kong/China And the FCPA"