New York food trends go Mid-Eastern in 2010

New Yorkers, self-defined as global trendsetters, continue to pave the way in Kuwait and Dubai but this time it's with classic Americana staples: frozen low-calorie dessert, burgers and cupcakes.

Magnolia Bakery and Shake Shack are fixtures in daily New York life that are opting to go Mid-Eastern before Asian or European.

Cupcakes may be passé in the United States but New York's most popular cupcake bakery, Magnolia Bakery, opened inside Bloomingdale's, iconic American department store, in the Dubai Mall on February 1. A blog devoted to cupcakes, CupcakesTakeTheCake, questioned, "Is it April Fools Day? - because all the hype has been about their long-awaited Grand Central Station bakery (expected to open next week) and their Los Angeles outpost (April 2010)". Cupcake lovers in Dubai can now get Magnolia's buttercream-frosted cupcakes, red velvet cake, banana pudding and a variety of brownies, bars and cookies without flying to New York.

The Shake Shack, a throwback burger stand created by Danny Meyer, chef and restaurateur of Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern, plans to expand with its first international location at The Avenues in Kuwait City in 2010. A representative of Shake Shack told Relaxnews, there is not yet a set date for the Kuwait grand opening. However, it will be exciting to see the translation as the New York version is best known for its small, metal framed stand in Madison Square Park with irresistible burgers and shakes that manages to get the world's most impatient people to stand in never-ending lines. Additionally, Shake Shack is slated to open three more location in New York City and one in Miami, Florida.

Tasti D-lite, a dairy-based soft serve frozen dessert chain, has been wildly popular in New York since it opened in 1987, predating the PinkBerry craze, with over 50 locations mainly in New York. Its regional momentum is building internationally, explained Kurt Ullman, Vice President of International Development, to Relaxnews and will now expand throughout the United Arab Emirates after its first international locations opened in Seoul, South Korea in 2008 and Mexico City in January 2010. Ullman continues, "Tasti D-lite signed a master franchise agreement allowing Tasti D-lite centers to set up across UAE, with two expected openings in Dubai this spring and a plan to open numerous other locations in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates".