Dishes and drinks that have us doing a double-take this week include a Nashville hot chicken waffle sandwich with pink peppercorn syrup, a sandwich featuring blue catfish, an invasive species to the Chesapeake Bay area, and an Indonesian gado-gado salad from chef Cedric Vongerichten. 

Those of us at Restaurant Hospitality regularly see what independent operators are dishing out, but some menu items make us stop and stare — whether they involve an out-of-the-box way of using an ingredient, the appearance of a burgeoning trend or simply stunning presentations. We bring you NOM: our New on the Menu weekly roundup. 

Email Anna Kang at [email protected]

Follow her on Twitter: @annaheekang