Most trends suck because only a few chefs/restaurants do them well.

I think sous vide gets a bad rep only because most people don't understand it and chefs/waiters love to oversell it. Sous vide is no more special than sauteeing, BBQ, or steaming.

A few trends which I dislike from the past decade (or decade and half):

1) Asian-[insert western cuisine] fusion. Asia is f*!#ing huge. At the very, very least focus on one country, otherwise, all the dishes tend to suck and be unfocused.

2) Smoke. Not smoked meat/protein. But wafting some aromatic smoke to eat with a dish. Sorry, doesn't do it for me.

3) $35+ corkage. Yes, I know the reasoning behind corkage at high-end restaurants. It's still short sighted and annoying. I might give a restaurant a pass if their wine list is diversified and phone book heavy.

4) Creme brulee. Most are just "ehh"

5) "Molten flourless chocolate cake" Double "ehhhhhhhh"

6) "Still or sparkling water?" Bottled water has taken over in our daily lives. I'll take unspoken option #3, then I'll consider ordering from your crappy wine list.