Food Industry News: December 2022

Dom’s Kitchen & Market Opens in Old Town

Dom’s Old Town is 50% larger than its Lincoln Park location and includes 12,000 new items, many of which are globally inspired, seasonally driven, and locally sourced from Chicago and Midwest entrepreneurs and purveyors. Because of Dom’s emphasis on localized assortments, over 140 local businesses are growing with Dom’s as they expand across the Chicagoland area.

“I personally take the selection and purchase of our Kitchen and Market offerings very seriously. Dom’s continues to evolve based on our collective team efforts. We all work diligently to excite the hearts, minds, and palates of

our loyal and new customers alike. Our work here is never done and we strive for excellence on a daily basis.” Bob Mariano, Co-CEO.

Dom’s continues to redefine the neighborhood market into a place that inspires culinary discovery, helping people experience meals and foods they are excited to eat for special occasions and every day – with products available in store, online, and on the go.

“We are thrilled to open our second Dom’s Kitchen & Market in Old Town. At Dom’s, we are transforming the tradi tional grocery into a modern and

Congrats to the 2022 Chef of the Year Honorees

Wild American Shrimp, the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA)’s marketing program for wild-caught Gulf and South Atlantic Shrimp, has announced the win ners of the 2022 Chef of the Year Awards: Chef Carl “Flavor” Stanton for “Hometown Chef,” Chefs Adam and Tommy Waller for “Influencer Chef,” and Chef Armando Vasquez for “Professional Chef.” These chefs will reign for the next year as the associa tion’s “Admirals of Advocacy.” Each of the winners will also receive a com memorative award plate and a $500 donation to the charity of their choos ing from Wild American Shrimp.

Chef Armando Vasquez is the co-owner of La Scarola, an Italian res taurant in the River West neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Chef Vasquez immigrated to the United States from Mexico as a child without a penny to his name in search of a better life, he worked for years as a dishwasher in New York, before moving to Chicago in 1991 and meeting future La Scarola co-owner Joey Mondelli. La Scarola is more than 20 years old and is

considered a staple in the culinary world of the Windy City. The restaurant stands out not only for its deli cious food but also for its popularity among various celebrities, whose photos hang across its dining room walls. Ever the hit with all patrons, Chef Vasquez is known for his welcoming pres ence, including famously approaching diners at La Scarola, proclaiming it’s his birthday, and asking them to do shots with him, no matter what day it is. Thanks to Chef Vasquez, the menu contains a wide range of mouthwater ing Wild American Shrimp dishes, including Shrimp Armani, Penne alla Vodka, Capellini Fra Diavolo, and Pasta Lorenzo. Chef Vasquez will be donat ing his winnings to the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame, which works to promote the city as a culinary mecca by cultivating an environment that fosters education, awareness, and growth of Chicago’s hospitality industry. Its goal is to preserve the past and develop the future of culinary achievements in the great City of Chicago and America.

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Smoke’NFast

Now you can get in on the BBQ and smoked meats move ment without extra back-of-house cost or labor with Smithfield Smoke’NFast. Their products include fully cooked or hardwood-smoked proteins, such as ribs, pulled pork, pulled chicken, brisket and their innovative KC Wild Wings. They also include global flavors such as barba coa and carnitas, authentically slow cooked to perfection. They’re all so delicious, your guests will never know they weren’t smoked right in your own kitchen.

Big Wings

Big Wings are succulent, tender, delicious, and versatile bone-in ham shanks (Osso Buco) that come fully cooked. They’re a unique addition to any menu and are amazing and flavorful. Originally made with veal shanks, pork has become a popular version of this classic Italian dish. The bone it surrounds has marrow that melts into a braise when slow cooked, making it extra rich and one to impress your guests every time.

Boneless Wings

Boneless wings are tender, boneless cuts of pork, fully cooked and seasoned to perfection. Great for an appe tizer or full meal, they’re a delicious addition to any menu. They taste great naked, with rubs and spices, or with your favorite sauces and glazes. Boneless wings are extremely versatile and can be prepared via grill, oven (convection or conventional), deep fryer, air fryer, or smoker.

— Find Smithfield in our directory under Meat Products.

Takeout Tips from Kikkoman

Fry Toss

Kikkoman PC packets make it easy to create signature French fries that people can customize “to order” at home. Include one or two PC packets with an order of fries. Add directions that tell people to sprinkle the sauce over the fries, close the container and shake to coat. Example: A packet of Kikkoman Katsu Sauce and Sriracha offer just the right amount of flavor for an order of fries, and they com bine to make an irresistible sweet, spicy, and tangy glaze.

Shaker Salads

To offer takeout salads that stay fresh and crisp, layer salad ingredients in a clear 16- or 20-ounce beverage cup. Fill a 2-ounce, clear-lidded portion cup with dressing or sauce, and place on top of salad ingredients. Cover with a domed lid. Add instructions to pour dressing over salad, close cup lid and shake to toss the salad. Example: Layer cooked rice, eda mame, grated carrots, cooked chicken (or firm tofu), diced cucumber and mandarin oranges in cup. Top with a container of Kikkoman No Preservatives Added Orange Sauce.

— You can find Kikkoman’s ad on page 28.

Karakuri Automates Restaurant Fry Lines with New Line of Robots

Perfect fries will soon always be in the hands of consumers as Karakuri, the company revolutionis ing quick service (QSR) and fast casual restaurants with intelligent, robotic kitchen automation, today unveiled its new family of /FRYR automated fry lines. These intelligent, high-precision frying solu tions enable restaurants to save time and reduce waste while ensuring perfectly cooked fried food is available, exactly when needed.

The /FRYR210 is the first model in the range of automated fry lines. It combines robotics and real-time data analysis to provide restaurants with optimal fried food production of up to 130lbs/60kg of french fries per hour. Simultaneously, /FRYR210 improves food quality and consistency by ensur ing the SOP is adhered to 100% of the time.

The /FRYR210’s automation works with exist ing fry wells, extraction and fire suppression to allow employees to spend less time in front of the fryer and more time on value added, customerfocused tasks within the restaurant.

“With more than 22 billion pounds of French fries eaten each year globally, frying is a mas sive business. Every restaurant knows that serving consistently crispy, fluffy fries will keep customers coming back for more,” said Barney Wragg, CEO and co-founder of Karakuri. “Our new family of /FRYR automated fry lines is changing the game for QSR and fast casual restaurants. It strikes the perfect balance of food, people and intelligent automation allowing restaurants to deliver expertly fried food with total consistency and availability, at a price point that works for their bottom line.”

fry baskets are filled with exactly the right amount of product to perfectly match restaurant demand.

• Maximised operation efficiency by real-time monitoring and prediction of frozen food levels, /FRYR alerts staff in advance when frozen pro duce needs refilling avoiding costly delays.

• Reduced energy consumption and increased oil lifespan through dynamic, real-time tempera ture control of the entire system from freezer to fry well and scoop.

• Easy installation kitchen layout, using less floor space than traditional lines and utilising exist ing extraction and fire suppression systems, / FRYR210 can be installed overnight to easily replace traditional fry lines with no interruption to kitchen operations.

Key /FRYR Benefits Include:

Food waste reduction thanks to Karakuri’s pat ented /APC portion control technology /FRYR is able to prepare variable basket volumes, ensuring

Lezza Specialty Holiday Desserts

When it comes to legendary desserts, Bellwood Illinois-based Lezza Spumoni & Desserts has set the standard. Since 1905 the company has hand crafted memorable desserts which now appear on restaurant menus from coast to coast.

“The /FRYR210 is the first in a family of fry line solutions,” added Wragg. “We will be expanding the /FRYR range in the future to support varying numbers of fry wells and freezers to help meet the cost and capacity demands of every restaurant.” The /FRYR210 is available today via Karakuri’s Performance Partnership business model, start ing at $2,100 per month. The

For this holiday season, Lezza is seeing increased interest and orders for traditional and specialty desserts including Struffoli (light dough balls which are baked, rolled in local honey and sprinkled with colorful nonpareils), Yule Logs (a Swiss roll made with yellow cake, fudge filling and decorated with fudge icing and a holiday garnish). Lezza’s traditional holiday favorites include the firms’ famous hand filled cannoli, legendary spumoni, peppermint gelato, Rum cakes, English toffee pie, Italian cookies, lemon ricotta cookies, pistachio gelato and mini pastry trays. Lezza’s products are available direct from them across Chicagoland, NW Indiana and SE Wisconsin, as well as through most broadline distributors. — See their ad on page 25 of this issue.

Andrew Court

InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile

505 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611

First Foodservice Job: My first kitchen job was at a hotel just outside of Birmingham called the Excelsior Hotel. Back in those days we worked split shifts, for the first morning of my first shift I spent picking 4 cases of spin ach leaves, straight from the farm, dirt and all. Going back for the second part of my shift, to my dismay, there was another delivery of spinach, guess what I did all evening?

Favorite Food: It all depends on time of the year. In winter there’s nothing better than an old fashioned roast chicken with root vegetables. During the summer, I look forward to halibut cheeks. They are so succulent!

Awards/Honors: I received Chef of the Year for Vancouver/ Lower Mainland, 2006; Salon Culinaire at Hotelympia, Live Theatre Winner; Cochon 555, Bay Area winner. I am also a Member of Chaine De Rotisseur, Toronto, San Francisco, and Washington DC.

Memorable Customers: Prince Phillip was a personal favor ite of mine, having served him in Toronto at a Regimental dinner for the 3rd Canadian Regiment. It turned out to be his last official international trips, and he was very gracious and funny. Another great memory was personally serving dinner to Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Apart from both being fantastic individuals, they spent the evening giggling like school kids.

Worst Part of Job: Paperwork and computer time! I still only type with 2 fingers (if only I had been able to take typing classes at school!) I still love to cook and work with the team in the kitchen and be a part of service. It’s what I started out doing and I still don’t want to give it up!

Most Humorous Kitchen Mishap: Funny now, but at the time, not so much was while laying beer battered fish into a deep fryer I dragged my fingers through the oil. Luckily, my fingers were covered in batter. It looked like I had quarters of cooked batter stuck to the end of my fingers. It could have been worse!

Favorite Food to Prepare: I love cutting fish and working with fresh seafood.

What part of the job gives the most pleasure: I love seeing junior cooks advance and grow into their own culinary styles. I really enjoy helping develop the next generation of Executive Chefs.

Best advice you ever got was...It’s not whether you screw up, we all do it! It’s how you learn to from each mistake, and adjust to not make it again

Where do you like to vacation? I like to fish and sail, whether it’s in the Caribbean or the West Coast of Canada. What do you enjoy most about Food Industry News? I enjoy seeing spotlights of the local industry and keeping up with trends.

“Anything is good if it’s made of chocolate.”

AL BAWADI GRILL 8501 W. Dempster St. NILES, IL 847-957-1999

One of my friends surprised me with a feast from here. The meal included an order of hummus, baba ghanoush and some falafel. Their pita bread was made fresh. For the entrée we had shrimp kabobs and chicken kufta kabobs served with yellow rice. The kabobs were seasoned and grilled perfectly. For dessert they picked up a large Kenafa cake. It’s crushed phyllo dough with cheese soaked in a sweet sugar syrup and topped with crushed pistachios. That was amazing! They also have a location in Bridgeview, Illinois.

CHEF PING • 1735 Algonquin Rd. ROLLING MEADOWS, IL 847-981-8888. I stopped in here for an early dinner. By the time I left, there was a line waiting to get seated. This place is busy and I can see why. The service is outstanding and the food is delicious. They bring you hot tea when you are seated. They have a big selection of Chinese and Asian specialties. I started out with an order of egg rolls and for my entrée the Pad Thai noodles with chicken. Those noodles were very fresh and I liked the crushed peanuts on top. Also, an order of their combination fried rice, which had chicken, ham and shrimp.

FLAT TOP GRILL • 305 Yorktown Center. LOMBARD, IL 630-652-3700. This is an adventurous eating place where you can order entrées, ramen, poke, or create your own bowl using fresh ingredients. I decided to make my own bowl, so I chose my protein (steak) and went up to the various stations to add my noodles or rice, vegetables, and sauces. This is all uncooked and they have over 80 choices you can add to your bowl. Once you’re done with this, you bring your bowl of raw food to the grilling station, where a chef cooks your ingredients. Once it’s ready, staff will bring your finished creation to the table. It was fun to customize my own bowl, and it turned out delicious.

KAI SUSHI • 1735 2820 S. Highland Ave, Suite E. LOMBARD, IL 847-981-8888. This concept is a sushi restaurant where plates of various kinds of fresh sushi rolls and small desserts are served and put on a constantly rotating conveyor belt, which moves past every table and counter seats. Once you find the plate you want, you’ll grab it from the conveyor belt, remove the see-thru lid, add soy sauce and enjoy! You can also order something hot from the kitchen. The colors of the plates determine the cost of the sushi, ranging from $1.25 to $6.50. Once you’re satisfied with all the sushi you can eat, the plates are totaled up along with any beverages and kitchen orders. It’s a unique and satisfying experience.

LINDT CHOCOLATE SHOP • 1650 Premium Outlet Blvd. AURORA, IL 630-236-0966. No trip to the outlet mall is complete without a stop at the Lindt store. They have a nice selection of their Lindor truffle balls in assorted flavors. You can pick and mix as many as you like. Their chocolates are very smooth and creamy. Another favorite of mine is their chocolate bars; milk, dark and white chocolate. They even have some with no sugar added. There are plenty of boxed candies, tins and gift items to choose from. Stock up!

SONNY’S EXPRESS • 141 S. Vine Ave. PARK RIDGE, IL 224-585-6145. This is a cute store front place. On the menu they have soups, salads, pasta specialties, sandwiches and pizza. Pasta and salad selections are displayed in their counter and they always have a daily special. I ordered the three-cheese pasta that was served cold, an Italian beef and a meatball sandwich. Everything was fabulous. The pasta was creamy, the meatballs and sauce were delicious, and the meat on the Italian beef was so lean. They do a nice job! Next time I’m going to try the pizza.

How to Reduce Fraud in Your Restaurant

What Does Restaurant Fraud Look Like?

Occupational fraud is quite common, especially with a large staff. Combine this with overlap ping multiple shifts and employee turnover, and it’s the perfect opportunity for fraud to occur in your restaurant.

Below are some red flags to look for:

• Employee lifestyle changes (expensive cars, jewelry, homes, clothes)

• Significant personal debt and credit problems

• Behavioral changes (an indication of drugs, alcohol, gambling or fear of losing the job)

• Refusal to take vacation or sick leave (many violations are discovered while the perpetrator is on vacation)

• Lower deposit amounts than expected on busy days

Make Employee Fraud Recognition Part of Your Training

Teach employees and managers the impact fraud can have on the restaurant, what constitutes fraud, the warning signs of fraudulent activity, and how to report suspicious behavior.

Implement Internal Controls

Internal controls help ensure efficient operations, compliance with laws and regulations, safeguard ing of assets, and accurate financial reporting.

Conduct Background Checks

It’s also a best practice for restaurant owners to conduct extensive background checks on those who have access to company funds and other resources.

To learn more about how Society Insurance can help your restaurant grow and mitigate risk, see their listing in our directory under insurance.

This information is provided as a convenience for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal or professional advice. It is provided to assist you in recognizing potential unsafe work problems or conditions and not to establish compliance with any law, rule or regulation.

In Automation, Education is Essential

Right now, the food industry is undergoing remarkable changes, and one of the most signifi cant upgrades any restaurant can make is adding automation. Though, it’s important to go about this in the right way.

Since many aspects of automation are so advanced, it’s critical that businesses educate employees over the use cases, features, and ben efits of this technology.

At Bear Robotics, they’ve innovated one of the most advanced service automation solutions with thier robot, Servi. For years, Servi has automated workflows and alleviated repetitive work like run ning food, bussing tables, and delivering drinks. It’s a crucial upgrade to many restaurants around the world, but one that requires some education.

Through over 4,000 global deployments, they’ve realized how important it is to not only imple ment comprehensive training upfront but also provide customer support each subsequent step of the way. By training service staff on all aspects of this technology, they find they’re able to get the most out of it and will use it more frequently. It also allows them to analyze performance and discover opportunities for upgrades.

With any new technology, education and sup port are key, but with automation, they’re essential.

For more information on Bear Robotics and their service automation solutions, find their ad on page 14 of this issue.

“When God Calls You Fourth, He Does Not Mean Fifth”

Targeted Exposure Matters...

A Testimonial from J&J Gaming

“ As a leader in the video gaming industry and the largest privately owned gaming terminal operator in Illinois, it has always been our commitment to reach, educate and lead liquor license hold ers as to why they should choose J&J as their true gaming partner when video gaming comes to Chicago. Our relationship with Food Industry News has helped us to achieve this by building upon our relationships and growing connections all throughout the industry!”

Madison Woelfer : Corporate Marketing Specialist J&J Gaming

Since 1941, the Food and Beverage Equipment Executives of Chicago has presented a Restaurant of the Year Award to an outstanding restaurant which hosted one of their meetings over the past year. The restaurant is chosen with a secret ballot by the members for having outstanding food, service and hospitality. This year’s award was pre sented to the owners of Lucca Osteria & Bar, Chef Claudio Ulivieri and Steven Hartenstein. Lucca is located at 1415 W 22nd Street in Oak Brook, Illinois. At this event, guests were treated to a three-course luncheon experience, consisting of a Lucca Salad; Tuscan kale, farro, cucumbers, white beans, pickled red onion and a tomato vinaigrette, a main course of Tomato Risotto and for dessert, Lucca Cannoli with a sweet ricotta filling. The restaurant has a culture of offering warm, gracious hospitality with a team that cares about customer satisfaction.

Boudouvas Promoted to Executive Chef

The Good Plate Hospitality Group has promoted Chef John Boudouvas to Corporate Executive Chef after serving as Executive Chef of Nonnina in Chicago’s River North since February 2019. With the promotion, Chef Boudouvas will oversee all culi nary operations for the entire company, which includes Nonnina, Petterino’s, Taco Nano and The Happ Inn Bar & Grill. Bvoudouvas has an extensive, sea soned background with Good Plate and has been with the company since its inception.

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With nearly 30 dressings, sauces and dips to choose from, Butcher Boy single-serving dressing cups offer on-the-go flavor that pairs perfectly with all your customers’ favorite foods. Save time and cleanup for yourself while providing your custome with the quality they demand and the safety they need.

• Featuring BBQ, Hot Sauce, Ranch, Mayonnaise, Pancake Syrup, and many more!

• Gluten-free and nut-free

• Private labeling also available For

Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants Named Food & Beverage Operator of St. Regis Chicago

Magellan Development Group announced that Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants will create the culinary experiences at the highly-anticipated St. Regis Chicago. The first restaurant will be an all-day dining experi ence from Lettuce Entertain You Chef Hisanobu Osaka and is expected to open Spring of 2023. The second restaurant will be in collaboration with Los Angeles Chef Evan Funke.

“We’re pleased to collaborate with Lettuce Entertain You, a well-known and respected res taurant group here in Chicago, on the dining program and restaurants at The St. Regis Chicago,” said J.R. Berger, Principal, Magellan Development Group LLC. “Lettuce Entertain You knows how to deliver the exceptional luxury dining experiences and compelling cui sine that is expected by The St. Regis Chicago guests, visitors and residents.”

The St. Regis Chicago, anticipated to open in Spring of 2023, will offer an uncompromising level of bespoke and anticipatory service for all its guests and residential owners. Combining classic sophistication with a modern sensibility, the hotel will feature 192 guest rooms as well as an indoor pool with an outdoor terrace, spa, fitness room, ballroom and meeting rooms.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Magellan Development Group to create two unique restaurant concepts at The St. Regis Chicago; a Japanese restaurant from Chef Osaka followed by a Tuscan steakhouse with Chef Evan Funke,” says R.J. Melman, President Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. “The St. Regis will be an incredible addition to downtown Chicago and we are excited that Lettuce will be a part of the opening of the brand’s first Midwest location.”

Having the Wrong Supplier Could Destroy Your Business, Or Worse

Suppliers can make or break any food business. The wrong supplier will sell you inferior food products which may have lower prices but not taste as good, or be as safe as products from responsible suppliers. The wrong equipment repair company can lead you down the path of “keeping your equipment alive” only to have you pay more for repairs (over the short or long term) than it costs to replace it with a newer piece, which has a warranty and is more energy efficient.

Using a low cost or unskilled kitchen hood and duct cleaner can be an enormous mistake. Because grease is highly flammable, when ducts are not cleaned properly that grease becomes a fire accelerant. Not only may that cause a fire in your operation resulting in you losing every thing, but it could cost a firefighter or one of your employees their life.

Fire safety should be important to everyone, because the life (and business) you save may

be your own. One individual who is dedicated to fire protection for food businesses, is Donald Pfleiderer, owner of Minnesota based enVIRO matic Corp, Inc. Don is a man with a national reputation of being dedicated to saving lives by helping to reduce fires in food businesses. Don has even helped write many of the laws for fire protection, designed to save lives and help avoid busi nesses from having fires resulting in a “total loss”. There is a reason why so many fine res taurants, hotels, food plants and others use enVIROmatic to clean their hoods. To learn more or for a free inspection to see if your hood system could be at risk to cause a fire in your establishment, contact the company for a free inspection today.

The Chicago Environmatic team is responsive to the needs of those in the food industry.

— Find their ad on page 16.

By MJ December

A fast paced ever changing $34 Billion market like the food industry has its peaks and valleys. Nobody knows this better than the hard working salt of the earth restaurateurs that grind it out every day to feed America. From food costs sky rocketing, supply chain challenges to staffing con cerns and litany of issues caused by the pandemic that left a bad taste in the mouths of a group that already had enough on it’s plate, vendors are being scrutinized by buyers more than ever. Whether it’s groceries or HVAC services or roofing and pave ment folks are seeking better quality services. Blind loyalty is not enough and more operators are open to new vendor relationships. Sadly in a world filled with scammers there are some shady vendors shamelessly willing to take advantage and unafraid of retribution due to the high turnover in the business. Relationships built on trust and integrity are the cornerstone of any successful partnership and for that reason Food Industry News only works with the most reputable high caliber advertisers who demonstrate consistent presence and deliver quality services at fair prices.

Refer to the Buyers Directory every month to learn more.

Eggo Launches New Eggo Nog with Sugarlands Distilling

During the chaos of the holidays, parents need a moment to themselves more than ever. Eggo heard from parents that one of their favorite times to enjoy Eggo Waffles is during their 'evening me time,' when the kids have gone to bed, and they can finally relax and enjoy it in peace. That insight inspired Eggo to create Eggo Nog, a rich and deli cious eggnog liqueur to elevate parents' free time and give grownups a unique way to L'Eggo of the holiday stress this season. Eggo Nog will be avail able in select retailers nationwide throughout the holiday season.

Eggo’s first-ever Eggo Nog, made with Sugarlands Distilling Co., inspired by the classic holiday drink. Sip Wisely! Eggo Nog Appalachian Sippin’ Cream produced and bottled by Sugarlands Distilling Company, Gatlinburg, TN. 20% alc/vo. Must be 21+ to purchase.

One-Hundred Percent Cranberries, One Ingredient, The Real Deal, and Tart

Honestly Cranberry was established in 2014 when Wisconsin cranberry grower, Mary Brazeau Brown, saw a gap in the marketplace. Mary’s family farm, located outside of Wisconsin Rapids, produces around 10 million pounds of cranberries every year (give or take a million thanks to Mother Nature). Mary realized that most of her healthy crop was going to sugar-added products, such as sweetened dried cranberries, juice, and sauce. In her words, “I don’t grow sugar!”...and now she’s drying cranberries without sugar – one of the first to do so.

Most cranberry products in the marketplace have up to 80% added sugar and other fillers. When sweetened dried cranberries are made, for example, cranberry juice concentrate is a byproduct. What’s left of the cranberry is infused with liquid sugar, juice, or filler, then sprayed with oil to keep the final product from sticking together. Honestly Cranberry slices and dries their cranberries - taking out just enough moisture to make them shelf stable. The target market is those who enjoy natural dried fruits, clean ingredients, and who do not want added sugar in their food; including individual con sumers, wholesale buyers, restaurants, bakeries, and specialty markets.

Cranberries compliment many flavors and recipes, including: cookies, salads, brownies, dips, oatmeal, sauces, breads, pancakes, seafood, burgers, vegetables, and cocktails. Soak them in orange juice before putting them in a bread or cookie, let them soak in salad dress ing for a few minutes before adding to the greens, or muddle them in an Old Fashioned cocktail!

Learn more at: honestlycranberry.com and find their ad on page 3.

The Triton College (HIA) Advisory Council recently met to work on creating more value for the stu dents in the Hospitality Industry Administration program to help ready them for careers in foodservice and hospitality. This year’s meeting was exciting. Pictured above are the participants which included, Jennifer Davidson- Triton College Dean, Marisol Gutierrez- Pendry Hotel Assistant Director, Pierre-Louis Giacotto- General Manager, Chef Bill Kim- Chef Partner Cornerstone, Alex Terrazas- Triton College, Assistant Dean, Jasmine Bilbao-Romero- Triton College Adjunct Instructor, Daniel Espinoza- OFI Chef, Cedric Harden- Cornerstone Chef, Ernest Davis- Triton Adjunct Instructor, Loretha Smith- Triton Tutor, Michael Kuhn- DVR Director, RoseAnn Mathai: Dominican University Chair, Carolina Diaz- Touchpoint Regional Executive Chef, Josue Mancero- Zachary Hotel Bar manager, Cary Miller- Food industry News VP, Joely Vargas- Jellys Sweets Owner, Martha Koziowska- Peninsula Guest services Manager, Marcin Sobusiak- Talboh Hotel Executive Chef, Charles Haracz- Blue Plate Catering Executive Chef, Denise SmithGaborit- Triton College Full-time Instructor, Christopher Clem- Triton College Full-time instructor, Chair of Horticulture and Chef Manny Uribe- Triton college, Full-time instructor, Chair of Hospitality. If you are looking for qualified employees or leaders for your food business, contact Chef Manny or Chef Denise at the Triton College HIA program.

The answer is yes. Now, what was the question?

– Cary Miller

Chicago, IL 800-921-9151

St. Louis, MO 800-783-0187

Minneapolis, MN 800-454-3441 Milwaukee, WI 414-281-5204

Indianapolis, IN 800-921-9151 Decatur, IL 800-783-0187 berkelmidwest.com

Local News

Aloha Poke recently opened at 916 N. Elmhurst Rd. The Mount Prospect location will be the 20th store in the brand’s system and 9th store in the Chicago region. Aloha Poke Co. also announced plans for a new Deerfield location in early 2023, which will increase the number of the company-owned and operated stores to 13. Cele brate the holidays with a million sparkles of excitement during the 38th annual East Peoria Festi val of Lights. One of the largest nighttime festivals in the nation. The drive-through display will be open every night through Janu ary 2, 2023. Chicago was voted Best Big City in the U.S. for the sixth year in a row. The prestigious recognition comes from the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2022, making Chicago the first and only city in the 35-year history of the awards to win this accolade six years in a row. Con gratulations to Javon Nicholas, creator, founder, and owner of Egg Rolls Etc. Javon was named one of Food Processing’s 2022 Influ ential Women in Food, and for good reason. Her Chicago-based frozen food company, which spe cializes in comfort-filled egg rolls, is a lesson in love. Dazzling new light displays celebrating the Arboretum’s centennial year and a special late night event series will highlight the 10th anniversary of Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. Now through Jan. 7, 2023, guests will explore 18 different features along a tree-lined one-mile walk ing trail immersed in color, light and sound created exclusively for The Morton Arboretum. Ferrero North America, part of the global sweetpackaged food company Ferrero Group known for Nutella, Tic Tac, Butterfinger, and CRUNCH branded products, broke ground on its new Kinder Bueno produc tion facility in Bloomington, Illinois. The $214.4 million investment will add 200 new jobs to Ferrero’s existing manufacturing footprint in Bloomington. iHeartRadio Jingle Ball paresented by Capital One will be held on December 5, 2022 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Jack Harlow, Pitbull, Khalid & Macklemore will be performing. Light Up the Lake, Chicagoland’s largest indoor lights experience is

PFG Area Sales Manager Nick Galanis congratulates Angelo Koutoupis, GM of Anna’s Red Apple, located 2121 S. Plum Grove Road in Palatine on the restaurants’ 13th anniversary. Anna’s Red Apple is famous with locals for their exceptional breakfast offerings, rich coffee, nice service and moderate prices. The restaurant has two private rooms for parties and makes many of its menu items from scratch.

back at Navy Pier for the holiday season. From now through Janu ary 7, 2023. You can experience the magic with interactive light displays, a whimsical skating rink, journeys through the Winter Wonderfest Forest, visits with Santa, and more. Looking for that special corporate holiday gift or for the foodie on your list? Check out Tastes of Chicago & Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. Shop your favorite Chicago restaurants and brands at tastesofchicago.com. Orders can be shipped nation wide. Portillo’s, the fast-casual restaurant concept known for its menu of unrivaled Chicago street food, Named a 2022 Best Brand to Work List For by QSR Magazine. Dedicated to restaurant opera tors, the new report recognizes the companies that are leading the industry as employers of choice. Rosemont’s Museum of Hummels and the offices of the Rosemont Chamber of Commerce will move into the village’s new vil lage hall building near the fashion outlet mall once major interior work is completed in 2023 or 2024. The Lettuce Entertain You Holiday Gift Card promotion is back to help you power through your shop ping list with the gift that’s never out of stock, a Lettuce Entertain You Gift Card. From now through Dec. 30, 2022, you’ll receive a $25 Holiday Bonus for every $100 in Gift Cards you buy. The Lettuce Entertain You Gift Card gives them endless options to choose from.

Ruggiero Seafood, Inc. PO Box 5369 Newark, NJ 07105info@ruggieroseafood.comwww.ruggieroseafood.com

The Legacy of Italian Beef in Chicago

It was a simpler time in Chicago. The 1930’s brought a boon of weddings in Chicago’s Italian community, and, being in the depths of the Great Depression, sandwiches were an inexpensive way to stretch food budgets, and Italian Beef sandwiches became the meal of choice for Italian weddings and celebrations across the region. Serrelli’s Finer Foods began as a father-and-son specialty shop in 1934, where they began making their signature Italian roast beef sandwiches, which became so popular, customers would often line up to buy their slowcooked Italian Roast Beef and gravy by the pound.

This flood of business enabled the father and son team to perfect their family recipe and prepare for growth. Once their formula was perfected, their signature Italian Beef became Serrelli’s calling card, not just with consumers, but with the throngs of sandwich shops opening up across the city. The family businesses’ recipe has remained the same for more than 80 years. According to third generation owner, Patti Serrelli Hereau, “When customers come in for

The Meteoric Rise of Dave’s Hot Chicken

By MJ December

Impressive is the best word to describe the rapid growth of Dave’s Hot Chicken. Dave’s is sensational street food that exploded into a fast casual home run. Started by four friends as a pop up in a Los Angeles parking lot focused on Nashville Hot Chicken they boast a simple but flavorful menu. Customers can choose tenders or slid ers. Both are served with sliced bread, pickles while the sliders include kale slaw. The fun part is having

a beef sandwich or to take a tub home, they are tasting the same delicious Italian Beef recipe that their parents and grandparents enjoyed!”

Serrelli’s is proud to be one of Chicago’s oldest family-owned and operated retail and wholesale Italian food businesses, and in addition to their bustling wholesale Italian Beef and premium sausage business, they have an authentic Italian deli, meat market and grocery shop, located 6454 West North Avenue in Chicago.

When asked about the future, Patti Serrelli notes, “With so much uncer tainty in the world its a joy to be able to continue the tradition of being able to provide exceptional Italian food using the recipes my father and grandfather made so famous.” Serrelli’s Finer Foods is open everyday except Sunday. In addition to the firm’s wholesale busi ness, they also offer complete catering services, sandwiches to go and their signature beef and gravy cash & carry by the pound.

Find the Serrelli’s ad for their wholesale division on page 32 of this issue.

your choice of Dave’s sauces. It’s a bit of a choose your own adventure heat index as they offer a range from no spice all the way up 6 levels hotter to The Reaper, for the brave. Sides include fries, cheese fries or mac and cheese.

Dave’s first hit the Chicago market in October of 2021. Fueled by incredible food, a striking social media presence and celebrity inves tors that include Actor Samuel L Jackson and Multi Platinum record ing artist Drake they have frenetically taken off. They opened 2021 with seven locations and they will open 2023 with close to 100. They have an eye popping 620 additional units in devel opment for 2023. Their first national ad campaign debuted in October.

U.S. Water Heating Solutions Opens In-House Technical Training Center

Last month at U.S. Water Heating Solutions, they officially launched their in-house technical training center! The 1,200 square foot facility is located in Arlington Heights, alongside their company headquarters and is currently being used to train their newest service technicians.

Although they already have a rigorous training program that includes two to four weeks of on-the-job training, they want to ensure that their technicians have as much diagnostic experience as pos sible. Providing such training opportunities became extremely difficult at the height of the pandemic: as an essential business, their team members were still repairing water heaters, but all in-person manufacturers’ trainings were suspended for over a year. In an effort to ensure that their technicians would receive the highest quality training in a safe environment, they began plan ning their on-site training center. This project was originally a pipeline dream when their com pany first opened in 2018 with a small office and warehouse. They have since spent over a

year planning and building the training center, in a collaborative effort between management and Senior Technician and Trainer, Kirk Warren. The training center houses an array of commercial and residential water heaters, both tank type and tankless, from brands including: A.O. Smith, PVI, Raypak, Rheem, Ruud, and more; several of which were donated from the manufacturers themselves. Each unit is individu ally controlled, allowing them to replicate gas pressure, venting, negative air pressure, and virtually any other issue technicians may encounter in the field. With edu cation and training as two of their top priorities, they are looking for ward to training all of their current and future technicians for ser vice in the Midwest and beyond!

Find the US Waterheating Solutions ad on page 10. Continued from front

holistic meal experience. Our mis sion remains to offer our customers well-crafted, locally sourced, glob ally inspired food in an interactive environment of discovery and generous hospitality that connect people to the Old Town community and each other,” Don Fitzgerald, Co-CEO.

The customer experience is at the center of every decision, including incorporating additional technolo gies to enhance guest conveniences. Dom’s Old Town will feature new digital menu boards, electronic shelf labels, self-order kiosks, and self-checkout.

“Our new Old Town location will serve as the hub for customer experience. Dom’s will be your neighborhood table and a pillar in the communities in which we do

FR ANCHISE

US Foods Launches Distribution Application

Coverages may include — but are not limited to:

• Food and drug regulatory compliance

• Health, dental and vision benefits

• Food spoilage

• Commercial auto

• Workers compensation

• Liquor liability

For more information or a no cost/no-obligation free policy audit, please contact: Steve Gabinski steve_gabinski@ajg.com • 630.285.3686

US Foods Holding Corp. recently announced the beginning of the national roll-out of MOX (Making Operator Xperiences Easy), the food service distri bution industry’s most advanced and the only all-in-one e-commerce application that can be used across desktop, tablet and mobile devices anywhere, anytime. MOX is a personalized one-stop shop where operators can find the right prod ucts from a selection of more than 400,000 items, manage orders and track deliveries in one applica tion. This new application builds on the company’s long track record of bring ing food service operators innovative technology solutions that help them save time and money and more efficiently manage their business. MOX began rolling out to independent operators across the country and will continue expansion to additional customers in 2023.

business. Social responsibility is a cornerstone of the Dom’s culture and is essential to who we are as a business and as a neighbor. We push the boundaries and strive to be innovative from the experience we provide to the ways in which we interact with our community mem bers and organizations in need,” Jay Owen, Co-Founder and Chairman.

Dom’s is led by Bob Mariano, who founded Mariano’s after

serving as the CEO of Roundy’s and Dominick’s, Jay Owen of Dom Capital Group, a venture investor in food technology and next-generation commerce, and Don Fitzgerald, a former senior executive at Dominick’s, Roundy’s and Mariano’s. Dom’s is on track with plans to expand to 15 stores by 2025. Dom’s is located at 1233 N Wells St in Chicago and will be open 7-days a week from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Pickleman’s Announces No Antibiotics Policy

Proving “what’s inside matters most,” the Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe chain has announced its No Antibiotics Ever policy for the chicken it serves. It is the first QSR/Fast Casual sandwich franchise to commit to the most difficult desig nation to achieve for keeping antibiotics out of our food and providing farm animals a better life.

“After 16 years in the industry, I wanted to fix what was broken,” says Doug Stritzel, Founder and CEO of Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe. “So many hidden ingredients are hazardous to your health, from preservatives, to fillers, to antibiotics.”

Pickleman’s is the rapidly growing sandwich chain known for its toasted sandwiches, artisan soups, fresh salads, and thin crust pizzas. It was founded in 2005 by Stritzel after he spent 16 years growing some of the biggest names in the QSR industry. Now Pickleman’s franchise loca tions outperform bigger, older brands regularly.

“Shell to Table with no antibiotics, means the chickens are raised in better conditions - with more space, higher quality food, and less stress ensuring they don’t get sick,” said Hayley Sohn, Pickleman’s Head of Nutritional Research & Development. “Not only do they live a better life and avoid contributing to antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs,’ they become

more nutrient-dense as food, and just taste better.”

The language around the use of antibiotics can be confusing to the public and can be mislead ing – just as the food designations “natural” and “organic” have been fought over in the past. Many sandwich QSR chains claim their chicken is “raised without antibiotics,” which is a much lower level of care and protection than No Antibiotics Ever.

Chickens labeled as Raised Without Antibiotics actually do get antibiotics both from their mother, and large doses while they are still in shell. In contrast, No Antibiotics Ever is a USDA enforced program subject to audit, ensuring that the chicken never comes in con tact with antibiotics: they are not administered to the mother or while the chicken is still in the shell, and never throughout the bird’s lifespan.

“This is just one way that Pickleman’s is serving food from farms, not from factories,” said Stritzel. “We are adding to the list of products made fresh in-house every day and continuing to work with clean label sources, the way food was meant to be.”

The No Antibiotics Ever chicken that Pickleman’s sources is part of why the chain’s Chicken Salad is such a hit – and it’s made fresh in store every day, not in an offsite factory.

“Know where to go for the information you seek.”

— Jim Contis

Red Gold Keeps Growing with Addition of High-Tech Warehouse

Red Gold, Inc., the world’s largest privately-owned tomato company, recently opened a new 250,000 square foot warehouse with leading edge technolo gies. Connecting to its existing Alexandria, IN Distribution Center (DC), there is now a total of 1.25 million square feet of storage and truck loading capabilities to speed deliveries of tomato products to retail and foodservice customers.

The new facility adds 14 loading docks to speed deliveries to our many customers,” says Brian Reichart, President and CEO of Red Gold. “Additionally, we have added 82 truck-trailer parking spaces for our customers picking up loads or parking for Red Gold’s own RG Transport fleet.”

“We experienced tremendous growth in sales over the past two years as customers made the switch to Red Gold products due to our product quality and supply chain issues experienced by other brands,” says Colt Reichart, Red Gold’s Senior Director of Marketing and Consumer Relations. “The new facil ity assures that we have the capacity to continue our growth of the freshest, best-tasting tomatoes in the world.”

The new building houses a giant high tech rack ing system that stores hundreds of tomato products to better serve Red Gold’s customers. “Racking for pallets of tomato products is 53 lanes wide, 23 pal lets deep and 5 levels high…that’s 8,215 total pallets in our racking system alone,” said Mike Herrmann, Red Gold’s Director of Engineering. “The new building and DC also received 68 new Wireless Access Points to make sure all the new technology is connected to the forklifts and shuttles, allowing them to move seamlessly throughout the connected facilities,” Mike said.

The new addition connects to the Red Gold tomato processing plant in Orestes allowing finished goods to be transported to the existing Alexandria Distribution Center. “By connecting our factory to the DC and uti lizing this innovative system, we are able to remove 9,000 semi-truck trips (annually) between Orestes and the DC,” says Beau Reichart, Red Gold’s Chief Operations Officer. “This saves time, reduces costs and CO2 impact to the environment.” Beau adds, “This project features new automated rack shuttles (skid movers) which are remote controlled. These robots move skids through the rack aisles, making it possible pick more pallets perfectly.”

— You can find Red Gold in our buyers directory under “ketchup”.

Hyatt Hotel Corporation announces the opening of the 25 story Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, debuting as the first Hyatt Hotel in Utah and the only hotel directly adjoining the Salt Palace Convention Center. The hotel’s opening sets a new standard for leisure and group travel in one of the fastest-growing urban hubs in the United States. Marco’s Pizza, the nation’s fastest-growing pizza brand headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, has earned a top spot on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Customer Service in 2023. This prestigious award is presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry rank ing provider. Michter’s has been named the World’s Most Admired American Whiskey and the #2 Most Admired Whiskey overall in the second edition of The World’s Most Admired Whiskies, an annual top 50 list released by Drinks International. Moxy Lower East Side located at 145 Bowery in New York City debuts as an Eclectic and Stylish Pleasure Garden in the neighborhood that defines New York Cool. Designed by Rockwell Group and Michaelis Boyd, the hotel features 303 bed rooms and five dining and drinking concepts by Tao Group Hospital ity. Outlook on the Corn Starch Global Market to 2027 - North America holds the Largest Market Share - ResearchAndMarkets.com’s. The Global Corn Starch Market will reach $25.65 Billion by 2027. Corn is the most typical raw material used to make starch and starch derivatives worldwide. Piggly Wiggly Midwest partners with Focal Systems to leverage artificial intelligence and automation to transform the shop per experience. Piggly Wiggly Midwest will be piloting the Focal Operating System in its Wisconsin and Illinois stores. Progressive Grocer recognized Whole Foods

Market with the Retailer of the Century award, for innovations in the natural and organic food indus try. The award, which recognizes 11 food retailers, including Amazon, celebrates essential retailers in the grocery industry over the past cen tury. Starbucks Coffee Company opened a new Starbucks Reserve location spanning 23,000 square feet and three floors at the iconic Empire State Building in New York City. Starbucks Reserve Empire State Building, to, will be a one-of-a-kind destination that celebrates connect ing over coffee through innovative coffee house experiences. Solina, a leading European producer of savory ingredient solutions for the food industry, has acquired U.S. based Saratoga Food Specialties to continue its expansion in North America. Solina established a pres ence in the U.S. for the first time in 2021 with the acquisition of Asen zya, a Wisconsin-based provider of custom dry seasoning solutions for the food industry. Stoner’s Pizza Joint , a quick-service pizza franchise, announced that it will be expanding its national footprint with 8 new store openings anticipated before the end of 2022. The locations will strengthen the brands presence in Savannah, GA, Charleston, SC, Denver, CO, and Central Florida market. The Kroger Co., America’s largest grocery retailer, opened its newest Customer Fulfillment Center in Romulus, Michigan. Powered by the Ocado Group, the CFC will lever age advanced robotics technology and creative solutions to redefine the customer experience for custom ers in the greater Detroit area. The Pool & Spa Show 2023, Powered by Northeast Spa & Pool Association will be held on January 24 - 26, 2023. The show will be at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

From intimate family gatherings to impromptu holiday hangouts, stock up on Kellogg’s Crackers to impress guests anytime, anywhere. Holiday charcuterie creation is simple: the bigger the gathering, the bigger the board. Fans can spread joy this holiday season by curating their own festive charcuterie boards with limited-edition holiday-themed packages of Kellogg’s Crackers, available at retailers nationwide. Stock up today and check out Kelloggs.com/SpreadJoy for 10-minute recipe inspiration.

Vienna Beef Inducts Al’s Drive-In Into Hot Dog Hall of Fame

Vienna Beef, the legendary Chicago company synonymous with the city’s iconic Hot Dogs, Italian Beef and other products, announced Al’s Drive-In (80 West Madison Street, Maywood, IL 60153) was inducted into The Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame. Bob Schwartz, senior vice president of Vienna Beef, bestowed the honor on the local vendor that has been providing excep tional customer service and quality food for over 45 years. Al’s Drive-In was presented with a commemorative Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame plaque, banner, pin, and Hall of Fame branded apparel at the event.

“Congratulations to family, staff, friends, and loyal customers of Al’s Drive-In on being the newest member of The Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame,” said Timothy O’Brien, president of Vienna Beef. “We are gratetful to be affiliated with restaurants like Al’s Drive-In who show commitment to their customers as well as serve quality products.” It’s obvious that having been serving the com munity for 45 years, Al’s Drive-In has become an iconic ambassador with their international blend of foodservice favorites. Art and Sue Ratanavanich have been leading the charge for nearly a half century; they even won an out standing chef’s award. They have been featured on TV’s Chicago’s Best along the way and most recently are prominently given top billing in a New York Times article about the Chicago Hot Dogs and the great Hot Dog Stands.

Vienna Beef Hot Dogs and Polish Sausages have been their menu leaders. Al’s also features a variety of Chinese, Mexican and American food favorites. What a variety! Decide between fried rice, egg rolls, nachos and more. Al’s tagline is “come as you are or eat in the car.” Art and Sue have also complimented their menu by giving back to the community in scholarships along with local support to Proviso East High School, the Maywood Police Department, and village commu nity events. They also rely heavily on their staff including Fernando, Aor, and Ongsri. It is this broad attention to all facets of a successful restaurant committed to its community that inspires Vienna Beef to choose to induct Al’s Drive-In into the Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame, which was created to honor longtime local foodservice operators that have developed into neighborhood landmarks. Out of thousands of Vienna Beef customers over the years, we have recog nized just 142 businesses nationwide since the award was inaugurated in 2006. We are extremely proud to welcome Al’s Drive-In as the 143rd recipient. Congratulations to Art, Sue and their entire staff. The Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame was created in 2006 to recognize loyal vendors that have become landmarks in their neighborhood through outstanding customer service, community leadership, operational longevity, philanthropic efforts, and devotion to quality operations.

For more information visit: viennabeef.com/hall-of-fame

Local

BEST PRICES ON FRESH PRODUCE SINCE 1924

Tip Top and Counter Culture Coffee Collab on Espresso Martini

The Espresso Martini has long been a thorn in the side of bartend ers and consumers everywhere because of its many steps and the machinery required. Now, in collaboration with Counter Culture Coffee, the Tip Top Espresso Martini is yours to enjoy, wherever.

Keep The Party Going

Good news: you haven’t traveled back to the ‘90s. Better news: the Espresso Martini is back. The Tip Top Cocktails version is strong and smooth, with a hint of vanilla. It boasts a delicious complexity from their coffee pals at Counter Culture. This is a drink that keeps the party going—or starts one from scratch.

Tasting Notes

Roasted Coffee, Vanilla Bean, Rich and Smooth

Newest Member Inducted with Chicago-Style Honors

Discover why generations of chefs and restaurant owners have relied on us for quality, service and value. Our recent expansion allows us to deliver thousands of products: everything you need to support your fast food or family restaurant.

Way Home

Kardea Brown

Publisher: Amistad

ISBN-13: 978-0063085602

Kardea Brown shares her multi-generational “passed down” recipes and inno vative takes on Gullah classics with home cooks everywhere. “Gullah” and “GeeChee” refer to a distinct group of African Americans living in the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia who have preserved much of their West African language, culture, and cuisine. The Way Home is an unabashed love letter to her family’s roots, packed with dishes that combine West African herbs, spices, and grains with traditional Southern cooking. “Gullah people laid the foundation for Southern cooking. Before farm-totable was a fad, it was what Gullah people did,” Kardea explains. “I want to show the world that soul food is not monolithic. It’s so much more than fried chicken and vegetables cooked in pork. It’s seasonal, fresh and deli cious!” Filled with more than 100 mouth-watering recipes for starters, main courses, sides, desserts, and more, The Way Home brings a taste of the Lowcountry South home, offering fla vor-packed dishes everyone will enjoy.

Kardea flavors her reci pes with cherished family anecdotes, memories, and helpful tips. A perfect blend of the modern and the tra ditional, The Way Home honors her proud heritage and shows off her own sig nature class and sass. The result is a marvelous, bighearted collection of recipes and stories that will nourish you, body and soul.

Keep Your Forklift Batteries Safe

Having the right amount of water in your battery is very impor tant for it to function to its full capacity. Have a schedule to check the fluid level of your forklift batteries – approximately every five charging cycles is advised. Check several cells to see if there’s enough water to cover the plastic battery ele ment. If it’s not obvious from inspecting two or three, proceed to check all the cells. If necessary, top off the fluid.

The Ten Commandments of Good Battery Care

1. Add approved water only. Never add acid. 2. Keep electrolyte levels above separator protectors.

Keep battery top clean and dry.

Keep flame and metal away from battery top.

Keep vent caps tightly in place. 6. Discharge 80% only and do not operate battery if the specific gravity is below the recommended level for your battery. 7. Cool before charging or operating if battery is above 115° F. 8. Use approved charger of correct voltage and current output. 9. During charging, keep the truck compartment and battery cover open. 10. If in doubt, call Voss Equipment for long, reliable battery life. — Find the Voss Equipment listing in our directory under Fork Lifts. ‘

One of Northern Illinois’ favorite public servants, Maria Pappas is a Greek American attorney who has served as Cook County Treasurer since 1998.

She was recently seen by Food Industry News in a North Shore restaurant supporting independent business. Maria is joined by Cary Miller, VP of Food Industry News and his father, Bradley.

Supporting local “mom-and-pop” businesses keeps a community strong. Spend your dollars locally.

Poke Sauce

It’s Time to Poke (pronounced “poh-kay”)

Made with Kikkoman Soy Sauce, Kikkoman Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, Kikkoman Sesame Oil and premium spices, it’s a one-step wonder that adds umami, rich savory flavor, and a tangy, spicy kick to fish, shrimp, veggies and even grilled or roasted meat and poultry. And because it’s preblended, there’s no guess work or clean up. Just pour, toss and plate.

Easy Menu Ideas

Classic Ahi Poke: Cut fresh, raw sushi-grade ahi tuna into cubes and toss with Kikkoman Poke Sauce. If desired, add toasted sesame seeds and minced scallions. Serve in a shallow bowl, over rice, if desired.

Pokado: Prepare tuna poke as directed above. Serve in a halved avocado, garnished with a bit of Japanese seaweed salad and sprinkle with shichimi togarashi (a spicy Japanese pepper-sesame seed blend).

Poke Tacos: Prepare Tuna Poke as directed above. Serve in crispy wonton shells (made by frying wonton wrappers in a taco-frying basket); drizzle with Kikkoman Wasabi Sauce.

Poke Steak Kabobs: Marinate steak cubes in Kikkoman Poke sauce. Thread on skewers with red bell peppers, red onions and grill to desired doneness.

Poke Mayo: Blend Kikkoman Poke Sauce with mayonnaise. Use as a condiment for fries, fried seafood, Asian-style burgers and sandwiches. Or thin with a splash of Kikkoman Rice Vinegar to make a creamy salad dressing.

Carefully Crafted Cocktails Start with the Right Spirits

Sorel: The Red Drink — A five hundred year journey with roots in the Caribbean, Sorel is a modern twist on a time less classic. Born of the spice trade, versions of sorrel date back to the 1600s, when hibiscus flowers were first imported to the New World from West Africa. Valued for its medici nal properties, Jackie Summer’s grandparents carried this culinary tradition with them when they emi grated from the island of Barbados to Harlem NY in the 1920s. In 2012, following a life-threatening cancer scare, Jack left a 25-year career as a corporate executive to pursue the American dream of entrepreneurship. Looking to his grandparents for inspiration, he perfected the first-ever shelfstable recipe of this 500-year-old beverage in his kitchen, launching the micro-distillery Jack From Brooklyn. At the time when Jack received his Distilled Spirits Permit (DSP), he was the only Black person with a license to make liquor in America, and the first to hold this license, postprohibition. Made with Moroccan hibiscus blended with Brazilian clove, Indonesian cassia and Nigerian ginger, this bright red liqueur from Brooklyn is a modern twist on an exotic classic.

Email personalization is more than just a strategy, it is a way to connect one on one with a lead who is interested in your products or services. According to Campaign Mentor, email personaliza tion is the act of targeting an email campaign to a specified subscriber by utiliz ing the data and information you have gathered based on their interactions and searches. The information is then used to personal ize the email. For example, first and last name, location, and website data usage. The overall benefits of per sonal emails are astonishing.

According to Hubspot, it increases customer engagement by 80% as buyers are more likely to purchase after a personal experience. Additionally, 90% of US con sumers have admitted that they are more enticed by per sonalized marketing. As a result of personaliza tion, engagement and exposure are increased even if a purchase deci sion is not made at that exact moment.

— For more info, visit: americaneagle.com/ insights/blog

Del Monte Deluxe Gold to Partner with Host of Tasty’s “Making it Big”

Tway Nguyen is inspiring home chefs to cook with pineapples by making two new modern dishes with a Vietnamese twist. During this holiday season, Nguyen encourages her audience to step outside their comfort zone in the kitchen by creating dishes using ingredients like Del Monte Deluxe Gold Pineapple, the highest quality variety of pineapple for when you want the convenience.

Dunkin’ Offers New Chocolate Treat in Time for Holidays

The new Dunkin’ Box O’ Chocolates, along with two new Hot Chocolate Bomb varieties – Dunkaccino and Spicy will be available for a limited time at retail ers nationwide, as well as online at Amazon and FrankfordCandy.com.

S. Rosen’s Cocktail Rye Bread Now Available on Amazon

Knead some good news?

Amidst an onslaught of supply chain issues causing delays or shortages of grocery store staples, S. Rosen’s Baking Co., has announced their popular cocktail rye bread is now avail able to order on Amazon.com.

The 109-year-old com pany is the Midwest’s largest rye bread manufacturer, and increased its rye bread pro duction in advance of the holidays, and is the only national brand offering tra ditional cocktail rye bread on grocery store shelves and now for order via Amazon.com.

“We understand how much consumers love cocktail rye bread, especially this time of the year and we made the decision to increase capacity to get ahead of any potential run on rye,” said Tim Lotesto, senior director, National Retail Key Accounts at Alpha Baking Co.

Chicago-based Alpha Baking Company, Inc. pro vides premium baked goods to restaurants, food service outlets, retailers and con sumers under the S. Rosen’s, MaryAnn Baking, and Natural Ovens brands. In 2020, Alpha Baking baked more than 265 million pounds of bread products and donated to area charities tackling hunger and food insecurity. The company employs more than 1,800 people in six baking facilities throughout the Midwest.

Halal Products Available

On October 10 2022, the Inde Sprits Expo once again took over the Chicago Hilton and Towers on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Hundreds of liquor brands were sampled, and over 400 industry professionals enjoyed the networking, conversations and profes sional development. Illinois continues to be a hotbed of growth for local spirit brands. The state of Illinois allows distilleries and brewer ies to self-distribute product directly to liquor license holders. Support Illinois and support your industry. Buy local as often as you can.

CHEF PROFILE

1415 W. 22nd St, Oak Brook, IL 60523

Birthplace: Melrose Park, IL.

Current Position: Executive Chef.

First Foodservice Job: Food runner.

Favorite Food: Puerto Rican Food. Arroz con gandules and arrachera.

Memorable Customers: Every table I touch is a memo rable customer.

Worst Part of Job: Being away from my kids.

Most Humorous Kitchen Mishap: My brother was making mashed potatoes once in a Hobart. He picked up the bowl after whipping them. It was a full mixing bowl. I asked, “do you need help?” He insisted he had it, so I stopped working. Watched him shake this 40-pound bowl with hot mashed potato’s in it. Finally they come rushing out, cannon-ball effect into the hotel pan. Some splashed up and lands on his arm, he screams and wipes it with a towel immediately. Needless to say it rubbed the immediate blister skin right off. Hysterical. I know that probably sounds messed up. Even he would tell you it’s funny!

Favorite Food to Prepare: Any and all seafood. What part of the job gives the most pleasure: Training and mentoring younger chefs who have followed me for years. Or just the guys I just meet. I never went to school and was mentored by one chef for almost 10 years. Never pushed me out of a kitchen because I didn’t know something. So I love giving back to those with the drive and ambition to go off and be a better chef than myself. As long as they learn something from me, I did my job as a chef.

If you couldn’t be a chef, what would you be? I’d be a rapper or singer. I’ve been making music for over 10 years. I love music.

Best advice you ever got was...Only worry about your self, not the person next to you (in the kitchen of course.)

Where do you like to vacation? Puerto Rico. What do you enjoy most about Food Industry News? It’s local to my city and I love learning about food, chefs and growing by reading.

Who was your greatest culinary influence? Chef Joel Hassanali. I owe where I am to him. He men tored me for about 10 years. Took me all over the states with him and his wife. Taught me how to run a business as well as to cook. I’m thankful for him as a chef and friend. I wouldn’t be where I am with out his guidance.

La Criolla Recognized for 65 Years

La Criolla recently celebrated 65 years in business in the Chicagoland area and was recognized by Chicago City Mayor Lightfoot with a “certificate of recognition.” A “proclamation” from Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas was also issued by the Illinois State Senate, again in recog nition of 65 successful years in business. La Criolla is extremely proud of this great achievement and to celebrate it’s 65th Anniversary they have created a new “Holiday Basket” of popular items in time for the upcoming Holidays. Congratulations, La Criolla!

— You can find La Criolla’s ad on page 5 of this issue.

Nicholas Blakey

Lucca Osteria & Bar

Your source for vendors you can trust.

ATTENTION CHEFS

AROUND CHICAGO with VALERIE MILLER Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co.

Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co. welcomes Nelli Maltezos as Chef de Cuisine. Chef Nelli brings over three decades of experience to the Robert’s team with creative fall menu items that embrace the flavors of the season.Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co. is thrilled to welcome Chef Nelli Maltezos to the team! Nelli joins the restaurant and pizzeria as Chef de Cuisine bringing an abundance of talent and creativity to the kitchen.

“We’re very excited to officially announce Nelli’s welcome,” says Robert Garvey, owner of Robert’s Pizza. “We’ve been working together in the kitchen since earlier this summer and the pas sion and creativity she has is truly remarkable.”

Nelli joins the Robert’s Pizza family after serv ing as executive chef for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises for nearly a decade, most recently with Mon Ami Gabi. Her career began in the early 1990s as a volunteer in Charlie Trotter’s kitchen, an experience that forged Nelli to become the res taurateur she is today. In 1999, Nelli fulfilled her dream to own a restaurant with the opening of Rociada, a French country bistro in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over the following 14 years, Nelli would reconceptualize the restaurant two more times as Trattoria Nostrani, serving northern Italian fare, and Vivre, a contemporary French restaurant.

Nelli joined the Robert’s Pizza family over the summer where she immediately began to show case her creativity in the kitchen by creating menu items incorporating seasonal ingredients from peaches to softshell crabs. As Chef de Cuisine for Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co., Nelli is responsible for working closely with Robert on menu devel opment especially seasonal specials as well as overseeing all aspects of the kitchen.

“I am really enjoying being part of the team –especially the support and encouragement from Robert and Dana to explore different cuisines on the pizza,” shares Nelli.

Guests can expect to see Chef Nelli’s work through the new fall menu items available now.

Menu items include:

• Mortadella Pizza: a cream-based pizza with mortadella, fresh mozzarella, roasted radicchio, candied and salted pistachios, and Italian ricotta

• Speck Pizza : a cream-based pizza with speck, fresh mozzarella, roasted radicchio, candied and salted walnuts, and Italian ricotta

• The Rita: a classic “Margherita” style pizza with imported Italian buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce, and fresh basil affectionately named after Robert Garvey’s Mom

• Marinated Beet Salad salt-roasted beets with Stracciatella, baby kale, pumpkin seeds, and parmesan vinaigrette

Along with the delicious fall menu items cre ated by Chef Nelli, Robert’s will also be offering fall drink specials. For more about Robert’s Pizza, make reservations, or see the full menu, please visit – robertspizzacompany.com. Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co. is located at 465 N. McClurg in Chicago. The restaurant is open Monday - Friday from 12pm - 9pm and Saturday-Sunday from 10am - 9pm.

Founded by Robert and Dana Garvey, Robert’s Pizza & Dough Company serves up handcrafted thin-crust, artisan pies with fresh and unique ingredients. The secret is in the crust: a Garvey family recipe affectionately dubbed ‘Za Dough’ that took 20 years to perfect.

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RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT

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RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT REPAIR SERVICE

Berkel Midwest Page 16 800-921-9151

CSI - Coker Service Inc 888-908-5600

Cobblestone Ovens 847-635-0172

Major Appliance Service 708-447-4100

RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT-NEW & USED

March Quality Used & New Equip Page 05 800-210-5895

RESTAURANT REAL ESTATE SALES

John Moauro/Realty Executives 708-361-1150

Nick Dibrizzi/Coldwell Banker 708-562-9328

Ted Aretos/ Eatz & Associates 815-761-8334

Vince Ferraro/Pontarelli & Associates 847-778-3571

RESTAURANT-DESIGNERS

Losurdo Inc 630-833-4650

Sarfatty Associates 847-920-1100

RETRACTABLE PATIO ENCLOSURES

Viewpoint Retractable Enclosure 630-504-2099

RETRACTABLE SKYLIGHTS/ROOFS

Viewpoint Retractable Enclosure 630-504-2099

ROBOTICS

Bear Robotics Page 14 650-260-2931

ROOF TOP GREASE CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS

Enviromatic Corp of America Page 16 800-325-8476

ROOFS-SALES-REPAIR & MAINTENANCE

Care Sheet Metal & Roofing Page 45 708-387-9784

SAFETY TREATMENT FOR FLOORS

Step Advantage 312-801-4123

SALAD-DRESSINGS

Ken’s Foods 800-633-5800

SALAD-DRESSINGS & OILS

Columbus Vegetable Oils Page 09 773-265-6500

Tec Foods Inc Page 06 773-638-5310

SANITATION CERTIFICATION

Illinois Restaurant Association Page 44 312-787-4000

SATELLITE TV SYSTEMS

All Sports Direct 630-918-3000

SAUSAGE

Anichini Brothers 312-644-8004

Crawford Sausage 773-277-3095

Red Hot Chicago 800-249-5226

Vienna Beef 773-278-7800

SCALES

Berkel Midwest Page 16 800-921-9151

SCALES-SALES & REPAIR

Accurate Scale Company 773-847-1820

SEAFOOD

Fisherman’s Pride Page 17 800-543-2110

SEATING

Trendler Inc Page 31 773-255-4407

Solo Seating LLC 515-291-8858 Waco Manufacturing 312-733-0054

SELF-SERVICE ORDERING KIOSKS

Alpha POS Services Inc 630-690-9232

SEWER(MAINT)-RODDING & JETTING

Tierra Environmental 888-551-1998

SHAKE MIX

Fox Valley Farms 630-231-3005

SHIPPING-REFRIGERATED & FROZEN

Perishable Distribution Solutions Page 11 888-491-1641

SHORTENING

Columbus Vegetable Oils Page 09 773-265-6500

SIGNAGE-INDOOR & OUTDOOR

American Graphics & Sign Page 05 888-774-6270

SLICERS - AUTOMATED

CES Nationwide 773-533-3333

SLICERS-SALES & SERVICE

Berkel Midwest Page 16 800-921-9151

SLOT MACHINES

J & J Gaming Page 27 833-788-1949

SMOKERS

Wood Food Systems Page 45 847-949-9663

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Create Inc Chicago 773-664-4024

SOFT DRINKS

PepsiCo Foodservice 773-893-2319

SOFT SERVE-ICE CREAM/EQUIP & SUPPLIES

Kool Technologies Page 08 630-483-2256

SOFT SERVICE MIX

Fox Valley Farms 630-231-3005

SOUPS

Bistro Soups (Div of Vienna Beef) 773-278-7800 Vienna Beef 773-278-7800

SPICES

La Criolla Page 05 312-243-8882

SPIRITS

R Jelinek Midwest Page 47 708-691-3895

STAFFING-SERVICES

All About Personnel Page 03 630-336-6238

Atlas Employment Services Page 07 847-671-1557

STEAM CLEANING

Olympia Maintenance 708-344-0344

SUPERMARKET EQUIPMENT

CES Nationwide 773-533-3333

SUPERMARKET EQUIPMENT REPAIR

Up ‘N Adam Service and Supply Inc 877-876-2326

SUPERMARKET- EQUIPMENT/ NEW & USED

Berkel Midwest Page 16 800-921-9151

TABLES-ALL TYPES

Chicago Booth Page 08 773-378-8400

Waco Manufacturing 312-733-0054

TABLES-MODULAR-MAGNETIC

Solo Seating LLC 515-291-8858

TAMALES

Supreme Frozen Products 773-622-3777

TAX APPEALS (PROPERTY)

Reveliotis Law PC Page 29 312-230-0160

TEMPORARY STAFFING

All About Personnell Page 03 630-336-6238

Atlas Employment Services Page 07 847-671-1557

THEATERS AND VENUES

Onesti Entertainment Corporation 630-962-7000

TOMATO PRODUCTS

Pastorelli Foods Page 48 800-SOS-AUCY

Neil Jones Food Company 800-543-4356

Red Gold 765-557-5500

TRADE PUBLICATIONS

Food Industry News 847-699-3300

TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS

National Pizza Show 754-246-6112

TRUCK BODIES-SALES & REPAIR

Paramount Truck Body Page 22 312-666-6441

TRUCK GRAPHICS

American Graphics & Sign Page 05 888-774-6270

TRUCKS

Freeway Ford Page 24 708-442-9000

UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

Sexton Group Floor Care 847-827-1188

VEGETABLES-FIRE ROASTED

Neil Jones Food Company 800-543-4356

VEHICLE WRAPS

Paramount Truck Body Page 22 312-666-6441

VENTILATING-SYTEMS CLEANING

Enviromatic Corp of America Page 16 800-325-8476

Olympia Maintenance 708-344-0344

VIDEO GAMING

J & J Gaming Page 27 833-788-1949

VIDEO GAMING TERMINALS

J & J Gaming Page 27 833-788-1949

VISA/MC CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

Team Chicago Menio Global Page 41 847-920-7252

WALK-IN COOLER REPAIR & MAINTENANCE

Mechanical 24 847-987-9738

WALK-IN COOLERS AND FREEZERS

Custom Cooler & Freezer Page 32 630-879-3131

WATER HEATERS / BOILERS

U S Water Heating Solutions Page 10 833-879-4776

WEBSITE DESIGN

Americaneagle.com Page 33 847-699-0300

WEDDING CAKES

Ideal Bakery 773-631-6897

WELDING & FABRICATING

KOP Ind. Welding & Fabrication Page 32 630-930-9516

WHIPPED CREAM

Instantwhip Chicago Page 41 773-235-5588

WIND SCREENS

Thatcher Oaks Awnings Page 30 630-833-5700

WOOD FLOOR CARE

Sexton Group Floor Care 847-827-1188

WORKERS COMP INSURANCE

Employco USA 620-920-0000

YOGURT & SOFT SERVE EQUIPMENT

Kool Technologies Page 08 630-483-2256

Our quarterly events bring together 200 to 400 local industry professionals who attend to network, learn, sample and meet with top vendor co-sponsors in a fun MINI-TRADE SHOW environment. Engage buyers, influencers and those intimately connected to our local $34 billion market. While our events are free to attend, we ask you to consider one of our co-sponsor options. Call Cary Miller today at 847-602-9620.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5

WITH SPECIAL GUEST: Dan Costello 5-9 p.m. Moretti’s Chicago (Edison Park)

Dan Costello is the CEO of Home Run Inn, an iconic Chicago Pizza Company dating back to 1927. The fourth-generation family business currently owns and operates nine Chicago area restaurants and two USDA factories that supply frozen pizzas to retailers in more than 40 states. The current operations also include a fully branded licensed Home Run Inn Pizza concept in Chicago’s Midway Airport. Dan has been with the family business since 1996 and through his leadership, the brand has flourished, with their retail pizzas being the #1 best selling frozen pizza in our region. Join us as at our December 5th Shmoozefest, as Dan shares his insights into profitably operating 9 restaurants and leading the frozen pizza division of Home Run Inn.

Event Co-Sponsors

Zap Props: A Hidden Gem Your Restaurant Can’t

Afford to Miss

Zap Props has been collecting and curat ing vintage signage, memorabilia, art, and historical artifacts for the past 35 years, culminating in the multi-floor, 40,000SF showroom located in Chicago’s historic Bridgeport neighborhood. As you enter the showroom, you’re greeted with an impres sive display of several vintage neon signs that call out ‘Whiskey’, ‘Cafe’, ‘Diner’, decorating the walls from floor to ceiling. While the neon grabs your attention, the rest of the showroom is equally engaging displaying various artifacts including antique advertising, fun 3D objects, plus framed artwork and various prints ranging in a vari ety of subjects. Zap has a professional staff of artists and fabricators that can create custom murals and signage, as well as source from their large library of images, framed and duplicated to your specifications.

As you wander through the collections, be prepared to spend a few leisurely hours to get creative and reimagine your space. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to pick a few things up for your personal collection. Buyers may visit the Zap Showroom located at 3636 S. Iron Street by appointment. In addition to its design team, Zap has an installation crew that performs deliveries and installations across North America.

— Find Zap Props ad on page 21 of this issue.

THIS YOU?

According to a new survey by PetSmart , pets are a crucial consideration for pet parents when planning for the holidays, with 87 percent of respondents intending to carve out special time to bond with their pets and 82 percent saying it doesn’t feel like the holiday season without their pets by their side.

Barilla , a world leader in the markets of pasta, is expanding its partnership with Be My Eyes, a platform that provides live audio and visual support for blind and visually impaired consumers, by incorporating QR codes on the packaging of ten of Barilla’s most popular classic pasta offerings.

Bowlero Corp. is the worldwide leader in bowling entertainment, media, and events. With more than 300 bowling centers across North America, Bowlero Corp. serves more than 27 million guests each year through a family of brands that includes Bowlero, Bowlmor Lanes, and AMF. Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, the world’s largest Christmas store, celebrates the joy of the season 361 days a year!

Guests of all ages are invited to Bronner’s to enjoy the sites and sounds of Christmas year-round! Bronner’s located at 25 Christmas Lane in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Established in 1935 -Santa’s Candy Castle located in Santa Claus, Indiana is a magical place for anyone who holds the spirit of Christmas dear to their heart. The historic castle, which has hosted millions of visitors from all over the world, offers a unique experi ence unlike any other. “God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If He gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it.” -Pope Francis. Hanukah, the Festival of Lights begins Dec. 18 at sundown and ends Dec. 26 at sundown. The holiday is celebrated with the light ing of the m enora. The miracle of the oil lasting eight days is not

only celebrated through the light ing of the menorah, but also in the traditional foods that are eaten. Two of the most popular dishes, latkes and jelly donuts, are both deep-fried in oil. M&M’S, proudly part of Mars, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its beloved M&M’S Las Vegas store this year. First opened in 1997, M&M’s Las Vegas is located right in the heart of the action on the storied Las Vegas strip and has delighted 100 million people since becom ing a destination site in the city. Peppermint Bark Day is Dec. 1, 2022 . Williams Sonoma nostalgic peppermint bark is often copied but never matched in quality or flavor. The once-a-year favorite is crafted using the finest ingre dients, including custom-blended Guittard chocolate and tripledistilled oil of peppermint. This “bark” is finished with a snowfall of peppermint candy pieces. Visit a Williams Sonoma store and stock up. Spangler Candy located in Byron, Ohio manufactures and markets traditional and branded candy canes. Nothing says Christ mas like traditional candy canes, and you can buy candy canes in bulk from Spangler Candy. For fun flavors and colors, try one of the many branded candy cane choices. Viking, for the second year in a row, has been voted both the Best River Line and the Best Ocean Line by Condé Nast Traveler in the publication’s 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking was recently named #1 for both rivers and oceans by Travel + Lei sure, making it the only cruise line to reach the top of its categories in both publications in the same year. When a Christmas tree is cut , more than half its weight is water. With proper care, you can maintain the quality of your tree. Displaying trees in water in a traditional reservoir type stand is the most effective way of maintaining their freshness and minimizing needle loss problems.

Bright lights line streets, buildings, pathways and trees during Silver Dollar City’s An Old Time Christmas, running now through Dec. 30. This season marks the debut of a new production show: Coming Home For Christmas, along with over 6.5 million lights, an elaborate eight -story animated Christmas tree, a light parade, holiday foods and more. Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri shines brilliantly with so much entertainment that the park is the five-time reigning champion for Best Theme Park Holiday Event in America.

In October 2022, one of our areas leading indepen dent chains Ala Carte Entertainment (Operators of Moretti’s Pizza and other concepts) held its annual invitation only vendor and associate appreciation golf outing at the lovely Schaumburg Golf Club. There were many leaders in the civic, liquor and food industries in attendance. The day included breakfast, complete with a lavish Bloody Mary bar, a halfway house lunch of Chicago favorites and a steak dinner awards cer emony. Many thanks to the Ala Carte family for inviting Food Industry News to attend.

California Pizza Contest

Book

Cary Miller Presents: PEOPLE SELLING THE FOOD INDUSTRY

This month I am proud to be pictured with Legendary Restaurateur, Richard Melman, founder of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises and one of his favor ite restaurant owners, EJ Lenzi, owner of EJ’s Place Steakhouse in Skokie, Illinois. Both of these gentle men understand the importance of complete guest satisfaction, and delivering an experience so great that customers can’t wait to return. You’ll always get a great meal at EJ’s Place or any of the Lettuce restaurants.

Rhonda Solomon is an account executive and furnishings specialist at Chicago based Zap Props and Artifacts , a unique firm offering fur nishings designed to be memorable and set your operation apart from others. For decades, Zap has been the leader in providing hard to find furnishings that make a restaurant memorable. Whether your concept is BBQ, mid-century, old English, European, Asian, African, American or something else, Zap has décor and more to help set you apart. The firm as over 80,000 square feet of artifacts for sale. Zap’s team can fabricate or reproduce anything to help you give a consistent look at all of your locations and for less than you may think. If you are wanting to create a more memorable impression for your restaurant and guests, contact Rhonda and the Zap team today. You can see their ad on page 21 of this issue. Rick Levin is the founder and owner of Rick Levin & Associates, Inc. Rick is very well known and respected in the real estate auction industry, and has conducted hundreds of real estate and property auctions throughout the United States and several foreign countries. Rick’s full service approach includes designing effective marketing campaigns, counseling sellers, conducting bidder seminars, preparing press releases, designing auction brochures, showing properties, and follow-up with interested prospects who have not yet viewed a prop erty. If you are considering auctioning off your property or business, contact Rick today. He and his team are experts in helping food business owners to sell for the highest price. Ric Beyer and Lori Barger are with Chicago based EmberGlo (a Division of Midco International Inc.) producers of the world’s finest broilers. EmberGlo is known world-wide to be the highest performing (and most durable) broiler on the market. Over the years, the EmberGlo division has expanded to encompass not only gas and electric broilers but a full line of heavy-duty food steamers and commercial kitchen accessories. Although the product line has expanded, the essential elements of EmberGlo’s success have remained the same quality, reliability, durability and customer service. These broilers also feature easy clean, stainless steel cabinets and infinite temperature controls for maximum effi ciency. To discover the EmberGlo difference, contact them today to visit their test kitchen.

Mike Florio and Joseph Florio are the first and second generation owners of Franklin Park, Illinois based Michele Baking Company (formerly known as Casa Nostra Baking Company). The firm has decades of experience in providing wholesale breads and rolls to Chicagoland restaurants, institutions and stores. From humble begin nings in Bari Italy, the firm now operates from a 22,000 sq. ft facility specializing in producing tasty, hand-made breads and rolls every day.

Brian Ciske is the President of BC Merchants , a firm providing bars, restaurants, and retailers in Chicago and throughout Illinois with the highest quality spirits in every price range with a focus on whiskey and craft distillers, always catering to the cocktail. Brian’s firm is well respected for their extensive knowledge of spirits, including a sigvnificant selection of exclusive single malt bot tlings and arguably the finest aperitif portfolio in Illinois. To learn more about the BC Merchants portfolio visit the firm’s website.

The Award-Winning Mijenta Tequila

Mijenta, is an artisanal tequila from the Highlands of Jalisco that celebrates the best of its land and its people. Award winning, additive-free and sustainable, Mijenta is the only tequila to receive B Corp certi fication, a validation of their core ethos of doing well by doing right. That includes taking care of the land using biody namic practices, water conserva tion, no use of pesticides and minimizing its envi ronmental impact at every stage. The bottles are from recycled glass, labels and paper components made from spent agave fibers and recy cled paper products. Renown Maestra Tequilera, Ana Maria

Romero leads all aspects of production and quality includ ing using only certified fully matured Blue Weber agave, meticulously slow distillation and no added coloring agents or sugars to the final product. The tequilas are also unfiltered allowing the true aromas and flavors to come through. The port folio includes three expressions, Tequila Blanco, Tequila Reposado and newly released Tequila Anejo Gran Reserva. Each continue to win top awards in both consumer and trade tasting panels and are rapidly expand ing throughout Illinois. The brand is distributed through Breakthru Beverage.

After nearly 40 years in the foodservice equipment and supply industry, Dave Hartlerode, President of Redco Food Equipment announced his retirement effective December 31, 2022. Whether as a warehouse associate or president of the company, Dave knows what it takes to reach goals and success and how to support dealers and food equipment buyers across the industry. While at Redco, Dave developed many long-lasting relationships, expanded territories, and sold lots and lots of ice. He’s looking forward to retirement and spending more time with his family and friends. The Redco team and Food Industry News wish Dave the absolute very best in his next adventures!

Ana Maria Romero

Happy Trails, Dave.

MSC Cruises Plans Largest-Ever U.S. Presence with Five Ships for Winter 2023-2024 Season

MSC Cruises took the next step in its ongoing U.S. expansion by revealing plans for a record five ships to sail from American homeports in the region by the end of 2023. The world’s third largest and fastest-growing cruise brand will broaden its range of itineraries in the Caribbean, The Bahamas, Bermuda, the Northeast, and Canada beginning in the winter of 2023-2024.

The new MSC Seascape will lead the way with Eastern and Western Caribbean 7-night cruises following her inaugural voyage from Port Miami later this year. She will be joined in Miami by MSC Divina, which will offer everything from 3-night cruises to The Bahamas to 11-night jour neyas through Central and South America. MSC Magnifica will join the U.S. fleet and sail short cruises to The Bahamas and Key West.

MSC Seashore will sail from Port Canaveral with a mix of short cruises to The Bahamas and 7-night Western Caribbean sailings. This will be the first time one of MSC Cruises’ groundbreak ing Seaside EVO ships sails from Port Canaveral, and it will provide the first chance for fans of shorter cruises to enjoy MSC Seashore’s impressive range of amenities.

From New York, MSC Meraviglia will sail to Bermuda, Florida and The Bahamas after com pleting her inaugural summer season in the Northeast with a series of voyages to both Florida and the Bahamas, and to Canada and New England. Like every ship in the cruise line’s U.S. fleet, her trips to The Bahamas will include stops at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the company’s breathtaking island destination focused on sustainability.

USA, said: “Bringing more ships to the U.S. allows us to offer a wide variety of itineraries, adding new destinations and providing more opportunities for travelers to discover our unique international flavor. It’s especially exciting to know how many of those guests will experience Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and see first hand how we’ve embraced the island’s natural beauty, and how commit ted we are to sustainability. Caring for the ocean and showing our guests the true extent of its wonders drives everything we do at MSC Cruises.”

MSC Cruises is the world’s third largest cruise brand as well as the leader in Europe, South America, the Gulf region and Southern Africa, with more market share in addition to deployed capac ity than any other player. It is also the fastest growing global cruise brand with a strong pres ence in the Caribbean, North America and the Far East markets.

MSC Cruises offers its guests an enriching, immersive and safe cruise experience inspired by the Company’s European heritage, where they can enjoy international dining, worldclass entertainment, award-winning family programs. To learn more about MSC Cruises’ itineraries and experience on board its ships, visit mscruisesusa.com

Rubén A. Rodríguez, President, MSC Cruises

— Photos: MSC Cruises

BOOKSHELF

Ghetto Gastro

Presents: Black Power Kitchen Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao and Lester Walker

Publisher: Artisan

ISBN-13: 978-1648290169

Knowledge Is Power. Part cookbook. Part manifesto. Created with big Bronx energy, Black Power Kitchen combines 75 mostly plant-based, layered-with-flavor recipes with immersive storytell ing, diverse voices, and striking images and photo graphs that celebrate Black food and Black culture, and inspire larger conversa tions about race, history, food inequality, and how eating well can be a path way to personal freedom and self-empowerment.

Ghetto Gastro Presents Black Power Kitchen is the first book from the Bronxbased culinary collective, and it does for the cook book what Ghetto Gastro has been doing for the food world in general--dis rupt, expand, reinvent, and stamp it with their unique point of view. Ghetto Gastro sits at the intersection of food, music, fashion, visual arts, and social activism. They’ve partnered with Nike and Beats by Dre, designed cookware sold through Williams-Sonoma and Target, and won a Future of Gastronomy award from the World’s 50 Best.

Now they bring their multidisciplinary approach to a cookbook, with nourish ing recipes that are layered with waves of crunch, heat, flavor, and umami. They are born of the authors’ cultural heritage and travels--from riffs on family dishes like Strong Back Stew and memories of Uptown with Red Velvet Cake to neigh borhood icons like Triboro Tres Leches and Chopped Stease (their take on the classic bodega chopped cheese) to recipes redolent of the African diaspora like Banana Leaf Fish and King Jaffe Jollof—all made with a sense of swag.