Great Taste Magazine 2012Sept/Oct Issue

MORE CHEESE, PLEASE 10 SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

REMODELING 20

ONLINE ORDERING 22

Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 400 Laguna Beach CA

FROM THE EDITOR

T E R I’S TAK E Photo by Sarah Ruiz

CONTENT 22

F E AT U R E S 1 4 IN TOUCH WITH SAUSAGE AND

business

Explore varieties or learn from chefs who

MORE THAN CHEFS

S

Out of the kitchen and into the writer’s

}

17

BEVERAGES Discover off the beaten path wine regions

CHEF GREGORY MORO

and wines.

Find out who’s hot and acknowledge the philanthropy of this generous industry

BOOKS Salumi: The Craft of Italian Dry Curing

THE BIZ 1 0 TRENDS More Cheese, Please

20

23

make their own.

INSIDE 4 THE BEET 5

OPERATIONS How online ordering can build your

CHARCUTERIE

ome ingredients and dishes are timeless and appreciated all year. Our Sept/Oct issue focuses on a couple of them, cheese, sausages and charcuterie.

Savory, unctuous, hearty, salty — their appeal comes to us from generations of ancestors who developed them in the days before refrigeration to preserve edibles for periods of scarcity.

Cheese mongers who have some definite ideas about how to present these tangy bites or slices offer suggestions for condiments that you might not have tried before — a fig and olive tapenade or dark chocolate covered espresso beans.

Making your own sausage or charcuterie primarily requires time and desire. Several of our chef/experts share tips garnered by experience. Books and recipes are definitely the way to begin, then trial and error. If your time and space are limited, dozens of high quality products are on the market, many of which are described in the article.

Fall would be a great time for a wine country getaway. Get out of the kitchen, our wine columnist has some great suggestions for vineyards and vintages to seek that let you ditch traffic and crowds, but find great not-yet-famous wines.

Content

FRONT OF THE HOUSE Restaurant remodeling

D E PA RT M E N T S 6 SPICE RACK 7 SWEET SPOT 7 THE FISH MARKET 8 PRODUCE PICK OF THE MONTH 8 BAKING RACK 9 OFF THE RECORD 9 CHEESE PICK OF THE MONTH 1 1 FOOD TRUCK FEVER 1 2 SUR LE MENU For the continuation of these articles, recipes and more, visit www.great-taste.net

On The Cover Chicken Truffle Sausage Stuffed Quail is served with Brussels Sprouts, Fingerling Potatoes, and Purple Cauliflower Purée at French 75 in Laguna Beach by Executive Chef Greg Moro; recipe on page 8. The stuffing, made of chicken tenders, becomes flavorful with truffle oil and truffle peelings while the sauce is enhanced with brandy, demiglace and quail trimmings. See more dishes that feature quail in Sur Le Menu on page 8. Photo by Michael Rutt.

GABRIEL CALIENDO

KATIE AVERILL

JASON STEIN

Corporate Executive Chef

Chef/Proprietor

Executive Chef

Lazy Dog Cafe

Eat Street

Duke’s

chair, these talented chefs share their

expertise with us as

our Culinary Advisors.

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

3

T H TETHH EBEE BE ETBEET E T INSIDE

T H TETHH EBEE BE ETBEET E T hef Jenny Ross opened her second 118 Degrees eatery mid-July in Anaheim’s Center Street Promenade, where her space features shared communal seating and a 10seat patio. Quickly following was the third 118 Degrees restaurant, which opened in mid-August in Laguna Niguel’s Ocean Ranch Village. This location also features seating for communal dining and a 12-seat patio.

Both locations focus on quick-serve and Grab n’ Go options.

Chef Adam Navidi just announced Family Tree Produce will carry aquaponically grown produce from his Future Foods Farms. Family Tree is based in Anaheim and distributes to Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside counties.

Foodservice orders for his living lettuce, living greens, organic flowers

C

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www.great-taste.net | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

and fresh cut, washed and spun mixes are also available at www.futurefoodsfarms.com.

Habit Restaurants, LLC, an Irvinebased restaurant company whose chargrilled burger concept (photo) began in Santa Barbara in 1969, has announced plans to open four additional Habit Burger Grills in Orange County by the end of the year. There are currently 60 locations throughout California and Arizona and the organization will add a total of 16 restaurants to their expanding empire in 2012. The Habit Burger Grill distinguishes itself in the fast casual burger segment with its signature, flamegrilled Charburger, menu variety and value. “The Habit has already shown a history of success in Orange County. Everyone appreciates quality food made to order, served with a smile and at an affordable price,” said Russ Bendel, the company’s chief executive officer.

INSIDE

SINCE 2000

PUBLISHER/CHIEF EDITOR/PROPRIETOR Teri Williams

EDITORIAL Chief Editor Teri Williams Contributors Chef Katie Averill Chef Gabriel Caliendo Melanie Figueroa Lauren Grelle Tiffany Haslacker Suzanna Hoang Chris Kern Linda Mensinga Chef Adam Navadi Sarah Ruiz Chef Jason Stein

ART Art Direction/Design Lisa Brink lisa@designsmorgasbord.com

PHOTO Photography Editor Michael Rutt michaelrutt@earthlink.net

ADVERTISING Advertising Sales 714-960-0534 21851 Newland St #217 Huntington Beach, CA 92646 714-960-0534 fax 714-475-5869 teri@great-taste.net

BOOKS

BOOKS

ichael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn are back with their second instructional book on artisanal meat curing, Salumi. Brother to Ruhlman and Polcyn’s first look at sausage making and bacon curing, Charcuterie, Salumi delves deeper into the Italian side of the profession. Recipes are given for each of the eight different products of Italian pork salumi: guanciale (jowl), coppa (neck/shoulder/loin), spalla (shoulder), lardo (back fat), lonza (loin), pancetta (belly), prosciutto (ham, back leg), and salami. Instructions on how to butcher a pig in both American and Italian styles are also provided in this guide. What this book lacks in full color photography it makes up for with thorough descriptions and hand-sketched visuals. This complete guide to understanding salumi is perfect for any cured-meat aficionado. To purchase this and other great titles, visit great-taste.net.

M

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

5

INSIDE

The Spice Rack

by Chef Gabriel Caliendo

SUMMERTIME TREAT ACROSS THE GLOBE, EVERY COUNTRY AND CULTURE ENJOY THEIR OWN SIMPLE PLEASURES. Here in the USA, think ice cream on a warm summer day. Having just returned from an amazing summer trip to Central America, I’d like to share a couple of treats with you.

Belize is a country just south of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, bordered by Guatemala and just north of Honduras and Nicaragua. It’s an amazing place with 90 degree ocean water, the second largest barrier reef, Mayan ruins, poisonous amphibians, and jaguars roaming the jungles. So, of course, my wife Robin and I decided it was a perfect place to take our 11 year old son and 8 year old daughter for a cultural experience…and it was.

Aside from the amazing snorkeling and sightseeing, the food culture in Belize is simple, yet fresh and delicious; think farm-to-table on steroids. The markets have nothing but local products and ingredients. Nothing shipped in — products are biked in from the farm or delivered by small boat to dockside markets.

We fished the first day we got there, so I could catch our week’s supply of seafood. With that fish, I learned how to make the most amazing traditional ceviche with spicy chilies, onions, tomatoes, and fresh squeezed local key limes. Another very popular preparation I picked up after ordering it at a restaurant and watching them prepare it: Yucatan style snapper. This preparation includes sautéed onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes over pan roasted snapper, served with steamed white rice. Simply prepared with no fuss and extremely delicious.

Fresh fruit sprinkled with key lime juice, salt, and chile flakes is another simple treat treasured by all Central Americans and Mexicans. This is an amazing combination of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. As you know, the closer you get to the equator, the spicier the foods, even for dessert. The chile flakes make you sweat, your sweat evaporates, and your body cools.

We ate, we drank, we laughed, and we crashed hard at night. Now I’m back and inspired; inspired to create food; inspired to enjoy friends and family; inspired to appreciate the simple pleasures life has to offer. The next time you’re munching on some cantaloupe, try adding a touch of salt, lime juice, and chile flakes.

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www.great-taste.net | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

INSIDE

SWEET SPOT

Chocolate The Fish Market Espresso Pot de Crème with ONO PRIZE CATCH Spoon-Shaped Cookies

by Chef Jason Stein

WAHOO IS A HIGHLY PRIZED SPORT FISHING CATCH, KNOWN

FOR ITS SPEED AND STRENGTH, AND HOOKED NOT TOO FAR FROM LAND ON LIGHT TO

Photo by Sarah Ruiz

MEDIUM TACKLE. It is typically

by Suzanna Hoang

caught

in

tropical

and

subtropical seas at an average IT’S ARGUABLE THAT RICH, CREAMY, DECADENT

is just a bit wobbly. Remove cups and cool at room

weight of 30 pounds. The

CUSTARDS NEED NO PARTICULAR WEATHER TO

temperature for an hour before refrigerating 3–4

Hawaiian name for the

BE ENJOYED. Now that autumn is imminent, it may

hours.

fish is ono or "good to

be an excuse to mix up a batch of pot de crème. Fans of crème brulee will be pleased to know it’s just as

Whip 1/2 pint of the remaining cream with a bit of powdered sugar for topping, if desired.

available almost year round.

easy to make as the classic dessert and has a similarly smooth, but thicker texture (without the

eat." This versatile fish is The body is elongated and

SPOON-SHAPED

COOKIES:

ALMOND

PATE

covered with small scales with

crackly sugar top) comparable to a rich pudding.

SUCREE DOUGH

Spoon-shaped cookies made of a sweet dough add

Yields 60 cookies

just a bit of whimsy to a ‘coffee cup and spoon’

4 oz (1 stick)

Unsalted butter - softened

large mouth, filled with razor

dessert that’s sure to be part of any chocolate or

1C

Sugar

sharp teeth, assists them as

espresso lover’s repertoire.

1

Egg

they tear through their diet of

1t

Vanilla

fish and squid. They swim up

CHOCOLATE-ESPRESSO POTS DE CRÈME

1 1/2 C

All purpose flour

to 60 mph and are often

Yields 6

1/2 C

Almond flour

confused with barracuda.

iridescent blue on the back and silver on the sides. The

3 oz

Egg yolks (4 egg yolks)

1/2 t

Baking powder

3T

Sugar

1/2 t

Salt

1 1/2 pints

Heavy cream

6 oz

Dark chocolate

1 1/2 oz

Kahlua coffee liqueur

1T

Espresso powder

Although wahoo are regularly taken as a fishing

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

by-catch

in

various commercial fisheries,

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer with the

the species is not considered

paddle attachment. Then mix in egg and vanilla. Mix

overfished. The flesh of the wahoo

Combine yolks and sugar in a medium bowl and set

dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and add

is white to grey, delicate to dense,

aside. In a small to medium saucepan, heat 1 pint of

to wet ingredients. Halve the dough and flatten into

and is valued for its meaty texture

the cream, but do not boil. Slowly pour heated cream

two disks. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

and fairly strong flavor. Though

into the egg mixture. Place the chocolate, liqueur,

Roll dough to 1/3–1/4” thick on a lightly floured

arguably less pronounced, the taste

and espresso powder in a separate bowl and pour the

surface, and use a spoon shaped cookie cutter or visit

is similar to mackerel and lends

warm cream/egg mixture over. Whisk gently until

www.great-taste.net for a template. If using the template,

itself to many cooking applications.

chocolate and cream are combined. Pour into 6 6-oz

carefully trace the spoon shape with a paring knife.

Wahoo is best cooked at high heat

ramekins or oven-safe coffee cups. Place cups into a

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes on a baking

baking dish and pour hot water about halfway up the

sheet, rotating halfway, until cookies are an even

not to overcook because the

sides of the cups. Place carefully in oven to prevent

golden brown around the edges. This recipe makes

flesh tends to dry out fast

sloshing water into cups. Bake 25–30 minutes, until

plenty of dough for cookies which can be frozen for

due to low fat content.

the sides of the pot de crème are set and the center

up to a month.

grilled, seared, or baked. Remember

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

7

INSIDE

PRODUCE

PICK

OF THE MONTH

THE BAKING

RACK HOMEMADE RICOTTA

by Chef Katie Averill

IT TURNS OUT LITTLE MISS MUFFET WAS ONTO A GOOD THING WHEN SHE SAT WITH HER CURDS AND WHEY. I had no idea what they were when I was at the nursery rhyme age, but I thought a tuffet was a fancy word for her behind (wrong)!

Photo by Linda Mensinga

Curds and whey are the components left “behind” after making homemade ricotta. When an acid is introduced to boiled cream and milk it causes the dairy to “curd”le and break into solids, which form the curds, and liquids, the whey.

A guest chef came in to teach homemade ricotta when I was in culinary school; he made a big production, so it seemed a lot more technical and difficult than it really is. In reality it is very simple, and completely worth the effort when you sit down to that pasta dish topped with fresh ricotta cheese.

This is one of those recipes you don’t really need a recipe for. I just remember to use four times more milk than cream (for example four cups milk to one cup cream). Bring this to a boil with a little salt for flavor. Once it boils, keep stirring so the mixture doesn’t boil over, then add the juice of one lemon. If you prefer to use white vinegar as your acid for a more generic flavor, that will work as well.

Once the acid is added, the dairy will naturally start to separate into curds and whey.

The solid curds are what you want to keep and actually become your ricotta. Therefore, you can

Morro Bay Hass Avocado THE AVOCADO IS A NATIVE AMERICAN PLANT that originated in south-central Mexico between 7,000 to 5,000 B.C. Though this fruit has been discovered in the burial grounds of ancient Incan mummies, most are now found in California, which grows nearly 90 percent of all the avocados in the United States.

Morro Bay Hass Avocados are creamy, smooth, and rich in flavor. Although California Avocados are grown year-round on farms from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, the Morro Bay Hass Avocado is only available for an eightweek period during September and October.

This particular avocado is grown in Morro Bay, in San Luis Obispo County, the northernmost, coolest coastal district for growing avocados.

These premium avocados are the last to be harvested during the season, and they have developed an almost cult-like following.

Visit Great-Taste.net for a Tomato Watermelon Salad with tempura-battered avocado (pictured above) recipe by Chef Marissa Gerlach, Raya.

The produce hunter has developed close relationships with family farmers who are committed

to

sustainable

agriculture,

personable production, and propagation and promotion of produce with exceptional flavor. www.theproducehunter.com.

8

www.great-taste.net | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

either strain the whey out with cheesecloth or put it in a chinois. Let the mixture drain thoroughly for about a half hour. The ricotta can then be refrigerated, and is ready for use.

If the cheese is to be used for a dessert preparation, as in crepes or cannoli, a little sugar or honey can be added to taste. Katie@EatStreetCulinary.com www.eatstreetculinary.com

Off The Record

Inconsistent Hours

by Lauren Grelle

“HONESTLY, I KNOW IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT,

“As a customer I expect certain things to be

BUT I CAN’T SAY I’LL COME BACK. PLEASE

open at certain times. I expect banks to be closed

TELL YOUR MANAGER.” That was the nicest of

on Sundays and maybe open Saturday morning

the people I turned away Thursday night at about

but definitely open weekdays. I expect chain

8 p.m. Not all the other encounters were so pleasant.

restaurants to be open till 10 p.m. It’s a given we

The manager had to know people would be

have come to depend on. Most family owned

turned away hungry. She knows the posted hours;

eateries play by the same rules,” Robert C. says,

it was her call to close early. “It’s slow. How are

“You expect this as a customer and plan your

we supposed to know what time people are going

outing accordingly.”

to walk in? We aren’t going to stay open just for one person,” she says.

And this is how reputations get started. There is nothing worse than showing up excited with a

So who’s right? Most chain restaurants have no

hefty appetite and have to go away hungry. This is

choice. Chili’s is open until 11:30 p.m., no ifs,

not to say that restaurants without a late night

ands, or buts. Restaurants with such a corporate

scene have to stay open while streets around

presence would rather not deal with the issue and

them are dark. An appropriate time can be set,

perhaps even find it odd to have the discussion of

just stick with it. Hours can change in the

closing shop early at all. After all, how hard is it

summer and winter but they should be posted in

to stay open the extra half hour? If you’re bored,

house, on the website, and be well known.

do some side work; if you have time to lean, you have time to clean.

When the regulars don’t know your hours, that’s a bad thing, but you should probably be

But for smaller organizations and mom and

glad you have regulars. It comes off as lazy,

pop restaurants, closing that half hour early when

apathetic, and almost intentional to close

a new table hasn’t been sat in double that time

whenever you feel like it. Patrons may assume

can feel like the perfect way to cut costs in the off

that attitude transfers into the quality of the food

season, or when money is tight. The electricity

and service and deem the place unprofessional

and the labor add up, but so does each customer

accordingly.

that pulls on that locked door.

A

quick

Google

INSIDE

search

“Customers shouldn't have to play PEEK-Aillustrates

the

BOO with your establishment to guess when they

frustration this can cause. Yelper Robert C.

get to spend their money at your place,” says

shared how slighted he felt after being denied.

Robert C.

Cheese Pick of the Month RUMIANO DRY JACK WHEN PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO FELL FROM THE BATTLE LINES OF WORLD WAR I, DRY JACK WAS CALLED IN AS REINFORCEMENT. The aged Monterey Jack saved the day for America’s Italian immigrants who could not imagine their pasta without shredded cheese. Known more nowadays as a table cheese rather than for grating, Dry Jack is no less renowned—or palatable. The Rumiano Cheese Company has nearly 90 years of experience in cheese making; they are the oldest family owned cheese company in California and are the developers of dry Monterey Jack cheese. Rumiano Dry Jack is made with cow’s milk, free from artificial growth hormones. The cheese is rubbed in a blend of black pepper, cocoa powder, and oil, before it is stored away to age for one year. The result is a buttery, nutty, sharp flavor hidden beneath a chocolate-colored rind. To experience the richness of this dry jack, try it on simple pasta dishes or on a grilled cheese. Pair it with an easy drinking red wine such as a zinfandel or pinot noir.

For more information on Rumiano and their cheeses, please contact your FreshPoint representative.

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

9

TRENDS

More Cheese, Please

by Linda Mensinga get an oily sheen and change texture as they sit out.

Brie, on the other hand, can be a little rubbery when pulled directly from the fridge and may benefit from warming up a bit. Most cheese will develop stronger flavors as they come to room temperature, but that is not always welcome.”

For starter courses before dinner Koster chooses, “Lighter cheeses, such as a soft goat, and crudite for this course, paired with champagne or aperitifs.” For after dinner, she likes a creamy camembert, Roquefort, and fresh fruit. She also suggests dark chocolate-covered espresso beans.

“I like a strong finish, so blue and sharp cheeses, especially served with a few field greens,” comments Jimenez about after dinner cheese. Mache with a light sherry vinaigrette is his favorite.

“Triple creams and blues are amazing after

Cheese Flight at enoSteak

dinner,” echoes Lisa Albanese from Venissimo, a cheese shop in Long Beach. She likes to serve fresh

THE PLEASURE OF GOOD CHEESE SERVED AT

hand-crafted in small amounts with fewer additives.

ROOM

OF

“Cheeses aged for long periods tend to be more

“A lot of people may say wine goes the best with

CULINARY DREAMS. Before dinner, after dinner —

expensive, as cheese that’s aging is ‘frozen’ money.

cheese or prosciutto, but I think beer, with its many

TEMPERATURE

IS

THE

STUFF

fruit, chocolate, honey, and jam with her cheese.

any time really — thoughtfully selected cheeses

Big investment usually gives a great return in flavor,”

styles, is the best to drink with cheese,” says Bryan

accompanied by nuts, fruit, and crusty bread make for

Chef Jimenez explains.

Liem, kitchen coordinator at The Bruery in Placentia.

a satisfying supplement to a meal or just a snack. Add the right wine, or beer, and memories are made.

Serving these exceptional cheeses can be done in

He’s not alone.

many ways but variety of texture, flavor, and type —

TAPS Fish House & Brewery Founder-Proprietor

and

cow, sheep or goat — is desirable. Soft, aged, firm,

Joe Manzella has Fiscalini cheddar and Spanish

complementary sides create cheese plates to tempt

and blue with accompaniments to provide taste

tetilla on the plate at his Brea restaurant. “The

and gratify guests looking for either a savory closing

contrast and balance is a good way to go according

Fiscalini cheddar is a beautiful, sharp white cheddar

to their meal, or a palate-stimulating start. Engage

to Koster. She serves chutneys, jellies, mustards,

from Modesto, California. The tetilla is a very

Correct

temperature,

varying

types

your guests by mixing some unexpected selections

honey, nuts (candied and salted), olives, pickles,

popular, soft white cheese that is a nice, mild

with familiar favorites.

dried fruit, cured meats, grapes, fresh figs, pears, or

complement to the other offerings.”

Consider Blue Shropshire and Sauternes, a

crudites with her cheese.

The Wine Lab has six beers on tap from local,

cheese/wine pairing suggested by ChrisAnn Richards,

At the Wine Lab, cheese plates come in groups of

cheese monger and partner at the Wine Lab in

three varieties with fig and olive spread, nuts, and

that pairing beer and cheese is just like pairing wine

Newport Beach and at The Camp in Costa Mesa. “Blue

dried cranberries. It’s also accompanied by freshly-

and cheese. “Taste the beer, taste the cheese...over

artisan brewers plus four in bottles. Richards asserts

Shropshire is a cheddar cheese from England with a

baked bread, goat butter, and rock salt. The goat

and over until you find one that pulls out the

blue vein, and Sauternes is a sweet, white dessert wine

butter is a revelation; tangy, creamy and just salty

expression of the beer. For example; Anderson Valley

from France. The creamy, salty, bold flavors of Blue

enough. Richards sells the organic Meyenburg goat

Boont Amber Ale (Calif) paired with Mimolette from

Shropshire and the sweet, fruity acidity of the

butter from Central California along with other

France. The mellow nutty flavor just pairs perfectly.”

Sauternes are a balancing act made in heaven.”

condiments customers can taste on the platter.

Keep in mind, “Cheese is a living, breathing thing,

Francoise Koster, owner of La Poubelle in Los

Caramelized figs and dry grapes on the vine are

Angeles, loves goat brie with a glass of champagne.

options Jimenez offers at enoSteak at The Ritz-

Not to mention, give it an essence of plastic flavor.

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel Executive Chef

Carlton. He insists that the right temperature is an

Unfortunately, most health codes demand it be

Andres

Jimenez

favors

French

cheeses

therefore sealing it tightly in plastic will suffocate it.

like

essential part of serving cheese. “Cheese needs time

packaged this way in stores.” Richards tells

Rebruchon (soft-centered, nutty cow), from the Alps,

to develop flavor, and is best when it’s not coming

customers to wrap cheese in wax or parchment

and Comté (semi-hard cow), from the Franche-Comté

straight from the refrigerator.” He recommends an

paper, then loosely cover with plastic so it can get

region.

hour to an hour and a half out of the refrigerator.

some air. “Better yet, if you plan to eat the cheese

Good cheese, often labeled artisan, costs more

Richards at the Wine Lab has a more nuanced

within a day or two, keep it in a container in a cool

than grocery store cheddar or jack. Better, fresher

approach to temperature affording room for personal

part of your kitchen or under a glass dome on your

ingredients from animals raised responsibly are

preference; “Some cheddars and Manchegos start to

counter.”

10

www.great-taste.net | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

TRENDS

Food Truck Fever: Coolhaus ICE CREAM SANDWICHES ARE AN EXPRESSION OF

are relatively uncharted in the bigger picture of ice

NATASHA CASE’S ARCHITECTURAL ASPIRATIONS.

cream and frozen desserts. Our product is delicious

The Coolhaus food truck she owns with partner Freya

when the flavors are classic and simple, but also a

Estreller is a tribute to the ice cream trucks that roam

great canvas for experimentation.

neighborhoods with their familiar jingles. Coolhaus is based on “starachitect” Rem Koolhaas and Bauhaus,

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START A FOOD TRUCK?

German stylists of functional, modernist design. “Our

It was really the only option that we could afford —

sandwiches look like tiny, cold houses — cookie roof

it's a great way to market test your product: you can

and floor with ice cream walls,” says Case who earned

go to your audience. People also love the adventure

a master’s degree in architecture from UCLA.

of chasing down the truck, and the pairing with

Their vanilla ice cream + chocolate chip cookie sandwich is named Mies Vanilla

technology, particularly Twitter, makes for a phenomenal marketing platform.

Rohe for German designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, while strawberry ice cream + snickerdoodle cookie is the Frank Berry in tribute to architect Frank Gehry. They

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU?

also sell Blue Bottle coffee, marshmallows and ice cream cookie cakes.

I kind of start my day by waking up to work—I mean, it's always on my mind.

Starting in 2009 with a converted postal truck found on Craigslist, the successful duo now own four trucks in Los Angeles, one in Austin, one in

I live and breathe Coolhaus! So, I probably work about 10 hours a day. But honestly, I barely even notice it, as it has just become a part of who I am.

New York City, and a storefront in Culver City. They currently serve 21,000 sandwiches per week priced at $5-6 each.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT CONTACT WITH THE PUBLIC?

Coolhaus frequents events in the OC area, but does not have an

I love serving people my product and seeing their joyous, satisfied reaction!

independent operation here yet.

I also love it when people know our brand and our story. It's such an honor!

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES?

inspiration — AND their Dirty Mint ice cream recipe. Also see

Ice cream has such a broad appeal, and ice cream sandwiches in particular

www.eatcoolhaus.com to find the Coolhaus food truck.

Visit www.great-taste.net for more about Coolhaus — new flavors and

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

HELPING OUR CUSTOMERS SUCCEED Food Safety Variety Quality Cost Control

The Fresh Produce Specialists Call Toll-Free: 1-800-252-9165 www.FreshPoint.com www.TheProduceHunter.com 155 North Orange Avenue, City of Industry, CA 91744

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

11

SUR LE MENU

Quail

T

he versatility of quail proves that big things do come in small packages. From roasting to frying, grilling to broiling, this white meat can be infused with cuisine elements ranging from North American to Japanese. In light of its cross-cultural appeal, this flavor-packing bird is the perfect representation of culinary diversity.

Typically only about 120 to 200 calories, quail are one of the smallest species of game, with most of the meat consumed being found in the breast. They can be served individually as appetizers or as a main course.

Chef Gregory Moro maximizes the preparation of this game by utilizing leg and wing trimmings to form the base of the sauce in his recipe; executing tender, melt in your mouth quail. The tannins in red wine work wonders at enhancing the flavor of quail. Try pairing Chef Greg Moro’s Truffle Quail recipe with a glass of Sangiovese or Malbec. Sur Le Menu!

Photo of fried quail with cheese grits is from Shaeffer’s Genuine, a Venice-based caterer.

See Great-Taste.net for recipe.

Raphael Restaurant - Studio City Bandera Quail: coconut, carrots, kaffir lime, flavors of green curry ...........................17 Angele Restaurant - Napa Caille Rôti: whole roasted Wolfe Ranch Quail, figs, ramp green purée, charred baby leeks, pancetta sage jus.......................26

Osteria Mozza - Los Angeles Grilled Quail: wrapped in pancetta with radicchio and honey ............................38

The Spice Table - Los Angeles Crispy Quail: stuffed with rice, salted duck egg yolk, red beans, mushrooms ...........17

Animal - Los Angeles Grilled Quail: plum char-siu, peach, cherry, yogurt ................................................19

Café Artist Restaurant - Garden Grove Deep Fried Quail: tamarind butter, bean curd, served with side of salad or mango ..........................................10.95

Green Street Tavern - Pasadena Grilled Quail Salad: house bacon wrapped dates, butter lettuce, one year aged Cabrales, candied walnuts, cider vinaigrette ..........................................14

Foreign Cinema - San Francisco Five-Spiced Fried Quail: tomato chutney, Treviso balsamic reduction ..............13.50 Vanessa’s Bistro - Berkeley Five Spices Honey Marinated Crispy Quail: peppercorn dipping sauce ......................7 West 4th Jane Restaurant - Santa Monica Fried Quail: quail, curry waffle, maple...15

12

Josie - Los Angeles Grilled Quail: applewood-smoked bacon, grilled little gem lettuce, jewel tomatoes ............................................18

Moles La Tia - Los Angeles Oaxacan Ancestran Black Mole: quail topped with traditional Black Oaxacan Mole ..................................................15 GJelina - Venice Pomegranate Lacquered Quail: served with green harissa ......................................13

www.great-taste.net | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

Amazon Churrascaria - Fullerton Quail Served Skewer Style ..............27.95 La Strada Ristorante Italiano - Palo Alto Risotto with Semi-Boneless Sonoma Quail: wild mushrooms, carnaroli rice, Swiss chard, Mascarpone Cheese...................18 Baker and Banker - San Francisco Specked Wrapped Quail: brioche stuffing, green bean and nectarine salad, lemon verbena sauce, toasted hazelnuts..........28 West Restaurant and Lounge - Los Angeles Stuffed Quail: pickled peach, feta cheese, upland cress .......................................30 Julienne - Santa Barbara Stuffed Quail: wild rice, Italian sausage, pickled broccoli, natural jus .................22 Ado Ristorante - Venice Tagliolini Rossi con Ragu di Quaglia in Fonduta di Taleggio: home-made red beet tagliolini pasta in a marsala quail ragù served on a bed of Taleggio cheese fondue ...............................................21

SUR LE MENU

Truffle Quail Serves 2 - 3

3 oz

SAUCE 4

COVER RECIPE

BY CHEF GREG MORO

Truffle peelings

FINGERLING BRUSSEL ROAST

Salt and pepper - to taste

1 lb

Fingerling potatoes - halved

In a food processor pulse chicken tenders

Vegetable oil - as needed

Boneless Manchester Farms quail

until ground, add a third of the cream to

Salt and pepper - to taste

Vegetable oil - as needed

mixture and pulse. Remove mixture and place

4 oz

Brandy

in a metal bowl set in an ice bath to keep

1/3 C

Demiglace

chicken cold, fold in remainder of cream. Fold

Sauté potatoes in a hot pan with very little

1/4 C

Chicken stock

in truffle oil and peelings, season with salt

vegetable oil until golden brown. Add salt and

Trim quail by cutting off tips of legs and at

and pepper. Cook off a small patty to check

pepper and toss in Brussels sprout halves.

the elbow of the wing, use trimmings for

seasoning. The mixture should be of a mousse

sauce and reserve the birds to be stuffed.

consistency. Place into plastic piping bag.

QUAIL

Stuff the quail by placing bag tip into bird

2T

Roast the quail trimmings in a very little oil. Add brandy off heat being very careful of

between legs and squeeze in stuffing until

flame because it can catch fire. Once

nice and full, reserve birds for roasting.

trimmings are brown, simmer lightly until au

8

Brussels sprouts - cleaned, halved and blanched

Vegetable oil Salt and pepper - to taste

Heat oil in stainless steel sauté pan until very hot. Lightly season birds and place breast side

sec (almost dry). Add demi-glace and chicken

CAULIFLOWER PUREE

down in pan. Place in 400 degree oven and

stock and reduce for 15 minutes.

2

Purple cauliflower

roast for approximately 7 minutes. Pull pan

3C

Cream

and turn birds, then cook for about another 7

Cream - to adjust consistency

- 9 minutes. Remove and let rest. Cut birds in

QUAIL STUFFING 10

Chicken tenders

Roughly chop cauliflower. Boil in cream until

half, then cut in half again and arrange on

12 oz

Heavy cream

soft. Blend until smooth and use additional

plate.

3 oz

Truffle oil

cream to adjust to desired thickness.

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

13

F E AT U R E : L ’ E N T R E´ E

Above: The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, offers charcuterie and cheese platters at enoSteak.; below: Meat and cheese board, Three Seventy Common, Laguna Beach.

Sausage You Can Make Your Own

by Linda Mensinga

“Charcuterie takes time, knowledge, and temperature. Not all of us have that, but the end product you taste after working on and watching over it is oh so good!” — Chef de Cuisine Marissa Gerlach of Raya at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. hef Gerlach is one of a growing number of chefs making their own preserved meat and sausage. As in other house-made from scratch items, quality ingredients and twists on flavor are sought.

“I’ve always loved eating charcuterie and as I did I would start to think about infusing other unique flavors into it,” says Gerlach.

“It has always been a passion of mine to be in touch with our product as much as possible which translates into making it ourselves,” says Chef de Cuisine Matt Roman of Haven Gastropub in Orange.

Love also compelled The Tasting Kitchen’s Executive Chef Casey Lane to master charcuterie as well as, “the mystery of how.” The chef of the popular Venice restaurant purchased his own equipment, studied, and practiced on his days off at home. He’s enjoying, “getting to the point to where your product is actually better than what you can purchase.”

C

TYPES OF CHARCUTERIE Sausage and cured meats are traditional techniques developed for two main purposes: to preserve meat in the days before refrigeration and to avoid waste by using every part of the

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www.great-taste.net | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

F E AT U R E : L ’ E N T R E´ E animal. The processes include grinding, curing, drying, smoking, cooking, and salting.

As defined in Fritz Sonnenschmidt’s how-to book, Charcuterie, sausage is made from ground meat and can be raw (bratwurst or bulk), cooked (liverwurst or blood sausage), poached (cold cuts), or cured and air-dried (salami). The meat is seasoned and formed in a casing.

Charcuterie encompasses sausage, pate, terrines, and smoked or cured meats made with whole muscle meats such as ham and bacon.

“The longer the prosciutto ages, the more intense the flavor and the more the buttery, silky texture develops,” says Bryan Liem, Kitchen Coordinator at The Bruery in Placentia. Proscuitto, dry-cured ham and speck, a smoked prosciutto, are on the platter. Meats and cheeses are served in The Bruery’s tasting room to sample with their selection of unfiltered, unpasteurized beers.

The ambitious Chef Paul Buchanan, a Long Beach caterer, makes his own charcuterie starting with a whole pig sourced locally. He has made finocchiona (Tuscan salami made with fennel seeds, ground pork, aged up to a year), Oaxacan mole salumi (cured pork and mole spices), coppa (pork shoulder, marinated and air-dried), peparone (pepperoni), smoked hams, bacon and a variety of fresh sausage. “I have used elk and duck and will look into making breasola from beef soon,” says Buchanan.

TAPS Fish House & Brewery in Brea and Proprietor Joe Manzella invested in an Italian prosciutto slicer to best present San Danielle (Italy) prosciutto (dry-cured ham usually served sliced thin and uncooked), La Quercia (Iowa, boldly flavored with Spanish paprika and cumin), coppa picante (herbal, smoky, spicy pork shoulder), and Berkshire Lonza (delicate, herbal, soft, meaty pork loin), Creminelli Bresaola Piccolla (eye of round beef), sopressa (pork, lard, garlic), and Calabrese Salami (aka pepperoni).

TAPS sourced the above-mentioned products carefully for their new charcuterie and cheese board to complement the brewery’s award-winning beers. “We had no less than five tastings with our purveyors. On the lonza, “Chef Tom (TAPS Director of Culinary Tom Hope) wanted an additional meat that wasn't a salumi or a ham. We tasted the lonza and loved it. It's a domestic product

from Iowa that is painstakingly prepared by a husband and wife team that learned their craft in Italy.” The Creminelli? “Cristiano Creminelli came to America to make salumi and found the ideal climate in, of all places, Utah.”

Manzella, Hope, and Brewmaster Victor Novak have some specific beer pairing recommendations, “The Irish Red goes fantastically well with the coppa piccante, and the prosciutto pairs nicely with our cream ale or hefeweizen.”

FAVORITES “Salumi is a living, ever-changing product,” says Buchanan who favors coppa but finds fermented sausages, cured and aged, the most challenging and rewarding. He enjoys others’ efforts also. “I like the Classic Molinari Italian Sausage produced in San Francisco and the Salumi by Armadillo Batalli is outstanding. If someone is coming back from Italy, I ask them to bring back Spinata Romana for me. I want to make a salumi like that.”

Chef Gerlach is fond of her smoked foie mousse. “It’s so easy to make that it’s hard to even call it charcuterie.”

When purchasing meats, Gerlach finds imported brands better than most American ones. “Making cured, dry aged charcuterie the right way breaks a lot of rules in US ‘serve-safe’ standards. That is why we will never have products that taste the way they do overseas. Taste test and see for yourself.”

“I’ve had most success with a Tuscan fennel sausage with minced garlic and peppercorns,” Roman says. He takes great pleasure in making his own and finds new appreciation of the work of others. “You tap into an ancient practice that has survived centuries.”

Mortadella is a favorite for Chef Lane and just one of many he’s made; Luciana—a very old Italian sausage recipe, spicy Italian, chorizo—both dry cured and fresh, soppressata, and lonza are just a few.

Coming soon (at the time of this writing) in Orange is a place devoted to sausages. LinX will feature sausage, frites and craft brews.

“Nirvana!” exclaims Chef/Operator Scott Brandon. “I’m able to work with artisans who are passionate about what they do.”

Brandon is purchasing signature sausage such as frankfurters, Neurenberger bratwurst,

knackwurst, bockwurst, spicy Polish, and Sicilian created just for LinX by nearby Europa Specialty Sausage. “We will also be making unique special sausages for our secret menu, think buffalo chicken, 24-inch frankfurter and Louisiana boudin.”

Brandon has made his own sausage but is happy to trust the experts at Europa.

“Europa's shop is less than two miles from LinX, so it fits right into our model of consciously, locally sourced ingredients, and minimizing our impact on the environment.”

Brandon will make condiments such as the 15 different sauces to accompany, “the best fries you’ve ever tasted—crispy outside, creamy inside, and addictive.” Curry ketchup, bacon and blue cheese aioli, red ranch, chorizo mayo, and others add a wow factor to both the frites and the brats.

Paddy Glennon, the man behind Europa Specialty Sausage, learned charcuterie as stagiaire at butcher shops in Ireland, Spain, and France. “We do everything in small batches, no more than 200 pounds at a time.

We strive for a good lean sausage, 72 percent lean, smoked with natural hard woods.”

These richly flavored, ever-tempting products are worth seeking out or making for yourself and your guests.

TIPS FROM CHEFS MAKING THEIR OWN CHARCUTERIE A class would be one way to start. Books are also helpful. “Start with a small recipe and do it by hand before buying too much equipment,” suggests Chef Buchanan.

“When it comes down to curing and dryaging, you are better off working under someone for a year and overseeing the operation taking notes,” Gerlach recommends.

Practice, attention to detail, and some trial and error are required to master sausage making. Stuff happens. As Gerlach shares, “We must learn from mistakes.”

Experience is the best teacher. “You want salumi to dry enough but not too much.

Some of my mole salumi dried too long and got crumbly (call me anytime for rejects). The changes in flavor come with time,” says Buchanan. “What I thought was too much salt, months later turned out to be just right.

You worry about molds, time, temperature, and humidity.” Something earlier generations Continued on page 16

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

15

F E AT U R E : L ’ E N T R E´ E Continued from page 15 clearly worried less about, since many meats were aged and smoked by hanging in the home chimney.

Roman admits to moldy pancetta, broken emulsions, and under seasoning: “All of them (goofs) you can possibly make.” He got some basics in culinary school and was hooked. “It’s easy enough to make fresh sausage and I have always done this for holidays at home, but to get into the more complex process of aging and curing was a different direction.” He buried his nose in books and tested recipes. He’s crafted sopressata (Italian dry salami), Spanish chorizo (cured, dried, smoked paprika), saucisson sec (cured, dried, pork or pork mixed with other meats), Tuscan salami, and a wild boar sausage currently on the menu at Haven.

“Follow the procedures you read precisely. When you are doing anything that is so delicate, up to the point that you have some familiarity with it, you cannot blend methods and expect good results,” says Lane.

16

EQUIPMENT AND INGREDIENTS Thinking about trying your own hand at charcuterie? Some equipment and space is needed but our experts recommend starting simple and small. “A large fridge and freezer in the garage might be enough,” says Buchanan. Sausage grinder, sausage stuffer, and a curing cabinet you can build yourself from a small refrigerator are other necessities.

“A Kitchen Aid and the meat grinding attachment,” is an alternative offers Roman.

“You’ll need pate molds, a digital scale and instant read thermometer. Most of which can be found at a Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table,” he adds.

“Research what you need and don’t leave anything out. If a charcuterie calls for curing salt, it’s there for a reason,” Gerlach pronounces.

Chef Roman lists some special ingredients that may be called for: bactoferm, sodium nitrate and nitrite. “We had to find places that sold some of the more esoteric bacterias, yeasts, molds, and starter cultures.

Butcher and Packer and sausagemaker.com are good places to start.”

www.great-taste.net | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

+ RECOMMENDED TITLES Our group of experts have some helpful book recommendations.

The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail by Fergus Hernderson Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman, Brian Polcyn Whole Beast Butchery by Ryan Farr (clear guide to breaking down animals and cuts of meat used in charcuterie) Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli; Salumi: The Craft of Italian Dry Curing (salted and cured meats) by Michael Ruhlamn and Brian Polcyn The Art of Making Fermented Sausages by Stanley and Adam Marianski.

F E AT U R E : C H E F D E C U I S I N E

PRO

F

* Y

SPO

N

AMER ICA FISH N

E

*

IL

CH

EF

SO

B RED

Photo by Michael Rutt

Chef Greg Moro

by Chef Katie Averill

F

rench 75 holds great memories for many Laguna Beach locals like me. More than likely special anniversaries and extravagant date nights come to mind with great live music and an old school bar complete with the bartender shaking martinis. With the recent arrival of Chef Greg Moro comes a youthfulness and fresh creativity that makes French 75 seem more accessible, like a place you might come to eat more casually and more often. Chef Greg worked his way up with the tutelage of O.C.’s well respected Chef Pascal Olhats, thus we are assured that he has mastered proper French technique. Add “Gourmet Greg” to that, and we get great French with a fun twist. I am still thinking about the BLT mussels; classic moules frites with a “twist” of bacon, leeks, and tomato. The mussels were perfectly cooked, the frites homemade, and the bacon moved it to divine.

Greg grew up expecting to be a surgeon like his father or a professional hockey player. He dabbled in foodservice when he was young working at a deli and later he became a server in a restaurant where he was required to make his own pantry dishes (as a server!)

It was there he had a chance encounter with Pascal, who was dining at the restaurant. Greg saved his money and attended the California Culinary Academy, one of the top schools in the nation, and earned a culinary degree. He returned to Southern California and, seeking to work with the best, he interned at the RitzContinued on page 18

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

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F E AT U R E : C H E F D E C U I S I N E

M A K E C O N TA C T

French 75 1464 S Coast Hwy Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949.494.8444 www.french75.net Daily - 4:30 pm to 11:00 pm Average Cover - $35

Chef Greg Moro 1ST COOKING OR FOOD-RELATED MEMORY: I remember as a young boy being in the kitchen with my mom, grandma, aunts, and sister during the holidays, standing at the counter watching them cook, always trying to take tastes of the food.

Continued from page 17 Carlton, Laguna Niguel.

Greg must have made an impression on Pascal because Chef Olhats sought Greg out to offer him a training position. Greg worked through every station at Pascal’s restaurant, Tradition. When Pascal began a whirlwind year of traveling, Greg, who had risen to a “sous sous chef” position was called upon to travel from Hawaii to Florida, preparing dinners for the likes of presidents and movie stars as Pascal’s right hand man.

When the head chef position became open at French 75, which Pascal continues to oversee, Greg was the obvious choice. He had proven himself worthy in the toughest situations at catering events both off-site and

out-of-state, and he had staying power. Greg has since been given creative freedom to run the kitchen and create the menu at French 75.

He particularly enjoys the bistro menu where he takes the chance to show French food can be colorful and farm-to-table.

Greg describes his kitchen style as stern and focused, yet you can tell he is a friendly person with a sense of humor after spending just a short amount of time with him. The passion he has is evident through the gleam in his eye as he explains his original ice cream making technique that involves both dry ice and heat from a torch. On occasion you can find him preparing this table-side “complete with smoke wafting through the room”. Chef Greg’s career is one to watch.

Pan Roasted Salmon on Beet Risotto Serves 2

RISOTTO

BEET WINE

2T

Butter

2

Raw Red Beets – peeled

1/2

Onion – diced

White Wine

2C

Risotto

4C

Vegetable stock

Vegetable oil – as needed

WHAT FIRST INTERESTED YOU IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY? Food, fire, and knives.

4 oz

IF NOT A CHEF, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A professional motorcycle or car racer.

FAVORITE CONDIMENT/SPICE: Aioli because it is versatile and can be flavored anyway you want.

FAVORITE THING: One of my favorite things to work with in the kitchen is dry ice—fun and efficient.

SIGNATURE OR FAVORITE DISH TO MAKE: Beef stroganoff.

CULINARY HERO(ES): Anthony Bourdaine, Pascal Olhats, James Beard.

Salt and pepper – to taste

Feed beets through a juicer set high to extract fresh juice. Combine with wine.

2T

Parmesan

FENNEL CREAM SAUCE

Heat oil and butter in a medium heavy

2

Shallots

saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and

Fennel Bulb – chopped 10 oz

sauté until translucent. Stir in rice and sauté,

White Wine

stirring, until rice grains are oil-coated (about 3

1 qt

Heavy Cream

minutes). Pour in 6 ounces of the beet wine

6T

Butter – unsalted

and vegetable stock, reduce heat to medium low. Simmer uncovered for 12 to 18 minutes or

Add shallots, fennel bulb and white wine to a

until liquid is almost absorbed and rice is

small sauce pot. Cook and reduce for 10

tender but firm. (Note: Stir once or twice while

minutes. Add cream and reduce until sauce

simmering.) Remove pan from heat and season

coats the back of a spoon. Slowly stir in butter.

with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cheese.

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR CULINARY STYLE? Gourmet, colorful, delicious.

SALMON

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE? Stern, creative, focused.

Place a medium sauté pan over high heat and

1T

Vegetable oil

2 6-oz

Salmon filet – skinned

add oil. When almost smoking, lay the fish skin side up into the oil (always lay food away from yourself so you don't splash your hands). Place

BIGGEST MYTH ABOUT WORKING IN THE KITCHEN: I think a big myth is that we must eat like royalty being in a kitchen so much!

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www.great-taste.net | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

directly into 400 degree oven for 7 minutes, remove pan and using a spatula, carefully flip the fish with the crust attached.

F E AT U R E : C H E F D E C U I S I N E

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

19

THE BIZ: FRONT OF THE HOUSE

Restaurant Remodeling

Left: Five Crowns; Right: UVA Bar

by Linda Mensinga

What you need to know about remodels from colleagues and design professionals.

20

www.great-taste.net | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

T

hinking about a remodel?

Ready to update to a new, brighter look? Operators who’ve been through successful renovations offer tips, insights, and questions to ask before making any changes to your restaurant.

NEWPORT RIB COMPANY The last remodel of the Newport Rib Company was 14 years ago, when OwnerOperator John Ursini moved his popular restaurant to its current location. This time around, “We were getting a little stale and wanted to freshen and open things up. Our customers were the impetus to do something more upscale.” A big plus for Ursini was keeping the restaurant open

throughout reconstruction. Customers could watch the progress; “They wrote on our temporary walls while the main dining room was blocked. It became kind of like their remodel too.”

Ursini remodeled for a casual, fun ambiance so his diners could feel part of a “scene.”

The walls were left in place, but everything inside is strikingly different (see photo).

His advice? “Define your project, find the right architect, the right contractor, and right designer. Then budget 15 per cent more than you thought,” a point reiterated by each of our contributors. Ursini found his contractor, Pacific Contracting, to be open to his dialogue and ideas. “They made the whole thing easier to digest. My architect, contractor, designer and I were

THE BIZ: FRONT OF THE HOUSE

constantly in touch with each other.”

Ursini hired a designer in the last two weeks of renovation. “It became apparent I was in way over my head trying to decide things. In the end it was a great decision,” he says about hiring designer Lisa Bruchman.

THREE SEVENTY COMMON Chef-Owner Ryan Adams remodeled Three Seventy Common Kitchen + Drink in Laguna Beach to match his “globally influenced, domestically sourced” menu.

“When we purchased Sorrento Grille, we decided to redecorate, rebrand, and relaunch,” says Adams, “Overall, this entailed changing everything.” Wanting a more urban, industrial ambiance, substantial interior changes were made, but the layout remained the same.

While Hatch Design Group was used to help with color, “The design evolved as more of a combined effort, as family members and friends offered their various ideas.” He wanted earthy, not sleek or shiny; a place for people to gather, relax, and enjoy. “We wanted a ‘Portland-esque’ feel with an edgy, modern motif. We incorporated rustic reclaimed materials and vintage accents such as an old fashioned meat grinder, an antique knife collage, and we repurposed Saltillo tile flooring.”

“We have been welcomed with open arms by existing and new customers. Local and destination diners are coming and

giving us great feedback.”

FIVE CROWNS An icon in Corona Del Mar since 1965, Five Crowns is on everyone’s special occasion list. Its appeal as an English inn was not lost during their recent renovation. Richard E. Cope, Director of Marketing for Lawry's Restaurants Inc, explains, “It needed a refresh. We wanted to brighten up the restaurant while maintaining its authenticity and charm. Our goal was to rely on the antiques and artifacts already in Five Crowns, while adding new highlights such as framed photographs, fresh fabrics, and decorative light fixtures (see photo).”

The goal was to attract a wider demographic, and make the restaurant less formal and more relaxed. Design Director Susie Frank oversaw the restaurant’s interior renovation in consultation with Steven Langford Architects, Inc. Customer suggests, “Determine how you want to position your restaurant in the marketplace relative to your design/atmosphere, and who you want to target.”

UVA BAR “We wanted to capture a more contemporary European feel, similar to a colorful street café found in Barcelona,” says Senior Director of Operations Eric Stenta of Patina’s Uva Bar and Café. “We felt that this look matched the culinary

angle that Chef Nick Weber wanted. We also wanted to add additional seating (70 seats) and create more of an open feel.”

Stenta regularly checks competition to see what guests are ordering and enjoying, along with tracking the menu mix popular with the restaurant’s own customers. The well thought out blend between food and décor is seen in the bold flavors and equally bright design. Vivid tastes are complemented by multicolored umbrellas and a circular bar with festive colorful tile backlit by an LED system (see photo).

“Our regulars are thrilled at the renovation! The bar top has more space and better sight lines and we have added banquettes to create a more intimate lounge-like feel. The lights really glow and guests recognize Uva Bar as the center of Downtown Disney,” says Stenta. Business has increased since the change, which was accomplished within budget, “Thanks to some very effective people.”

Without the kitchen and dining room knowledge of the chef and/or restaurateur, the physical execution of planning, drafting and building the space from the architects, and the extra detailed eye and finishing touches of the designer, (deep breath), a restaurant remodel would not be possible.

Please visit Great Taste Magazine online, www.great-taste.net, for hints from Newport Rib Company’s designer and architect, plus before and after images from remodeled restaurants.

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

21

T H E B I Z : O P E R AT I O N S

Convenience is King Online Ordering & Delivery Service

by Linda Mensinga

W

hat should operators consider before jumping into online ordering or delivery service?

Professionals already doing so reveal that the services are not difficult to add and help to meet the never-ending customer demand for ease and speed.

According to John Ursini, owner of Naples Rib Company in Long Beach and Newport Rib Company in Newport Beach, “It’s a two-sided door. The take-out person isn’t on the phone so up-selling is limited.

Online takes the to-go person out of the mix. No, ‘Why don’t you try our mashed sweet potatoes? or ‘You’ll love the balsamic dressing with that’.”

Online ordering is a way to add business due to the convenience factor for busy customers. Customers can order directly without waiting on-hold or in-line. Fewer mistakes result because the software system provides a final check on the order and price before the customer clicks submit. Ordering software can also save purchase histories, making favorite orders available in a single click.

Another advantage for the operator of

22

www.great-taste.net | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012

online systems is access to customer email addresses that can become targets for promotions, coupons, and advertising.

Diana Parham, manager at Nello Cucina in Santa Ana, recommends being proactive and sending menu updates. Along with their own system, they use Gourmet Shuttle. When choosing a delivery service, “It’s important to consider the fee split, how user-friendly their website is, and how often they update listings and menus,” Parham says.

“You want to start simple, then add complexity later as people get used to it,” Ursini believes. Naples Rib uses Gimmy Grub for their online ordering. “They came to us about three years ago and cut a good deal. We gave them credibility. They’ve done everything we hoped for.” The Rib Company’s percentage of online orders is growing in comparison to phone orders.

Naples Rib also earns additional revenue through independent delivery services, such as Gourmet Shuttle, which also market online and enable online ordering. The companies do regular marketing and sell to individuals, but most often handle large daytime orders. “It costs nothing to be on their sites; they take a percentage, usually 25 percent of the food order. We use three delivery companies,” Ursini says. “Some customers order every day from different places to keep their staff from leaving the office. We probably get three a week from LA Bite, seven from Gourmet Shuttle and six from Office Express.”

For more information about delivery services and contact information, visit Great-Taste.net.

Restaurants on the Run based in Orange County, serves nine metropolitan areas from San Diego to Seattle making 750 to 1,000 deliveries a day. About 75 percent of

their orders arrive online, with the rest from their call center. Mike Turner, president, comments, “Our business is predominately corporate. We typically take food into businesses during the day and deliver residential at night.”

Business customers order from different restaurants on a rotating basis. “Our marketing people help sell food to our frequent corporate customers. Restaurant partners get the shared service of sales people, as well as online and offline marketing activities to promote their brands,” says Turner. Restaurants are featured in different ways, “They may get top of the page placement in the area listings or featured in our monthly customer e-blasts.” None of this is charged to the eateries unless they get orders, when a percentage of the total check is kept by the delivery service.

LAbite.com delivers about 800 orders a day throughout Los Angeles, Orange County and the Coachella Valley. Their service is also used by companies. In addition, they market to hotel visitors. “We print menu books for hotels that go in-room so guests can order from us,” says President Ken Fisher. They market online through email, in print by mail, in specialty markets and partner restaurants. Their site features the top selling restaurants each week as well as the most popular menu items for each.

Gratuities, if required, are also specified.

Word of mouth and a good reputation have led to successful collaborations with restaurants, many of which have requested to be part of LAbite’s website. “Sometimes a customer will tell us they’d like to see Restaurant X on our list, so we reach out to Restaurant X,” Fisher says. Many of their top selling restaurants are chains, but smaller ones shine too. Over 80 percent order online, “It’s just easier.”

THE BIZ: BEVERAGES

Up-andComing Wine Regions

drink before people start questioning your credentials. So when I tour wine country, I visit the lesser-known, out-of-the-way appellations still untouched by mercenary winemakers and Microsoft millionaires.

And you should too. Everyone loves an underdog.

I really shouldn’t be doing this, but I’m going to give you a list of three off-thebeaten-path wine regions that I highly recommend for the next time you need a wine adventure, as well as one of my favorite wineries in each area. But don’t tell too many people, okay? We don’t want these regions flooded with tourists or a dramatic Napa-like rise in tasting fees or bottle prices. I still love a good bargain, even if I am writing it off.

by Chris Kern

SAN MIGUEL Most wine lovers know Paso Robles. Most know it has a west side and an east side.

But did you know it has a north side too?

Clustered around the historic town and mission of San Miguel, just 10 minutes north of downtown Paso, are a number of wineries that don’t get the same love as those within the Paso city limits, but are still part of the appellation. With rolling hills, a hot arid climate, and the Salinas River running close to many of the vineyards, wines from San Miguel tend to be drier, richer, and more complex than their east side Paso brethren.

Favorite Winery: Graveyard Vineyards.

Owner/winemaker Rob Campbell-Taylor planted his vineyard right next to the Pleasant Valley Cemetery—hence the name—and claims that the legacy of his neighbors help him produce ethereal, angelic wines. Their Paso Tombstone Pink is a monster.

Chris Kern is the founder of online wine shop ForgottenGrapes.com, and the creator and host of live culinary competitions Sunday Night Chef Fights (sundaynightcheffights.com). E-mail him directly at chris@forgottengrapes.com.

O

ne of the advantages of owning your own wine business is the ability to write off every bottle you buy, every tasting you attend, and most importantly, every wine trip you plan as a business expense, (but perhaps I shouldn’t be telling the IRS this…).

But I can’t just make regular trips to Napa and Sonoma; there are only so many Cabs, Merlots, and Chardonnays you can

CALAVERAS COUNTY Amador County may get more publicity, but for our money some of the best wines in the Foothills come from 90 minutes southeast, in Calaveras County. The 19th century immigrants who settled in gold-mining towns like Murphys, Vallecito, and Angel

Flight brought their own grapes and winemaking heritage to the region. Scores of local wineries utilize these older vines to produce stunning Rhone, Spanish, and Portuguese wines, as well as the best Italian varietals in California. Be forewarned, though: Calaveras County is truly off-the-beaten path with no major highways in or out of the region. Unless you’re heading to Yosemite, there’s no easy way to just “drop in”; it’s a destination, not an afternoon.

Favorite Winery: Twisted Oak Winery (see photo). The tasting room looks like a TGI Friday’s gone mental, owner/winemaker Jeff Stai is obsessed with rubber chickens, the trek up to the winery is not for the faintof-heart (or those who’ve been tasting elsewhere during the day)—but my word, do they knock bold, fruit-forward Rhonestyle wines out of the park! Don’t miss their River of Skulls Mourvedre.

UMPQUA VALLEY With its proximity to Portland and reputation for some of the best Pinot Noirs and unoaked Chardonnays on earth, it’s Oregon’s Willamette Valley that people flock to year-round. But further down the I5, smack in the middle of the state, Umpqua Valley produces some stunning wines of its own. And unlike the Willamette, the varying climates, soils, and terroirs in the Umpqua allow a wide variety of grapes—cool-climate Pinot Noir and Riesling; warmer weather Albarino, Grenache, and Sangiovese; obscure grapes like Baco Noir and Marechal Foch—to survive, thrive, and become great wine. But like Calaveras County, it’s pretty remote with no major cities nearby.

Favorite Winery: TesoAria. Originally from Southern California, owner/winemaker John Olson took over the winery from its previous Brazilian owner and made wines the way he likes them: deep, rich, smoky, and intense.

He loves obscure varietals too, and produces a Hungarian-style Bull’s Blood featuring the rarely-seen-in-the-U.S. Kedarka grape.

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 | great taste

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