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Issue 2 Volume 17
US $3.95
Summer Is ComingSo Splash into the Season with the 5th Annual Event
February 2017
CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER
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WELCOME TO OUR FEBRUARY 2017 ISSUE OF THE SOCAL FOOD & BEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL and you can congratulate yourself for making the right move, no matter how it happened, to pick up this issue and go through the pages. You are bound to find something, if not several items, that are sure to inform and educate you, surprise you, upset you, make you happy or make you sad, but they will help you in your profession in the Food & Beverage Industry! So, congratulations and read on…
Cover
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Our Front Cover Feature this month is jumping ahead a few months to present you with some new and unique items in the beverage department to help build your sales and presentation for the upcoming summer season with “Splash into the Season,” which is now in its 5th year. On the cover we decided to give everyone a HUG, just what was needed for those hot summer days and evenings. Originally from Italy, this is a sparkling product totally new to the US. Read more on Hug in the Cover Feature on pages 14-15 written by our very own Editorial Director Bob Barnes. You can’t help but enjoy this man’s writing! And now “A Year of Cheesemaking in Southern California” by John Rockwell will inform and educate you on this delicious segment of the food and beverage industry, which many of us really don’t understand that much about. Having just returned from the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, I must agree that cheese is by far, one of the fastest growing markets to watch and know, now and in the near future. Please read and enjoy his tasty column on pages 8-9. After two years of monthly appearances in our publications, West Eats East by our good friend and associate Dr. Mike Masuyama (aka Doctor Sake), makes his last Japanese food report on page 16. Every month Mike-san, as his friends call him, has taken a look at Japanese foods from a cultural, culinary and business aspect here in the US and has made us think as to where it is headed! Getting his crystal ball out for the last time, he predicts where the future of Japanese food is heading, so read on into his last and final report…BUT DON’T DESPAIR, for we have begged Mike-san to continue writing for us and he will be coming back with another new and always interesting monthly column to be announced soon! Thank you, Mike-san.
Page 4 Hot off the Grill!
Page 5 Food for Thought Trying Wine with Salads for Healthier Meals
Page 6 Marketing VS Operations The age-old struggle for teamwork.
Page 16 West Eats East Beyond Sushi, Where Does J-Food Go?
Page 17 Chef Talk Food Waste in America
Page 18 Wine Talk with Alice Swift Wine Direct-to-Consumer: What is it and why is it important?
Page 8 A Year of Learning
Page 10 What’s Brewing
Page 19 Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country’s Women Create Their Own Heritage
Page 12 Brett’s Vegas View
Page 20 Foodie Biz
Page 14 COVER FEATURE Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Presents 5th Annual Splash into the Season 2017
Page 21 Product Review
Page 22 Product Spotlight Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips New Releases and Seasonal Offerings
Page 24 Human Resources Insights Planning and Follow Through Are Key to Your Happiness
Page 25 The Bottom Line The Dangers of Deep Discounts
Page 26 Events Ad Index ACF Chefs of SoCal
19 www.socalfnbpro.com
Book Review Virgil’s Barbecue Road Trip Cookbook
Page 27 Duke Marketing’s Foodservice Websites Get a Refresh
February 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 3
The Socal Food & Beverage Professional 7442 Grizzly Giant Street Las Vegas, NV 89139
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HOT OFF THE GRILL!
February 2017 Mike Fryer
Sr. Editor/Publisher
At CES we were able to attend a demonstration by Panasonic, a big player for years, as most of you know, in the Premium Food Service Equipment Business. They have now improved on the commercial induction cookware and had a demonstration on the High Roller, where for thirty focused minutes, we were introduced to the latest concept of cooking. Look for Panasonic and its latest line of food service equipment in our upcoming issues. Here we had the pleasure to meet with Panasonic’s National Accounts Manager, Food Service Division Jeff Plys and Senior Marketing Manager Persia Tatar.
Thank you for joining us in this issue of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional. For any questions or comments please email mike@socalfnbpro.com
Juanita Fryer
Assistant To Sr. Editor ACF Chefs Liasion/Journalist juanita.fryer@socalfnbpro.com
Juanita Aiello
Bob Barnes
Editorial Director bob@socalfnbpro.com
Recently visiting Sacramento and the International Outdoor Sportsmen’s Expo, SoCalFNBPro Sr. Editor/Publisher Mike Fryer was able to visit with his old (meaning longtime) friend Raewyn Weyer, who for the last two years, along with her husband Brent, has owned and operated Seldovia Fishing Adventures. With their bed & breakfast they take guests out fishing for halibut. FYI... Seldovia is in Alaska and you can see more at www.fishhalibut.com. Here we catch Raewyn selling the experience you can have there!
Ben Brown
Restaurant Editor ben@socalfnbpro.com
At the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, Mike Fryer was able to catch up with his friends and associates from Aloha Shoyu at their display/tasting booth. They told him they had just signed a major agreement with a big casino property in Las Vegas to supply all their properties and restaurants. Great News! Additionally, Aloha Shoyu would like to sponsor a POKE contest similar to the one they had done years ago with the Wolfgang Puck Group; Mike says, “I’m definitely IN for this!”
Adam Rains
Creative Director juanita@socalfnbpro.com
Beverage Editor adam.rains@socalfnbpro.com
Advertising sales@socalfnbpro.com
Article Submissions/Suggestions articles@socalfnbpro.com
Calendar Submissions calendar@socalfnbpro.com
Website webmaster@socalfnbpro.com
Press Relase Submissions news@socalfnbpro.com
General Information info@socalfnbpro.com
@socalfnbpro
The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Legal Editorial Advisor Andrew Matney
Journalist Apryl Bruso
Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan
Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett
Journalist What’s Brewing David Mulvihill
Journalist Food for Thought Les Kincaid
Journalist Hungry for PR Jen Morris
Journalist John Rockwell
Pre-Press Technician Brandon Yan
Journalist Good for Spooning LeAnne Notabartolo
Journalist East Eats West K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.
Photographer Audrey Dempsey
Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch
Journalist Linda Duke
Journalist Heidi Rains
Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein
Journalist Green Restaurant Association Michael Oshman
Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift
Journalist Lisa Matney
Journalists Elaine & Scott Harris
Photographer Bill Bokelmann
Photographer Joe Urcioli
Journalist Margie Mancino
Master Sommelier Joe Phillips
4 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I February 2017
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT Trying Wine with Salads for Healthier Meals
When it comes to wine pairing, salads can be tricky: a salad that’s dressed with something tart can knock out the flavor of the wine you’re trying to enjoy. We’ve always been told that it is almost impossible to pair wine with salad. We’ve searched and searched and come up with a few exceptions to that myth. Nowadays, there are tons of recipes for more than just iceberg lettuce (which I don’t care for) and dry shredded carrots. But does a healthy salad brimming with kale, roasted beets, and soft-boiled eggs mean giving up your glass of wine with dinner? Not necessarily. Wine with medium acidity suddenly becomes flabby in the face of zippy salad dressing because vinegar is infinitely more tart than any of the acids that turn up naturally in wine. When we were young way back in grade school you learned about chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their green color. Just so you know, it’s that pigment that will destroy the taste of www.socalfnbpro.com
By Les Kincaid Les Kincaid is a food, wine, and golf expert and cookbook author. He hosts the nationally syndicated wine radio show Wines Du Jour each Thursday from 7 to 8 pm. You can enjoy his website or his broadcast at www.leskincaid.com les@leskincaid.com www.facebook.com/leskincaid www.twitter.com/leskincaid
wine, any wine. Dark, leafy greens, like that ever-popular kale, are full of chlorophyll, so it’s best to skip your wine on times when they are the lion’s share of your meal. You’ll want to save those green things for your not-so-sad desk lunches. If you’re starting with lighter lettuces and notso-bitter greens, pay attention to the dressing and the toppings. Tart wines are best with salads, since you’re often dealing with vinegar and mustard in dressing. Keeping it purely salad greens with subtle vegetables, and everything dressed with a tangy vinaigrette? Given the old adage ‘acid loves acid’ the balsamic dressing will marry perfectly with this higher acid red grape. You’ll need to counter the tang with a lighter high-acid white wine, like a nice Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire or New Zealand, even California, or go for an Austrian Grüner Veltliner. The main concern is making sure that the acid in the wine meets or exceeds the acidity in the salad dressing; you might think that a tart wine with a tart vinaigrette would be
overwhelmingly, well, tart, but together those two high acid components will wash each other out, and you’ll be left with a clean palate, ready to experience the more immediate flavors in the salad. If you want to pretend it’s really summer, add some shrimp and/or grilled octopus, then pick up a bottle of Portuguese Albariño. If you haven’t tried it do so! Especially on nights where roasted vegetables or crumbled bacon are calling to you. Enjoy that with an off-dry Riesling or a Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige, Italy. However, if you have a steak or chicken salad, you can go with a light-bodied red, like a Beaujolais, or Arbois from France. Or with a super acidic dressing, you might choose a fuller white, perhaps a California Chardonnay with some oak aging. So, pairing wine and salad can be a bit tricky, but certainly not impossible. Plus, you’re already doing the healthy ideas. You’ll definitely need a nice wine for balance. Wine Is Food.
February 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 5
Marketing VS Operations The age-old struggle for teamwork.
By Linda Duke Celebrating 25 Years in the Restaurant Industry, Duke Marketing has handled numerous crisis scenarios for restaurant chains and Linda Duke, CEO is an expert witness, crisis communicator and emergency legal liaison. duke@dukemarketing.com • 415-492-4534
The truth is that you can have a brilliant marketing department and a world-class operations team, but if the two are not working together, there is nothing but discord. As marketing professionals, we must do our part to make sure this relationship makes the organization better—not weaker. Your to-do list is filled with requests from email blasts, to table tents, posters and website corrections, and the list goes on. We develop and manage the company brand. We continually seek the latest and greatest tools to generate sales. We look for the best vehicles to showcase our restaurant brands and grab our target audience’s attention. We are good at what we do. We work with a focus and intent to make sure the look and feel of our companies are professional and consistent with the brand. It’s funny when people within the organization think they understand what we do. “Oh, your department gets to have all the fun…So you’re the ones that make things pretty.” Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Today, there is more science involved in the art of marketing than most people give credit to. You understand that. But managing the company’s brand and messages may not be the most difficult part of your job. Sometimes the hardest part is working with operations! That is right, the very team that marketing is intended to support and works so hard to help. How many times have we seen the tacky flyer with clipart and too many logos and typos, a sales piece that the operations team created and declared the “perfect” marketing tool. The operations team is relentless and good at what they do. They are motivated to make sales happen at the restaurants and are face-to-face with guests every day. So why don’t they come to us for help? The truth is, you can have a brilliant marketing department and a worldclass operations team, but if the two are not working together, it doesn’t make the company better, it makes it weaker. 6 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I February 2017
To better align your Marketing and Operations Teams, the following are several tips to try: WALK IN THEIR SHOES
Go out to stores with the operations team. The biggest complaint operations people have is that their marketing colleagues don’t understand how to deal with guests or how guests respond to their messages (table tents, menu boards, posters, promotions).
LISTEN
You might have an award-winning promotional idea, but if your operations team cannot execute it, you have nothing. Take in their ideas and deliver an end product that is on target.
ASK FOR SAMPLES
Meet with the operations team and ask them to bring samples of their favorite promotions or advertisements, offers or coupons. See what they like. Take their ideas and make them better and with their help, come up with something that will work for THEM! Then getting their participation will be easy!
GO THE EXTRA MILE
Think of the operations team as an important client. Try to impress them with under-promising and over-delivering. Going the extra mile will make your job easier!
ASK FOR HELP
Everyone wants to be valued. Operations folks have knowledge that can help you. Take their advice and be sure to encourage their feedback. Schedule regular meetings or calls to include the operations team in developing on-target promotions.
FORGIVE
As much as you may hate clipart, your operations team might love it. So forgive them. Take the piece, remove the clipart, fix the typos and turn their ideas into something EXCELLENT! www.socalfnbpro.com
Allan Karl’s best-selling book FORKS: A Quest for Culture, Cuisine, and Connection has been a #1 best-seller in three Amazon categories.
FORKS brings the world to your table: An around-the-world adventure story. A colorful photo book with more than 700 color photographs. A global cookbook with 40 signature recipes. Why would someone sell nearly everything he owns, pull roots, and travel for three years--alone--on a motorcycle? One day Allan Karl woke up to discover that he was unemployed and his marriage had ended in divorce. Allan looked at these forks in the road of his life as an opportunity to both follow a life-long dream and pursue his passions. He hopped on his motorcycle and traveled around the world--alone. After three years and 62,000 miles of riding, through 35 countries on 5 continents, he returned home only to set out on another journey--to share the truths he’d uncovered and the lessons learned during his adventure around the world. Between these pages, Allan shares the discoveries, cultures, and connections he made on this global adventure. Through stories, color photos, and the flavors of real local food, FORKS brings his adventure to life and the world to your table: the kindness of strangers, the beauty of humanity, the colors of culture, and the powerful gift of human connection. Every photograph, story, and recipe in this book presents readers with an opportunity to witness new cultures, taste exotic flavors, or journey into dangerous and unknown territories. Every experience is an opportunity to connect with others.
The second edition of FORKS is widely available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bookstores everywhere. Autographed and personalized signed copies are available on the FORKS website www.forksthebook.com.
D RIVE S ALES with Easy to Execute M ARKETING P ROGRAMS Recently published, Four Star Restaurant Marketing Cookbook — Recipes for RestaurateursTM, is a 300 page marketing resource for restaurant operators. Creative marketing programs are written in an easy-to-use recipe format, with ingredients needed, directions to implement and tips, tools and tactics to drive sales. Over 250 real restaurant case studies and photos are included. Available to purchase online at: marketing-cookbook.com
See what operators are saying:
FOUR STAR RESTAURANT MARKETING COOKBOOK
“Recipes for Restaurateurs is a practical ‘how to guide’ written in an easy to follow format with case studies and proven sales building programs. Our franchisees will truly benefit from implementing and following many of its recipes and instructions.” “Recipes for Restaurateurs is a comprehensive, easy to follow book of effective marketing strategies and is a great tool we purchased for each of our general managers. Ms. Duke trained 65 managers of our Me-n-Ed’s Pizzerias how to use the recipes and provided motivation and directions for effectively driving sales and we are already seeing success.”
www.marketing-cookbook.com
www.marketing-cookbook.com www.socalfnbpro.com
“Recipes for Restaurateurs is an incredible resource for not only those looking to enter the restaurant business, but for those that have been running restaurants for years.”
February 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 7
By John Rockwell
A Year of Learning
John Rockwell is a native Southern Californian and career English teacher working in the Riverside area. In his spare time, he rides his bicycle to breweries, restaurants, and cheese shops, and is always looking for culinary delights within riding distance of the vast network of SoCal bicycle trails. He is an ardent fan of the waiver theater culture in Los Angeles. He is new to cheesemaking, but has been a homebrewer for over twenty years.
As I now reach my one-year anniversary of cheesemaking, I think I have come a long way from my early attempts to make a simple mozzarella. I am certainly not making the same varieties of cheese I thought I’d be making when I first began. I know some will call me snobbish, but neutral-flavored, mass-produced cheeses just don’t interest me, so why try to re-create those in my kitchen lab? My motive for getting into this hobby was really a longstanding interest in “living” food. Finding out how mold grows, ages and develops over time, along with the variety of ingredients available makes this hobby every bit as interesting as homebrewing beer—maybe more, because the same people who might not be surprised by hops can still be surprised by certain varieties of cheese. Is home cheesemaking cost-effective? Like homebrewing your own beer or wine, that depends upon what you make. If you spend $30 on barley, yeast and hops and end up with five gallons of a perfect or even reasonably close Pliny the Elder clone, it is definitely cost-effective. But if you’re making an American Light Lager, the ingredients and especially the time will cost you more than the mass-produced version. Likewise, if I can make a washedrind cheese of a similar quality to one that costs $30-per-1/2-pound, yes, home cheesemaking can be cost-effective. But is it less expensive than that $4-per-pound cheddar in the vac-wrap at the supermarket? Definitely not. Top-quality raw milk is $15 a gallon in Southern California, and about $10 a gallon if it’s in glass from specific dairies. When I began cheesemaking, I wanted to learn about how such a ubiquitous food was made and maybe learn something about how the styles of cheese differ. On my cheesemaking anniversary, I’d like to share a few bits I’ve picked up over the course of the past year:
1.
heated by hot water outside of my cheese vat (4.5 gallon stainless steel pot sitting on a rack in a larger enamel canning pot).
2.
A low pasteurization temperature for cheesemaking milk is extremely important. After sterilization of your materials and work area, nothing is more vital in the development of a successful cheese than a strong, unshattered curd. If your curd is so soft and milky it would almost go through a cheesecloth, or your dry curds are flaky and don’t stay together, then you probably have this problem. Buy better milk and experiment. It is not worth saving $3-5 a gallon for unpredictable results. Organic and dairy-specific milk is usually pasteurized at a lower temp, but it never hurts to call the dairy and ask specifics. Of course, the best milk to use for all cheese is raw milk, but that remains very expensive in Southern California. Recently, I have been experimenting with a mixture of organic and raw, and the results have been good.
3.
Milk sources are important. It should go without saying that the flavor of the milk will influence the flavor and sometimes the color of your cheese. Raw cow milk will sometimes produce a light yellowish color, since color is affected by what the animals are eating. However, goat milk—because of the biology of how the goat makes its milk—will always be perfectly white. Curd yield can also be affected by the time of year the animals are giving milk (this is why many farmstead cheeses are seasonal). If your milk is not dairy-specific (i.e. Straus, Top o’ the Morn, or Broguiere’s), the law requires milk cartons to have plant numbers on them. Simply log into www. whereismymilkfrom.com and input the plant number and you will receive information about where the source of your milk is located.
4.
I learned about some new microbes. There are more kinds of microbes than you can possibly use or count—considering aging time,
photos by John Rockwell
People always ask what equipment you need to have to make cheese. At the very least, you need one or two stainless steel pots, a thermometer, a colander, some cheesecloth and a bacterial culture. You could easily make fresh ricotta, mozzarella and farm cheese with these simple tools. Instead of using a forming mold, just tie up your cheesecloth and let it drain on a cookie rack suspended over your sink. If you want to make specific styles of cheese in traditional shapes, you will need to add to your arsenal some plastic molds, as well as some kind of long-term temperature control, like a small, temperature-controlled wine refrigerator. To maintain mold-growing humidity, I place finished cheese inside of plastic containers with little cups of water in them before sliding them into the wine fridge. Aside from those basic tools, the most useful items have been sushi mats for whey drainage (so aging cheese doesn’t sit in its own water) and a double-boiler. None of my milk gets direct heat—it is always
The use of vegetable ash on a simple brie can make it visually appealing and also causes it to ripen differently.
When you’re developing a natural rind on hard cheeses, you will need to be able to store the rounds in a humiditycontrolled environment for a long period of time. I use small, temperature-controlled wine refrigerators purchased from my local warehouse outlet.
8 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I February 2017
You can make cheese curds just to eat them. I made a cheddar, but stopped at aging. Because new cheddar curds don’t melt, they can be lightly fried on a nonstick pan with a pinch of garlic salt to a gloriously delicious result.
Good milk results in good curds. While shattered curds will not form or will be so powdery they get lost in the whey, good curds look like this: firm and beansized.
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it could be years before you find your “perfect” combinations or process. White Brie candidum mold comes in two forms—genus Penicillium and genus Geotrichum—and they have very different flavor profiles. Penicillium is generally neutral flavored—some variations can be mushroomy or yeasty—and is used in most mass-marketed cow milk Bries. Geotrichum— which is earthy and barnyardlike—is usually used in goat milk Bries, mixed-milk Bries and softer, fresher, “breakfast” Bries. The “stinky” Brevibacterium linens is an excellent addition to cheese for rind development. You can make a batch of Brie and “wash” the white mold off and watch the battle for dominance begin. Or you can just use it as a flavor enhancer for a standard Brie. The same thing is true of basic cheese cultures—there are many different blends available to home cheesemakers. In a year, I’m happy to understand the general flavor characteristics of one or two molds.
5.
I’ve become better acquainted with your local specialty or “organic” market. With that comes the misconceptions associated with the movements of organic, farmstead and artisan. Organic farms, for example, cannot use antibiotics in their herds, so if the animal needs that type of medication, it must be removed from that herd and sold (or on large farms, reassigned to the non-organic side). The term “farmstead cheese” means that the cheese was made on the same farm that owns the herd. Of course, this is no guarantee that the animals are treated better than those used by creameries that source their milk from a reputable dairy, but in much of food marketing, perception is a powerful influence.
The term “artisan” or “handmade” has little value since both small and large manufacturers use the term in their marketing. At some point in any manufacturing process, somebody’s hands will move the product around.
6.
I’ve begun to rethink mass-marketed cheese. Your grocery store block cheese is the Budweiser of cheese. It is mass-produced for the largest audience so it tends to be bland and uninteresting. There is no rind development or long-term care in store bought bricks. That “bridge” market of slightly better cheeses isn’t much better—wax-covered goudas, flavorless bries and watered-down blues pale in comparison to their regional small-batch counterparts. Yes, better cheese does cost more, but if you’re featuring a cheese as a central ingredient on a cheese platter (as opposed to just melting it into a sandwich, fondue or a noodle dish), something from your local cheesemonger is always the better option.
7.
Styles Americans think of as “weird” are quite common worldwide. Cheeses I have called “stinky”—reblochons and the washed rind varieties—are not culinary oddities. They are simply the indigenous cheeses of certain locales around the world. And as you’ll find out, strong-smelling cheeses often do not taste the same way they smell. Blue cheese or “sharp” cheese are not at the fringes of the cheese flavor spectrum at all. My best advice: be experimental and try something new: you may love it.
8.
Make a connection with a cheesemonger. A connection with an actual cheesemonger was the most eye-opening step in opening up a deeper knowledge of cheese. A local cheesemonger’s shop is the best way to educate your palate and keep track of your tasting journey. Your cheesemonger knows when the cheeses you like will come out, and once he or she gets to know you, will be able to make solid recommendations.
9.
If it’s not wax, plastic or cloth, please at least try the rind. A cheese rind may vary from very obvious white or red mold to something that has a thickness to it and looks like dirt. If it’s not obviously inedible—like the cloth rind of a clothbound cheddar or the hard rind of Parmesan Reggiano, I always try it. Cheese tasters recommend you try the cheese from the inside out—from the paste end, and move toward the rind. If you don’t like the rind at that point, fine, but more often than not the experience will be enlightening—you will understand how the rind development contributed to the good flavors in the cheese paste. Cheesemaking has contributed to a couple of side effects that I didn’t anticipate. I didn’t expect that my tasting palate would enjoy these “stinky” cheeses, or that I’d want to make them. I also didn’t realize I would begin to think so seriously about where my food comes from and who makes it. As I enter my second year of cheesemaking, I am trying to develop my hobby by making some aged cheeses with more complex rinds on them. And of course, I will continue to share these tidbits with friends, family, and others who are willing to listen.
A semi firm cheese like Raclette requires time for the rind to develop. That rind will inevitably grow mold, so it must be washed in salt water every few days to remove unwanted mold.
I have yet to build a mechanical cheese press, so Tupperware filled with water usually does the trick of a temporary weight.
A good Reblochon smells so strong but tastes so good. When I began my journey, I didn’t think I’d enjoy these cheeses so much. Stinky French cheeses have a distinct savory flavor that separates them from similar styles made in the United States.
My second attempt at a Taleggio wheel, and here you can see it as it develops its customary orange-white rind—an interesting microbial war of brevibacterium linens and white candidum mold. If the cheese were not washed every few days, the b. linens would lose this war.
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February 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 9
By David Mulvihill
what’s
BREWING
David Mulvihill strives to experience and write about the ever-evolving face of SoCal craft beer. He also covers Orange County for Celebrator Beer News as well as Southern California for Southwest Brewing News. Contact him at dbrewhill@gmail.com.
business. With Grammy award winner Emmett’s connections and experience, you can expect top-notch music on the weekends to accompany Josh’s selection of brews. M. Special Brewery and Tap Room is located at 6860 Cortona Drive, Suite C (just south of the 101 Freeway at Glen Annie/Stork Road E of Stork, N of Hollister). It opens every day at 11:30 a.m.
Photos by David Mulvihill
Draughtsmen Aleworks
Ladyface Ale Companie Brewmaster/coowner David Griffiths at Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza pouring with son, Ellis, at his first, but likely not his last beer festival.
Santa Barbara County In addition to the craft beer staples we have grown to love and respect in the Santa Barbara area it appears that there are quite a few newer breweries that this reporter has not yet explored. In this issue let’s take a look at the City of Goleta. Goleta’s go-to Hollister Brewing Company is the brewpub that award-winning brewer Eric Rose has operated with his family since 2007. Hollister has been joined by three additional Goleta-based breweries.
Captain Fatty’s Jon Wadell, Bryan Anderson and Preston Angell opened Captain Fatty’s Craft Brewery in 2014. Starting with a small one-barrel system, they graduated to a new 15-barrel system last March as part of an extensive makeover of the space. Retooling began in late 2015 with a new draft system, followed by trenches and installation of the new brewhouse and tanks. The familyfriendly place even has a kid’s area and draft root beer. For many it’s all about the beer. A recent look at Captain Fatty’s tap list revealed a wide array of styles and nine beers on tap. The brewery is located at 6483 Calle Real, just north of the 101, off of Los Carneros Road, and has tasting room hours Wednesday through Sunday.
Opening in early 2016, Draughtsmen Aleworks is Goleta’s newest brewery. This venture is brought to us by the creativity and talents of Goleta native Reno King, Scott Stefan, Kris Turner, Tami Snow and Chris Van Meeuwen. Reno King’s background in professional brewing began at Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co in 2011. In 2014 he moved to assume the head brewing duties at Poseidon Brewing Company in Ventura and assisted with the opening of that brewery. Draughtsmen tap list of up to ten beers always features a beer flowing from its “Karma Tap.” This tap rotates each month in supporting a different local charity. Currently, one dollar from every pint sold is donated for the benefit of that charity. Draughtsmen Aleworks is located at 53 Santa Felicia Drive (also south of the 101 Freeway at Glen Annie/Stork Road, also N of Hollister, but W of Stork). Draughtsmen, M. Special and Hollister Brewing are all conveniently located within close proximity of the Glen Annie/Stork Road exit of the 101, while Captain Fatty’s is only one exit east. This reporter looks forward to a
return trip to the Santa Barbara area soon and the opportunity to visit these new breweries as well as those long enjoyed.
Lucky Number Sevens Three of our Southern California breweries celebrated seven years in business in January. Starting on January 16, Agoura’s Ladyface Ale Companie began its week of celebration with its MLK Day Anniversary Ale and glassware release. The limited glassware release entitled purchasers to happy hour pricing on refills for the coming year. On January 22, Ladyface also celebrated with an Anniversary Invitational Party. Select breweries that included Smog City, Crooked Stave, Lost Abbey and Russian River, attended and poured rare and award winning beers. Eagle Rock Brewery held its 7th Anniversary Party on January 21st with a parking lot carnival. Pie throwing, a dunk tank, cornhole and giant Jenga could be enjoyed along with La Suerte, Eagle Rock’s specialty anniversary beer and other delicious offerings. La Suerte is a whopping 14% alcohol by volume Imperial Mexican Stout that incorporates chocolate, vanilla, flaked maize, cinnamon and chile in its recipe. San Luis Obispo’s Tap-It Brewing Co had also planned to celebrate its 7th on January 21. Due to impending stormy weather the party was postponed and will be rescheduled. Consult the Tap-It’s website or Facebook page for details on the new date that will honor seven years of amazing beers and include food & beer pairings, live music and raffles.
M. Special M. Special Brewing Company opened in September of 2015. Co-owner brothers Emmett and Brendan Malloy teamed with their cousin Chris Miller and brewer Josh Ellis in opening M. Special. The brewery’s sizeable tasting room also features a large wrap-around patio for outdoor enjoyment. The Malloys both come from backgrounds in the entertainment
Eagle Rock Brewery owners Ting Su and Jeremy Raub with son Milo pouring at the Mammoth Festival of Beers.
10 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I February 2017
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Regulatory Review The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is one of the regulators that govern the distribution and sale of alcohol in California. This past May, Timothy Gorsuch retired as the department’s director. Earlier in the year Governor Brown had also appointed Gorsuch’s chief deputy director, Lori Ajax, to oversee California’s new medical marijuana agency. With both positions vacated, retired CHP deputy commissioner Ramona Prieto assumed the duties as acting director. CHP lieutenants Sunshine Garside and Julian Irigoyen have assumed and share the duties of acting chief deputy. Their backgrounds in law enforcement have been coupled with increased funding for the department and its initiatives. As a result we have seen an increase in news and reports on the escalation of programs targeted at enforcement of the law. We can expect these programs and their visibility to continue building momentum for the foreseeable future. An award recently bestowed upon the LAPD is an illustrative example of these increased efforts. In January, Director Prieto announced that the Los Angeles Police Department was selected to receive the California ABC’s Significant Achievement Award for its work towards reducing alcohol-related harm through the ABC Grant Assistance Program (GAP). The award was granted to the LAPD in recognition of 2003 arrests, increased visits to ABC licensed businesses and its efforts in building stronger relationships between law enforcement and the community. The LAPD exceeded 145% of grant goals, which included 21 multi-agency ABC task force operations, 63 Shoulder Tap Operations to reduce youth access to alcohol, 144 inspections at ABC licensed businesses, training of 570 officers on ABC enforcement
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(from l-r) SLO’s Tap-It Brewing Co’s Paige Howery and Tap-It Brewmaster Ryan Aikens.
and prevention strategies, and completion of more than 150 STAR Responsible Beverage Service training sessions for LA area businesses selling alcohol. The GAP Program is an effort to strengthen partnerships between the ABC and local law enforcement agencies. It was also designed to provide education about public safety and the need for compliance with alcoholic beverage laws. Funding is directed in an effort to reduce alcoholic beverage sales to minors and intoxicated patrons, and to reduce illegal solicitations of alcohol, and other criminal activities.
Societe Gives Back In November and December, San Diego’s Societe Brewing released 500-milliliter bottles of its wine-barrel-aged, cranberry sour ale, The Urchin. Sales of that beer were incorporated as part of an effort to raise funds and food for needy families in San Diego County. Through the end of December, for a price tag of $50 or a donation of 50 pounds of food + $5, participants received a bottle of The Urchin. The drive resulted in the collection of over 23,000 pounds of food for the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. This translated to over 19,000 meals for San Diego County families.
February 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 11
Brett’s
By Jackie Brett Jackie is a freelance public relations specialist and writer specializing in the Las Vegas entertainment and travel scene. Her writings have appeared in magazines and newspapers nationwide and on numerous websites. She is also an instructor covering Special Events at CSN- College of Southern Nevada.
Email: jackiebrett@cox.net
Dining Scoops
Giordano’s Famous Stuffed Deep Dish Pizza opened its first Las Vegas location at the Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally’s with a second-floor dining room above Starbucks and an outside ground-level patio, both with a full bar. Serendipity 3 ice cream parlor in front of Caesars Palace since 2009 has been replaced with a new restaurant with al fresco dining: Stripside Café & Bar. At The Venetian, French-American db Brasserie closed to make room for Chica, a Latin-influenced restaurant. A second Las Vegas Heart Attack Grill will open at the Hawaiian Marketplace on the Strip in space once occupied by Pete Rose Sports Bar & Grill.
Raiding the Rock Vault will open at the Vinyl inside the Hard Rock March 11 with 8:30 p.m. shows Saturday to Wednesday.
The musical comedy matinee, Tony Sacca’s Vegas The Story, is extended at Bally’s Windows Showroom. Comedian-impersonator Rich Little’s oneman show at the Laugh Factory inside the Tropicana has been extended through June 2017. America’s Got Talent finalist Piff the Magic Dragon performs in Bugsy’s Cabaret at the Flamingo when he’s not touring and begins Hawthorn Grill is a new chic steakhouse at sharing the room with past season finalist Tape the JW Marriott seating more than 370 guests Face on Feb. 22. in the main dining room, outdoor patio, two Tenors Of Rock comprised of five blokes private rooms and lounge. from the U.K. began a regular gig at Harrah’s Entertainment Flashes Showroom in January. Jerry Seinfeld will return to The Colosseum The Righteous Brothers featuring Bucky at Caesars Palace for four nights: June 17-18 Heard with Bill Medley are continuing at and Sept. 8-9. Harrah’s Showroom. Country superstar Chris Stapleton will perform Legends in Concert at the Flamingo reveals at the Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms a new cast on Feb. 11 with impersonations of Thursday, March 30. He gained superstardom Marilyn Monroe, Janice Joplin, Michael with his 2015 album Traveller. Jackson and Elvis. Grammy Award-winning band Blues Traveler Chicago celebrating their 50th anniversary and will perform six shows at Cleopatra’s Barge The Doobie Brothers will co-headline a North inside Caesars Palace Feb. 22 through American summer tour and visit the Park March 9. Theater at Monte Carlo Friday, June 9. Carlos Santana has additional 2017 dates in May, September and November at House of Rock legend, John Fogerty, will debut at Blues at Mandalay Bay solidifying his fifth Wynn with his acclaimed show, John Fogerty: Fortunate Son In Concert, at the Encore year at the intimate venue. Theater for 10 performances: March 3, 4, 8, 10 On Feb. 16, former CIA officer Jason Hanson and 11 and May 19, 20, 24, 27 and 28. opens his fascinating life-saving skills 5 p.m. show Spy Escape & Evasion at the Legendary rock band Journey, named Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 2017 class inductees, Stratosphere Theater. return to The Joint at Hard Rock for a second Canadian trio The Tenors partner with One Drop to present the fifth anniversary residency May 3-20. The Chainsmokers, Andrew Taggart and of One Night for One Drop with Cirque du Soleil artists supporting safe water access Alex Pall, agreed to make XS Nightclub and Encore Beach Club their exclusive U.S. club programs worldwide Friday, March 3 at New York-New York. venues for three years. 12 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I February 2017
About Town News
The Dorsey, which replaced The Bourbon Room, is a new cocktail bar at The Venetian. Alto Bar, the newest destination and largest bar at Caesars Palace located adjacent to Omnia Nightclub, is introducing Las Vegas’ first Virtual Reality Lounge featuring Oculus Rift through Feb. 28.
The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens current display honors Chinese New Year ushering in the Year of the Rooster through March 4. In partnership with Zappos, a first-of-its-kind co-working space opened at The Venetian | The Palazzo Congress Center. The enclosed transparent, pop-up business lounge taps into a growing trend of creating collaborative workspaces. LEVEL UP, a new “place to play” concept lounge, opened at MGM Grand presenting a new era in interactive, skill-based fun, tech savvy, adult playground. GameWorks at Town Square debuted the XD Dark Ride multi-sensory adventure ride. The internationally celebrated World Heritage Collection by award-winning photographer Mario Basner has its world premiere at Tivoli Village through Feb. 28. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) campus. Three galleries with exhibits and a “Fifty Years” lobby display are celebrations. Run Away with Cirque du Soleil will return to the Springs Preserve March 11 for its 16th annual 5K run and 1-mile fun walk. CycleBar, the only Premium Indoor Cycling franchise in the United States, opens its first Nevada location at The District in Green Valley with the multisensory tiered CycleTheatre. Celebrity Cars Las Vegas holds The Car Show on Eastern every Saturday from 7-10 a.m. at Sansone Park Place’s parking lot of Twin Peaks and BJ’s. Macy’s at The Boulevard Mall is among the 68 stores closing this year. Last December, the 31,000-square-foot of interactive, educational hands-on SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium opened at the mall. www.socalfnbpro.com
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Presents 5th Annual Splash into the Season 2017 By Bob Barnes Photos by Audrey Dempsey - Infinity Photo
On a cold winter’s day in February, with the day’s high topping out in the 50s, the last thing I was thinking about was summer. That is, until I entered the offices of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, where previews of a myriad of products sure to be popular for enjoying poolside were on display. Adding to the summery mood were a bevy of bikiniclad servers who were easy on the eyes, but also knowledgeable about the beverages they were promoting. Best of all, to this reporter, were several owners and representatives of new products, who were more than willing to discuss the ins and outs of what makes their product an exciting and enticing entry into the market. Southern Glazer’s Senior Key Accounts Director Livio Lauro explained the purpose of the event and how it has evolved over the years, saying, “The idea is to invite in customers opening a pool or those having a vested interest in selling products that could be enjoyed poolside. The first year we started in one room, and last year and this year, year five, we’ve expanded to the whole building.” Ron Newman, Regional Manager of Davos Brands, added, “Splash is a great opportunity to showcase new fantastic cocktails for the 2017 pool season.” Ron was showcasing the new TY KU Cucumber-infused sake, and serving a cocktail with the junmai sake, Aviation Gin and fresh lime juice. The portfolio also includes a coconut infusion and three grades of premium filtered sakes.
Another summer quencher was the brand new hug l’originale, a 100% natural sparkling ready-to-pour wine cocktail with a tag line of “Summer in a Bottle.” Hugely popular in Europe and known as Hugo in Italy, Hug International LLC GM/Co-owner Josie Razook, exclusive importer to the USA, China and Australia, explained, “Everybody needs a hug and especially a sparkling hug. It’s unique and there’s nothing like it in the market.” It was perfected by Thomas Divina and Stefan Zanotti, owners of ZADI Drinks, who refined the right taste combination of elderflower, mint and lemon extract and it weighs in at a summery light 140 calories per 8 oz serving and 5.9% ABV. A product that has the potential to be a landmark breakthrough in the beverage industry and usher in a new way to drink
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spirits is beyond zero, an invention that quickly freezes liquor into spirit cubes, eliminating watered down drinks. Inventor Jason Sherman, a dedicated scotch/whiskey drinker, 20 years ago initially designed a machine to make ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Jason said, “After living in Miami I was repeatedly disappointed after ordering spirits on the rocks and it always arrived in a cup full of ice. One night I experimented in pouring tequila into my machine and it was a mind blowing experience, as it tasted so smooth, with no dilution and without the alcohol burn you get when drinking a spirit straight. It’s a new category of drinking, and when ordering a drink, you can now ask for it ‘in the rocks’ instead of on the rocks.” This machine is the first in the world to be patented to make these spirit cubes, and is www.socalfnbpro.com
produced by Winston Industries, the same company that invented the pressure fryer used by KFC. Beyond zero Partner Tim Couch reported, “The Louisville Business First recently named Inventor Jason Sherman one of the ‘Top 20 People to Know in the Bourbon Industry.’ Millennials love ice in their drinks, and our machine eliminates the watered down factor, the alcohol burn and leaves the pure flavor of the spirit or wine. And, it uses less energy than a 100 watt light bulb left on for one month.” The new product is expected to launch through Southern Glazer’s in late March or early April. Vice President of Sales Kelly Smith was promoting VO|CO, a vodka and coconut water-infused drink with natural flavors, which at only 5.5% ABV will be a perfect fit for imbibing at the pool. Kelly cleverly commented, “The next day after a night out of drinking, VO|CO is light and refreshing and the perfect cocktail to hydrate while dehydrating.” VO|CO is packaged in 12 oz cans, is gluten free, made from triple distilled corn vodka and Indonesian coconut water and is good by itself or mixed in cocktails, such as the refreshing and easy-drinking Mango Cocojito—made with VO|CO, Cruzan Mango Rum, lime juice, simple syrup, club soda and mint—that was being served during the Splash event. We’ve all heard of beer being aged in whiskey barrels, but what about whiskey being aged www.socalfnbpro.com
in a barrel that previously contained beer? That’s exactly what Jameson Caskmates has done. Well, sort of…As Jameson Local Rep Lawrence Isara explained, “The tagline of Caskmates—‘triple distilled once stouted’— refers to the fact that Jameson provides the Cork Franciscan Well Brewery with barrels that has contained its whiskey, which are then used to age the brewery’s stout, and after the beer has been packaged the barrel is then used to finish Jameson whiskey, resulting in notes of cocoa, coffee and butterscotch.” Lawrence says future versions of Caskmates will use other beer styles for even more interesting flavor results. Rum is ubiquitous with the Caribbean, but what about rum from Africa? Enter Starr Rum, an ultra-superior light rum from Mauritius, a tiny island paradise off the southeast coast of Africa made from a cherry and cardamom base with hints of citrus, nutmeg and vanilla. Creative Director Mark Zarnow said, “Vanilla grows wild on the island and adds notes to the sugar cane. Starr Rum is a clean, easy drinking rum that is impossible not to enjoy and makes the ultimate mojito.” The attractive bottle is inspired by the distinct shape of the volcano, and symbolic of the nutrient-rich volcanic soil on the island of Mauritius. Launched in Las Vegas a year ago, it is currently at Wynn/ Encore and Treasure Island and will soon be available at MGM Properties resorts.
Southern Glazer’s Territory Manager/ Resorts Wine Division Erin Cooper was keeping the oenophiles happy, pouring wines for both on-premise and retail chains. Erin remarked, “Some favorites were the small formats from Sutter Home; they are the top selling 187mL brand and offer 15 delicious varietals. Canned wine was another huge hit and FlipFlop, Seven Daughters and The Infinite Monkey canned wines showcased this new popular trend in wine.” After drinking the aforementioned delights our bodies may have become a bit dehydrated, so it’s great to have something to remedy that and rehydrate us. To the rescue was Alka Nix, which is locally-produced and is not only a perfect hydration 0 calorie water, but delivers electrolytes and alkaline water ionized to two years of sustainable 9.5 pH. President Baze Melamed informed, “Our water is best for your body if you drink anything acidic such as coffee or alcohol. We are happy to be with Southern, and they are a great partner.” It’s nice to know Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits provides us with a day when we can forget the temperature outside and pretend for a bit that it is a glorious summer day, with intriguing products to match. For more info on any of the products previewed at the Splash into the Season 2017, contact your Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits sales representative.
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West Eats East Beyond Sushi, Where Does J-Food Go? The last two years, J-foods have been covered from views of culture, culinary and business prospects here in our market. Now it’s time to say sayonara or goodbye. In this last story, let’s see through my crystal ball for the tomorrow of J-foods. What is going to happen in J-foods for healthy eating, anything beyond sushi? My crystal ball tells us something suggestive, hopefully. Sushi: Sushi will diversify primarily due to the supply conditions of seafood and other ingredients. Chirashi, Gomoku vegetables, or Oshi sushi may come to accommodate diverse taste and style. Since rice is a major ingredient, sushi is gluten free, which may be much promoted. Nigiri will cut in the roll-style dominant sushi recipe. Nigiri is nothing special but easy (probably easier) to make for appealing to the authenticity of sushi. Since a major sushi seafood is salmon here, the way to present salmon may be further innovated like favoring with miso or baking with herbs like rosemary. Meat will be sure to come more into sushi, primarily roast Kobe beef. Chicken might be possible like teriyaki chicken sushi. Not much Spam sushi, I guess. More vegetables can be used: eggplants (already in Japan), cucumbers and cooked vegetables. Vegetarian sushi must be a new promise. Mayo, despite of not being my taste in sushi, can be blended with miso, white soy sauce or other ingredients for surprisingly unique flavors. The future of sushi, in a direction, may come from creativity, while, in another direction, from traditional varietal sushi. Through my crystal ball, a seafood bowl is seen in a blur. You know rice bowls that beef or chicken teriyaki are served over cooked rice. A seafood rice bowl is that sashimi style seafood slices are placed over the rice (with or without vinegar favored) along with slices of cucumber and Kamaboko fish cake. It can be served in a medium size bowl probably along with sliced sweet ginger and wasabi. A seafood rice bowl is not my creation but very popular in Japan for lunch, easy, less expensive than similarly arranged Chirashi sushi. No particular skill is needed to make it except for extreme clean-hygiene kitchen practices to handle raw seafood. Depending on supply and price, you may serve tuna bowl, salmon bowl with salmon roe, a variety seafood
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By K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D. Mike Masuyama is a bi-cultural science-technologybusiness consultant. He earned a Ph.D. in Food Science at Cornell University, is involved in teaching, research and business in major-beer, micro-beer, soft drinks, sake, sea salt, rice, white soy sauce and other areas both in Japan and the US., and has published several books and dozens of articles. “Ask Doctor Sake” was his last series in this journal.
sashimi-shrimp, pickled mackerels and broiled unagi sea eel. A leaf of green shiso can be used to separate cold ingredients on rice and also as a garnish. A seafood bowl, called Kaisen (fresh seafood)-Donburi (bowl), may come to our table in the not too distant future. Bento: It translates to a packed meal in a box-container to eat out for lunch or meal at school-office or outing like a cherry blossom party or picnic. A lunch box, bento, you may recall at J-restaurants or groceries, contains a variety of cooked vegetables and animal protein foods (pork or chicken cutlet, shrimp tempura, broiled salmon or mackerel). A bento usually does not include raw food items like sashimi because it is intended to carry for some time and distance at ambient temperatures. A couple of roll sushi, usually California roll, may be included but it uses imitation crab meat, a processed food. A tiny soy sauce pack is often included. At a cashier, you may be asked for chopsticks. A bento is good because of omnivorous eating. You may eat at least 10 food items, promoting your healthy diet. A bento is a popular lunch item in J-grocery stores in big cities. Some office workers go and buy, and eat at the office. A bento is a good “to go” food, which can be eaten conveniently for dinner as well. Since it is sold often in an open cooler, bento will be more palatable once warmed in a microwave oven for a couple of minutes. Ramen, soba noodle soups are expected by some people more in our eating but they may be limited for lunch or light snacks unless loaded with vegetables and meat. Such noodle business needs a long line of customers to make a good profit out of $10-15 per head sales. Ramen tastes almost the same all over the places without specific characters despite claimed flavors, which is a little bit disappointing. Curry over rice is another popular menu item which J-food business anticipates to grow, but it is liked or disliked depending on food habit or eating experience and it may take more time to become a promising taste here. J-food has made a great contribution by bringing more vegetables, seafood and exotic foods into our eating. It also stimulates our awareness of freshness, omnivorous-ness and health-food interaction. Also a new business or menu opportunity. Be well for J-foods down the road. Kanpai or Cheers with sake. www.socalfnbpro.com
By Chef Allen Asch
Chef Talk Food Waste in America
Feel free to contact Chef Allen with ideas for comments or future articles at allena@unlv.nevada.edu Chef Allen Asch M. Ed., CCE is a culinary arts instructor that has earned degrees from Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales University and Northern Arizona University. He is currently teaching at UNLV. He earned his Certified Culinary Educator Endorsement from the American Culinary Federation in 2003.
create that waste. Many restaurants use peelings or byproducts to flavor soups, stocks or sauces. You should also make sure that your storage techniques are proper with tightly wrapping or sealing foods and making sure that storage temperatures are ideal, in the refrigerator as well as the freezer. People, both in the industry and lay people, can check dates on canned products and donate them to shelters or needy people before the expiration dates. Another easy trick to preserve food is to pickle products that might be going bad. This can extend shelf life by a month or more. One guideline the government can change is to create common terminology for the use by/sell buy/best buy dates marked on food packaging. Milk has a sell by date on it but the industry standard says you should have at least 10 days to use it after that date. This rule is not the same in a commercial kitchen in most jurisdictions.
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It is estimated that 40% of the food that is purchased by restaurants ends up being discarded before reaching the guest. Obviously if this waste can be eliminated it would lead to higher profits and less product sent to a landfill as well as a lesser need for food production. Food production is a huge drain on the environment using both land and creating methane gas emissions. 11% of all global land is used for agricultural uses. Additionally it is estimated that 17% of all methane gas produced comes from livestock farming. If society can reduce food waste we can cut farming, freeing up the land and creating fewer emissions. If 40% of the waste was cut this would make a great change in the earth’s environment. These statements do not even include the ability to minimize landfill acreage as well as the methane gas produce from landfills. This phenomenon occurs in homes as well as food service restaurants. The average American wastes/discards 23 pounds of food per person every month. As Americans are becoming more aware of this we are taking small steps to try to reduce these numbers. One of the responses that Americans are doing much better at is composting. Another response that is just getting started is being done with the help of supermarkets. Many supermarkets are now looking into the marketing and selling of ugly fruit. Ugly fruit is the term used for fruit that does not look as nice as the produce we are used to seeing in a supermarket. Ugly fruit, as an example, would not be sold in the past; it would have been sent to a landfill for disposal, but now supermarkets are trying to market it. It is estimated that 20% of all produce grown is discarded due to its irregular size, shape, color or appearance. Another great source for buying imperfect fruit is at a farmers market. There are many tools that can be used to help avoid food waste. One practice that is used in most restaurants is called FIFO. This stands for First In First Out. This is a good inventory practice to avoid food from spoiling. Make sure to use the oldest product first. Another tool is to take inventory of your stock and plan a meal around what you need to use up. Many restaurants will use this method for staff meals or for specials. Another tool to avoid food waste is to think about how much you peel or trim foods. If you do not peel the potato, as an example, you will not
Las Vegas has been very proactive in avoiding sending food to the landfill. Since 1963 RC Farms has been hauling excess food from many of the city’s casinos to its farm in North Las Vegas and turning it into slop for their 2,500 hogs. Recently the farm has sold its current location and is moving its operations further north to the Apex industrial zone. This new facility will open with 5,000 pigs, but have the ability to grow to up to 25,000 pigs. This will be a big help in keeping food out of the landfill. From one hotel alone on the Strip in one year RC Farms hauled 7 million pounds of food scraps to feed the pigs. Hopefully with the demand increased more hotel properties will join the others in donating the food leftovers to feed these pigs. The program of collecting the scraps started with 4 hotels and currently is implemented in 22 properties in Southern Nevada.
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February 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 17
Wine Talk with Alice Swift
By Alice Swift Alice Swift has been a resident of Las Vegas since July, 2011, and is currently an instructor as well as a Ph.D. student at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. She also works as Learning Design & Development Business Partner for MGM Resorts University. Check out her website at www. aliceswift.com for the dish on wine, technology, or even both! She is happy to take suggestions for article topics or inquiries.
Wine Direct-to-Consumer: What is it and why is it important?
Those of you in the business world have heard of terms like B2B and B2C, meaning businesses that sell to other businesses (B2B), and businesses that sell to consumers (B2C). Well, in the wine world, many states distribute wine with the help of a wholesaler or distributor, involving a three-tiered distribution system. In this form of distribution, wine is sold from the wine producer to a third-party distributor, who then sells to the retailer (and thus to the consumer). There has been a growing movement towards a more direct form of distribution called Directto-Consumer (DTC). This allows producers to sell and ship wine directly to the consumer, rather than routing through a third party. According to freethegrapes.org, as of three decades ago, there were only four states that permitted DTC. Now, in contrast, there are only six states that do not allow DTC, and four states that ship DTC with limitations. Initially, these restrictions on shipping were established in order to maintain monopolistic control within each state. However, there are now supporters at the state and federal level who are in support
of consumers as well as wine businesses who would like to amend these laws. In addition, Free the Grapes, a non-profit organization made up of five major wine industry associations, was established to advocate for lifting of restrictions on states that still prohibit direct purchasing/ shipping from the winery to consumer homes. The Model Direct Shipping Bill was used in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Granholm v. Heald) and is now the standard used in most states where DTC is legal. Since the latest legalizations of DTC, with Pennsylvania being the 44th legalized state, direct winery shipments are now allowed in 94% of U.S. states. This has resulted in over $1 billion in wine shipped to consumers from Napa, California. In Massachusetts, the first year of legalized DTC wine shipping resulted in over $27 million in wine shipments. While some may feel that the DTC benefit to consumers will put wholesale distributors at a disadvantage, the reality is that there is room for everyone! With the exponentially increasing numbers of wineries each year, there are now more wines than ever being produced and it
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is impossible to have them all represented by retailers and third party distributors. With the number of wholesale distributors decreasing due to consolidation, there will still be a demand for wholesale purchasing. However, consumers now have the freedom of choice to purchase direct from the producer should they want to. Personally, I know plenty of people who will still make the bulk of their wine purchases from their local retail wine shop or market, and the food and beverage venues will still be purchasing from the wholesalers. Direct-to-consumer shipping provides increased access and more options for consumers, and when it comes down to it, it’s the consumers who sustain the wine business, so we should take care of them (and by “them” I also mean me)! This Valentine’s day, don’t eliminate the possibility of ordering your favorite wine from your favorite winery, even if it’s not available in your local wine shop. Until next month, Cheers and have a Happy Chinese New Year~! Alice www.socalfnbpro.com
Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country’s Women Create Their Own Heritage
Photo courtesy Valerie Andrews
Valerie Andrews, co-owner and co-founder of Oak Mountain Winery and Temecula Hills Winery
The Wine Institute of California estimates that between 15-20% of California winemakers are women, which is an increase of 5-10% from the early 1990’s. According to the Gallup Poll’s Annual Consumption Habits Poll, 52% of women consumers say they drink wine more often than any other beverage compared to only 20% of men, so it makes sense this historically male-dominated field is becoming an appealing option for women. Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country is no exception. Talented women like Olivia Bue (winemaker at Robert Renzoni Vineyards and Winery), Valerie Andrews (owner of Temecula Hills Winery and Oak Mountain Winery) and Cindy Palumbo (owner of Palumbo Family Vineyards and Winery) achieve success while raising families, giving back to the community and inspiring other women in the industry. Olivia Bue, winemaker for Robert Renzoni Vineyards and Winery, first got into wine through family. “I grew up in Encinitas, surrounded by a family who loved wine. Uncorking bottles was always in the equation at every family gathering; wine was our conduit to laughter and love. Around the age of 16, a close family friend who had enrolled at the UC Davis School of Viticulture and Enology told me about the program and experience. The moment I received my acceptance letter I made an easy decision to pack my bags and head up to Davis,” says Bue. She is undaunted by the physical labor and long hours, motivated by those who doubted her or judged her because she is young and female. Bue advises women interested in entering the winemaking field to taste wine as much as possible, discuss wines with others, take classes and be patient. “Winemaking is such an art,” says Bue. “Yes, there is a lot of heavy www.socalfnbpro.com
manual labor and endless hours during harvest, but taking the time to understand your region’s complexities is something that takes time and a love of the art. Any gender can accomplish that!” Bue is especially passionate about Temecula Valley wines. “The more wines I taste outside of Temecula Valley, the more confident and proud I become of our region’s path. We are going in such a strong direction forward and I continue to be impressed at the quality of wines being made in Temecula Valley.” Valerie Andrews, co-owner and co-founder of Oak Mountain Winery and Temecula Hills Winery, got her start in Temecula back in 1999 when she and her husband, Steve, moved to a 10acre ranch just on the edge of Temecula’s wine country. They built Temecula Hills Winery on the property, which opened in 2001, and then Oak Mountain Winery on a separate property, which opened in 2005. The vines were hand-planted by Valerie, Steve and their children in 2000. Now in her second decade of her wine career, Valerie is deeply loved by the community and consumers and admired and respected by her colleagues. In addition to operating the wineries, Valerie’s community involvement runs deep. She balances her time running the day-to-day business operations at both wineries as well as serving on the board for the De Portola Wine Trail and on the hospitality committee for the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association. Valerie also founded Cause Fur Paws, a nonprofit organization whose mission is assisting animals with diabetes and helping senior citizens with companion pets. Cause Fur Paws Inc. helps low income pet owners pay for 100% of their medical needs. Dog-labeled wines and handcrafted cork tiaras can be found at Oak Mountain Winery with proceeds going
to help local animals in need. In addition, Oak Mountain is the site of numerous dog events and charity fundraisers throughout the year. Co-owner of Palumbo Family Vineyards and Winery, Cindy Palumbo has been in the valley since 1994. She first started at Callaway and Hart wineries with Joe Hart and John Moramarco. Now co-owner of Palumbo Family Vineyards and Winery, a 13 acre, 2,500-case-per-year winery, with her husband Nick Palumbo, Cindy is very active in all aspects of the business. They are committed to small-lot, handcrafted wines from varieties grown on the property. She has also been instrumental in implementing sustainable farming and has helped to create more than just a winery but a “whole farm approach” to their agricultural activities, believing that a winery should first and foremost be considered an agricultural entity. She is very active in the community and donates both time and money to local charities, including Big Hearts for Little Hearts of Temecula Valley, as well as the proceeds from her children’s books, the Farm Boy Series. The series is a collection of entertaining children’s books that teach about sustainable farming. In addition to working full time at the winery and authoring children’s books, Cindy has been deeply involved with teaching children to farm in a sustainable manner through a local 4-H program. Whether by virtue of their family wine ties, passion, or drive, Bue, Andrews and Palumbo are producing some of the valley’s best wines all while serving as pillars of leadership in Temecula Valley’s wine and farming community. These women are paving the way for future women winemakers and winery owners in Temecula Valley.
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By Ben Brown
| Foodie Biz |
Benjamin Brown, MBA is Restaurant Editor of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional. A seasoned writer and consultant, Ben works with Fortune 500 companies and mom & pop shops alike in Marketing, Analytics, Consumer Insights, PR and Business Development. Contact Ben at Ben@socalfnbpro.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.
photos courtesy Umami Burger
Umami Burger
Umami Burger: Inside the Exploding Burger Empire Umami Burger has taken the burger world by storm, and has become a household name in major cities across the country. This full-service chain has built its reputation on not just creating fun, intricate burgers, but engineering them to showcase umami to its fullest extent. Umami, by the way, is a Japanese term that describes the savory ‘fifth taste’ on top of the traditional sweet, salty, sour and bitter flavor spectrum. So the real question remains: has Umami Burger produced true umami? Rich patties and decadent sauces make for some darn good burgers. The manly, for instance, unleashes tremendously hearty flavor with house-made beer cheddar sauce, bacon lardons and smoked salt onion strings. The sunny side takes a less rich, but equally hearty approach with perfectly-cooked fried egg, arugula, truffle aioli and Parmesan frico [a crunchy disc of baked grated parmesan] that adds excellent texture. Additionally, Umami Burger is part of a growing trend where each location has its own signature burger. Those venturing to Hollywood must try the Blue Lucy, which literally bursts with cheesy goodness. Fries are a must, of course, and take their own approach to umami. The manly fries are every bit as potent as the burger, and make you yearn for even more bacon. Maple bacon sweet potato fries and truffle cheese fries each boast their own excellent qualities as well.
Planned Parenthood LA Food Fare Announces 2017 Chef of the Year
The PPLA Food Fare, taking place March 2, 2017, has presented its Chef of the Year Award to Annie Miler, Chef and Owner of Clementine in Los Angeles. Clementine, a bakery-café in Century City and Beverly Hills, has a locallysourced, seasonally rotating menu born from a marriage of Miler’s culinary family background and her travels as a chef. Miler received the award for her outstanding contributions to Los Angeles’ culinary culture as well as her dedication to PPLA’s mission to support community health, education and wellness. The PPLA Food Fare will be held in Santa Monica’s Barkar Hangar. Daytime session 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., evening session 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. [5:30 entrance for VIP]. Tickets can be purchased at pplafoodfare.com.
Ayara Thai closes for remodel, -k opens pop-up concept, Ayara Lu
Ayara Thai in Westchester has opened Ayara Lūk, which will effectively serve as a standin for Ayara Thai during an expected fourmonth closure for renovation and expansion, anticipated to start in February 2017. Ayara Lūk [‘lūk’ means child in Thai] is a tribute that Owner Vanda Asapahu and siblings Peter and Cathy are paying to their parents’ recipes,
with dishes inspired by their experiences as first generation Thai-Americans. Ayara Lūk’s changing menu is small and curated to feature favorites from Ayara Thai, their take on classic Thai dishes, and environmentallyconscious ingredients. To the Asapahu siblings, these changes mean infusing their contemporary values with the Thai culinary heritage that they have inherited from their parents. Ayara Lūk pop-up Thai eatery is located at 8740 South Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Hours of operations for February are Monday– Saturday from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Closed Sunday.
The Halal Guys announces fifth Southern California location
The fast-casual Middle Eastern concept has exploded in Southern California, and The Halal Guys will be opening a new location in West Hollywood [8919 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069], anticipated this spring. Even more locations in the LA metro area are set to open in 2017. Be on the lookout for The Halal Guys coming to Glendale, Cerritos and Downtown Los Angeles. The Halal Guys is part of a booming food trend in Middle Eastern cuisine. Numerous stories by Bloomberg News, Wall Street Journal and CCTV have cited how Halal food is projected to become a 20 billion dollar a year market. The Halal Guys have also been awarded the 2014 Multicultural Award at The 5th American Muslim Consumer Conference and recognized by TIME Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine and The New York Times.
photos courtesy Ayara Lūk
-k Ayara Lu
If you insist on steering away from the core menu, Umami’s ‘don’t have a cow’ menu features some excellent nontraditional nonburgers from the crispy [and very hot!] diablo chicken sandwich to seared ahi tuna and falafel ‘burgers.’
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Product Review By Bob Barnes
Zabov Zabaglione
This traditional Italian liqueur commonly starts with a base of advocaat, an eggnog-like brandy liqueur popular in the Netherlands, Belgium, southern Germany and Austria. Made since 1946 by the Distillerie Moccia in Ferrara, a city in northern Italy, this drink is an example of the myriad lingering Germanic influences on Italy’s northern border regions. The bottle appears to be painted, until you begin pouring and realize the striking yellow appearance is that of the drink itself, which is suggestive of one of its ingredients, egg yolks; and it’s also a blend of milk, sugar and alcohol. The result is a sweet and warming creamy blend that is quite delicious and I found myself wanting to sip and repeat over and over. It can be enjoyed neat, hot or chilled. Serving suggestions are: as a cocktail or dessert ingredient, garnish for ice cream or added to espresso coffee. Zabov Zabaglione is shipped and imported by Domaine Select Wine Estates LLC and is distributed in Southern Nevada and in California by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Suggested retail price is $29.99 per liter. http://domaineselect.com/reviews/review-for-product-zabov-zabaglione
Hot Ruby Cranberry Cider
Named for and created from a family recipe of Ruby Faye, this non-alcoholic cranberry cider is made from fresh, natural ingredients using the same steps as the Texas native used 45 years ago when she made it for her family and friends. It’s also produced in the Lone Star state and uses no artificial dyes or preservatives and unlike typical cider, is made out of cranberry, pineapple and citrus juices along with an exquisite blend of spices including cinnamon and clove. Although Ruby always served it warm, the makers recommend it be served either cold or hot, but if you do heat it up, you’ll be rewarded with the unsurpassable delectable aroma that will fill your house. The makers also suggest it can be enjoyed as is, with a splash of club soda or as a mixer with rum, vodka, bourbon, tequila or champagne. This tasty elixir comes in a gallon jug, 32 oz bottle or a 32 oz canning jar. To order online and for simple recipes using Hot Ruby, visit drinkhotruby.com. A pack of two 32 oz bottles sells for $44.
Book Review Virgil’s Barbecue Road Trip Cookbook—The Best Barbecue From Around the Country Without Ever Leaving Your Backyard By Neil Corman with Chris Peterson By Bob Barnes If you’ve already made your way out to the newly opened Virgil’s BBQ at The LINQ Promenade on the Vegas Strip, you’ll want to check out this 335 page cookbook, which like the restaurant, explores America’s favorite food: BBQ; and grilling secrets from the US’s hottest BBQ capitals: Texas, North Carolina, Kansas City, and Memphis. Written by Neal Corman, Corporate Executive Chef of the Alicart Restaurant Group of which Virgil’s BBQ is a part of, the book contains 98 foolproof recipes that any home cook or backyard grillmaster should be able to accomplish for quick weekday dinners or relaxed weekend entertaining. This BBQ bible contains chapters on starters and salads, drinks, sides, rubs, marinades & sauces, beef, pork, poultry, seafood, sweets and suggested menus. Also included are sections on the history of hot smoking, the art and science of barbecue and the essential gear one will need to BBQ. Scattered throughout the book are helpful tips, such as how to season cast iron grates, how to prevent grease fires, types of wood to use for smoking and the best style of beer to serve with various types of meat. Virgil’s Barbecue Road Trip Cookbook is published by St. Martin’s Press. The book is available at Virgil’s BBQ at The LINQ Promenade, or visit us.macmillan.com/virgilsbarbecueroadtripcookbook/nealcorman/9781466837249.
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February 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 21
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT | There is no confusion when it comes to Major Pan-Asian Infusions! More than just a broth, Major’s PAN-ASIAN BASE range is the perfect way to add an exotic twist to any dish. Create healthy, fun, on-trend street-worthy recipes in seconds. It’s OH so SIMPLE and versatile: • use in casseroles, stir-fries, pasta dishes, noodles and soups • create seasonings and dressings • brush onto protein, vegetables or fish as a marinade • stir directly into sauces Making the chef’s life that little bit easier, Major Products blends the ingredients so you don’t have to. From coconut to lemongrass, cilantro, chili pepper, ginger, herbs and spices, and available in four mouthwatering flavors: Beef, Chicken, Pork and Vegetable, you can not only maximize on flavor but stay on budget and save on time. www.majorproducts.com
Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips
New Releases and Seasonal Offerings By Bob Barnes Upslope Brewing Company Citra Pale Ale
Victory Brewing Company Sour Monkey
The Boulder, CO-based Upslope Brewing Company has introduced this very tropical fruit aroma pale ale, which on Feb. 1 replaces its first beer released eight years ago, the Pale Ale. The Citra Pale Ale has been a tap room favorite for years and is now available year round in 12-ounce six-packs, twelve-packs, Mix Boxes, and on draft. I found it to be quite juicy and to my palate made me think of it as more of an IPA than a Pale Ale, which just goes to show how far the American palate has progressed in its love and appreciation of bright, citrusy hops.
Fans of the Downingtown, PA-based Victory Brewing’s crowd favorite Golden Monkey will want to try this ramped up version. This Monkey has the same ABV (9.5%) as its tamer sibling and is brewed with Pilsner malt, coriander seed, Tettnang and whole flower Hallertau hops and fermented with three different yeast strains including Brettanomyces yeasts, which gives it a marked wild, tart character. Golden Monkey devotees owe it to themselves to take a walk on the wild side and take this complex Monkey out for a spin. This Sour Brett Triple is now available year round.
Great Divide Brewing Company Espresso Oak Aged Yeti I’ve long been a big fan of Great Divide Brewing Company’s Imperial Stout that is named for a mythical creature, which I was drawn to due to its thick, chocolatysweet malty richness. The Denver-based brewery also has a version that marries the chocolate notes with the dry roast of coffee along with caramel and wood from the oak barrel aging. When this beer was first formulated Great Divide Founder Brian Dunn and the people from Pablo’s Coffee, a highly respected local coffee roaster, worked for quite a while to get the blend just right, adding espresso to Oak Aged Yeti a little at a time until they found the perfect balance. At 9.5% ABV this seasonal offering is a good candidate for aging… that is, if you can resist popping it open. For those that love coffee, chocolate and beer, this beer has your name written all over it.
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Kona Brewing Company Hanalei Island IPA In honor of the lush Hawaiian Island of Kauai, also known as the Garden Isle, and Hawaii’s popular drink POG (a sweet blend of passionfruit, orange and guava juices), Kona Brewing Company has unveiled its new Hanalei Island IPA with POG as the central flavor profile. Initially only available on tap at the two Kona Brewpubs located in Hawaii Kai on Oahu and in Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawaii, this easy-drinking Session IPA is now making its way to the mainland. Passionfruit, orange and guava balance the subtle bitterness of aromatic Azacca and Galaxy hops and at just 4.5% ABV you should be able to enjoy more than one in a session. Sandi Shriver, head of Kona Brewing Co.’s brewery operations said, “It was a natural progression to develop a beer that incorporated fruits grown on the Islands to distinctively represent Hawaii. Hanalei Island IPA is an extremely drinkable beer that will appeal to those new to beer as well as the more seasoned connoisseurs.” As for the name, Hanalei Island IPA is named after the historic town of Hanalei and the crescent shaped world-famous Hanalei Bay, tucked against lush green mountains streaked with waterfalls.
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By Linda Westcott-Bernstein
Human Resources Insights
Linda Westcott-Bernstein has provided sound human resources advice and guidance to Fortune 500 companies and others for over 25 years. Linda has recently re-published her self-help book entitled It All Comes Down to WE! This book offers guidelines for building a solid and enduring personal work ethic. You can find her book on Amazon or Google Books. Phone: 702-326-4040 Email: Vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com
Planning and Follow Through Are Key to Your Happiness While some might argue that life is way more fun if you just go with the flow and see what may come, I believe, based upon my past experiences, that life-by-the-seat-of-yourpants can be less rewarding and certainly, sometimes, a bit underwhelming. Why do I say that? Because I believe that having a plan means that you have goals, and goals give us focus and direction, not to mention, something to look forward to and celebrate. In my book, It All Comes Down to W.E. (work ethic) I talk a lot about goals, focus and follow through as key steps to finding and building work ethic in your life. The reality for me, is that these are my passion. My panache for planning and sticking to the plan, have been the template for my life’s success. While I’ve not had a plan for every situation and choice I’ve made—those decisions tend to come from a gut feeling, an instinct— once I’ve made a choice, especially one that I have interest in and motivation for, almost nothing keeps me from putting my heart and soul into it. I think for me it comes down to having given every endeavor in my life all of my focus, effort and passion. I have typically never done anything halfheartedly because I always see those efforts as having a reflection on me and my character. So planning, on the surface, may appear simple and basic, but it isn’t if it is done well. However, the best methods and efforts for successful
planning have to include your personal foresight, vision and motivation. Let’s talk about what I am talking about when I say that planning has to be “personal” for each of us. Planning that is successful looks like this… • It is personal because it reflects your level of motivation and the drive for success that you have. • It is personal when the reason you strive for your goal has meaning and consequences for you. • It is personal when you embrace how much your success means to you and why you want it so badly. • It is personal when you have internal pride in the efforts, contributions and successes you’ve made. • It is personal because you have a stake in your future, and in a way, you leave a legacy behind you. I talk about these personal characteristics because anyone can say that they want something, but not have the fortitude or drive to actually make those steps happen. It doesn’t matter what it is that you have passion for, be it sports, culinary, fashion, engineering, charity or whatever, what matters is the effort you put forth and the follow through that happens to
ensure your success. Finally, follow through for me means doing all parts of a job regardless of how boring, tedious or annoying it may be. It means completing your work in its entirety and meeting your promises, goals and objectives. It also means cleaning up all of the messes you’ve made all along the way. It’s never about leaving unfinished work or failing to clean up when you’ve finished a job. I learned very early on in life, from my parents, to take pride in a job well done and to be proud of the work I’ve done because it was valuable and it was completed. That feeling of pride in my work is strong in my life. Even today, when I make a contribution, I always pause for a moment and think about all the contributions that that effort has made to those that I am serving. I have found in my heart, that a job well done (for me) is more than just pride, it is a feeling of satisfaction that what I’ve done has contributed to the happiness of those I serve, resulting in happiness and well-being for me. In closing, best wishes on your plan(s) now and into the future!
HR Question of the month:
Please send your HR questions and concerns, or share your thoughts on your human resources challenges via email to the following address. Send input to vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com. Your comments, questions or concerns will help determine the direction for my next month’s column and earn you a copy of my book. Include your mailing address when sending your responses.
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The Bottom Line The Dangers of Deep Discounts
By Ben Brown Benjamin Brown, MBA is Restaurant Editor of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional. A seasoned writer and consultant, Ben works with Fortune 500 companies and mom & pop shops alike in Marketing, Analytics, Consumer Insights, PR and Business Development. Contact Ben at Ben@lvfnb.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.
Alternative marketing methods can certainly work in lieu of discounts, but if you still feel compelled, here are a few tips to discount more strategically:
Focus on high-margin items If you’re going to offer a discount, be sure that you’re not selling at a loss. The higher the margin is on a particular item, the more you can afford to discount it. Just be sure to vary your discounted item mix enough so that guests don’t feel alienated with discounts limited to soups and vegetarian pastas.
Focus on secondary menu categories Appetizers, sides and desserts should take priority in the discount lineup. Entrees are likely the backbone of your restaurant, so discounting the secondary categories can create a win-win by both bringing people in through the door and encouraging upsell. If your restaurant doesn’t have distinct menu categories, then focus on the items that your guests tend to order as their first course.
The laws of supply and demand are simple. Lower your prices and more people will be willing to buy your product. Go too far down this road, however, and you will have a hard time finding your way back home. So as a restaurant, when you want to incentivize first-timers by offering low prices up front, how do you know when your discounts become too deep?
Thankfully [at least for businesses], deep discounting is on the decline. The Groupons of the world proved this method’s ineffectiveness—a 50+% discount will win the battle by getting people through your doors, but will ultimately lose the war in that these people will not return to pay full price. Part of this method’s failure is due in part to the audience: bargain hunters will always be bargain hunters, and extracting loyalty from this group is as likely as leaving full from a small plates restaurant. The other reason for the failure of deep discounting is more universally applicable, and it’s called the ratchet effect. In short, people have an easier time paying less money for something, but once they experience the discount they have a much harder time paying the original price. The discount doesn’t have to be extreme, either. Even a 10% cut can be hard to recover from, depending on the discount’s frequency and timing. www.socalfnbpro.com
Drinks make for great discounts Drinks have the privilege of falling in both of the above categories. Cocktails should take the reins for discounted drinks, unless you need to unload some wine/beer inventory. Discounted drinks will also encourage more guests to order more discounted drinks, which will likely lead to increased food consumption [or at least susceptibility to ordering more expensive items], leading to larger average checks.
Start with happy hours Before rolling out a full-fledged discount program, try offering a happy hour and/or reverse happy hour, where discounts take place after the dinner rush. This method can help you achieve your revenue goals without offsetting your standard menu prices, not to mention make better use of your real estate during operating hours. Granted there will be some cannibalization of customers who will go to your happy hour instead of your dinner period, but monitor your overall lift to determine whether the increased volume makes up for any losses over time.
Make your discounts limited-time If you’re discounting during standard meal times, be sure to sell them with a sense of urgency. Guests that know your discounts will only take place for a limited time will be more likely to walk in at a given time, and more likely try to sneak in another visit before the discount expires. This will also give your loyalists a better reason to bring their friends in to visit. As an additional note, this tactic is also used for special menu offerings, such as Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp and McDonald’s McRib, which brings a volume lift during otherwise low seasons. While discounts can certainly work to your advantage, they will only contribute to long-term growth if executed strategically and monitored with great care. Remember, discounted items cut directly into your margins, so they can’t serve as a permanent solution to any kind of volume trouble you may be experiencing. There’s a lot of marketing tactics out there that don’t tie directly to pricing, so be sure to keep yourself open to a variety of possible approaches. February 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 25
EVENTS
AD INDEX
There are several major food & beverage events coming up in the next few months. Here is a sampling of some of the events we highly recommend so if planning to attend you can start booking now.
Audrey Dempsey Infinity Photo page 11 www.infinity-photo.com 702-837-1128
Major Foods www.majorproducts.com 702-838-4698
March 8-12 the Natural Products Expo West, held at the Anaheim Hilton & Marriott and Anaheim Convention Center, will include the newest trends in natural food & beverage products. www.expowest.com
Bivi Vodka www.bivivodka.com 631-464-4050
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Recipes for Restaurateurs www.marketing-cookbook.com
March 12-15 Catersource Show 2017: Catersource has chosen to relocate this year to New Orleans where this largest catering-related products show will include regional and national products specifically for catering. The Conference will be held March 12-13 and the Trade Show March 14 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and March 15 from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. If you are in or planning to be in the catering business, this is a show you won’t want to miss! www.catersource.com
FORKS: A Quest for Culture, Cuisine, and Connection www.forksthebook.com
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March 27-29 the Nightclub & Bar Show comes to the Las Vegas Convention Center for the largest beverage and bar show in the world, with unlimited tastes and treats! Don’t miss it. www.ncbshow.com
Jay’s Sharpening Service www.jayssharpening.com 702-645-0049
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Uncle Steve’s www.unclestevesny.com 718-605-0416
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UNLVino www.unlvino.com
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White Soy Sauce www.whitesoysaucefood.com
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March 27-30 the Pizza Expo returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center with the world’s largest pizza, ingredients, products, and service expo, including demos and contests plus samplings all day long! www.pizzaexpo.com March 30-April 1 the 43rd annual UNLVino, an event that raises money for UNLV college scholarships, will consist of three main events: Bubble-Licious, a celebration of Champagne and sparkling wine on March 30; Sake Fever, an event featuring myriad sakes, Japanese spirits and cocktails on March 31; and The Grand Tasting, highlighting a collection of premium beverages alongside cuisine from UNLV’s culinary students and celebrated Vegas restaurants on April 1. http://unlvino.com
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American Culinary Federation Chefs of SoCal
The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional is proud to be associated with these fine organizations: ACF-American Culinary Federation Chef de Cuisine Association of California Chapter Culinarians of San Diego Chapter Chefs de Cuisine Association of San Diego Chapter 26 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I February 2017
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DUKE MARKETING’S FOODSERVICE WEBSITES GET A REFRESH Award Winning Restaurant Marketing Cookbook and LSM-U, Local Store Marketing University™ Websites Relaunch with Fresh Design, New Testimonials and Video San Rafael, CA, January 13, 2015 – Duke Marketing LLC©, established in 1989, a full service marketing communications firm specializing with multi-location foodservice companies, announced the relaunch of two websites, marketing-cookbook.com, for the restaurant marketing book by Duke Marketing’s chief executive, Linda Duke, Four Star Restaurant Marketing Cookbook-Recipes for Restaurateurs™, and the company’s educational program for foodservice professionals website, LSM-U™, Local Store Marketing University™. The websites were redesigned by chief technology and new media officer, Jeremy Rigsby, of Duke Marketing. Visit the newly launched sites at: www.marketing-cookbook. com and www.lsm-u.com. “We wanted to refresh our websites to have a consistent look and include new testimonials and video,” said Linda Duke. Four Star Restaurant Marketing Cookbook— Recipes for Restaurateurs™, published in 2008, is an award winning resource for restaurant operators. Recipes for Restaurateurs provides restaurant owners and operators with proven marketing tactics in a reader-friendly format with over 250 photos and real restaurant case studies. This recipe format cookbook includes 100 field tested tips, tools and tactics of successful marketing recipes, ingredients needed, and directions with a tactical guide to generate trial of new guests, build frequency and
loyalty of existing guests, increase awareness, check averages and sales for any restaurant. Please visit the newly designed website at: www. marketing-cookbook.com “During my book tour, restaurant operators kept asking for an educational program to train their own people to use my Recipes for Restaurateurs book and learn about local store marketing,” said Duke. “That’s when we developed LSM-U, Local Store Marketing University.” In 2011, LSM-U was offered as an educational certification workshop across the country at several state restaurant associations including California, Texas and Florida. Now, six years later, thousands have earned their LSM-U certificate and the popular training program is offered to restaurant chain operators with proven results. Watch the new LSM-U video here! https://youtu.be/NixtpvQZWdk LSM-U, Local Store Marketing University™, is a four hour jam packed educational program devised to enhance operator-marketers’ ability to understand, create and implement local store marketing strategies to increase sales and awareness in their 3-5 mile radius. Created in 2011, LSM-U is offered as an educational seminar. A companion workshop, The LSM Diet™, is an additional two hours, for attendees to create their own 52 week local store marketing plan. Please visit the new LSM-U website www. lsm-u.com which includes new client accolades and a video overview.
About Duke Marketing, LLC.® Duke Marketing, LLC, established in 1989, is a Northern California-based full service marketing communications agency specializing with multi-location foodservice and franchise organizations. Duke Marketing combines a full range of services, including: thought-leadership, local store marketing, public relations, consumer promotions and cause marketing, franchise communications, market-by-market planning, creative development, advertising and media buying with on-target strategies, fresh ideas and creative concepts to offer complete solutions. www.dukemarketing.com and friend us on Facebook. For more information contact Duke Marketing at 415-492-4534 or email info@dukemarketing.com. FACEBOOK: LSM-U Duke Marketing Restaurant Marketing Magazine @dukemarketing www.marketing-cookbook.blogspot.com Duke Marketing contact: 415-492-4534 info@dukemarketing.com
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