SoCal Food & Beverage Professional - March 2016

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Issue 3 Volume 16

US $3.95

The Addison

at the Grand Del Mar Resort www.socalfnbpro.com

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Please drink responsibly. Belvedere Vodka 40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF) 100% neutral spirits distilled from rye grain. ©2016 Imported by Moët Hennessy USA, Inc., New York, NY.

March 2016

CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER

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WELCOME to the March 2016 issue of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional, where we constantly aim to please YOU, our readers, and keep you updated and informed.

Along these lines we would be amiss if we didn’t give you a final “heads-up” to these international events for the Food & Beverage Industry happening in March.

First up is The Nightclub & Bar Show (NCB) taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and drawing in 100s of new and unique bar-related products and services.

Also known unofficially as “Drink Fest,” the booze doesn’t stop flowing with shots and mixes of some of the best known products on the market. Running at about the same time, also at the LVCC, is the International Pizza Expo where you can see, touch and taste new and existing pizza-related products and services. The following week LVCC is host to the Catersource Show where you can find virtually any catering related product or service from around the world.

Also, in March is the Natural Products Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center which hosts 100s of natural products ranging from medications to food & beverage and more.

We find it fascinating with new F&B products which could, and many times do, end up in the restaurant or bar industry.

For the dates and links to all of these events see our calendar listings on page 30.

We are looking forward to seeing you at these great shows, expos, and events and in case you can’t make it to them, look for our follow up in the next issue of SoCalF&BPRO.

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CHEERS! MIKE FRYER

Page 4

Page 12

Page 22

Hot Off the Grill!

Wine Talk

What’s Cooking

Beverage Certifications Page 5

on the Rise

Food for Thought What Seems Important with Spring Coming Soon

Bocuse d’Or Celebrates After Page 14

Earnings Like No Other

Page 26 Product Spotlight Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips

West Eats East Sushi

Party with SWS

The Bottom Line Loss Leaders Can Boost

Page 6

Page 24

Page 16 COVER FEATURE

Page 28

Page 7

Put Your Fancy Pants on,

Human Resources Insights

Crisis Management for Today

We Are Going to the Addison.

How Positive and Structured “On-boarding” Processes Pay Off

Page 9

Page 18

Chef Talk

Brett’s Vegas View

Page 30 Events

Herbs

Ad Index Page 10

24 www.socalfnbpro.com

What’s Brewing

Page 20 Bowl of Heaven ACF Chefs of SoCal

March 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 3

The Socal Food & Beverage Professional 303 Broadway Ste. 104-40 Laguna Beach, CA 92651 www.socalfnbpro.com

HOT OFF THE GRILL!

March 2016 Mike Fryer

The Long Beach Travel Show was recently held at the Long Beach Convention Center and had exhibitors from throughout the US as well as international and a number from Southern and Northern California. For the 3rd year in a row, a special pavilion and demo theater was set up to give special attention into what is referred to as “Travel Tastes.” This is more of a train of thought in that you travel to locations with the idea to try specific foods and beverages rather than arrive at the location and decide what to try. Additionally, the idea is to learn how to prepare these items in order to duplicate them once home. Pictured are Tudor Tours of Old England offering Old World tours with culinary treats of the era.

Sr. Editor/Publisher 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

Alan Karl is a very unique individual who travels and writes on his culinary experiences and has just published a book featuring three years and five continents on one motorcycle, which you see him with here as well as his support van. His book is titled FORKS and the byline reads ‘A quest for culture, cuisine and connection,’ which it does in many ways.

Look for the book review in our next issue of SoCalF&BPro.

Elaine & Scott Harris Editors at Large harris@socalfnbpro.com

Lagasse’s Stadium at The Palazzo was recently named No. 1 Sports Bar in the USA by USA Today 10 Best, “Best Sports Bar” by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and one of the “Top Sports Bars in Las Vegas” by Yahoo! Sports. SoCalFnBPro Editorial Director Bob Barnes and Editors at Large Elaine and Scott Harris were there to congratulate Executive Chef Scott Pajak while enjoying his latest beer pairing dinner. Congrats to Lagasse’s Stadium and Chef Scott!

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 Mitchell Wilburn

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

SoCal Journalist Lisa Matney

Journalist The Bottom Line Ben Brown

Photographer Bill Bokelmann

Photographer Joe Urcioli

SoCal Journalist Margie Mancino

Master Sommelier Joe Phillips

4 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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

What Seems Important with Spring Coming Soon

It seems residents in Nevada are increasingly concerned about the food they eat and how it is produced and processed. One of the fastest growing segments of the food industry is organic food. There is disagreement as to whether certified organic food is any healthier than conventionally produced food or those organic practices, in general, result in healthier food products. Organic food gives consumers the opportunity to purchase food on the basis of their own values and beliefs. Organic food products usually sell for a premium price because they come with assurances that they have been produced in a certain manner.

According to our USDA, “Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; petroleum-based fertilizers or sewage sludge-based fertilizers; bio-engineering; or ionizing radiation.

Before a product can be labeled organic, a government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too. Now you know more than most about what’s available in our stores.

With all the harmonious pairings of foodstuffs, artichokes and lamb certainly rank in the upper echelon. Here, with lentils for body and olives, capers, and red onion for zest, we have the makings of an involved heavenly dish. While the earthiness of this recipe may satisfy on a very basic level, the flavors are actually quite delicate. It takes a bit of time but, after all it’s almost spring and we can spend an extra few minutes for a heavenly dish.

Lamb Loin with Artichokes & Red Wine Sauce For the meat stock reduction 2 cups chopped yellow onions 1 cup chopped carrots 1 cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil 1 cup dry red wine 2 quarts (8 cups) beef stock 4 sprigs fresh thyme For the artichokes 2 raw artichoke bottoms, with stems attached

2 cups extra-virgin olive oil 3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 cloves garlic, smashed 2 whole bay leaves 1 lemon, juiced Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste For the lamb and sauce 2 pounds lamb loin, with extra fat slab attached 2 tablespoons puréed Kalamata olives Salt and freshly ground

Make the meat stock reduction

black pepper 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 1 cup dry red wine 1 cup julienned red onion 1/2 cup julienned red bell pepper 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives 1/2 cup meat stock reduction 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

For the garnish 1 cup freshly cooked French green lentils, hot Freshly ground black pepper 4 teaspoons micro parsley or chervil leaves (or chopped fresh parsley or chervil) 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Make the artichokes

Make the lamb and sauce Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rub the lamb loin with the olive purée and roll up in the attached fat slab, covering the whole loin. Secure with butcher’s twine. Season the outside of the loin with salt and pepper.

Heat the grapeseed oil in a roasting pan over high heat. Add the loin and sear on all sides until golden brown and crispy. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked to medium-rare. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let rest. Drain off any excess fat from the pan.

Deglaze the pan on the stove top with the wine, then add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Add the bell pepper, sliced olives, stock reduction, capers, vinegar and chives; cook for 3 minutes longer to bring the flavors together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the cooking twine from the lamb and cut into 1 1/2-inch-thick medallions. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Slice the artichokes into 1/3-inch-thick wedges. Place the artichokes in a small saucepan with the olive oil, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, and lemon juice; cook over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the artichokes are cooked al dente. Remove the artichokes from the pan to prevent overcooking. The artichokes can be prepared several hours ahead of time. Reheat them in the oil just prior to serving. Drain the artichokes and season to taste with salt and pepper at the last minute.

Assemble the dish Spoon some of the lentils and artichokes in the center of each plate.

Place a slice of the lamb atop the lentils and spoon the sauce around the plate. Top with pepper and sprinkle with the micro parsley. Drizzle the olive oil around the plate.

Yield: 4 servings Note: Recommend Spanish Rioja wine

Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in the grapeseed oil in a medium saucepan over high heat for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and caramelized. Deglaze the pan with the wine and cook until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the stock and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.

Strain and return the liquid to the saucepan. Add the thyme and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the thyme and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.

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March 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 5

By K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.

West Eats East Sushi

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.

Who imagined sushi would become almost a staple of J-eating here in our land? My dear professor at school, a world renowned cheese authority, commented it was a barbarian delicacy of a smelly fish with cooked rice marinated with vinegar, requiring not much culinary skills to make. It was early 1970s, still not in a distant memory. He referred to our diet as meat and cheese along with just a little bit of warm vegetable and a lot of potatoes. No rice, no soy sauce, not much fish-seafood, and no fresh vegetables for most of our people then. Once or twice in my school years he came to a J-restaurant where I worked at night and asked me what to order. Sukiyaki was my choice because it was a kind of meat dish. I urged a chef to add more beef in the place of tofu and veggies. He did not leave a good tip afterward. It was also the time that I started dancing when I spotted soy sauce in a supermarket of a small college town in western NY state. Sushi was beyond anyone’s imagination then.

I still wonder why Americans have started eating such an unconventional, too foreign stuff as sushi. I guess it must be a matter of timing to match our desire for health and longevity as well as ventures for fish-seafood or diverse from meat. People appeared to anticipate some of the desire to be fulfilled by sushi. Besides, sushi was exotic, fancy and not so bad in taste, even though at first bite required some sort of courage, not exactly like swallowing with eyes closed. Rice is good for filling the stomach with less calorie than meat or dairy products. Fish brings good protein and fatty acids. There are three probable concerns. First, bare hands in sushi making, which is occasionally pointed out by local health offices.

In my food safety inspection experience at sushi restaurants as a food microbiologist, sushi business people are very concerned with it by taking every preventive measure like washing hands thoroughly, using sanitized cloths for cleaning chopping board, cutting knife, kitchen chopsticks, etc. Sushi would be safe as far as these basic, sanitary measures are seriously practiced. Sushi making is nothing different from other culinary preparations. And, I understand the use of disposable kitchen gloves may be reasonable in some cases because of handling of uncooked, raw fish-

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seafood. Second, occasional reports of mercury or heavy metal contents of fish or seafood. A carnivore, tuna for an example, positions high as a predator in the marine food chain, which means, tuna possibly accumulates residual chemicals or heavy metals from lower food chain creatures. It is nothing to do with tuna per se but an environmental matter in the ocean.

Currently mercury levels are not critically over the threshold values to cause a threat, particularly to pregnant women or children. I hope it goes this way forever. Food safety is a matter of quantity. If you eat tuna three times a day for years, it would be your problem as a predator. Third, resources of fish-seafood. In addition to international treaties of fishing to regulate catches, aqua farming may be a solution of the supply, I hope.

Sushi has evolved from preservation of fish in our early eating. Leftover fresh water fish or shellfish at the beach (easier to catch than fish in the ocean in old days) was stored with salt for later eating. In such preservation, fermentation progressed mostly by lactic acid bacteria, preventing spoilage at lowered acidic conditions. No rice was used in the beginning but later added for stimulating fermentation. Preserved fish, called sushi at that time, was for eating precious fish protein. Such a sushi smelled awful like Limburger cheese or sufu (fermented tofu) but was prized as a delicacy or treat. Then a revolution took place in the early 19th century by adding vinegar (acetic acid) to rice instead of waiting for acid forming in fermentation. This change from lactic to acetic acid made sushi more easy to make, more palatable to taste and more popular to enjoy.

Then many kinds came out with ingredients available, fresh fish-seafood and vegetables, for seasonal or special occasions. Sushi was and still is for special occasions but not daily meals. Traditional Nigiri, rolled (small, creative here and large Futomaki there), Chirasi (a bowl of sushi rice covered with fish-seafood), Gomoku (mainly cooked vegetables, eggs) and pressed trout Oshi sushi are champions of the J-food which everybody loves. Here it came by J-immigrants. We transformed it into our taste and forms for our fancy, special occasion, one of the most beloved Oriental foods. Evolution, revolution and diversion, sushi has gone through.

Further diversion will proceed by using meat, smoked salmon-trout, egg, dairy products and cooked veggies, sea-veggies, fruits from local supplies, with hints from the originals in Japan. Kobe beef sushi, Spam sushi, and eggplant sushi with miso vinegar sauce, are already in sushi markets. A large rolled, art sushi is creatively fantastic in the same appearance of the inside figures of flowers, cherry blossom, Mt. Fuji, snowman, Giant Panda, or Halloween pumpkin at every cut. Try to make it. The originals or creative ones, that is your choice. Sushi can be a good vehicle to drive omnivorous eating further both in taste and business. www.socalfnbpro.com

By Linda Duke

Crisis Management for Today

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

Restaurateurs need to know how to manage and deal with a crisis.

Irresponsible or irrational actions pertaining to a crisis can be damaging to a long withstanding reputation. Restaurateurs can learn from other’s stories and take necessary steps to handle their crisis in a positive manner. Once restaurateurs learn to deal with a crisis at hand, they can work to rebuild trust in their communities and return to satisfying their customers with great food.

Foodborne Illnesses Every year, the effects of foodborne illnesses sicken nearly 76 million Americans.

Getting people sick is the last memory that restaurateurs want to leave in the minds of their customers. So what can restaurants do when trouble strikes? Well, most importantly, restaurants need to take control of the situation, deal with the problem at hand so no one else gets sick and then work to return trust to their communities.

When a small restaurant chain experienced an E. coli outbreak in their restaurants they took action immediately. They contacted all general managers and ordered them to discard all produce and any other suspicious food that could have been contaminated. Further, they found a new lettuce supplier to take the place of the supplier that delivered the contaminated lettuce. Next, they coordinated their own private investigation with state and county health officials to pinpoint the source of the outbreak. Within a matter of days they publically apologized to their communities in which the restaurants are located.

The restaurant chain invited the media to the restaurant to film their new lettuce washing procedures. They sent food to news crews and published a full-page ad in the local newspaper offering three days of free food at their locations. This act brought in nearly 50,000 customers throughout the three-day period, many of whom said they would return and pay their money’s worth next time. Finally, the chain also created a 1-800 number giving customers the opportunity to call in with their medical claims, which they paid in full.

Restaurateurs can use valuable educational measures to control preventable foodborne illnesses in the kitchen. Educating employees www.socalfnbpro.com

about hand washing, sanitizing, keeping foods at their proper temperatures or heating foods to their proper temperatures are all preventative measures. Food safety programs like the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe work with restaurants to educate others about proper food handling.

TIPS FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT While no restaurant enjoys a crisis, the result doesn’t have to be entirely negative, even if the restaurant is at fault. Generally, the public is forgiving of honest mistakes. When restaurants admit the error and make amends with the community, they may have a chance to enhance their reputation. Here are some tactics to reinvigorate consumer trust: Give food away. This is a great way to increase traffic, keep the restaurant full and change customer perceptions that have been damaged by a crisis.

Involve the media. The media can help restaurants improve their image. Restaurants can invite the media to film about improved food safety initiatives, help with finding criminals or spreading the word about how a restaurant has turned a negative situation into positive situation.

Keep customers informed. The worst possible thing your restaurant can do during a crisis is to keep customers in the dark. Customers want to know what is going on at your restaurant and it is your responsibility to keep them informed. Restaurants can and should use social media, media outlets and in store POP to keep customers in the know about actions the restaurants have taken since the crisis.

Instill trust. As leaders in their communities, it is imperative that restaurateurs take the

necessary steps to reinvigorate confidence in the public about their brand. Restaurants need to share information with the public and keep communication lines open—especially if people are in danger. Restaurants must remember that building trust again takes time.

If restaurateurs are taking positive steps in the right direction and staying true to their communities, trust will follow.

Don’t give into panic. Yes, it is important that restaurants act quickly, but it is also important that they do not make anxious or rash decisions. The first signs of a crisis are tense moments, but take a few moments, collect your thoughts and start thinking rationally about the situation.

Take care of regular business. Do not get so highly wrapped up in the problem at hand so that you neglect your daily business responsibilities, and most importantly, loyal customers.

Similarly, when fixing a problem the focus should be on taking care of what needs to be dealt with immediately. Communication following a crisis will flow more smoothly once the problem has been handled.

Bring in a professional. Handling media calls, getting business back on track and taking care of regular customers may be too much to take on, especially if you’re facing your first crisis. A crisis management team knows how to handle the situation at hand, and most likely has in the past handled one similar to the one that you are facing. Most importantly, a trained crisis management firm allows you to get back to work and takes some of the stress off of yourself and other workers.

March 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 7

DRIVE SALES with Easy to Execute MARKETING PROGRAMS 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.

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8 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

“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.”

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By Chef Allen Asch

Chef Talk Herbs

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.

Herbs are the leaves of aromatic plants while spices are any other edible part of the aromatic plant. Some plants, such as dill, produce an herb and a spice, dill seed. Herbs can be classified for uses such as food, flavoring, medicine, perfume and for spiritual uses. Herbs also fall into categories such as perennials, biennials and annuals. Perennials, such as thyme, live for longer than 2 years. Biennials such as parsley last for only two years and annuals such as basil will complete their life cycle in 1 year.

Nevada has become an area that is booming in producing locally or regionally grown produce.

The Nevada Department of Agriculture states that agriculture is a major industry in Nevada that contributes to the state economy as well as many rural economies within the state. Livestock, especially cattle, is a major component of the state’s industry, but sheep, lamb and hogs are a contributor to this industry as well. Alfalfa hay is the largest cash crop, used to feed dairy cattle in neighboring states.

Nevada also produces enough alfalfa that it is exported overseas every year. The state also produces quantities of potatoes barley, wheat, corn, oats, onion and honey. Mint is another large crop produced in Nevada.

The Chinese have been using herbs for thousands of years to help alleviate pain as well as cures for many illnesses including cancer. RSYRT (Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang), therapy has been used to treat such maladies as postpartum illness, tuberculosis, depression, chronic fatigue, infertility, Alzheimer’s, inflammation, autoimmune disease and skin tumors.

Fresh herbs are readily available in most supermarkets, but with the many farmers markets available the variety, volume and prices for fresh herbs has made them become more commonplace in restaurant cooking, as well as in people’s households. Dried herbs have been readily available forever, but whenever possible fresh herbs will be a better choice due to the flavor and freshness they add to a dish.

If a recipe calls for fresh herbs but you do not have the availability to get it, dried herbs can be substituted, but you would use 1/3 the amount of the dried herbs due to the concentration of flavors. Another adjustment that needs to be made is when to add the herbs. Dried herbs are added at the beginning of the cooking process www.socalfnbpro.com

graphic courtesy nevadagrowers.com

Besides adding flavor to foods, herbs can help with digestion. To soothe an upset stomach and restore an unbalanced digestive system you can drink chamomile tea, or chew on some dill or fennel. These herbs soothe an irritation in the digestive tract which will lessen the inflammation. Basil has been shown to help with kidney problems and tarragon is used to neutralize snake bites.

to give the herbs the chance to rehydrate and infuse their flavor throughout the whole dish.

Fresh herbs are usually added at the end of the cooking process since this fresh flavor will dissipate easily in a short cooking time. Some herbs that I have had luck using a dried version include more woody herbs such as thyme, oregano and rosemary. I try to only use fresh herbs when a recipe asks for more tender herbs such as basil and chives.

If you do not have a living plant that allows you to snip and use the amount you need you may have to buy it in larger quantities than you immediately need. If this is the case you will need to store the fresh herbs correctly to help maintain their flavor and freshness. Fresh herbs will stand tall when you buy them, no sagging or droopiness. To store them you should wrap small amounts in a damp paper towel and seal

them in a zippered bag. For larger quantities you put the stem end in a glass of water and wrap the leaves in a damp towel. Another option is to dry them; this is done best in the microwave for smaller quantities and in an oven for larger quantities. You should separate the leaves from the stems and lay it out in a single layer.

If you plan on growing your own herbs, most require a lot of sunlight, up to eight hours a day.

A very few such as parsley will grow well in a more shaded area. This sunlight issue is why many growers use containers to grow herbs so that they can be moved around to follow the sunlight. Having access to a variety of fresh herbs makes menu planning a much more challenging and rewarding task. I love to create herb themed multi-course meals, including fresh herbs as a component of a dessert course.

March 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 9

By David Mulvihill

what’s

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.

Photos by David Mulvihill

BREWING

Some of the Mumford Brewing crew, including Todd & Peter’s dad (left).

Arts District LA The area in and around LA’s Arts District has experienced a surge in the number of craft breweries in recent months. Initially, there was the lone Angel City Brewery, housed in the historic John A. Roebling Building where a triangle of streets forms at the intersections of S Alameda and Traction and E 3rd Streets. The building and many of its appointments exude history of the past, when Roebling (AKA the world’s greatest suspension bridge engineer) was manufacturing wire rope onsite for many of this country’s suspension bridges (i.e. The Brooklyn Bridge). Take a look at the circular staircase in the front foyer. Its handrail is made of some of the same wire rope. Also, still prominently displayed within the tasting room is the industrial iron slide utilized in moving the heavy product from upper floors.

During the past 12 months Angel City has been joined by Mumford Brewing, Arts District Brewing and Iron Triangle Brewing Company.

Like Angel City, at least two of these newcomers are accessible by public rail transport coupled with a short walk. If coming from outside of LA proper, begin by taking the Metrolink to Union Station. Your Metrolink fare allows fare-free transfer to LA’s Metro Rail system. At Union Station transfer to the southbound Gold Line. The first stop will be the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, your exit. From this station Angel City is a 10 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

Mumford Brewing Company.

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short .3 mi. walk south on Alameda. Mumford is a 10 minute stroll SW of the station or about 6 minutes west from Angel City. Note that Mumford is located just north of Skid Row, so you may see some campers (walking alone is not recommended). Arts District Brewing is .3 miles (5 min) SE from Angel City on Traction.

Iron Triangle is another 20 min. walk south from Angel City, so is more easily accessible by car.

Mumford was the first of these newcomers to open. Its small (4139 square foot facility includes the 1600 sq. ft. tasting room), but welcoming location lies at 416 Boyd St., just west of S San Pedro St. It opened last June and has tap room hours Thursday through Sunday.

Founded by homebrewing brothers Todd & Peter Mumford and Todd’s wife Tien, their wellappointed beers cover the spectrum of tastes and styles. Beers have included cream ale, Bavarianstyle hefeweizen, black ale, stout, pales, IPA’s and double IPA’s. Peter is putting his degree in microbiology to good use as Brewmaster.

Arts District Brewing opened in mid-December.

Iron Triangle followed in the early days of 2016. Visits to these two breweries are on this reporter’s future agenda, so stay tuned for a future update. Arts District’s ownership team includes Brian Lenzo (of Hollywood’s Blue Palms), Cedd Moses (of 213 Nightlife) and Eric Needleman (The Spirited Group). The team recruited Devon Randall to head up brewing duties. She was formerly head brewer at Pizza Port Solana Beach. I’m pumped that a Pizza

Port brewer has made it to LA! At 17,000 square feet this brewpub also serves food, overseen by local LA Chef Neal Fraser. The space features outdoor patio and a game section of the pub with over 20 Skee-ball lanes.

With 30 barrel brewhouse and over 40,000 square feet of space to eventually build out, Nathan Cole Pacetti’s Iron Triangle Brewing Company has the potential to dwarf the aforementioned breweries. Daren Moser, formerly of Maui Brewing Company and Trumer, has taken the reigns as Brewmaster, so I think we can expect some good things in the way of beer. Initially, about one quarter of the compound has been put to work for brewery and tasting room.

Hollister Goleta, just north of Santa Barbara, has been home to Hollister Brewing Company since May of 2007. As Hollister gets ready to celebrate its ninth anniversary, you can still expect to find a wide selection of beers brewed by decorated Co-owner/Brewer Eric Rose. Typically, at least 14 taps are flowing with blondes, lagers, wits, sessions, saisons, pales, reds, IPA’s and porters.

Happy hour provides a great opportunity to taste through the tap list, when 10 ounce glasses are offered for $2.25.

AleSmith AleSmith Brewing Company becomes old enough to drink this year. Since 1995, owner Peter Zien and his team strived to create craft beers that have assisted San Diego in becoming the Capital of Craft. A marked expansion in late 2015 to a much larger facility nearby has brought AleSmith into a new era of history. The new 80-barrel brewhouse in the 105,000 square foot compound also includes a huge 25,000 square foot tasting room and beer garden.

Buildout of an onsite museum is currently in process to honor Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwen, of the San Diego Padres.

Hollister Brewing Company.

www.socalfnbpro.com

March 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 11

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.

Beverage Certifications on the Rise With the demand of new and innovative alcohol trends on the rise, such as mixology, artisan and craft beers, and custom liqueurs, it’s no wonder that the appreciation for alcohol education has increased dramatically. The Court of Master Sommelier organization has increased over 200% since 2009. Not only is there now a growing interest in alcohol, but there is an equally growing trend towards alcohol education.

This month, I will introduce a few of the major beverage certifications that are well known in the United States. The first three are wine focused but also cover beers and spirits, and the remaining is a newly recognized certification for beer education. Not only are there instructor-led courses, but there are also some online options for selfstudy as well.

The two most common wine certification bodies are the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), and the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS). Although both organizations are focused on alcohol education, the CMS is sales and service focused, while the WSET is more education, research and theory focused. The CMS exams culminate with the revered Master Sommelier certification, while the WSET certifications are the steppingstone towards becoming a Master of Wine. While the Master Sommelier is more well known in the United States, both are widely respected and internationally recognized.

Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) WSET Website - www.wsetglobal.com/qualifications/590.asp The Wine and Spirits Education Trust is an organization founded in the UK and offers a wine and spirits focused set of certifications. The WSET® has three Level 1 certifications, for Wine, Wine Service and Spirits. Each is a one-day course that provides the basics and introduction to each of the topics. The WSET® Level 2 has two certifications, in Wines and Spirits, and also a more advanced Spirits course, which provides a more comprehensive curriculum of spirits and liqueurs.

The WSET® Level 3 is a consolidated certification for Wine and Spirits, with an emphasis on wine tasting. Last but not least, the The WSET® Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits advances student knowledge further and breaks down major topics into individual units to be passed. There is also a WSET® Level 5 Honours Diploma which is composed of an individual research project to develop research, evaluation, and analysis skills. This certification is considered the steppingstone to the Master of Wine exam, which is offered through the Institute of Wine and Spirits.

Court of Master Sommeliers Court of Master Sommeliers Website: www.mastersommeliers.org/Pages.aspx/About-CMS-Overview The Course of Master Sommeliers is an organization dedicated to taking the steps to becoming a Master Sommelier. The Introductory Sommelier Course and Exam (Level 1) is a two-day review of the world of wines and spirits, followed by an exam. The Certified Exam is a three-part exam (with no lectures) separated into blind tasting, a written theory exam and then a service exam. When you have completed this level, you are recognized with the title of “Certified Sommelier.” The Advanced Sommelier has recently been adjusted to a course first, and then the exam a minimum of two months later, so that students could take the time to absorb and prepare for the exam. Finally, the Master Sommelier Exam is a three-part exam composed of 1) Practical Restaurant Wine Service and Salesmanship, 2) Theory, 3) and Practical Tasting. Once you obtain this high achievement, you will be able to refer to yourself as a Master Sommelier, and/or append the letters MS after your name.

12 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

Society of Wine Educators Society of Wine Educators Website: www.societyofwineeducators.org/ education-certification The Society of Wine Educators offers multiple certifications: ¬ the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS), Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and Hospitality/Beverage Specialist Certificate (HBSC). There are no courses or preparation offered for any of these exams, but are selfstudy programs for participants who want to increase in their knowledge of wine, spirits and other beverages. After gaining any of the certifications, you can append the postnominals to your name (i.e. Alice Swift, CSW).

Obviously, these certifications are aimed more towards beverage education, rather than sales or research. In addition, there are also free online review classes for the CSW and CSS classes. For more information, go to: www. winewitandwisdomswe.com/csw-onlinereview-class/

Cicerone Cicerone Website: cicerone.org/content/why-cicerone-0 Last but not least, wine certifications may be important, but other beverage certifications have taken the United States by storm. The latest craze is with beer certifications. The Craft Beer Institute has trademarked the term Cicerone (sis-uh-rohn), and has four levels of certifications: Certified Beer Server, Certified Cicerone® and Master Cicerone®. These certifications are meant to provide learners with knowledge and competence in all things related to beer, such as history, styles, brewing process and ingredients, tasting, pairing, sales and service.

Hopefully you find this information useful, and who knows? You may one day become a Master Sommelier, Master of Wine, Certified Specialist of Wine and Spirits, AND a Master Cicerone!

Cheers, and good luck to you!~ Alice www.socalfnbpro.com

The Bottom Line Loss Leaders can boost earnings like no other

By Ben Brown Ben is an MBA candidate at USC’s Marshall School of Business, specializing in hospitality marketing and analytics. He has served as a food & beverage strategist with MGM Resorts, as well as reviewed more than 200 Las Vegas restaurants with CBS Local and Examiner. com. Contact him at Ben@lvfnb.com.

The term ‘loss leader’ can be a bit misleading at the onset, steering restaurant professionals away due to its negative connotation. Look further into the art behind loss leaders, however, and realize that they open up a whole new world for pricing strategy, menu engineering and wordof-mouth marketing.

Loss leaders can take many different forms, from standard menu items to happy hour specials, discounted drinks and everything in between.

They all share one common trait, however—in one way or another, all loss leaders meant to boost sales of other items.

Let’s go over a few loss leader examples and how they can drive profitable volume at your establishment.

Low-price items

High-price items

Marketing tactics

Perhaps the most common type of loss leader, lower-priced items are meant to draw customers in through the door. Often enough, these are standard menu items that don’t have any promotions or discounts tied into them.

However, once a customer sits down and takes another look at the menu, they’re enticed to order some appealing, higher-priced items.

Burgers are a classic example: many new-age gastropub-style spots will incorporate a ‘hip’ burger onto the menu that’s about half the price of the rest of the entrees. “Oh, I can get away spending $16 for an entrée” circulates through prospective customers’ heads. But the desired effect soon sets in: “Okay, the steak frites look so good, and they’re just $5 more. And those cocktails look excellent. And they have truffle fries?!?”

Happy hours are a tried-and-true method of attracting customers during otherwise lowvolume times, but even already-discounted menus are prime real estate for loss leaders.

It’s very easy to mark down a few high-margin items by as much as 75% and promote the heck out of those prices, while featuring other items at a much smaller discount, or no discount at all. The same gastropub can woo people in with $2 pretzel bread/cheese dip and $3 draft beer, but sell $8 flatbreads and $10 cocktails at the same time.

Upsell is the key to converting profitable sales.

Once the customer walks in through the door and sits down, the low-priced items have done their job and don’t even have to be mentioned.

If the customer wants to stay on the cheap route, fine, but the opportunity is there for you to promote your restaurant’s full experience.

Higher-price items drive volume in a completely different way: they make everything else on the menu seem cheaper. You’re not exactly going to draw in new customers by advertising these dishes, but you will likely see success in upsell, cross-sell and repeat visits by fencing your core menu items in the middle of lower and higherpriced selections.

Discounts are the go-to for getting people in through the door, but only drive profitability if they lead to upsell, repeat visits or both. Tie your discounts into an overarching strategy: whether discounting/giving away appetizers with entrée purchases to encourage multicourse meals, selling 2-for-1 drinks to promote your new cocktail menu, etc.

From a consumer psychology standpoint, ordering ‘from the middle’ is almost mandatory.

In a group setting, people don’t want to come across as being cheap by getting the lowest item on the menu. At the same time, they’ll often steer away from the most expensive item, especially when they know the group is splitting the check or that someone else is taking care of the bill. Additionally, high-price items are a critical complement to low-price items because if you’re only upselling to the middle, customers have less of a chance of feeling gouged.

Two key components to high-priced items exist: 1) Do not expect to sell many of them. Their loss leader status comes from volume, not price.

Some tactics, however, only loosely tie to price but spark tons of conversation about the restaurant. Todd English P.U.B. at Crystals, Las Vegas is a prime example with its ‘hourglass challenge.’ Customers choose a beer off the menu, and if they finish it in seven seconds or less, it’s free. Whether they complete the challenge or not, it creates a story that they share with their peers for years to come.

Each of these methodologies can be applied to virtually any restaurant or bar. Just be sure to monitor their impact to ensure that they’re boosting your bottom line.

2) Do not make these your ‘signature’ items.

Some restaurants’ ‘must-order’ dishes are literally twice the price of everything else on the menu…this is a great way to upset your customers and ensure that no matter how good those items are, they ‘won’t be worth it’ and you will have a hard time getting people in for a second visit.

14 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

www.socalfnbpro.com

Apryl Bruso is an opinionated salty old waitress from San Diego.

Photos courtesy The Fairmont Grand Del Mar

Put Your Fancy Pants on, We Are Going to the Addison.

By Apryl Bruso

Well, well, well, James Beard nominations are upon us and San Diego has received a scant four nominations. Wah wah. Four noms not being very much, this lazy journalist will check them out and report back in my little monthly column.

I decided to start with the Addison restaurant located in beautiful Del Mar on the grounds of the illustrious Grand Del Mar resort. They received two of the four James Beard nods. So cool, in a town as large and populated as S.D., one restaurant gets half!! I consulted with my other half—I would say better, but, come on, my ego will not allow such nonsense—and I mentioned that the chef was up for a James Beard. Scott (other half-not better) wondered aloud who that chef was and, after consulting my notes, I replied, “William Bradley.” Scott counters with, “You don’t suppose that is Billy Bradley, do you?” What the what? Billy Bradley? Billy Bradley who grew up down the street from me? Billy Bradley who may or may not have consumed 40s of Mickeys whilst I downed some delectable Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill. “Wild Bill?” No way,

life does not work like that.....oh, wait, yeah, it totally does. Thanks to Google being awesome and knowing everything about everything, we finally had proof that Chef William Bradley and fellow Lancer (Go Hilltop!) Billy Bradley are indeed one and the same. So exciting!! Not just fellow San Diegan, but fellow Chula Vistan. So proud of you, homeboy. What an honor. James Beard in the house.

All right, back to business. I called to make reservations, mentioned that we knew Sir William Bradley of Chula Vista during the 1990s, and that I would be writing a fun little article. (I am referring to this article—It is fun, isn’t it?) Now I always get a little excited before going to dinner because, you know, food, but this was especially poignant, this was a little hometown hero-type situation. I knew of, but never really paid attention to, the Addison, and I was about to realize what a mistake this was....

We pull up after a lovely little drive through some country-esque, windy, little back roads.

The valet is attentive and inquires my name.

16 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

Then he walks us into the foyer and introduces us to the hosts. “Hello, Ms. Bruso. We were expecting you. May I show you to your table?”

Normal restaurant stuff, right? There was such a polish to this process that even this felt extraordinary. The freaking valet didn’t shove a ticket into my hand and tell me that I have to get my car by 11:00, he walked us in and introduced us to the front desk. Well done. We walk through the dining room toward a giant booth. The dining room is large, tables spaced very far apart, the ceilings were like a mile high—hello... hello... hello...that is an echo.

The Maitre D’, Sean McGinness, approaches and asks if we would like to say hello to Chef.

Ummm, yeah, totally, duh. So you know when you see a restaurant kitchen in a movie and it is so spotless and pristine and then you laugh because you actually work in restaurants and know the reality of a busy night? Well, I am here to tell you that this unicorn of kitchens does indeed exist. It was perfection, and there smiling at us was Billy Bradley dressed in his starched, pressed and blindingly white chef’s attire. Just www.socalfnbpro.com

as charming and a little bit serious as ever, he and Scott immediately start to reminisce. I was a grade younger and not nearly as cool so I interject occasionally, but let the boys chat it up while slyly looking at the precision involved as the Sous is plating some of the prettiest dishes I have ever seen, including those on the covers of magazines. I have a serious case of restaurant envy. I want to be fancy too!! and also I want an Oompa Loompa, but that is another story. We return to our seats and the true awesomeness of this place begins...

Ten courses of the most visually-appealing culinary perfection follow.

Plates dropped at the exact same time, cloches removed. Classic dishes done to the highest standard. My dining experience is being enhanced by the wine pairing. Melanie Haman, also nominated for a Beard, is pouring and explaining. I am giddy with wine and food magic, my chubby little heart is going to explode! This menu is flawless, and it makes sense.

One course begets another and you just know that you are in for yet another treat. Then somewhere around the middle of this most wonderful progression, coffee roasted canard appears, Asian-influenced duck breast arrives alongside some koshihikari rice and candied peanuts and your mouth is confused. Wait! Ummm... wasn’t I just in a French restaurant?

How is this happening? Am I magic? Have I apparated? I love that in the middle of this menu, a perfect little Asian duck quacks its little way into your mouth. This meal made me so happy. Just when I thought I got it, Billy would send out some little non-sequitor to surprise and amaze us.

Little twists that shouldn’t have made sense but somehow did.

Addison made me want to be famous. I imagine this is how celebrities are treated on the daily, but at the Addison they treat you like this without the sycophantic undertones. On a related note, do you know anyone interested in hiring a chubby, old, untrained actress for a starring role in a sitcom of some sort? I am not picky.

ADDISON 5200 Grand Del Mar Way San Diego, Ca 92103 (858) 314-1900 www.addisondelmar.com

This place should be a waiter school. Every aspect of the evening was addressed. The service staff is absolutely amazing. The attention to detail, formidable. Shortly after the second course I spilled a little sauce on the table because I am totally a disgusting slob (with great fashion sense); seconds later a perfect little starched square piece of linen was placed over the evidence of my Jackson Pollockian eating tendencies. You might think that this restaurant is stuffy, it certainly could be. It could be exclusive and cold and unwelcoming, but it isn’t. It is the opposite. The staff are warm, encouraging, and highly-educated. The Addison is an experience to be sure. It is not for the parsimonious, the price point is steep, but it offers plenty of foodie bang for your buck (ha ha, foodie bang). The www.socalfnbpro.com

March 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 17

Brett’s

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

MGM Resorts International will debut a new park, dining and entertainment district on the Strip April 4. Beerhaus, an American beer hall remix with bar games and an outdoor patio, will also open. Other dining partners include: Shake Shack, California Pizza Kitchen, Sake Rok and fast-casual, gourmet waffle restaurant Bruxie.

Classically modern steakhouse Alder & Birch is the first of five new dining concepts debuting at The Orleans in 2016 as part of Boyd Gaming’s ongoing $30 million resort enhancement. Ondori Asian Kitchen is next.

Family-owned Nora’s Italian Cuisine celebrating 25 years is building a new two-story restaurant near its existing west-side location with completion this August.

Photo by Kevin Garden

Jennifer Lopez has added 19 additional 2016 performances of her Jennifer Lopez: All I Have show at The Axis at Planet Hollywood.

Mike Tyson is returning to the MGM Grand with his one-man Undisputed Truth show March 3-June 26 in Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club.

Guns N’ Roses reunite on stage for the first time in 23 years over the opening weekend, April 8 and 9, of the new T-Mobile Arena.

Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley will co-host the 51st Academy Of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, April 3.

The Righteous Brothers now featuring Bill Medley with Bucky Heard will bring the original legendary duo’s sound to Harrah’s Showroom Wednesday through Saturday starting March 23.

GRAMMY nominated Cameo debut their new residency in the Westgate Cabaret March 2 performing Wednesday through Sunday.

The Scintas opened their music-comedy show in the Plaza’s showroom for a limited engagement with four monthly dates through May. Flamingo headliner Jeff Civillico started hosting a weekly entertainment/news TV show Las Vegas Good News that tapes in front of a live audience at The LINQ Promenade fountain stage every Thursday from 5-8 p.m.

The 20th anniversary Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) will happen at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway June 17-19. For the buildup, Insomniac has launched the weekly “EDC 20Year Playlist Series,” highlighting memorable dance music.

Island Heat at Kahunaville in The Mirage closed.

Dining Messages

Loco Cantina opened at Town Square serving lunch and dinner daily with a happy hour and live entertainment nightly.

The build-your-own pizza concept, Southern California-based PizzaRev launched its first Nevada location in Henderson.

Front and Center News

Beer Park at Paris is the Strip’s first rooftop bar and grill open daily from lunch through late night.

MGM Resorts is launching a major $90 million parking strategy that includes charging, expanding and enhancing parking infrastructure, and using new parking technologies. The company will build a $54-million, 3,000-space parking structure with completion in 2017.

The Mandalay Bay’s Convention Center $70 million expansion is complete now with the opening of the 70,000-square-foot Oceanside Ballroom. The final phase of Mandalay Bay’s resort-wide, multi-year transformation is the $100 million redesign of more than 3,000 guest rooms and suites.

Beginning April 1, “Moe-Bot,” a BeamPro telepresence robot, will enable The Mob Museum’s guests to “visit” via their computer screen or mobile device.

18 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

The Race & Sports SuperBook at Westgate is newly renovated and features the world’s largest HD LED video wall and an innovative new mobile app.

The Spa and Salon at the Golden Nugget was recently enhanced by an $800,000 renovation.

In May a new expanded poker room with 28 tables having USB ports for charging will open on the Encore side of the Wynn resort.

Photo by Isaac Brekken for Getty

Entertainment Captivates

Donny and Marie Osmond were Madame Tussauds first 2016 wax figures wearing wardrobe the stars donated.

KISS By Monster Mini Golf closed at Harmon and Paradise Road after four years and will reopen this spring in an expanded space in the Masquerade Village at the Rio. Drybar, stylist Alli Webb’s nationwide blowout phenomenon, will open a flagship shop at the Miracle Mile Shops in July.

HEXX Chocolate at Paris with new milk chocolate bars is the first bean-to-bar chocolate maker on the Strip and offers daily kitchen tours.

The Animal Foundation’s 13th annual Best in Show will return to the Orleans Arena Sunday, April 10.

The Tropicana will open its brand new weekend pool club, Sky Beach Club, on April 8.

Aliante will open The Deck on March 21 and start hosting its monthly concert series, Jazz Under The Stars, on Thursday, April 28.

World Famous Stoney’s Rockin’ Country in Town Square started a special “Twosdays” promotion: $2 cover along with $2 well, wine and draft on Tuesday nights.

Four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler will attend Las Vegas City Athletic Club’s 2016 Jay Cutler Desert Classic NPC national qualifier competition at the Palms on Saturday, March 26.

The Las Vegas Natural History Museum unveiled its updated African Savanna Exhibit featuring donated rare pieces from the Gary and Matthew Primm Family Wildlife Collection. www.socalfnbpro.com

Bowl Of Heaven Continues Expansion in Southern California and Beyond

Orange County, California (February 2015) - Bowl of Heaven, the innovative, health-casual concept featuring delicious açaí bowls, smoothies, and juices made with superfood ingredients and plant protein, has announced plans to open ten additional locations in 2016. This expanding brand, which was named as one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Ten Promising New Franchises, has franchise units in development throughout California, Nevada, Wisconsin and New Mexico, in addition to its own aggressive development of corporate stores.

The rapidly expanding concept is bringing healthy, delicious superfoods and fresh juices to the masses. Signature items on the menu include the North Shore Original Bowl made with organic açaí, strawberries, banana, blueberries, 100% apple juice and MAQ 7, which is a proprietary blend of seven antioxidant superfruits and berries; Green Glory made with a fresh-squeezed blend of kale, spinach, lemon, cucumber, celery, parsley, and apple; Aloha Delight smoothie made with unsweetened coconut milk, vanilla plant protein, organic yacon, avocado, mango, pineapple, and banana; and Coconut Ice Cream that is creamy but dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free and gum-free.

“We’re thrilled to be opening more locations in Southern California as well as enter new regions on a national level,” said Dan McCormick, Co-Founder of Bowl of Heaven. “We’re here to give guests an option to choose something that’s healthy, delicious, exotic, different, fun, and we’re confident these communities will embrace our brand and all that we have to offer.”

The Santa Monica location will open in mid March at 725 Broadway.

The next opening will be at The Outlets in San Clemente followed by the opening at 12191 Seal Beach Blvd in Seal Beach. Their fourth location is set to open at the highly anticipated Elevon at Campus in El Segundo,

Photo courtesy Bowl of Heaven

Innovative, health-casual concept featuring açaí bowls, smoothies, and juices made with superfood ingredients and plant protein opens new locations in Southern California.

BOWL OF HEAVEN - Seasider (L) & Sunset (R) Bowls

which will be a world-class business and recreational environment.

Additional location specifics have not been disclosed.

Bowl Of Heaven has partnered with Fransmart, the development company responsible for the explosive growth of brands like Five Guys and The Halal Guys, to expand through a franchise program. The concept recently opened two corporate locations in Provo, UT and Huntington Beach, CA, as well as new franchised stores in Las Vegas, NV; San Diego, CA; Foothill Ranch, CA; Fremont, CA; and Madison, WI. For more information about Bowl of Heaven and to see a complete list of their locations visit their website. www.bowlofheaven.com

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 20 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

www.socalfnbpro.com

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By Bob Barnes

What’s Cooking

Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com.

He welcomes your inquiries.

Email: bob@lvfnb.com

Churchill’s Pub and Grille has long been an English pub-themed haven for craft beer and a mainstay of San Marcos (about an hour’s drive north of San Diego). A combination of good food, great beer and a public house atmosphere offers something for everyone wanting to have a good time.

Regarding that good food, you’ll find the usual English pub fare such as fish and chips and bangers and mash, but you’ll also find several upgrades and surprises turned out by the scratch kitchen. For example, the wings are spiced with several choices including Buffalo, Guinness BBQ, Cajun dry rub, Old Bay dry rub, Spicy BBQ, sweet chili sauce and Ivan’s Revenge— homemade hot sauce crafted from raw habañeros created by Churchill’s owner Ivan Derezen. Also, Ivan took up the vegan lifestyle in 2013, so unlike most pubs, there are vegan choices, like Vegan Filet “Steak”—the appearance and texture of beef tenderloin, made of grilled watermelon radish, bittersweet cocoa, cauliflower puree, smoked mushroom and red wine reduction; Smoked BBQ Mushroom sandwich—smoked trumpet mushroom, BBQ sauce and kale slaw on ciabatta; and Buffalo Cauliflower appetizer—cauliflower, rice flower, buffalo sauce and buttermilk ranch.

As for surprises, how about the Parliament Burger composed of Snake River Farms Kobe style beef, black truffle cheese, pancetta and crispy shallot rings; or Chicken Tikka Masala—grilled chicken, tikka masala curry sauce, scallions and basmati rice.

Churchill’s owner Ivan Derezen was a CPA and a money manager by trade, and in 2002 took a departure from the world of finance to pursue something he truly cared about: craft beer and pubs. “I’ve always loved English pubs,” said Ivan, “and wanted to have a pub offering more of the craft beers that I liked.” At the turn of the 21st century there wasn’t that much going on in the area and Ivan is considered by many to be a pioneer for bringing awareness of craft beer to the area, something he continues to do.

Ivan has also grown the beer list over the years to the expansive selection that is offered at his pub today. The beer list is arguably the best in the city and spans several beer styles and includes 50 taps, two casks and hundreds more in bottles. The beer list is a good way to do one stop shopping of the offerings of the breweries from the North County area and San Diego, which dominated the list during my visit, with the likes of Ballast Point Peppermint Victory at Sea (Imperial Vanilla Porter with coffee and peppermint), Council Three Berry Tart Saison, Stone Old Guardian Belgo 2011 (Barley Wine spiked with Belgian yeast), Mother Earth Cali Creamin (Cream Ale with vanilla) and Toolbox Bog Sauce (Berliner Weisse with cranberries & raspberries). The draft offerings are conveniently chalked on a board listing ABV, price and serving size.

As for the atmosphere, both indoor and patio dining provide a relaxed environment, with an open pub-like feel. The long bar sets the mood with its string of 50 taps and the walls are lined with shelves containing beer bottles, decorative mugs, beer knick knacks and lighted brewery signage, and the dining room is equipped with stained glass, long wood tables and hard wood floor, just like you’d find in a public house in the U.K. Special events not-to-be-missed include a sour beer fest in September, Hops and Heat (a celebration of IPAs and spicy food) in the summer, Churchill’s Renaissance the first Saturday in March and Wings Night every Wednesday with wings for .55 from 4-10 p.m.

Churchill’s is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and the kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Churchill’s Pub and Grille 887 W. San Marcos Blvd.

San Marcos, CA 92078 760-471-8773 churchillspub.us 22 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

photos by John Rockwell

Churchill’s Pub and Grille: a San Marcos Mainstay

www.socalfnbpro.com

photos courtesy Southern Wine & Spirits Nevada

Bocuse d’Or Celebrates After the Competition at Southern Wine & Spirits Nevada

24 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

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Use as a base for soups, stews, casseroles, pie fillings, gravies and broths. Available in 1lb, 2.5lb and 10lb tubs, the Major Elite range comes in 29* flavor-packed stock base pastes including beef, vegetable, chicken, porcini mushroom, clam and garlic.

With a taste just like your own house-made stock, the Chefs’ Elite range is ideal whenever you require a rich flavor delivery offering consistency and saving & important preparation time.

It’s so simple to make a classic brown sauce using Major Chefs’ Elite Beef Stock Base Paste. Serve with your favorite cut of steak to create an incredible dish that will leave you wanting more. www.majorproducts.com *includes no msg and low sodium flavors

Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips

By Bob Barnes

Two Out-of-the-Box Barley Wines

Barley Wine has long been one of my favorite beer styles. I think what appeals to me is the bombastic blast of sweet malt and alcohol warmth in every sip. This explosion of flavor is typically balanced with a healthy dose of hops, especially in American-style Barley Wines. The following are two new releases that stand out for their uniqueness, use of ingredients or aging technique not usually found in the style, or a new experimental hop.

Stone Old Guardian Dry-hopped with Pekko Hops One of the few aspects of winter I like is the arrival of Stone Brewing’s annual release of Old Guardian, which always tops my list of preferred representations of the style.

Originally created by Stone President and Co-founder Steve Wagner 18 years ago, the recipe changes only slightly from year to year, and this year’s twist was dry-hopping it with Pekko hops, a new varietal from Washington’s Yakima Valley that adds notes of stone fruit, orange, lemon and mint. The aforementioned hops are joined by Warrior, Delta, Cascade and Chinook hops added during the brewing, so not surprisingly, this beer has a healthy 75 IBU count. This 11% ABV Barley Wine pours a deep, rich amber with aroma of intense fruit.

It brings forth flavor notes of tropical fruits such as pineapple and finishes with a strong hop presence. While I’m not much of a hop head, this brew has an abundance of malty goodness to balance well with the bitterness.

Full Sail Bourbon Barrel Aged Wheatwine Ale Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve series allows its brewmasters to put their creativity, innovation and passion into small, limited-release beers. The brewers’ gift to us this year is their Bourbon Barrel Aged Wheatwine Ale. The name pretty much explains what makes this beer stand out from the rest. Originally released in 2014 to celebrate Full Sail’s 27th anniversary, it contains no barley malt and is cellared for one year in Wild Turkey bourbon barrels. This 12% ABV, 42 IBU malt monster pours a rich honey hue with aromas of oak, vanilla and caramel.

The flavor is mainly sweet along with some mild spiciness thanks to the wheat and it’s balanced with a blend of English and Northwest hops, which after aging mellows to impart flavors of vanilla, marmalade and dates.

Don’t delay in picking up either of these gems, as both are limited releases which won’t be around for long.

Look for them on draft and in 22 oz bottles.

26 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

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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

How Positive and Structured “On-boarding” Processes Pay Off

What steps actually make a difference in new hire success? The reality is, any effort at all made to introduce, train, communicate and instruct on what your expectations are goes a long way towards changing your recruitment efforts from constant to infrequent (thereby reducing turnover), if you implement just a few of the following steps…

• Welcome each new employee and show them around.

• Introduce them to their team and show them the work area.

• Spend time with them in their new job and assign a “partner” to show them the ropes.

• Have a manager or supervisor take them to lunch during their first week.

• Map out a schedule of training, shadowing and hands-on learning for the first 2-4 weeks.

The biggest reasons that employees fail in a new job within the first 90 to 180 days is lack of instruction, communication and training. These all roll up into one workable solution: positive on-boarding for new hires. I have seen so many individuals that have great potential struggle under a poor boss. They ultimately fail and leave because a supervisor or manager who has little understanding for the importance and value of taking time to effectively initiate or “on-board” their new hire.

If we want our new employees to be successful, training and communication are essential. For people to succeed they need to have a clear understanding of what to do, how to do it, and what you expect them to accomplish and by when. They also need to be included in all communication, be provided clear expectations, shown that their efforts are appreciated, and then given feedback on how they are doing or what to improve.

As an HR professional, I have watched time and again as overworked and harried managers just “throw a new employee to the wolves”

with the philosophy of “sink or swim,” only to wonder and/or complain about the fact that the person didn’t work out and now they have to find another victim and start all over again. The process or steps I’ve explained above can be developed into a template to use over and over again. List each step by the type of activity and assign either a number of hours, days or weeks for the various activities. If you have staff to assist you, you can even assign a different manager, for each task, and for each new hire so that everyone is engaged in the new person’s training, introduction and success.

• Explain those aspects of the job which are most important: guest service ability, reliability/attendance, & being a team player, for example.

• Keep lines of communication open and check back with the new person regularly and frequently, at least at first.

You will find that this process is as good for you, the manager, as it is for the new hire. A positive and structured on-boarding process can and will result in a well-adjusted and more productive new hire and more quickly. I encourage you to develop your “on-boarding” plan and see if the results (if you stick to the plan) don’t speak for themselves. The reality is, don’t you have better things to do with your time than to keep repeating your mistakes? I’d say that the answer to that question would be a collective…“Yes!”

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.

28 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

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EVENTS We have several major food & beverage events coming up in the next few months and we just wanted to bring you an update so if planning to attend you can start booking now.

March 7-9 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 March 8-10 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 9-13 the Natural Products Expo West, held at the Anaheim Hilton and Anaheim Convention Center, will include the newest trends in natural food & beverage products. www.expowest.com March 13-16 the Catersource Event Solutions show at The Mirage and Las Vegas Convention Center will feature all the needs of today’s caterers and catering companies around the world. www.catersource.com March 31-April 3 the 9th Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine returns to the iconic strip of the California coastline and Pebble Beach Resorts, continuing its reign as one of the premier food and wine events in the world, with cooking demos from renowned chefs, wine seminars, and wine, beer and spirit tastings. www.pbfw.com April 18-21 the 73rd Annual WSWA (Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America) Convention and Exposition will convene at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. This is a gathering of beverage professionals with a showcase of products that anyone in the business will not want to miss. www.wswa.org/meetings June 13-17 the World Tea Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center will bring everything from the world of tea, with previews of new products and newly launched innovations. www.worldteaexpo.com

30 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I March 2016

AD INDEX Al Dentes’ Provisions

page 15

sales@aldentes.com 702-642-1100 Audrey Dempsey Infinity Photo page 8 www.infinity-photo.com

page 2

www.belvederevodka.com Catersource Event Solutions

page 32

Convention & Tradeshow www.catersource.com 800-932-3632 Deep Eddy Vodka

page 13

www.deepeddyvodka.com 702-876-4500 Jameson Irish Whiskey

page 23

www.jamesonwhiskey.com Major Foods www.majorproducts.com 702-838-4698

page 30

Pizza Expo www.pizzaexpo.com

page 25

Recipes for Restauranteurs www.marketing-cookbook.com

702-837-1128 Belvedere Peach Nectar

Niigata Sake Festival http://sakenojin.jp/english 025-229-1218

page 27

page 8

Rodney Strong www.rodneystrong.com 707-431-1533

page 19

SKYY Infusions Vodkas www.skyy.com

page 21

The Spice Outlet www.thespiceoutlet.com 702-534-7883

page 15

Todd English P.U.B. www.toddenglishpub.com 702-489-8080

page 31

Uncle Steve’s www.unclestevesny.com 718-605-0416

page 29

White Soy Sauce www.whitesoysaucefood.com

page 6

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LEARN MORE & REGISTER TODAY!

Enhance your food & beverage offerings at CSES2016 Learn more about the education, special events, exhibitors, and more at catersource.com.

Only a few weeks left to register and join us at this inspiring industry event!

Conference:

Mirage Hotel • March 13–16

Tradeshow:

Las Vegas Convention Center • March 15–16

Catersource.com | Questions? Contact 800.932.3632 or registration@catersource.com