July 2017 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional

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Issue 7 Volume 17

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A Tale of Two Gastros

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W RE P .S HO O CA TOS LF & S N TO BP RI RO ES V .C ISIT O M

July 2017

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CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER WELCOME BACK TO THE SOCAL FOOD & BEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL JULY 2017 ISSUE FROM Orange County where it’s a very warm 85F degrees and now everyone is getting ready for the summer beach season. We at SoCal F&B are heading out shortly for an Alaskan Fishing Adventure in Seldovia which will be featured in our new column on Tasty Destinations in a future issue.

Cover On the cover and this month’s feature, A Tale of Two Gastros by John Rockwell takes

us on a journey to two locations John recently visited, The Salted Pig in Riverside and Mason Ale Works/Urge Gastropub in Oceanside and both with their distinct reasons to love them. Read all about them in John’s tasteful feature.

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Page 6 takes you to our first Tasteful Destinations featuring Monterey Bay and Carmelby-the -Sea, including where to stay, eat & drink, and visit when you are there. This is the perfect time to visit and attend the PMA’s Produce Marketing Association Food Service Expo at the Monterey Convention Center. Details inside.

Page 19 brings us two interesting bits of informed information with Chef Talk by Chef Allen Asch reviewing The Almighty Dumpling and his view on Asian and worldwide dumplings and what they have in common. The second bit of info is the winning of the 2017 Silver Anvil Award by the Public Relations company one 7 communications in New York. Presented by the PRSA-Public Relations Society of America, this is one of the highest awards given in the Public Relations field. Congratulations and nice work team!

Page 25 has our Good for Spooning food journalist LeAnne Notabartolo in San Diego at the Gas Lamp District visiting the restaurant Lionfish, where she was very satisfied with the food, drinks, service and ambiance of the location. LeAnne highly recommends the Lionfish Restaurant as a place to visit time and time again.

CHEERS! MIKE FRYER

Page 4 Hot off the Grill!

Page12 Foodie Biz

Page 20 What’s Brewing

Page 5 COOK•EAT: Asia Rice, Soy, Chopsticks

Page 14 COVER FEATURE A Tale of Two Gastros

Page 22 Product Spotlight Our Vegas Picks by Adam Rains

Page 16 Food for Thought Some Myths for Buying Wine in Your Supermarkets

Page 6 Tasteful Destinations

Page 17 Product Review

Page 8 Twinkle Toast Classic Vessel.

Contemporary Applications.

Page 18 Wine Talk Just Released! The 2017 Master of Wine Examination Questions and Wines

Page 10 Brett’s Vegas View

Page 24 Human Resources Insights Harassment in the Workplace

Page 25 Good for Spooning Lionfish – First Bite

Page 26 Events Ad Index

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Page 11 The Bottom Line Increasing Customer Communication Can Mean the Difference Between Life and Death

Page 19 Chef Talk The Almighty Dumpling

ACF Chefs of SoCal

one7 communications Wins 2017 Silver Anvil Award

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The Socal Food & Beverage Professional 7442 Grizzly Giant Street Las Vegas, NV 89139

www.socalfnbpro.com

HOT OFF THE GRILL!

July 2017 Mike Fryer

Sr. Editor/Publisher

Restaurant Editor Ben Brown visited CREAM, or ‘Cookies Rule Everything Around Me,’ to explore the dessert franchise’s array of customizable sweets. From fresh-baked cookie sandwiches to waffle sandwiches hot off the iron, everything came out with brilliant color, decadent taste and giant scoops of ice cream.

Ice cream tacos anyone? A haven for the sweet tooth and an Instagrammer’s dream. Find out more in this month’s edition of Foodie Biz on page 12.

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

Here was one of those rare occasions that all three SoCal Food & Beverage Pros were able to get together at the pre-opening of Robert Irvine’s first restaurant in Las Vegas at the Tropicana Resort.

The media and suppliers were there in full force to wish him well and enjoy an evening of great food & beverage. Pictured here are Creative Director Juanita Aiello, Editorial Director Bob Barnes and Head Dishwasher Mike Fryer.

Ben Brown

Restaurant Editor ben@socalfnbpro.com

A new world record for pizza was recently established by none other than industry leaders John Arena (co-founder and co-owner of Metro Pizza), alongside Tony Gemignani (owner of Pizza Rock) and Giulio Adriani (chef/owner of Forcella in NYC). Of course, it takes an entire team to pull something like this off, and they did so earlier this year in Northern California.

Interesting, the Guinness World Record was not for the pizza size, nor its weight or number of tomatoes used, but for its length, an overall 6,333 feet 3.6 inches (about 1.3 miles), making it the longest pizza ever recorded! Wonder what the Italians have to say about 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

Journalists The Cork Dorks Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover

Master Sommelier Joe Phillips

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COOK•EAT: Asia Rice, Soy, Chopsticks

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.

“West Eats East” was his last series in this journal.

Rice—Without rice, Asians cannot survive even for a single day. Many want to eat a bowl of rice even at a steak dinner. Mi amigo from Columbia often jokes of rice by saying, “Oh! Azzore! again!” He completes the joke by squeezing both temples up to form slant- eyes. Thus, rice is the major reason for Asians’ slant-eyes, he insists. He may be right, Asians eat rice a lot.

Rice is not all in one kind, like people in Asia. A variety of rice is grown and consumed in different ways at diverse locations or at distinct occasions. Long grain rice, medium grain rice, short grain rice, sticky rice, sweet rice, brown rice, Jasmine rice, other brand rice, and instant rice are our “rice” but all different. Rice varieties are still under development for particular geographies, climates or uses. Sake rice is specifically developed for particular styles of sake. No GMO for rice, though.

In a Chinese restaurant decades ago, rice used to be called steamed rice.

Today rice is often cooked in water, conveniently in a rice cooker, instead.

Varieties of rice and post-cooking processes make rice for particular functions and eating. Generally speaking, long grain rice is good for fried rice, medium-short grain rice for simple eating, short grain sweet rice (sticky) for making mochi by pounding, or brown rice for healthconscious people. In addition, rice noodles or vermicelli and rice paper are used for Mu Shu-style wraps in the Chinese or Vietnamese cuisine.

Rice is good for a filling effect in the stomach and bland, not putting out any flavor. No worry about changing to slant-eyes by eating rice.

Soy bean and its products are the most common plant protein food in Asia. It grows well without nitrogen fertilizer due to its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen for its own nourishment. It is often planted on paths between rice paddies. Dried after harvest and made into tofu and its allied products, it is made into powder, fermented like soy sauce, Tempe or Natto. Soybean foods are usually salty, which is an excellent companion to eating bland rice. In our market tofu used to draw great attention to alternate meat-centered meals but we may be losing such an enthusiasm nowadays. We love meat but not so much tofu. Once in a while would be popular, though. Soy milk here in our market has also gained a good appetite but people have also likely lost eagerness to replace regular milk.

Soy cheese or other soy products may not keep impacting on our fickle interest in health, I think.

Rice and soybeans must be the major reason why many (not all) Asians are slim and long living. Chopsticks are needed to eat them. Therefore it can be said that chopsticks are a key to healthy eating. Chopsticks function for picking up chunks, even peas, cutting by two separated sticks, or piercing.

But not for all kinds of rice. Fried rice or long grain rice are not sticky to be picked up as lumps. In those long grain rice eating regions, people use www.socalfnbpro.com

spoons or some folks grab two pieces of chopsticks together for scooping grainy rice into mouth from a bowl, adhered to mouth.

Chopsticks are made from tree trunks or pruned branches, bamboo, disposable-reusable, lacquered, metal in Korea, decorative, or rubberbanded or laundry clip at the end for beginners. Its length varies, long for cooking chopsticks, or short for kids. A recent trend noted in Japan of changing disposable to reusable ones for conservation. Chopsticks use is nothing trendy any more today. For those who eat food using chopsticks, there is nothing to be embarrassed about eating slowly. Slow eating is good for digestion, eventually health. Rice, soybeans and chopsticks, are good for everybody and health.

TRADITIONAL YET NEW Perfect Soy Sauce Flavor without the Color!

A golden color white soy sauce No burnt dark soy sauce flavor No darkening color in cooking Remarkable for sea foods, veggies, pasta, fusion and natural foods

www.whitesoysaucefood.com July 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 5

Tasteful DESTINATIONS

Welcome to our newest monthly column ‘Tasteful Destinations…’ where you will be taken to places to both get away and learn something new!

I welcome all feedback and questions as well as other destination suggestions.

Email me at: mike@socalfnbpro.com.

Our Recipe for Best Destinations = Great Places + Great Food!

By Mike Fryer

Sr. Editor/Publisher (Travel & Tastes Writer)

Mike is a well-seasoned traveler who has lived and worked for half his life in Australia and SE Asia, including Japan, Okinawa, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Laos, Mainland China, India, Guam and Micronesia, all while working in the food & beverage industry. mike@socalfnbpro.com

photos by Mike Fryer

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

Shops and wine tasting at Carmel-by-the-Sea. www.CarmelCalifornia.com

MONTEREY

Best place to stay in Carmel-by-theSea: Hofsas House Your host: Carrie Theis, Owner-GM. www.hofsashouse.com

A visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must see. www.montereybayaquarium.org

Pacific Hotel is a good place to stay in the heart of Historic Monterey. www.HotelPacific.com

Great place for dinner, The Whaling Station Steak & Seafood Restaurant. Old school steak house with upscale cuisine, just off Cannery Row. www.whalingstation.net 6 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I July 2017

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This time of the year Monterey is beautiful, both in climate and in fresh fruits and vegetables, so what more rewarding tribute than the Produce Marketing Association’s Annual Foodservice Expo.

Contact www.pma.com/events/ foodservice/attendees/travel

Breweries and wineries in the Monterey area are great to visit.

Our sincere thanks to the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau for their help in arranging our visit and contacts in the area. www.seemonterey.com

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photo courtesty www.tienda.com

Classic Vessel.

Contemporary Applications.

If you don’t happen to own your own porrón, you can find one online for less than $25 at www.tienda.com. We purchased several for a recent pool party, and had a blast perfecting our technique. If you’d like to witness our skills firsthand, visit our website, twinkletoast.com, and click on “The Basics” for our 60 second video. Salud!

photos courtesy Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover

Master Sommelier Will Costello recently introduced us to something called a porrón, which looks like a cross between a decanter and a watering can. Porróns have been around for over a hundred years, and are usually made of glass. They contain two openings, one to pour liquid into and another to drink out of.

A porrón is a communal wine vessel native to Spain, and was originally created to eliminate the need for cups. Costello noted that not only are they environmentally friendly, they can also create a fun group activity. Because there is always the potential for spillage and splatter, he recommends using them outdoors, most notably poolside.

The most important rule when using a porrón is not to put your lips directly on the spout, which should make all of our germaphobic friends out there very happy. To use a porrón like a pro, start with the spout close to your mouth and begin pouring. Then pull the porrón away from your face without breaking the stream of wine.

The greatest achievement in “porróning” comes with a full extension of the arm.

Essentially anything can be “porróned.” Red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, beer, fruit punch, you name it! Costello’s favorite beverage to enjoy out of a porrón is a combination of Corona and San Pellegrino Limonata, and he encourages everyone to be creative in finding their own beverage of choice. Another tasty option for summer could be red of white sangria.

We recommend the following recipe: (1) 750 ml bottle of Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel or Shiraz are alternative options) (1) Lemon cut into wedges (1) Orange cut into wedges (2) Tbsp sugar (1) Shot brandy (2) Cups ginger ale or club soda Pour the wine in a pitcher, squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon and orange into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges, leaving out the seeds if possible, and add sugar and brandy.

Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving. If you’d like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice.

photo courtesy Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover

Twinkle Toast

By Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover

Erin Cooper and Christine Vanover have been residents of Las Vegas since 2007. Vanover is also a UNLV Alumnus.

Both women are Territory Managers for the Resort Wine Team at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, members of Women Gone Wine and the founders of Twinkle Toast. info@twinkletoast.com • www.twinkletoast.com Facebook: @TwinkleToast Twitter: TwinkleToastLV Instagram: TwinkleToastLV

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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

ABOUT TOWN NEWS

photo by Tom Donoghue Photography

Golden Entertainment is buying American Casino Entertainment Properties… the Stratosphere, two-Arizona Charlie’s, and Aquarius in Laughlin.

Grand Sierra owners in Reno are buying the SLS Las Vegas, formerly the Sahara.

Tipsy Robot land-based robotic bar opened in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood showcasing two cocktail-making robots and human staff “Galactic Ambassadors.”

Fremont Street’s cowgirl neon sign Vegas Vickie was removed to make room for a new resort-casino by developer Derek Stevens, owner of the D Las Vegas.

The Golden Knights has a six-year exclusive sponsorship deal with the D, which includes fan fests, watch parties, appearances, official merchandise, etc.

Modernist Cuisine Gallery, the first gallery focusing solely on food photography by a single artist Nathan Myrhvold, opened at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.

Machine Gun Helicopters offers the only experience over the Nevada desert where civilians can shoot a fixed M249 (SAW) belt fed machine gun from a helicopter.

Green Valley Ranch Resort unveiled largescale changes including the new hotel lobby area, lobby bar and renovated suites.

The Golden Tiki in Chinatown added shrunken heads of Hellyeah’s Vinnie Paul and Planet Hollywood’s magic headliner Murray Sawchuck to its Cabinet of Curiosities.

The Venetian debuted a new art installation with 32 miles of suspended satin ribbon by Anne Patterson in The Waterfall Atrium.

The Neon Museum’s restored signs are displayed on a rotating basis for the first time on the Strip starting with the Red Barn in front of the Fashion Show.

Keno debuted at the Plaza downtown with games running every 5-8 minutes.

Topgolf male and female players from America and United Kingdom will compete in the 20city Topgolf Tour with a regional tournament in Las Vegas July 9 and $50,000 cash prize championship Oct. 14-15.

The Spas at Green Valley Ranch Resort and Red Rock Resort introduced an all-new spa and fitness monthly membership program.

New Museum Exhibits: The Mob Museum - Mob at the Movies; Las Vegas Natural History Museum - Rainforest Adventure thru Sept. 4; and Discovery Children’s Museum Zoom into Nano thru Sept. 4.

DINING SCOOPS

The Tropicana debuted an all-new Napa Valley-inspired steakhouse concept, Oakville Steakhouse.

Chicago restaurant group Hogsalt will become part of the Park MGM culinary experience and open Bavette’s with a 1920s speakeasy vibe in October.

Westgate opened Bar Sake inside The Village on “restaurant row” and with a robata-style food menu.

Bandito Latin Kitchen & Cantina opened in the Hughes Center with Latin America/ Mexico-inspired food and 30-foot tall glass windows.

Sparrow + Wolf, Chef Brian Howard’s newest offering, opened in Chinatown on Spring Mountain Road.

The Black Sheep neighborhood restaurant opened at 8680 W. Warm Springs Road with chef-partner Jamie Tran serving casual modern American-Vietnamese food.

New on the Strip is 24-hour Boulevard Food Court with eight-outlet dining destinations including the city’s second El Dorado Express.

Buffet of Buffets is a culinary tour offered at Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas resorts with one price giving access to up to five buffets in a 24-hour period.

Tacos & Tequila (T&T) at the Luxor is serving new signature items, Do’nitas with shredded carnitas on weekends.

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at Downtown Summerlin started a three-part “Summer of Beer” Tuesday dinner series. Next dates are July 11 and Aug. 8.

The second Cousins Maine Lobster food truck of Shark Tank fame is new on the corner of Fremont and Las Vegas Boulevard.

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The Dillinger and Forge Social House owners in Boulder City opened a new barrestaurant The Tap in the former The Inner Circle space inside the Boulder Inn & Suites.

The Cooking Experience owners at 9500 S. Eastern Ave. replaced the school with a new concept Boteco favoring sharable bites and a custom-made Tasting Menu paired with wines the last Friday of every month.

ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT

Mary J. Blige’s North American Strength of a Woman Tour will visit the Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Friday, Sept. 1.

Canadian twin sisters Tegan and Sara will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their hit album “The Con” with The Con X: Tour at the Pearl Saturday, Oct. 21.

Marc Anthony will include a Full Circle tour stop at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, Sept. 16 at 10:30 p.m.

Linkin Park will bring One More Light World Tour with Machine Gun Kelly to the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, Sept. 2.

The Dancing with the Stars: Live! – Hot Summer Nights tour visits Orleans Arena Sunday, Aug. 6.

The Weeknd with his Starboy: Legend of the Fall 2017 World Tour will appear at T-Mobile Arena Saturday, Oct. 14 with Gucci Mane and Nav. Roseanne Barr will headline the Grand Events Center at Green Valley Ranch Saturday, Sept. 9.

Cindy Williams of Laverne & Shirley fame is extended with her guest starring role in “Menopause The Musical” at Harrah’s through Sept. 2.

Andrew W.K. will bring The Party Never Dies tour to Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq Promenade Saturday, Sept. 30.

Singer-songwriter Richard Marx will headline a limited engagement with 15 performances of Satisfied: Only The Hits at the Flamingo Aug. 15-Sept. 2.

Jazz saxophonist Mindi Abair will appear at The Foundry inside SLS Las Vegas Saturday, Sept. 23 with The Boneshakers. www.socalfnbpro.com

The Bottom Line Increasing Customer Communication Can Mean the Difference Between Life and Death

Food costs increase. Rent increases. Labor increases. It’s safe to assume that, over time, your cost of doing business will inevitably go up. When this happens, you have two choices: increase sales, or cut costs elsewhere to offset the rising area. Neither option will bode well with your customer base, but both fare better than the third choice, which is continue as usual until your operation crashes and burns.

Whichever route you decide to take, however, it is imperative to communicate the change with your loyalists. Being proactive in times of potential customer setbacks will not only save otherwise lost relationships, but also have potential to actually strengthen your bond with your strongest advocates.

Here are some example scenarios where restaurants can stand out during tough times: Communicating Price Increases Restaurant X is a well-known sandwich shop that has attracted a cult-like local following for the past three decades. Sadly, their landlord doesn’t share the same sentimental attachment and demands a significant rent increase. Restaurant X does the math and realizes that based on current sales, it can’t afford these new costs. They have to raise sandwich prices by $1 each, roughly a 15% bump.

Restaurant X decides to be up-front with its customers, many of whom have come through its doors for years on end. They post a sign on their menu above the counter that reads something like this: “You’ve probably noticed that our sandwich prices have gone up. We wish we didn’t have to do this either, but our rent went up, and this is the only way for us to stay in business and continue our dream of serving you every day. Thank you and let us know if we can answer any questions.”

Simple and to the point, without causing any unnecessary drama with the landlord. Will this approach prevent alienation from every customer?

Likely not, but it’ll certainly minimize the bleeding. By hearing the news straight from the horse’s mouth, Restaurant X has halted any false accusations from spreading around its price increases.

Alternatively, and to supplement the first approach, if Restaurant X doesn’t want to alert every customer [i.e. first-timers] that they used to have lower prices, then it’s best to reach their loyalists through other channels. Email lists and social media pages are prime for these types of announcements. www.socalfnbpro.com

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.

Communicating Menu Changes Personal opinion, but always opt for price increases before cost cutting, barring true inefficiencies or redundancies in your operations. Your brand is built around an enjoyable, reliable product and experience, and detracting from taste, portion size or ambiance are all one-way tickets to destroying your brand. This said, sometimes a menu change is necessary for reasons out of your control.

Restaurant Z sells a very popular almond-crusted salmon. Drought conditions, however, have made almonds a very unpopular ingredient, especially with the owners of Restaurant Z, who are strong environmental advocates. They decide to change the dish to herb-crusted salmon, knowing that this will create some noticeable backlash.

In their daily pre-service staff meeting, the owners discuss the change with managers and servers, and train the servers on an opening dialogue and anticipated FAQ’s that loyalists will likely have regarding the change. The servers are now fully equipped with the ability to be forthcoming about a change in a popular menu item and how it aligns with the environment and what the restaurant stands for in the end.

Just like with the previous example, this approach won’t please everyone, but will surely help your customers get on the same page and empathize with the decision. Much better to tell your loyalists the story in the way you want it to be told rather than have them make up a defamatory story in their minds.

These approaches are largely interchangeable, but fall under the same central themes: • Be proactive: Tell your customers about the ‘why’ behind any changes before they have to ask questions • Be straightforward: As long as your reasons are genuine, your customers will understand that you have to make changes to stay in business. Simply telling the truth up front alleviates a lot of anxiety.

• Be open: Welcome questions, concerns and complaints. If your customers feel like they can’t talk to you, they will take out their frustrations on their colleagues, potentially eating away at more of your business.

Communicating less-than-ideal matters isn’t the most comfortable thing, but in the same way that the success of a romantic relationship depends on communication, so does that of your business.

July 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 11

| Foodie Biz |

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@socalfnbpro.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.

Fortune Cookie Divas Predict Grand Future for Designer Desserts

photos by Ben Brown

For Fortune Cookie Divas, the writing was on the wall for stylish, custom fortune cookies—or was it written on a thin paper slip concluding one of co-owner Katie Chin’s renowned meals? Chin, a Chinese food personality and author of several cookbooks, including Katie Chin’s Everyday Chinese, has partnered with longtime friend Ann Koh to create colorful, decorative and delicious fortune cookies that have already caught on with several big-name partners.

Fortune Cookie Divas launched in November 2016, when Chin and Koh discovered an open market for fortune cookies during a project for Chin’s catering company, Wok Star Catering. They began designing cookie concepts from there and have since carved a niche with high-end fashion, cosmetic brands, entertainment groups and Fortune 500 companies.

The chocolate-dipped, sprinkle-covered fortune cookies cover every iteration of color and texture desirable and cater to company events and galas that seek elevated style. On the retail side, fortune cookie baskets offer a novel gift option for holidays and other celebratory occasions.

For more information visit www.fortunecookiedivas.com.

Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken Expands to L.A. The wildly-popular DC concept has traveled to the west coast and caught fire. The restaurant’s two namesakes encompass literally the entire menu, and thankfully each of them are doing quite well. If you’re looking for a little afternoon indulgence, this is certainly a cultural hotspot to add to your list.

The place really is quite humble in both its looks and its food, emphasizing the quality of both that much further. A few minimalist tables and barstools at the counter and window make up pretty much the entire seating arrangement, though much of the food at this fast-casual spot is taken to go.

The fried chicken here is as solid as anywhere you’ll find outside the deep south, and their customizable chicken sandwiches are certainly where it’s at. Donuts here certainly ride the food trend wave of fun flavors that integrate nostalgic with new-age. Maple bacon, PB&J and chocolate mudslide were among the seasonal favorites.

Visit AstroDoughnuts.com.

Katana’s Annual Red Sun BBQ Returns to Sunset Strip Katana’s legendary Red Sun BBQ has returned for its 15th year, recurring every Sunday (6-11:30 p.m.) through September 3, 2017. During the summertime soirée, Angelenos can revel on the restaurant’s patio while enjoying new dishes, signature cocktails and musical selections from rotating guest DJs. Specialty items include tuna filo baskets, salmon poke, white snake ceviche, lobster garlic noodles and seafood teppan, ranging from $7-$36.

Katana, which means “samurai sword,” specializes in authentic “Robatayaki” cuisine and is located in the historic Piazza del Sol building overlooking the legendary Sunset Strip. Bamboo skewered items, including seafood, vegetables, meat and poultry, are grilled over Japanese “bincho-tan” charcoals that burn at up to 1,200°. The menu also offers an array of sushi, tempura, and noodles, as well as various specialties from the kitchen.

For more information visit innovativedining.com/restaurants/katana.

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CREAM’s Dessert Indulgences Abound Across L.A. CREAM, or Cookies Rule Everything Around Me, has graced L.A.’s sweets scene with its playful renditions on ice cream cookie sandwiches, brownie sandwiches, waffle sandwiches and basically any other sweet item that comes out of an oven or iron. Rich, quality ice cream, hot baked goodies and colorful toppings come in huge portions at a very reasonable price point, making CREAM a magnet for anyone with a sweet tooth.

The CREAM franchise follows the same customization mantra that allows patrons to make their own decadent dessert from dozens of options, including soy-based, gluten free and vegan selections. They also bake their product in-house daily, adding freshness to the stores’ home feel.

Around two dozen ice cream flavors are everchanging to keep things interesting, but you’d be missing out if you didn’t try their salted caramel and churro flavors. The waffles, cooked on the spot and sweet as can be, highlight the baked selections, followed by rich brownies and doughy cookies. If you’re really looking for a treat, go for the ice cream taco, essentially a taco shell-shaped cone that houses three massive scoops of ice cream and two toppings. Fruity pebbles and Nutella, anyone? The shakes are excellent as well.

For more information visit CreamNation.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.”

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By John Rockwell

A Tale of Two Gastros

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.

I love the gastropub concept and the ethos of local craft beer, locally-sourced food and nontraditional or sometimes even extravagant takes on traditional comfort foods.

Unfortunately, as is the case with most trends, sometimes that central gastropub concept is lost and all one finds at a place is a list of hamburger choices. Sure, hamburgers can be tasty, but adding a couple of burger variations to the menu at the local neighborhood bar doesn’t make for a gastropub. At least one large restaurant chain has even glommed onto this concept and is working very hard to rebrand itself as a “burgers and craft beer” gastro. With apologies to crimsoncolored birds everywhere, I’m not that easily fooled by the corporate trickery.

But good gastros have some similarities with neighborhood bars, synonymous with community gatherings and familiar faces on both sides of the bar. Though the “industrial” indoor look may be overdone, the open-seating and feeling of large industrial spaces is anything but industrial—they make for a very comfortable and informal atmosphere to accomplish the most important of all human endeavors: to eat and drink something good with people you like.

The two gastropubs highlighted here seem to start with the question, “What do people like to eat at home?” and then do something fun with it.

The Salted Pig in downtown Riverside has been open for six years, and Urge Gastropub/Mason Ale Works in Oceanside has only been open a couple of years (though the original Urge in Rancho Bernardo has been open for about seven years now), but the menu of both restaurants capture something special with their food and atmosphere.

Brick walls and open seating make The Salted Pig in Riverside a friendly place to eat and drink.

The only-used-if-it’s-crowded dining room at ‘the Pig’ gets a birds-eye view of the food being prepared in the open kitchen.

This is not-your-mother’s Bacon and Eggs. The Salted Pig chefs use rolled pork belly, cheese grits, and an egg cooked on top of it all to make for a very savory treat.

The Salted Pig’s braised short-rib served on a bed of German spaetzle is a savory dinner delight, and anything except short!

Chicken and waffles are well-known in SoCal, but Salted Pig’s variation on a favorite is a delightful change.

Dessert at ‘the Pig’ —Ding Dong and Twinkie—is a creative, custard-infused “interpretation” of the real thing. And maybe even better.

Salted Pig—Riverside

photos by John Rockwell

Next to the ever-popular Augie’s Coffee House (though it opened after ‘the Pig’), The Salted Pig is in an inconspicuous location at the corner of 12th and Main in the court district of downtown Riverside. Through heavy double doors, inside it is dark and gray with high ceilings and beer menus decorating the walls of the main barroom. I have noticed two constants at this Riverside favorite: excellent beer in draft and in bottle (including Russian River and Dogfish Head special releases), and an everchanging/evolving menu. A changing menu has positives and negatives. While I am very happy that the original burger-centric menu is gone,

the downside is that if you develop a personal favorite—there was once a house-made gnocchi on the menu that was just amazing—it might not be there in the next season. The good news is that with rotating taps and menus, a trip to Salted Pig is always an adventure in “What’s new?” Their newest experiment is that after 10 p.m., the restaurant turns into a Ramen house.

Trendy, but cool.

When I saw the most recent regular menu change, I was skeptical. Bacon and Eggs?

Karaage Chicken and Waffles? Short-Rib and Spaetzle? At a recent visit, we tried these supper entrees and each one was a creative and tasty plate. The “bacon” in the Bacon and Eggs was a long strip of pork belly infused with maple, rolled into something that looked like a large patty, and fried. It is served over cheese grits and the egg—as the trend seems to be—was served on top of the dish as a garnish. The Karaage Chicken and Waffles prepared the chicken tempura-style over waffles and a citrus custard. To add that Asian flair, salted seaweed cracker (sushi wrapper) was the garnish. Even the short-rib was a surprise. Since there seems to be an Asian influence on the menu, I expected short-ribs ala Korean-barbecue, but what I

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received was a deep cut of beef, braised, and off the bone. The paprika cream and vinegar sauce were excellent complements for the longcooked, falling-apart meat, and went well with the German noodles.

The appetizer menu changes too. The deep-fried dates, bacon-fat drizzled popcorn, and fried brussels sprouts drowned in Vietnamese Nuoc Mam sauce have been replaced with variations: a spicy garlic caramel popcorn (Kung Pao Cracker Jack), and a buttermilk cream version of Brussels sprouts (Peewee Potato Colcannon).

Fried vittles are apple-pecan Hush Puppies.

One constant menu item to the Pig (and a few other popular gastropubs) is Bone Marrow. On the current menu, the bone marrow is served with a charred jalapeño relish and toast. The accoutrement changes. If you’re in the Inland Empire in SoCal—what a few of us refer to as a “food desert”—then the Salted Pig rises to the challenge of the best urban eats.

Mason Ale Works/Urge Gastropub—Oceanside Relatively new to the Oceanside gastro scene (but the owners are not new to the gastro business, having operated regional locations since 2010), Urge Oceanside houses a brewery in its large, standalone building as well as an encyclopedic array of whiskies, which they refer to as the Whiskey Bank. Despite the intimidating whiskey menu (which I will leave to others with a better-educated palette), the

gastropub menu has burgers, yes (about eight if you include Wild Boar, Salmon, and Ahi as burger meats), but it also has some comfortbased home-style entrees.

Once notorious for its crime and not so pleasant downtown, in the mid-90s, the city of Oceanside decided to rename its beleaguered “Hill Street” thoroughfare with the more recognizable (and geographically accurate) Pacific Coast Highway.

Since then, the downtown has undergone longterm renaissance efforts, and with the current boom of breweries, the longish downtown Oceanside is not only a block or two from the beach, but also home to several good gastros, breweries, and tasting rooms. Urge Gastropub gets the beach vibe right with its large outdoor (dog-friendly) patio, its spacious, open-seating barroom, and sit-down section for more formal booth-style dining.

The entree menu has a healthy dose of the traditional, whether its standard bar fare like Fish & Chips or Mac & Cheese, or its home cooked delights like Pork Chops, Flat Iron Steak, and Meatloaf. I’ll never know why my USMC veteran father always goes for the Fish & Chips, but I’m guessing it’s because my mother doesn’t like the grease and fish and won’t make it for him. The dish is served exactly as one would expect and apparently it passes muster. Almost as important to have on the menu in SoCal is some taco variation, and the street tacos don’t disappoint with scratch guac, cilantro cream, and mango salsa. Yes, mango salsa needs to be ‘a thing’ if it isn’t already. The sweet, yet

peppery flavor of the fruit and its firm texture make for an excellent taco garnish, and it blends well with the savory spices of Mexican food.

The Urge Meatloaf, is bacon-wrapped and offered with a tomato-onion gravy or a short rib gravy (for an additional $2). This is a sizable and filling plate. For some reason—perhaps my cheese curiosity—I almost always order the Mac & Cheese. At many restaurants, I find it is not taken seriously—it’s either generic or dry.

At Urge, it’s perfect. It’s got just enough sauce, and the cheese is countered nicely by the simply balsamic reduction drizzled on top.

Of course, Urge Oceanside wouldn’t be the same without its in-house brewery Mason Ale Works, and the 15 or so house-made beers are exactly what one would expect from the San Diego beer scene—clean and problem-free variations of IPAs and dry-hopped styles, collab brews (many of the brewers in the area brewed with one another or at another location at one point), and a robust list of mostly locally-made guest taps. And if you want craft cocktails or one of the several hundred whiskeys on hand, well, you’ll be happy too.

On a late and busy afternoon, Urge Oceanside’s outdoor patio is an active site of large tables, forks clanking, beer glasses clinking, conversations happening, and dogs being treated like royalty.

In 2017, Oceanside has never looked as good as it does now, and the smell of the saltwater on the breeze and good food is always what the doctor ordered for relieving stress.

At the corner of Vista Way and Pacific Coast Highway, Oceanside’s Urge Gastropub fits in nicely with Oceanside’s ongoing renaissance.

What would SoCal be without tacos?

Urge’s fresh “street tacos” are as delicious as tacos should always be.

Urge’s bacon-wrapped meatloaf is tempting enough, but add a whiskeyinfused short-rib sauce, and it’s a winner.

It sounds like child’s play, but Urge’s take on Mac & Cheese is a grown-up pasta dish, satisfying and savory for the person in your party still willing to take on some carbs.

Urge’s bacon-wrapped meatloaf with tomato gravy looks beautiful on the plate.

The USMC veteran-approved Fish and Chips at Urge will satisfy those looking for the nostalgia of traditional bar fare.

Here’s a glimpse of Urge’s “whiskey bank” and the long, busy, full-service bar.

The bright and spacious dining area of Urge will let you enjoy a meal with your party, but still maintains the open feel of a good gastropub.

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July 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 15

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Some Myths for Buying Wine in Your Supermarkets

“Who is buying this stuff?” I always wonder when I pass by one of the wine aisles at a certain 24-hour supermarket. Past aisles of everyday wine and not far from a display of pet flea and tick collars and a table of diapers, is a display cabinet of bottles of fine wine, some of it under locked glass.

The supermarket wouldn’t stock it — or at least stock so much of it. What it also reminds us is that a great deal of the world’s wine is purchased at supermarkets and, contrary to common conception, many of these stores sell more than supermarket wine.

I’ll address these myths surrounding the purchase of wine in supermarkets: Myth 1: Supermarkets Have Only Simple, Boring Wine As my example above shows, this is not always the case. States that allow wine sales in supermarkets increasingly have stores with healthy wine programs. The overall selection isn’t usually as interesting as that of a top wine merchant, but many are perfectly respectable.

Myth 2: It’s Best to Stick with the Basics Some of the best values in supermarkets and for wine in general reside with the grapes and regions that are just outside consumers’ comfort zones. So critical is this point that value and adventure lie in the less familiar. Instead of gravitating to the Chardonnay or Merlot aisles, which will often be 16 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I July 2017

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

dauntingly large — experiment with the store’s more manageable stocks of better-priced Prosecco, Gruner Veltliner or Zinfandel.

Myth 3: Prices Don’t Vary Speaking of value, most people don’t realize that wine prices can vary widely among supermarkets. If you are going to realize the full value of shopping at a high-volume store, make sure to comparison shop. It has never been easier with the Internet.

Myth 4: Only Chain Supermarkets Are Fertile Hunting Grounds There’s gold in those hills beyond traditional chain supermarkets and their bottle-based cousins, beverage superstores and other warehouse clubs, which can all thrill with smart choices and fabulous prices. In fact, I once found a rare bottle of Robert Mondavi Cabernet Reserve languishing in the display case of an airport gift shop, amid cherry-scented potpourri and University of Alcatraz sweatshirts.

Myth 5: Service Is Nonexistent While it’s true that you are on your own in many supermarkets, you never know when helpful advice is just a question away. I like asking a clerk, “Is the wine buyer available?” www.socalfnbpro.com

Product Review

By Bob Barnes

Grill Daddy

Now with summer in full swing, chances are your BBQ is getting a workout, which also brings the chore of cleaning the grill. The Grill Daddy Brush Company, the leading grill brush and accessory company in the industry, sent me their Safety-Clean brush to try out. This bristle-lock brush not only keeps bristles in place, but has a patented water compartment that as the brush makes contact with a hot grill releases a measured amount of water, which turns to steam, and a long ergonomic handle provides leverage while keeping you from getting your hand too close to the heat. When I tried it, the steam action immediately made the cleaning effortless and surprisingly, when I was done the brush did not need any cleaning. And, since it uses nothing other than water and is made with National Safety Foundation approved materials, it is completely non-toxic and green.

The SMRP is $15.99 and it is sold at major retailers such as Williams Sonoma, Target and Walmart or online at buygrilldaddy.com.

Cusa Premium Instant Tea

According to a 2017 report by International Market Analysis Research and Consulting, “Tea currently represents the world’s second most popular beverage after water,” and the global tea market continues to grow. In addition, not only are more people looking to tea as a healthful addition to their diet, but organic products are desired by many consumers as well.

Cusa Premium Instant Tea offers both, and is the world’s first premium organic instant tea. When I received my samples I expected them to be difficult to dissolve, which had been my experience with other instant tea products, but was happily surprised to see how easily it transformed the water, but also appreciated that it is a very nice tasting tea. So good, in fact, that if I didn’t know it was an instant tea product, I would have believed it was traditionally brewed. This innovative, easy to make instant tea contains only high-quality, premium, USDA Organic certified teas and fruits, primarily from India and China, with no additives, fillers or sugar. Cusa Tea is available in 5 tea varietals: Organic English Breakfast, Organic Oolong Tea, Mango Green Tea, Organic Green Tea and Lemon Black Tea. Cusa Tea sells for $9.99 for a 10 packet box and can be purchased online at cusatea.com/collections/premium-instant-tea.

Prairie Organic Gin

Organic on a label should mean not having to worry about chemicals in what you drink. In the case of Prairie Spirits, the grain is grown without pesticides on three family farms in Minnesota and it is USDA Organic Certified. Gin is known for its juniper notes, and while you won’t miss them in this product, they’re lighter than you’d expect from a gin, making this smooth to drink straight, as I preferred to do in my sampling. There are also hints of coriander and exotic spices adding to a refreshing mouthfeel and herbal finish. This gin was a 2013 Gold Winner at the San Francisco World Sprits Competition.

Prairie Organic Gin retails for around $20 per 1 Liter bottle.

Two Summertime Reds

Conventional wisdom holds that red wine is too heavy to drink during the summer as full-bodied, tannic reds can be hard to enjoy when the weather turns hot. Pinot Noir is a grape with a very thin skin, and is thus less tannic than Cabernet Saugivnon, Syrah and Merlot and wines made from this variety tend to be light-bodied and delicate. The Baron Herzog Pinot Noir 2015 out of Oxnard, California should be a good fit for summer, as it features an initial taste that is light and fruity followed by notes of ripe black cherry and strawberry jam.

Baron Herzog 2015 Pinot Noir retails for around $13 per 750 ml bottle.

Another summertime red is the Capçanes Peraj Petita Rosat 2013, produced at the highly regarded Celler de Capçanes in Montsant, Spain. Considered a Garnacha (or Grenache), it’s a blend of 60% Garnacha, 15% Tempranillo, 15% Merlot and 10% Syrah, and brings loads of red fruits in taste with a medium finish with soft tannins.

Capçanes Peraj Petita Rosat 2013 retails for around $19 per 750 ml bottle.

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July 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.

Just Released! The 2017 Master of Wine Examination Questions and Wines

For those of you who might not be familiar with the world of wine certifications, the Master of Wine (MW) Exam is one of the most rigorous wine certifications in the world. While the Master Sommelier exam (Court of Master Sommeliers) is catered to those in the sales and service industry, the Master of Wine Exam (Institute of Masters of Wine) is targeted to those in the education industry. According to the Institute of Masters of Wine Website (http://www.mastersofwine.org), people from wine industry fields such as winemakers, buyers, consultants, academics and educators will take on the long-term challenge of making their way up the certification ladder to this achievement, which has just over 350 Masters of Wine since 1953.

The structure of the testing has evolved since the first exam in 1953; however, it remains one of the most difficult exams in the world. The great thing about the organization is that after the exams, the exam questions and wine list are released to the public, allowing current and future students to review historical exams. Currently, the MW exam is composed of three stages. Each stage is a prerequisite to progress to the next stage. The following is a summary of each stage, each with its own set of challenges.

Stage 1 - Assessment The first stage is a single day examination with a 12-wine blind tasting exam and theory exam. This year, nearly a hundred students in three locations around the world sat through the first stage. The exam is not a rote memorization-based form of testing. Students are expected to not only know wine theory and practical tasting aspects, they are expected to know and understand the wine business historically as well as with current events. For example, one of the questions from this year’s Stage 1 assessment was, “As a brand owner, what do you feel are the major strategic issues facing today’s wine industry?” There is no specific criteria or requirements, but students are expected to prove their expertise through their writing. The practical paper, which is centered around the blind tasting portion of the assessment, expects students to not only identify the varieties and origins, but also critique the style and/or quality, characteristics, winemaking, etc.

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Stage 2 – Theory and Practical Papers The second stage is also made up of theory and practical papers. For the theory portion, students are given a bank of questions to select from in 6 categories, covering the production of wine (viticulture, vinification/ pre-bottling procedures, and handling of wines), business of wines and contemporary issues. The practical paper portion asks students openended questions focusing on areas like commercial potential, market positioning, quality, maturity, capacity to improve in bottle, etc. This particular type of blind tasting is especially challenging because it does not test your knowledge, but your critical thinking skills. An example would be from this year’s exam, where students were asked, “Discuss the wine’s style and quality; in which area of the trade would this wine be most successful?” Not only would the students need to identify the wine and its origins, style, and quality, they would also need to have an understanding of the wine trade to be able to speak on the wine’s ability to be successful in a particular trade.

Stage 3 – Research Paper Finally, after passing Stage 1 and 2, students can advance to the third stage of the MW exam. Prior to 2013, students had to write a dissertation; however, it has since been replaced with the Research Paper. Again, the MW exam expects full understanding of the wine industry rather than just exercising your rote knowledge, but about having a true and complete understanding of all aspects of wine. Candidates are able to choose their own wine-related topics from practically any discipline, and go in any direction of their choosing, “as long as it enables them to provide a rigorous interpretation of the subject” and of course, contribute to the existing body of knowledge (http://www.mastersofwine.org/en/about/ rp.cfm).

To view the full list of questions and wine list from this year’s exam, go to http://www.mastersofwine.org/en/news/index.cfm/id/D6B94022-582E4543-B09035D1206FD14E This exam is such a high achievement, I wish the recent MW exam candidates and future students the best of luck and rigorous studies to become the latest members of this world-renowned organization! Until next month, Cheers~!

Alice www.socalfnbpro.com

By Chef Allen Asch Feel free to contact Chef Allen with ideas for comments or future articles at allena@unlv.nevada.edu

Chef Talk The Almighty Dumpling

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.

Dumplings are easy to make and cook quickly since the filling is usually ground or precooked, while the outside is usually light tender dough.

Many of the outsides are available to buy commercially rather than being handmade but they are usually very easy to make including ingredients such as flour and water. Typical outsides include dough, pasta, phyllo, rice, potato and cornmeal.

Some types of the dumplings include ravioli, pierogi, krepalch, wontons, empanadas, gnocchi and knishes. The fillings are usually made from either the protein or they are commonly stuffed with potatoes. Once the dumplings are stuffed, they are steamed, boiled or baked.

Recently I went to visit the newest Las Vegas Casino, Lucky Dragon. I have heard good things about the food and wanted to give it a try.

My first choice was Dragons Alley, reminiscent of Chinese street food. Unfortunately this area was being renovated which is weird since they just opened in time for Chinese New Year, in November of last year. Instead I ate at Pearl Ocean restaurant. One of the dishes I ordered was the five guys xiao long bao. This beautiful dish consisted of five different dumplings, all different colors and flavors. They were a black squid-ink skin with black truffle filling, yellow

turmeric skin crab-roe filling, bright red beet skin with a savory filling, green spinach skin with a kale filling and a white flour skin with a classic pork filling.

This beautiful dish made me think about the concept of the dumpling. One of the things that always intrigues me is how certain food items carry over from one country or group to another.

One example is sandwiches, another example is chicken soup and a third example is dumplings.

I’m a big dumpling fan. I like them from all nations, and any type of dumpling works for me because the filling is flavorful and the wrapping is light and tender.

One of my favorite Asian dumplings is the soup Xiao Long Bao. These are made by putting a cube of gelatinized meat aspic with a protein inside the wrapping. When heated, the aspic melts and when you cut or bite into the dumpling it is filled with liquid.

A common version of a dumpling dish in the United States is a dish called Chicken and Dumplings. In this dish the dumplings are very easy to make with few ingredients and are cooked in the chicken broth after the chicken was cooked, and what it will be served in. The only ingredients in this non protein dumpling are flour, baking powder, salt, water and oil.

Congrats to our friends and partners at one7 communications, who recently won a 2017 Silver Anvil Award at the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) ceremony in New York City, recognizing the best in strategic and influential public relations programs nationwide.

One7 was one of only 56 winners this year and took home the Silver Anvil in the category Events and Observances (seven or fewer days): Consumer Services for the campaign “The Color Run Brightens Up Downtown Las Vegas.”

Since its inception in 1944, the annual Silver Anvil Award is the oldest awards competition for excellence in public relations and communication. The iconic Silver Anvil Award symbolizes the breadth of talent among industry practitioners while recognizing outstanding individual professional achievement. Entries are judged on their research, planning, execution and evaluation, while also considering factors such as creativity, ethics and budget.

“The Silver Anvils are the highest honors for public relations campaigns and we’re extremely proud to receive this award, as it’s a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication to this profession and our clients,” said Dawn Britt, founder and CEO of one7 communications. www.socalfnbpro.com

photo courtesy one7 communications

one7 communications Wins 2017 Silver Anvil Award

July 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 19

what’s

By David Mulvihill 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.

image courtesy of Los Angeles County Brewers Guild

BREWING L.A. County Brewers Guild Unity label.

One of the many Orange County Beer Week 2017 events took place May 25 inside Riip Beer Co’s newly expanded brewery and taproom in Huntington Beach. Ryan Rasmussen and the folks at Riip came together with Chef Andrea Machuca-Kirkland’s Culinary Underground for an evening of delicious pairings of head brewer Trevor Walls’ new beers with three cheese courses and dessert.

Guests were welcomed upon arrival with an aperitif beer of their choice from the new tasting room bar.

The first course was billed as sharp, acidic, hoppy and bright. Clothbound Cabot Cheddar was served with pickled red onions, cornichons and mustard made with DanK IPA. Riip’s 7.5% ABV DanK IPA was fittingly paired. Its hearty hoppy-ness brightened the caramel milky tanginess of the Cabot. Each course was also accompanied by fresh bread and crackers.

With palates now woken, our next course was more savory in makeup.

Isabella Aged Gouda and chicken liver mousse with Fumee de Sel (a Chardonnay oak smoked sea salt), shallots and onions was accompanied

by Jetty Water Blonde. The delicate flavors of the blonde allowed the Gouda’s nutty sweetness and the concentrated flavors in the mousse to shine while providing a quenching finish.

The buttery, decadent, fruity course followed. The cheese was Grand Margaux Brie served with Marcona almonds, honeycomb, and rose-hip raspberry jam made with Riip’s own Bi-Porter Disorder. The beer pairing was Porter Nuevo. The porter’s dry roast characteristics provided a complimentary enhancement to the buttery brie and almonds.

A special batch of Bi-Porter Disorder with Raspberries would accompany a dessert of Earl Grey panna cotta, strawberry gel, DanK IPA meringues and rhubarb and raspberry mascarpone. The beer was served on nitro, which provided a creamy richness that combined with the beer’s chocolate-coffee notes and hints of raspberry. @culinaryundergroundoc; @riipbeer.

Treasure Chest 7 The Green Flash Brewing Company Treasure Chest Beer & Food Fest is returning for its 7th year on Sunday, August 27th. All festival proceeds benefit Susan G Komen, San Diego. This year’s event will be at the Green Flash Cellar 3 location in Poway. Green Flash, Cellar 3, and Alpine beers, including many rare creations, will be available for pairing with plates prepared by some of San Diego’s finest chefs. Live music will accompany the Hawaiian Luau-themed event, with attendees encouraged to come in tiki attire.

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photos by David Mulvihill

May The Dank Be With You

Riip’s Trevor Walls and The Culinary Underground’s Chef Andrea Machuca-Kirkland.

L.A. Beer Week The 9th edition of L.A. Beer Week has come and gone. This year’s 9-day week kicked off Saturday, June 17th with the L.A. Beer Week Kickoff Festival at the Los Angeles Center Studios in downtown L.A. Over 200 beers from almost 90 breweries included 57 L.A. County Brewers Guild member breweries as well as guest breweries from around the state and country. Musical entertainment included performances from Hidden Staircases, The Firkins, DJ Jim Smith, and the L.A. Brewers Unity Band.

Numerous Beer Week events included tap takeovers, pairing dinners and special beer releases, along with meet-the-brewer happenings at member breweries, restaurants and pubs around town. A sampling follows.

After presenting its Rarest of the Rare at its brewery on Father’s Day, Torrance’s Smog City Brewing’s Lucky 7s event at Beer Belly included 7 beers, 7 cocktails and 7 food pairings. Eagle Rock Brewery’s Annual Battle of the Bands took place Tuesday night. Ensembles from Eagle Rock Brewery, 38 Degrees, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, The Bruery, El Segundo Brewing Co., Highland Park Brewery, Pizza Port, Sunset Beer Company and Three Weavers took the stage at The Hi Hat to perform.

Battle of the Guilds 2017 took place at Naja’s Place in Redondo Beach. www.socalfnbpro.com

The Los Angeles County Brewers Guild was joined by the San Diego Brewers Guild and the San Francisco Brewers Guild for this tap takeover competition. The guild with the most beer consumed at the end of the evening would inherit the coveted Golden Keg. Results weren’t in yet at press time. Naja’s held quite a few other events during beer week, including the 2nd

May The Dank Be With You.

Annual L.A. Beer Week Yacht Rock Costume Party presented by Three Weavers and featuring yacht-themed beers from Three Weavers, Topa Topa, Arts District, Beachwood, Brewery Rex, Casa Agria, Chapman Crafted, El Segundo Brewing, Fall and Noble Ale Works.

Thursday night beer dinners included L.A. Foodie, an evening food and local beer pairing event at Ladyface Ale Companie and Brasserie, with beers from Ladyface, Eagle Rock, Lucky Luke, Cellador, Simzy’s and also this year’s L.A. Beer Week collaboration beer, Unity. Eagle Rock Public House presented a beer pairing dinner featuring beers from Three Weavers Brewing Co. Chef Jerry Su and Three Weavers Brewmaster Alexandra Nowell teamed in planning this 5-course pairing excursion.

Prior to beer week each year, L.A. County Brewers Guild members come together to plan and brew Unity, “A Beer to Unite Us All!” This year’s Unity brew was hosted by El Segundo Brewing Company. Over 40 breweries were represented in brewing this year’s beer. Staying true to El Segundo’s hoppy tendencies, the recipe was for a West Coast IPA that combined West Coast hops with complementing Californiagrown citrus and balancing malt. The beer was released on draught and in 22-ounce bottles June 9th, so if you missed it during beer week, some may still be available around town.

Chef Andrea Machuca-Kirkland with Riip Beer Co’s co-owner Ryan Rasmussen and Trevor Walls (brew-deck)

Members of the Culinary Underground (front l-r): Jairo Bogarin, Andrea Machuca-Kirkland, Stuart Kirkland; (2nd row l-r): Daniel Castillo and Stephanie Snee with Riip Beer Co’s co-owner Ryan Rasmussen and Trevor Walls.

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July 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

Our Vegas Picks by Adam Rains

photos by Adam Rains

Rising from the Depths Thanks to Bryant Jane and Lyle Cervanka, Starboard Tack has risen from the depths of Las Vegas memory. For late night, or anytime deliciousness, Starboard Tack should be the first on your list. The cocktails are classically fresh and vibrant, yet unpretentious. Their food menu brings an array of new-school meets old-school classics. For a late-night grinder, try the Mongolian Cheesesteak with its freshly baked and soft rolls made by the impeccable Delice Gourmands French Bakery. At the center of the sandwich is the marinated beef, which is wok fried with sautéed onions and scallions and glazed with a secret sauce of wonderment. It’s adorned with an ingredient that is so American, it’s in its name. The perfectly meltable American Cheese is a great choice because along with the freshness of the bread and the familiar sapor of the beef, this sandwich has many things to celebrate. www.facebook.com/StarboardTackLV

You can get “Served!”

Henderson has more places than ever to dine and cocktail. “Served” has joined the list and is delighting daily for breakfast and lunch. The menu has a multitude of dishes from many cultures and genres, all made with skill and care by Chef Mathew Meyer. One breakfast item of choice is the Short Rib Benedict. The slow cooked short rib is braised in beer and aromatics until its spoon-ably soft. It’s accompanied by lightly fried breakfast potatoes, perfectly poached egg and deliciously rich hollandaise sauce. It is dish that can’t be missed! See you in Henderson! servedlv.com

Verdugo West Brewing at Morels The beer renaissance is still alive and well in the Las Vegas Valley. We now have more choices than ever and can enjoy tasty craft beer in every neighborhood and casino on the Strip. Joining the list of new options is the Verdugo West Brewing Co. They are a part of MCC Hospitality Group and have a portfolio of balanced beers with personality. With all of their flavors they are true to style and head brewer Chris Walowski has still found a way to make all of his beers unique yet extremely quaffable. Go to Morels at The Palazzo for a flight of some of their best.

The “Brass Jar” hoppy amber will surely not disappoint. morelslv.com 22 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I July 2017

www.socalfnbpro.com

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

Harassment in the Workplace In cases of sexual and other forms of harassment, there are certain factors that must be present in order for workplace harassment to be present. First, the conduct must be unwelcome and offensive to the employee. Second, the employee must voice his or her objection to the behavior, allowing the offensive individual or persons to correct their inappropriate workplace behaviors. Last, the conduct must be of a nature that has an impact on the ability of the employee to perform his or her job duties.

Workplace harassment is any type of unwelcome behavior toward another employee that leads to discomfort or difficulty in performing assigned tasks. Hostile work environment causes the employee to feel that he or she is being subjected to behaviors that are intentionally inappropriate and/or targeted at them because of their sex, orientation, or other protected class. Harassment may be based on such factors as race, gender, culture, age, sexual orientation, or religious preference.

Here are some examples of both types of workplace harassment: Quid Pro Quo harassment (a mandatory exchange) or Hostile Work Environment • getting or keeping a job if you agree to sexual relations

In recent years, more employers have put in place specific policies for employees to report and companies to evaluate situations involving workplace harassment. The goal of the reporting is to identify unacceptable behaviors or scenarios, and correct these matters so that everyone will feel more comfortable in the workplace.

However, some internal practices within the organization can lead to both the ignoring of legitimate complaints as well as make it easy for people to be unjustly accused of harassing another employee. Some progressive employers make use of annual, focused training on this topic to assist supervisors with identifying and then dealing with workplace harassment. The training often involves ensuring that everyone will understand more about different cultures and other characteristics that are relevant to their workforce. By eliminating myths and misconceptions about issues such as age, gender, orientation, and race, the goal is that team members will become more educated and thus respectful of others, and ultimately less likely to engage in conduct that will be offensive to a coworker.

• offensive jokes, comments, slurs • required sex to obtain a promotion, desired shift or vacation request • lude pictures, calendars, drawings • taunting, teasing, hazing, etc.

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.

24 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I July 2017

www.socalfnbpro.com

Good for Spooning Lionfish – First Bite

By LeAnne Notabartolo A culinary event coordinator and live cooking demonstrator, this “Edu-tainer” with more than 1000 demos under her belt lives to cook and eat.

She works with chefs at events and learns from them and translates info for home cooks. She is the Chick in Charge of Good for Spooning – read her blog here: www.goodforspooning.com

Lionfish in San Diego, a partnership between Clique Hospitality Group and Andy Masi, is a place you will want to check out and visit often.

The gorgeous dining room and bar are perfect settings for both dinner and happy hour with an eclectic menu. Handcrafted cocktails, small shareable plates, excellent entrée selections and thoughtfully prepared sides fill the menu.

You may indulge in caviar, the raw bar or a Prime New York strip steak. What coastal California menu would be complete without fresh seafood selections? With a California twist on the preparations, Chef Jojo Ruiz has created unique dishes. Chef Ruiz is a homegrown San Diego chef, paying close attention to presentation and interesting flavor combinations to wow everyone. Expect to find locally caught sushi and sashimi and entrée fish dishes. The “on trend” use of seasonal ingredients is evident on the menu, so expect changes and surprises when you visit repeatedly. There are several vegetarian options to choose from on the small plates and sides menus. Gluten free items are indicated on the menu for those with a gluten concern.

Do try the Spicy Grilled Octopus and the Lamb Tartare! Both were excellent, perfectly pitched in spice and seasoning and beautifully plated. The New York Steak Tataki was packed with a huge flavor punch. The service team and management staff all work together seamlessly with confidence, care and courtesy, making for a truly enjoyable dining experience.

Recently opened in the Gaslamp District of San Diego, Lionfish is located in the Pendry Hotel at 435 Fifth Avenue. Reservations are suggested – call 619-738-7200. http://lionfishsd.com

www.socalfnbpro.com

photos by LeAnne Notabartolo

leanne@goodforspooning.com.

July 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 25

EVENTS

AD INDEX

Getting much hotter, but still there are several major food & beverage events coming up in the next few months you might want to consider attending. Here are some events we highly recommend, so if planning to attend start booking now.

Deep Eddy Vodka www.deepeddyvodka.com

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Recipes for Restaurateurs www.marketing-cookbook.com

Jon Taffer’s Rescue Tour rescuetour.com

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Rodney Strong Estate Vinyards www.rodneystrong.com

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White Soy Sauce www.whitesoysaucefood.com

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July 18-23 Tales of the Cocktail will hold its annual event for mixologists and bartenders demonstrating their skills in preparing the best cocktails in the country in New Orleans, LA. talesofthecocktail.com/events/tales-cocktail-new-orleans/ July 26-27 the Fresno Food Expo at the Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center will be a celebration of Central California’s vibrant food community and a showcase of the region’s most innovative food and beverage producers. www.fresnofoodexpo.com

Keep Memory Alive Event Center page 2 702-263-9797 kmaeventcenterlasvegas.com Major Foods www.majorproducts.com 702-838-4698

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July 28-30 PMA Foodservice Expo-Produce Marketing Association will hold its annual Foodservice Expo in Monterey County at the Monterey Convention Center displaying various produce companies new and specialized products intended for the Foodservice Industry. www.pma.com/events/foodservice August 27-29 the Western Restaurant & Hospitality Expo organized by the California Restaurant Association is the largest foodservice show on the West Coast and will be hosted at the Los Angeles Convention Center. www.westernfoodexpo.com

To advertise email sales@socalfnbpro.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 26 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I July 2017

www.socalfnbpro.com

JON’S HARD-HITTING STRATEGIES & TACTICS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS!

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