September 2017 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional

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Issue 9 Volume 17

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Chateau Ste. Michelle Washington State’s Founding Winery Celebrates 50 Years

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CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER WELCOME BACK TO OUR SEPTEMBER ISSUE of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional and as the mercury begins to dip down, the more moderate temperatures returning to Southern California makes outdoor events even more appealing. Several ‘not-tomiss’ events include the Annual Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival from September 29-October 1, with each day filled with food & beverage happenings; and of course, Saturday and Sunday are the Grand Tastings. Hope to see you there!

Cover Ste. Michelle celebrates 50 years of wine making in Washington and since they are

one of our favorite wines, we wanted to give them credit where credit was due, since they were a founding winery in Washington and have come a long way. Washington State is now the #2 producer of premium wines in the US with more than 50,000 planted acres, over 1,000 wineries and 14 AVA’s. Ste. Michelle also has the honor of being the #2 premium wine brand sold in the US. Please check out the facts and figures as well as upcoming special events at the winery on page 14 & 15.

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Our very good friend and associate Dr. Mike Masuyama brings us another interesting and informative segment in his series Cook-Eat-Asia, and this month’s feature on Asian Spices and Herbs is no exception. We know a few things about Asian Food & Flavors but admit that what spices and herbs created these great flavors still eludes us. You can learn a little more on spices for Asian Food on page 5.

On page 11 Ben Brown shows us “The Bottom Line” when it comes to holding special events, celebrity takeovers, surprise pop-ups and other marketing events and procedures popular these days to excite more energy into restaurants and foodservice establishments. Ben takes a closer look to see if it’s really right for you and what the bottom line will really cost you and what benefit your restaurant will be receiving. This is a good exercise for any restaurant looking to excite its usual business and what it’s really going to cost and benefit!

CHEERS! MIKE FRYER

Page 4 Hot off the Grill!

Page12 Foodie Biz

Page 20 What’s Brewing

Page 5 COOK•EAT: Asia Asian Spices-Herbs

Page 14 COVER FEATURE Chateau Ste. Michelle Washington State’s Founding Winery Celebrates 50 Years

Page 22 Product Spotlight

Page 6 Product Review Page 16 Tavern & Bowl

Page 8 Twinkle Toast The Underground of Food & Wine Pairing

Page 17 Wine Talk Master Sommelier Michael Jordan Visits Hawai‘i

Page 10 Brett’s Vegas View

18 www.socalfnbpro.com

Our Picks by Adam Rains

Page 24 Human Resources Insights Best Way to Deal with Difficult Employees

Page 25 Dining at the Beach

Page 26

Page 11 The Bottom Line The Unforeseen Costs of Special Menus and Venue Takeovers

Page 18 Made from Scratch Making Good Sourdough PART IV

Events Ad Index ACF Chefs of SoCal

September 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 3

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

www.socalfnbpro.com

HOT OFF THE GRILL!

September 2017 Mike Fryer

Sr. Editor/Publisher

Last month’s SoCal Food & Beverage Pro featured the Coastal Kitchen in Dana Point visited and written by our Editorial Director Bob Barnes. It was so intriguing that our Sr. Editor Mike Fryer had to try it out during his latest visit to SoCal. Here Mike visits with the Owner/Operator and Executive Chef Mike Grant, a seasoned F&B Pro who has developed an excellent restaurant with a great menu. Drop by the next time you are in Dana Point!

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

Bob Barnes

Editorial Director bob@socalfnbpro.com

Restaurant Editor Ben Brown attended the fourth annual Bite at the Beach Food Festival.

Small on the festival scale but huge in character, this event paired restaurants across the LA South Bay with breweries and wineries for an interesting spin on the tasting experience.

Find out more about Bite at the Beach in Ben’s Foodie Biz column.

Juanita Fryer

Ben Brown

Assistant To Sr. Editor ACF Chefs Liasion/Journalist juanita.fryer@socalfnbpro.com

Restaurant Editor ben@socalfnbpro.com

Juanita Aiello

The Newport Wine & Food Classic was recently held under beautiful sunny skies with a crisp breeze off the bay. Food bites were catered by several dozen local restaurants and the beer and wine selection donated by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Southern California and its suppliers making for a great afternoon fundraiser. By the time Sr. Editor Mike Fryer came across this booth he wasn’t seeing as clear and had a hard time knowing just what they were serving???? Or who the family was???

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 What’s Brewing David Mulvihill

Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan

Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett

Journalist Best of the Best Shelley Stepanek

Journalist UNLV Epicurean Society Kimberly Verdin

Journalist Made from Scratch John Rockwell

Journalist Chef Spotlight Leah Schmidt

Journalist Good for Spooning LeAnne Notabartolo

Journalist COOK•EAT: Asia K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.

Photographer Audrey Dempsey

Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch

Journalist Linda Duke

Journalist Heidi Rains

Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift

Journalist The Bottom Line Ben Brown

Photographer Bill Bokelmann

Photographer Joe Urcioli

Journalists Twinkle Toast Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover

Journalist Lisa Matney

Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein

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By K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.

COOK•EAT: Asia Asian Spices-Herbs

Asia was a primary destination to acquire herbs or spices in the medieval times directly, bypassing the Oriental trade route. Without refrigeration or proper preservation at that time, herbs and spices were a must in cooking for flavoring or simply masking stale odors. As a matter of course, gold and precious stones were other objects to sail to the unknown places. Thus fleets of spice-herb-gold hunters initiated a new era of globalization in the 15th century. Asian spices or herbs were a magnet to draw the western interest, yielding the current world geography and demography as a result.

The current spices or herbs, most of them, were brought back to the old continent, becoming inseparable parts of the western cuisines. Here is no intention to elaborate on these individuals but rather focusing on the recent arrivals or my interest which appear more often in our eating today.

My favorite story of spices or herbs is that of beer. Beer has been our major liquid staple of grains for centuries. Beer made the pyramids, as you know. In order to avoid spoilage, many spices or herbs were tried in beer. Hops was the herb finally found most appropriate to deter spoilage and also to bring pleasant flavor several hundred years ago. Then IPA (Indian Pale Ale) could be carried into India from England over the equator due to high hopping rates. Spices or herbs are nothing to do with stylish sophistication of our cooking or personal preference. They have been a must in culinary.

Lemongrass is at top of my curiosity of the Asian herbs. It literally smells like lemon but has no citric acid or sour taste. Regarding limonene aroma, lemongrass and lemon fruit are very similar or almost the same while the former gives no acid. You may say, though, lemongrass tastes a little bit grassy and lemon fruity, which may be a bias of respective origins. Their use depends whether or not acidic taste is needed. Minced lemongrass can be used in the place of lemon peel zest and its stick in a drink also. For orange-lemon chicken, lemongrass may be good if not much acidic taste is preferred. You may buy it at gourmet grocery stores or farmers markets.

Or, you may grow in a pot yourself.

Cilantro (for plant or leaf), coriander (for seed), or Chinese parsley is the same, used in salad or dishes as well as a garnish. Its aroma-flavor is not easy to describe but it is unique anyway. To me, it tastes like something of vegetation growing in a dump place behind the house or a faint sensation of toothpaste in the morning. Some like it, whereas other do not like at all. Most Southeastern Asians from Vietnam, Thailand or China use it routinely, but not much by conservative Koreans or Japanese. Cilantro (not much coriander) may be the herb to divine like and dislike most.

Spices and herbs for seafood are still behind a veil, to me. Fish and seafood are often eaten by broiling over heat or cooking in a soup promptly www.socalfnbpro.com

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.

after a catch. It may be a reason for the least use of herbs. Asian herbs may contribute something beyond fennel, rosemary or the current ones.

Wasabi (true wasabi plant, not powder or tubed), sansho (mountain pepper in translation), shiso (red or green Perilla), etc. may be among unique options not only for serving as garnish or sauce for ceviche or sashimi but also in broiling or pan-cooking. Sansho (young leaves or seed-grains) in particular will bring an eye-opening flavor. Oh, do not forget ginger, which is under used, making many dishes beyond the Asian. Balance with other ingredients, congeniality, is a key to using Asian herbs-spices in your cooking-eating. Asian spices and herbs would bring about something to boost your creativity.

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 September 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 5

Product Review

By Bob Barnes

Founders DKML I’m old enough to remember when all malt liquors were bland renditions of a high alcohol beer that you drank to accelerate getting your buzz on. I’ve honestly never seen a craft version of this slighted style, until now. Released in July from the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Founders Brewing, the brewery proclaims it could be the first malt liquor worthy of a glass. The alcohol (14.2% ABV) is pumped up with corn for a smooth sweetness and fermented with a lager yeast cultivated by Spanish brewer Mahou San Miguel, a strategic partner with Founders. The brewery classed it up by aging it in bourbon barrels and a healthy dose of dry-hopping. “With DKML I wanted to do something totally original, and I don’t know anyone in the craft beer world who is barrelaging malt liquor,” says Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki. “After some early trials, we ended up with Mahou’s lager yeast to brew a really amazing malt liquor, and then we did what we do best – barrel-aged it. The bourbon barrel smoothed it out while giving it that ‘kick’ you would expect from an imperial malt liquor.”

DKML is available in 4-packs of 12oz bottles and 750mL bottles throughout the entire distribution network, which now includes 45 states.

Pfungstädter Weizen Radler

The popular Pfungstädter Weizen Radler, previously only available in bottles and kegs, is now being canned and is available in the U.S. for the first time. For many years the Germans have concocted Radlers, a 50/50 mix of sparkling sweet lemonade or soda and lager beer, to sip during the warmer summer months. This mixing was a way for them to get around violating the German Purity Law of 1516 (known as Reinheinsgebot, an actual law that requires beer only contain malt, hops, water and yeast that is still largely followed to this day). And, as radler is German for cyclist, at only 2.7% ABV this version qualifies as a refreshing, less-alcoholic post-ride beverage. This radler is a blend of unfiltered German Weizen with Hallertauer Herkules and Spalter Select hops, two-row malt blend and local malted wheat blended with all-natural lemonade. “There are a lot of radlers out there,” says Lanny Hoff, SVP-Brands Manager for Artisanal Imports, “but we feel Pfungstädter’s has a place due to the excellent quality of the beer as well as the lemonade. It’s a real lemonade, not a flavoring or essence, but lemon juice. This gives it a refreshing, not-toosweet character which really sets it apart from the competition.”

Mt. Beautiful Wines from New Zealand Appreciation for New Zealand wine continues to increase, and for good reason, as the region’s maritime climate provides vineyards with extended sunshine hours and cool night sea breezes provide a long, slow ripening period resulting in flavor growth. A worthy example is the wines of Mt. Beautiful, a North Canterbury winery located on the South Island of New Zealand. 100% estate grown and certified sustainable, production is focused on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir but also smaller quantities of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and Rose are produced.

The Sauvignon Blanc pushes the boundaries of the typical New Zealand flavor profile, highlighting tropical flavors, toning down the grassiness with a crisp finish with bright minerality.

The Pinot Gris combines stone fruit, apples, juicy ripe pears, and a touch of floral honey with a persistent finish.

The Chardonnay features aromatics of ripe apple, stone fruits, and nectarines, and has a creamy texture that makes it easy to drink, with underlying notes of buttered brioche.

Unlike some Rieslings, Mt. Beautiful’s is not overly sweet, and has dry flavors of honeysuckle, lime and wintersweet flower and finishes with a lingering acidity.

The Pinot Noir, the personal favorite of owner David Teece, begins with fragrances of black cherries and violets followed by a palate of ripe bramble fruit and subtle tannins.

The traditionally made Rosé is produced from Pinot Noir juice that was pressed off after a period of light contact and fermented in barrel and tank. The 2016 vintage boasts floral notes and intense sweet red berry aromas, and a creamy and dry palate with hints of watermelon and pink grapefruit.

Mt. Beautiful wines retail for around $13 to $18.

For more info visit mtbeautiful.co.nz.

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Twinkle Toast The Underground of Food & Wine Pairing

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

photos by Erin Cooper

Wine and food go together like showgirls and feathers or Elvis impersonators and sparkly jumpsuits, and some of Las Vegas’ most prestigious restaurants have created one-of-a-kind dining experiences with fanciful tasting menus featuring fabulous wine pairings. Unfortunately, because of the cost often associated with these masterful menus, many people cannot afford the opportunity to enjoy this type of dining experience. For this reason, we are taking a moment to explore what we are calling “Underground Food and Wine Pairings,” which includes pairings with junk food, fast food and late night snacks.

We have enlisted the help of some of our favorite local Sommeliers to divulge their favorite Underground pairings that are accessible to all and undoubtedly delicious.

Jason Smith, MS

Matt George, Sommelier at Rivea

Jason Smith, MS

Matthew George, Sommelier at Rivea

“Underground” Food Choice: If I’m going to go fast food, I’m going all the way. My fave is the limited release, crowd favorite McRib sandwich from McDonald’s. Can’t you just taste that pure deliciousness blend of smoked meat, salty pickles and sweet BBQ sauce? Mmm mmm good!

“Underground” Food Choice: Frozen Burritos Wine Pairing: Dolcetto Why does this pairing work?

Dolcettos can have such a great playfulness to them. Good upfront fruit that comes across nice and ripe and just enough dryness to give them some backbone. I like the immediacy of these wines. They are totally meant to be enjoyed young, and yet they are still serious wines with character.

How did you discover this delicious pairing?

Late nights. We all know those nights. I had some Dolcetto left over from the day before when I cooked for some friends. I got home from work the next night exhausted, and was rumbling through the freezer. I wish it was a flash of inspiration but it ultimately just happened, and now it keeps happening.

Wine Pairing: d’Arenberg’s “Dead Arm” Shiraz from McLaren Vale, Australia Why does this pairing work?

For a wine, I look for something equally over the top and powerful.

Something that I do not enjoy on a regular basis. Shiraz. Big ass Shiraz.

I mean put your big boy pants on, wear a belt AND suspenders, hold the glass with two hands type of Shiraz. After a couple sips of this inky black, black fruit and black pepper jam beauty, my teeth are purple and it’s only to be matched by the thick line of BBQ sauce running down my chin.

Heaven, I’ve arrived.

Ernie Taketa, Wine/Project Manager at Bellagio “Underground” Food Choice: Lay’s classic thin potato chips Wine Pairing: Krug Grand Cuvée Why does this pairing work?

The fried, salty potato chips are balanced by the acidity in the Champagne, and the texture of the chips is a great compliment to the bubbles.

How did you discover this delicious pairing?

It all started at Rose.Rabbit.Lie. We produced potato chips for special events, and we also served Krug by the glass. The stars then aligned!

Chloe Helfand, Sassy Lead Sommelier at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés “Underground” Food Choice: Fried Pork Belly Wine Pairing: Bruno Paillard, Brut Rose, Champagne Why does this pairing work?

Who doesn’t love something fried with fat and flavor paired with a beautiful champagne or sparkling? I like a Pinot Noir dominant champagne/sparkling for the fried pork belly because of the beautiful red berry fruit present on the palate. Cherries, raspberries and black currants envelope the savory, salty goodness of the fried pork belly.

How did you discover this delicious pairing?

On a late-night date with friends at Chada Street.

Remember, whether you are enjoying a late night out with friends, raiding your freezer after a long workday or hitting a nearby fast food drive-thru, tasty wine pairings are not as out of reach as they may seem. Feel free to give our friends’ suggestions a try, and if you have been inspired to come up with your very own Underground pairing, we would love to hear from you. Share your tried-and-true favorites or new discoveries on our Twinkle Toast Facebook page, Instagram or via email at info@twinkletoast.com. Cheers!

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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

The Cosmopolitan is gutting and upgrading its rooms: first the Boulevard Tower this year and then the Chelsea Tower in 2018.

Caesars Entertainment Corp. is upgrading thousands of hotel rooms: Planet Hollywood finished a room upgrade, the Flamingo will start one and already re-opened its $6.5 million newly renovated meeting space and more plans are in the works for Bally’s.

MGM Resorts is in the middle of a $450 million makeover of 3,000 Monte Carlo rooms, which will transform into two new hotels: Park MGM with new meeting and conference space and a Sydell’s NoMad Hotel.

Palace Station’s makeover will include losing the train theme, a new restaurant, casino bar, race and sports book and renovated poker room.

Recent renovations include two restaurants and new bingo room.

Changes at the Palms include two restaurants, upgraded movie theaters, renovated meeting and convention space, rooftop ultra-lounge, new high-limit area, hotel registration with VIP check-in areas and renovated pool.

The Cromwell has an updated Interlude Casino Lounge, new high limit slot area, enhanced concierge technology, eKey technology and an all-new Sportsbook.

The Golden Gate downtown continues its 111-year legacy with a major expansion nearly doubling the casino size, adding a dramatic entryway and extending the outside OneBar. The Race & Sports Book at Wynn completed a full renovation with an adjacent Charlie’s Bar + Grill. Encore also opened its own permanent Race & Sports Book.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFERS VARIETY

ScoopFest comedy and podcast festival at The Space Sept. 22-24 will feature headliners, comedy, games, food, karaoke and conversation.

Grow Your Own Festival is planned Saturday, Oct. 7 at Vegas Roots Community Garden 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

North American debut of international circusstyle, water show WOW will be Tuesday, Sept.

26 at the Rio with more than 30 international performing artists and America’s Got Talent semi-finalist, archery act Sylvia Sylvia.

Carlos Santana’s concert residency, An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live, in House of Blues at Mandalay Bay is extended into 2018.

Elton John returns to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace October/November and early 2018 with The Million Dollar Piano, which ends in May 2018.

Rascal Flatts will headline a limited eightdate engagement of A Night to Shine in The Venetian Theatre Oct. 6 to 21.

Magic Mike Live Las Vegas is continuing at Hard Rock through April 2018.

Mike Tyson returns to MGM Grand Sept.

7-Nov. 19 with Undisputed Truth – Round 2, picking up where his first show left off.

A female dolphin calf was born this summer at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage.

Chester Bennington, Linkin Park front man, is being remembered at the Hard Rock Hotel with a memorabilia case.

Pin-up star Claire Sinclair and Monti Rock III unveiled their shrunken heads for Golden Tiki’s second anniversary in Chinatown.

Credit One Bank has a multi-year integrated marketing partnership with the city’s first major league National Hockey League franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights.

A 15-year lease agreement between Cashman Field and Las Vegas Pro Soccer LLC brings a United Soccer League expansion team to Las Vegas in 2018.

DINING-BEVERAGE NOTATIONS

Kendra Wilkinson and Jai Rodriguez will continue headlining Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man at Paris through Jan. 2, 2018.

The Dream Awards on Sunday, Oct. 22 in the Suncoast Showroom will honor talent who helped make Las Vegas the “Entertainment Capital.” Some honorees include: Loretta Holloway, Earl Turner, Darcus, Sonny Turner, Janis Carter, Sonny Charles (The Checkmates), Dondino, Freddie Empire, Jeneane Marie and more.

The Harlem Globetrotters will showcase their incredible ball handling wizardry at the Orleans Arena Friday, Oct. 27.

The Cannery in North Las Vegas introduced new Saturday karaoke nights with DJ Miguel at the 24-hour Victory’s Bar & Grill through October 8 p.m. to midnight.

ABOUT TOWN HAPPENINGS

Minus5 Ice Experience debuted its third Las Vegas location inside the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian.

Downtown’s Life is Beautiful festival returns for its fifth year Sept. 22-24 featuring marquee musicians, chefs, artists and speakers and the Plaza will host official after parties.

Now in its fourth year, the RiSE Lantern Festival will take place at Moapa River Reservation Oct. 6 and 7.

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The Cromwell added a 24-hour casual restaurant called eatwell and Robert Irvine’s Public House opened at the Tropicana.

Stripside Café & Bar at Caesars Palace closed to make way for Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen with indoor and Strip-adjacent patio dining opening this winter.

Bar concept otheroom opened at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.

photo by Bryan Steffy

CONSTRUCTION BOOM

Plant-based eatery VegeNation downtown with Chef Donald Lemperle opened a second location in Henderson.

Pitbull, founder-owner of Voli 305, debuted three giant signature goblets at Sugar Factory American Brasserie at Fashion Show mall with his vodka exclusive for signature cocktails.

Lagasse’s Stadium at The Palazzo introduced an all-new beer garden-inspired experience, The Biergarten opening 4 p.m. daily.

La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway at Wynn brought back the martini lunch with bottomless cocktails for $28.

Family-owned Bootlegger Italian Bistro has a new happy hour daily 2-6 p.m. and midnight to 3 a.m.

Freedom Beat at Downtown Grand launched Freedom 2 Brunch every Saturday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Freedom 2 Drink mimosa and Bloody Mary offerings. www.socalfnbpro.com

The Bottom Line The Unforeseen Costs of Special Menus and Venue Takeovers

Holiday prix fixe menus. Celebrity chef takeovers. Special pop-ups.

Weekly, monthly and quarterly special menu pairing dinners. Each of these novelties present tremendous value in its own right, especially in generating buzz amongst the foodie community, but are any of them right for you? These events require equally tremendous investment toward planning and, in some cases, funding. So, are they worth the cost?

In order to determine whether a special event is worth your while, ask yourself the following questions: 1. What is your goal for the event? To be blunt, your goal should be to either drive revenue, or to increase awareness and/or elevate your brand equity [i.e. cast yourself in a more premium light]. If you just think the idea of a special event sounds interesting, take another look at the three items above and assess which one(s) is/are most attainable and beneficial for your business.

2. Will you be working with your available resources or will you need additional support? Branding a pairing dinner with your existing food and drink items is a much different undertaking than recruiting a celebrity chef, sourcing exotic ingredients and training your kitchen staff in new recipe execution.

3. How much extra time and budget do you have? Knowing what’s available will be a critical determinant in determining the scale on which you seek to execute a special event.

Once you have a solid grasp on your goals and vision behind the event, it’s time to plan out the logistics necessary to make the event known and run smoothly for all guests and staff involved.

Train your kitchen staff.

Execution is critical in these kinds of special events, especially considering that they often demand higher prices and attract hypercritical guests. If you have any new recipes, be sure to dedicate several days to training your kitchen staff in preparation, plating and service of these dishes. If taste, presentation and timing are critical in an ordinary restaurant setting, they are several times more important in special event settings. 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.

Set up and decorate accordingly.

You want your restaurant to look different during a special event. At a minimum there should be signage at the entrance and collateral on the tables that speaks to the event. From there, the more different the event is than your usual service period, the more different the venue should look. Rearranging tables, new place settings and décor are common considerations, as are novelties such as DJ booths and stages, where various stakeholders can make announcements.

Spread the word in advance and often.

Start your marketing efforts at least three months before the event is set to take place. Target your loyalists first, to both get them onboard and assess any commentary on their end—your customers likely know your brand better than you think, and upon hearing about a special event they could provide useful insight to improve the event offerings.

After your loyalists, including messaging on your existing social media, email and other in-house channels, targeting those in your community that would be most receptive to the event. If you’re doing a menu pairing, then perhaps a partnership with the local wine club is in order. If a celebrity chef is coming in, then an arrangement where they post to their channels is essential to your event’s success.

Be mindful that the initial blast is just the first step. Continue messaging to your target audience on a regular basis, increasing frequency as the event draws closer. You don’t want to bombard them, of course, but rather gently remind them every so often. Think of it like planning a wedding: you’ll want a save-the-date, an invitation and a few periodic updates leading up to the big day.

Bring it back to the experience.

Experiential marketing is certainly on the rise, and in the case of restaurants it kills two birds with one stone. Special events allow new and different people to come in and experience your product in a distinct way that directly links back to your business. These events can be carried out independently or as part of a series, but should be spaced out far enough so that each one feels special in its own right and doesn’t detract from your core business.

Limitless event opportunities exist, and serve as valuable assets so long as they align with your individual goals.

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| 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.

photos by Ben Brown

Contact Ben at Ben@socalfnbpro.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.

Bite at the Beach: The Coolest Little Food Festival in the South Bay The 4th annual Bite at the Beach, hosted by the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, showcased some of the South Bay’s finest food and drink. Taking place at Manhattan Beach’s MBS Studio Lot, this small food festival may have been small in size, but carried on with enormous character and uplifting ambiance.

Food providers ranged from family-owned favorites to hip-and-trendy newcomers, as well as large chains and retailers. Baran’s 2239, Second Story, Lido di Manhattan and Zinc at Shade all prepared fine bites, while The Ripe Choice Catering put on a four-course menu that allowed guests to sit down for a novel experience amidst the food festival atmosphere. On the drink side, The Dudes’ Brewing Co. brought some all-star selections, such as its pecan pie, orange and wheat beers. Rekorderlig poured a variety of ciders and Manhattan Beach Pressed Juicery gave guests a healthy break from the indulgence.

This event also put an interesting spin on the traditional food festival where food and drink vendors are sprawled about with little rhyme or reason. Bite at the Beach paired food and drink vendors together, allowing guests to enjoy a distinct pairing menu at each stop. Add in excellent live entertainment and a beautiful sunny day for a lovely ambiance.

All-in-all there were about 15 food-and-drink pairings, just enough to give guests they variety they were looking for and to keep lines at a minimum. The only critique would be the small size of the venue, which created some congestion among guests. But hey, at $55 a ticket, Bite at the Beach remains a steal.

For more information on Bite at the Beach, visit ManhattanBeachChamber.com/bite-at-the-beach.

Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival to Take Place Sept 30 – Oct 1

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photos courtesy Ajenda PR

The Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival returns to the contemporary Newport Beach Civic Center on September 30 and October 1. Tickets are now on sale for the weekend of festivities, kicking off on Friday, September 29, which will include tastings from 40 top Orange County restaurants and their executive chefs, 250 varieties of worldclass wine, spirits, and brews, celebrity chef cooking demos and dinners, Master Sommelier tasting panels, VIP events, live music and a new “Havana Nights” after party.

The weekend kicks off on September 29, with a Top Chef women’s all-star dinner hosted by winner Brooke Williamson and fellow competitors, as well as a separate French Connection dinner hosted by Hubert Keller. Additional events throughout the weekend include a Moet-Hennessy Champagne and Petrossian caviar tasting and a dinner at Nobu hosted by the man himself, Nobu Matsuhisa.

For more information, visit NewportWineandFood.com. www.socalfnbpro.com

The Rockefeller Does Gastro-Americana in the South Bay

photos courtesy Localite LA

The Rockefeller is exactly what you’d expect to find in a beachside gastropub, making a pleasant addition to both Hermosa and Manhattan Beach. Fun spins on American comfort classics, a rustic feel with a beachy undertone, and a price point that reminds you it’s a special occasion without breaking the bank. From the plaid-clad friendly service staff to the list of beers both on tap and incorporated in the menu, The Rockefeller beckons for the energetic crowd that pours in through its doors.

What seems like a small menu at first glance has something for pretty much everyone. The Rockefeller’s largely classic American selections embrace touches from Italy, South of the Border and the Far East. The appetizer selections embodies this trait more than anywhere else on the menu. The allagash queso, for instance, which has all the elements of the Tex-Mex favorite but goes a step further with added chorizo for a pleasantly smoky character. The truffle mac ‘n’ cheese is a heavenly, creamy compilation with bacon in tow. Add meatballs, flatbreads and ceviche to the mix and you still don’t have the full list of options available.

Burgers are certainly the focal point here, and at that epicenter is the Rockefeller burger, the restaurant’s luxurious namesake with ‘wagyu’ beef, truffle bacon jam, taleggio and garlic aioli for a rich, hearty finish. The everyday diner can still relish in the basics, however, with the American Prime burger being an excellent [and economic] option.

For more information visit EatRockefeller.com.

Captain Kidd’s: Dive Dining Meets High-End Seafood in Redondo Beach

photos courtesy Localite LA

Captain Kidd’s has been a Redondo Beach staple for 40 years. What started as a local fish market by a fisherman family has evolved into a locallyrenowned hotspot for fresh, sustainable seafood imported from across the world. While this may not be the classiest place for its price point, Captain Kidd’s will assure you an authentic dining experience with quality seafood as its focal point.

Captain Kidd’s, as both a fish market and a restaurant, works in two ways. They have a standard restaurant menu that features your classic fish plates, fish tacos, fish ‘n’ chips, lobster rolls and the like. In addition, they allow guests to choose their meal from the fish market display on the other side of the counter, where Captain Kidd’s staff recommends and executes on the most fitting preparation method. The latter route allows you to venture outside the traditional menu and truly make your own meal from one of the finest seafood selections in the South Bay. The shrimp here are simply spectacular. Caught in Mexico’s Bay of Campeche and the size of lobster tails, these rare shrimp stay true to Captain Kidd’s claim as ‘simply the best.’ King Salmon from British Columbia are fileted inhouse twice a day for maximum freshness. Six varietals of crab range from large to enormous, with several of those varietals also swimming in tanks on the other side of the market.

The traditional menu is much more, well, traditional, with excellent shrimp and fish tacos, killer lobster bisque and meaty New England clam chowder.

For more information, visit Captain Kidd’s at CaptainKidds.com. www.socalfnbpro.com

September 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 13

Chateau Ste. Michelle Washington State’s Founding Winery Celebrates 50 Years

Fifty years ago, a small winery called Ste. Michelle Vintners introduced its first vintage of European-style premium wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Yakima Valley. It was the release that inspired today’s thriving Washington wine industry. In those early days, however, few people recognized or understood the region’s potential.

“I remember being asked, wine from Washington? What side of the Potomac do the grapes grow on?” reflects Ted Baseler, President and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.

Fifty years later, no one gets the joke. Washington is now the nation’s number two producer of premium wine with more than 50,000 planted acres, nearly 1,000 wineries and 14 AVAs. Chateau Ste. Michelle is the number two premium domestic wine brand sold in the U.S. (Nielsen-Dollars), with wines available in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Chateau Ste. Michelle is among the largest producers of Riesling in the world. The winery’s iconic French-style Chateau in Woodinville, outside of Seattle, is one of the most popular destination wineries in the country.

14 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I September 2017

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Following are some of the impressive achievements Chateau Ste. Michelle has accomplished during its first 50 years.

A series of special events and programs throughout 2017 will celebrate the past 50 years of the brand and set a foundation for continued success for both the winery and the Washington wine industry for years to come.

Those programs include: 50th Anniversary Special Bottling Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley The winery released a commemorative label: 50th Anniversary Special Bottling of its Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (750ml, SRP: $15), which pays tribute to the first 1967 vintage. In addition, a one-time magnum (1.5L) bottling was released for retail and restaurants and serves as a great collector’s item.

“Cabernet Sauvignon is a standout variety from Washington, with silky tannins, rich complexity and concentrated fruit,” said Bob Bertheau, head winemaker. “That’s why our Columbia Valley Cabernet is the perfect choice to carry the nostalgic banner of our 50th anniversary. We hope you’ll raise a glass and help us celebrate the next 50 years!”

Golden Cork Sweepstakes

From Apr. 1 to Sept. 30, inside every 50th Anniversary Special Bottling of Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a chance to win one of 50 prizes. Four Grand Prize winners will be selected to win a trip for two to visit Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, WA. Visit www.stemichelle50th.com for more details.

2017 Summer Concert Series

From June 1st to September 15th, the winery hosts its popular annual Summer Concert Series with artists including John Legend, Santana, Diana Krall, Chicago, Goo Goo Dolls and many more. For more information, visit: ste-michelle.com.

IMPETUS

In September, the winery will release 4,800 numbered bottles of IMPETUS (750ml, SRP $125)

by Chateau Ste. Michelle, the brand’s visionary wine showcasing the three varieties that are stellar in the Washington region but are not traditionally blended together (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Malbec).

Chateau Ste. Michelle History Book

This fall, the winery will release a highly illustrated coffee-table style book to tell the rich story of the Washington wine industry and Ste. Michelle’s role in bringing it to the forefront, commemorating the winery’s five decades of tradition and innovation. Proceeds from the book will benefit the Chateau Ste. Michelle College Scholarship Fund.

Newly Expanded Visitor Center

In August 2017, Chateau Ste. Michelle completed an expansion of the winery’s visitor center–the largest expansion in the winery’s history. Doubling the size to 22,731 sq. ft., the new visitor center features a modern 80-seat theater, an interactive blending room where guests blend their own bottle of wine from the winery’s iconic estate vineyards, private tasting salons, a Club Room, a restaurant style kitchen and more. The new visitor center will offer an extensive program of fun and informative wine and food classes.

“The opening of the new visitor center represents the next chapter in Chateau Ste. Michelle’s growth and will dramatically enhance our ability to offer world-class wine experiences for decades to come,” says Baseler. “We will be able to offer a wide range of unique wine experiences for visitors, whether they want to enjoy a tasting in one of our private tasting salons, take a guided tour of the winery, blend their own bottle of wine or attend special programs in our theater.”

For more information visit on the visitor center and list of classes, visit ste-michelle.com.

• Led by Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington wines have won international acclaim and the state now stands shoulder-toshoulder with the world’s great wine producing regions. Chateau Ste. Michelle itself has received a long list of awards including 22 “Wineries of The Year” honors (Wine & Spirits) and 18 “Top 100 Wines” designations (Wine Spectator).

• Chateau Ste. Michelle was the first winery to introduce international partners to Washington State. World wine luminaries sought partnerships with Chateau Ste. Michelle including Piero Antinori of Tuscany (Col Solare), Ernst Loosen of Germany (Eroica), and Michel Gassier and Philippe Cambie of France (Tenet).

• Ste. Michelle helped pioneer the Washington growing region and today owns 3,500 acres of some of the most mature vineyards in Washington, including Canoe Ridge Estate and Cold Creek vineyards, which are the largest sustainably farmed and LIVE and Salmon Safe certified vineyards in the state.

• Chateau Ste. Michelle also has a long history of giving back to the industry and community. The net proceeds from its popular Summer Concert Series help fund its charitable giving program, which supports some 400 non-profit organizations annually, has provided more than $3 million for scholarships for high-achieving, low-income students at Washington universities, and supports the Viticulture & Enology Program at Washington State University.

“It is truly remarkable what Chateau Ste. Michelle and the Washington wine industry have accomplished in a relatively short period of time through a pioneering spirit, collaboration and hard work,” said Baseler. “With significant new vineyard plantings, industry investment in research and the education of future grape growers and winemakers, we can honestly say, the best is yet to come.”

Community 50th Anniversary Weekend

A grand opening celebration for the winery’s new visitor center takes place on Sept. 2 and 3, 2017.

Held at the Chateau during Labor Day weekend, the event will feature winery tours, tastings of special bottlings, food trucks, live music and more.

For additional information about Chateau Ste. Michelle, please visit www.ste-michelle.com. www.socalfnbpro.com

September 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 15

By Shelley Stepanek

Tavern & Bowl

photos courtesy Tavern & Bowl

Shelley Stepanek is President of DSA, the oldest non-profit tourist association in the state, along with being on the board of ticket brokers. Shelley has previously owned three restaurants.

Tavern & Bowl is a fantastic place to try to eat, drink, party and bowl. Yes, bowling alleys right in the middle of the restaurant. Daniel Hurd founded the first one 10 years ago when San Diego’s downtown district started to thrive. With three locations in San Diego, one in Costa Mesa and another in Glendale, AZ, there are so many things to do besides just watching one of the many sports TVs. The East Village San Diego location has 12 bowling lanes, two bars and an upstairs lounge filled with comfy sofas for parties or viewing private sports events.

The menu is filled with a lot of comfort food, and of course some of our favorite bar items. There are over 20 beers to pick from, numerous sliders, mac and cheese dishes, fresh and tasty salads, flatbreads, beer battered fish and chips, tacos and Philly cheese steaks. Sandwiches are huge, and you must try the fries with an added side of garlic Parmesan, which is marvelous.

Located on a corner with plenty of parking all around and only two blocks to the Padres Stadium, this is the place to stop and stay either before or after a game. You can have two simultaneous parties as the bowling alleys are separated into 6 lanes each. Perfect place for corporate buyouts, as the 16 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I September 2017

Comic-Con people just found out in San Diego last month, with celebrities renting it out for private parties. Clean, upbeat and great bartenders and waiters. All locations feature their own beer brand called GBU (Good Bad Ugly Brewing Co). They even bottle and sell their own hot sauces.

Come in for Tuesdays, Margarita Martes featuring $1 Tequila Poppers and $2 Tacos, $3 Pacifico, Tecate & more; ½ off Hump Day on Wednesday, for select appetizers, draft beers or bowling; and Social Experience on Thursday with $3 shot specials, $6 premium cocktails and free shoe rentals. They also have gluten-free and vegetarian. My longtime friend, Robyn Spencer, has taken over group sales for all the locations, and she can definitely help you with any party or concept you might need. Contact her at Robyns@tavernbowl.com or 619-756-7349 extension 10005.

Tavern & Bowl 930 Market St. San Diego, CA 92101 TavernBowl.com www.socalfnbpro.com

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.

Master Sommelier Michael Jordan Visits Hawai‘i good-hearted, and humble sommeliers I have ever met. He has an innate hospitality spirit, similar to the Aloha spirit, and his unpretentious attitude makes it easy for consumers to converse with him about wine, as I observed at the Jackson Family Wines Portfolio Tasting. It was so great to see him again, and, as I newly discovered, he also has some ties to Hawaiʻi. Jordan grew up in Honolulu and was a food service management student at Kapiʻolani Community College before making his way to California.

Since then he has made quite a few strides in the F&B field before joining Jackson Family Wines in 2013: he opened several restaurants such as THE RANCH Restaurant & Saloon and Pinot Provence, served as Global Manager of Wine Sales & Standards and Wine Educator for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts® Worldwide, has a radio talk show “What’s Cookin’ with Wine” and even produces his own wines under WORD VINEYARDS® and ‘OLELO Wines®.

Michael Jordan may live in sunny Southern California, but he will forever have roots in Hawaiʻi. Each year, Jordan also returns to Hawaiʻi as one of the Master Sommeliers for the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival. Keep an eye for him when he returns next year for the 37th annual Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, June 7-10, 2018 (https://kapaluawineandfoodfestival. com/).

Fun Fact! For those of you who have lived in Honolulu for a while, do you remember Matteo’s in Waikiki? Jordan’s father, Matty “Matteo” Jordan opened Matteo’s in 1969.

For more information on Jackson Family Wines, go to http://www.jacksonfamilywines.com.

Until next month, Cheers~!

Alice

John Faniani, District Manager-Hawai‘i, Jackson Family Fine Wines

Event participants

Master Sommelier Michael Jordan

Cannolis for dessert

photos by Alice Swift

On the island of Oʻahu in the state of Hawaiʻi, there are three resident Master Sommeliers: Chuck Furuya, Patrick Okubo and Roberto Viernes. In August, Hawaiʻi had a fourth Master Sommelier visit Oʻahu, bringing his expertise for the week. Master Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator, Michael Jordan, Director of Global Key Accounts with Jackson Family Wines, hosted a Jackson Family wine portfolio tasting on August 15 at Fujioka’s Wine Times (http://www.fujiokaswine.com).

For those who are not aware, Fujioka’s is part of TIMES Supermarkets, a Hawaiʻi-based supermarket that started in 1949, which was recently purchased by Don Quijote Group. It is the only store of the TIMES location that specializes in fine wines and specialty foods.

A variety of 30 wines from the Jackson Family Portfolio were poured, alongside some small bites. The favorites for the evening included the Cambria Benchbreak Chardonnay; Château Lassègue from Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France; and Stonestreet Legacy Red. In addition, the food selection paired well with the wines, the most popular being the truffle mushroom risotto and cannolis for dessert.

What made this an even more significant event for me was my prior encounter with Master Jordan. My first venture into the beverage education world was at the Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona a few years back. After taking the Wines, Beers & Spirits course at the Collins College, I decided to study and take (and pass!) the Court of Master Sommeliers Level 1 certification. Turns out, Master Jordan was one of the sommeliers who taught my first class! I recall his first introduction joking about being the “other” Michael Jordan.

However, since then, I have always remembered him as being one of the most down-to-earth,

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Portfolio tasting

September 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 17

Made from

By John Rockwell

SCRATCH Making Good Sourdough

photos by John Rockwell

PART IV

After turning out, a quick score with a razor blade will let the baked bread open up in a predictable way instead of tearing in random places.

Shaping, Baking, and Tartine Country Loaves I begin part four in this series with this simple idea: Good sourdough is not quick bread. If you want something average, barely rising to the quality of grocery store sourdoughs, be impatient and bake the same day. If you want something better, ferment for 24 hours under refrigeration. If you want to do it right, ferment for 48 hours. A dough that hasn’t fermented enough won’t caramelize as well if it hasn’t had enough time for that starchy flour to break down into sugars. A dark loaf, one that novices might erroneously believe is “burned,” is actually what you are after.

Making sourdough is a lot like making cheese or beer in the sense that the more familiar you become with the ingredients and the process, the more you learn to appreciate new flavors that just aren’t found in the

The world-famous Tartine Bakery and Cafe at 600 Guerrero Street in San Francisco is always packed at closing because the bread is ready.

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.

widely-available commercial brands. The flavor of bread is the flavor of grains—deeply caramelized grains. And most bakeries—sadly, even some sourdough bakeries—won’t take the time to ferment their dough and certainly won’t bake their bread the right way. It shouldn’t be any surprise that the blandest and “least-offensive” beer, cheese and bread are the top sellers. These big sellers are marketed toward flavorless so that people don’t form strong opinions about liking or disliking the product.

Like craft beer lovers’ discovery of hops, roasted grains and barrel finishing, and cheese connoisseurs’ discoveries of moldy rinds and stinky pungency, sourdough bread in its best form is not that lightly-baked, drytextured loaf with the waxy bubble crust we find in most grocery stores.

In its best form, baked sourdough has the same intoxicating malty odor one might experience in a brewery mashing out and boiling its latest wort.

Indeed, that odor arises from the same Maillard reaction when caramelized grains are exposed to heat and release their flavor. That “dark bake” as bread guru Ken Forkish calls it, asserts its flavor into the heart of the loaf.

It turns out the crust isn’t only for protection and preservation, but it’s a strong contributor to the complexity of the flavor deep within the loaf.

This summer, I traveled to NorCal to scope out some colleges with the goal in mind of hitting Chad Robertson’s famous Tartine Bakery in San Francisco and ACME Bread in Berkeley. These bakeries confirmed for me what I was learning in my kitchen at home—that rustic country sourdough loaves are about hydrated dough, proofing time, baking temperatures and a final product with an assertive flavor. Cycling from Golden Gate park to the Castro District to buy one of Robertson’s $10 Tartine loaves when they are pulled out of the oven lived up to my expectations. I shared a croissant with my daughter, and put the warm loaf in my backpack. The aroma was intoxicating. When I put the loaf in my car an hour later, my car filled up with the aroma of cartelized malt. That loaf of bread performed a symphony for my senses. To get this result post-fermentation, proofing in baskets and baking temperatures are key pieces of bread baking.

Proofing After shaping, I let the loaf rest for a few moments to close the seam while I sprinkled rice flour in the banneton. The loaf goes into the banneton seam up if you want to have a pretty loaf, and seam down if you want an ugly loaf but a better proof—there is some disagreement as to the better method, so experiment! Proofing could take anywhere from 1-2 hours at this point, depending on temperature, and how lively the microorganisms

Inside the cramped space at Tartine, the scene is reminiscent of a certain Seinfeld episode, except the staff is nice and quick to serve you!

18 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I September 2017

Behind the scenes in the bakery, the famous bread is ready around 4-5 p.m. At around $9 a loaf, these are darkly-baked pieces of heaven.

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in your bread are. The key is the finger test. If you push your finger into the dough about an inch and it doesn’t bounce back, then the bread is ready to be baked. If it springs right back, the bread is still too dense to bake. I simply cover my bannetons with foil to proof them—I use no special container or “proofing box.” The problem with proofing is under proofing and over proofing the bread. Under-proofing will result in a denser loaf. Over-proofing can result in one large air bubble that separates the skin of the loaf from the rest, a condition we call “flying crust.” If this happens, it’s good to remember that except for time, the loaf was cheap to make—and don’t over-proof next time!

Turning Out, Scoring and Baking The bake is when the magic happens. If you’ve done well, you will know 20 minutes into your bake. Since your home oven probably doesn’t have steam injectors, you have to improvise a little bit. My regular temperature for baking is 470 degrees F on stone. I purchased stone baking tiles from Amazon for a few bucks (as opposed to ordering a custom stone) and have had excellent results. (Because the stones let air between them, I put foil beneath them on my oven rack to slow the bottom crust formation.) I also found a large 18 by 13 enamel roaster that is about five inches deep.

Turning out the dough simply means flipping the banneton over on a piece of parchment so what was once the top of the dough is now the foundation. My 18 X 13 surface area allows me to bake two loaves at once. Once turned out, I use a bread lame—a metal stick with a razor blade attached to the end of it—to score the bread. There is an entire art form to scoring, but usually I just do one deep cut down the middle of the dough, lengthwise. If I’m feeling creative I’ll try a couple of angled grain designs down one side, but this is not necessary. After the scoring, I liberally spray the mounds of dough with water as well as the inside of the baking lid, slide the parchment onto the stone, place the lid so the edges of the dough do not come into contact with it, close the oven, and set the timer to 22 minutes.

After 22 minutes, you will know if you’ve been successful, because pulling off the baking lid should reveal two loaves that are a heck of a lot taller and rounder than when they were placed in the oven. One word of warning: Be careful to tilt it toward the read of the oven so you are not scorched by steam! The loaves will still be “blond” at this point. The remaining 24 minutes will be for getting that nice oven bake the professionals achieve. After 12 minutes in the oven, I reach in and turn the loaves around so the heat bakes them evenly, and after the final 12 minutes, they come out to cool on a rack for

several hours. If you baked it properly, the bread will crackle as it sits on the counter and cools.

Some bakers say this is the sound of the bread ‘singing.’

Properly baked sourdough will be dark, the crust will be brittle and the loaf will have a hollow sound when they bottom crust is tapped first out of the oven. The longer you can let them air-dry/ cool on racks, the better. Ideally bread should be stored in paper bags, but I have difficulty finding sacks of the right size, so I wait for them to fully cool and put them in bread bags sealed with a twisty tie. The compromise is that the crust will soften a bit in plastic bags. There is almost nothing as satisfying as cutting a slice of a country sourdough loaf when it is still warm, and of course there is nothing wrong with cutting into a fresh loaf the next morning either.

The aroma in your kitchen and home, and the satisfaction of making a home staple as well as something you can give away to almost anyone (except for those no-carb, no-gluten people) is incomparable.

At work, I often walk up to one of my teaching colleagues and say, “Hi there, this might sound weird, but I make sourdough bread, and I have a loaf for you if you’d like it.” I haven baked a loaf for every teacher on our 100-person staff, but I’m working on it. Baking comforts are always best when shared.

The inside of bread is called “the crumb.”

The crumb of the Tartine Bakery’s loaf is as close to perfection as one can get. Note the dark crust.

Over in Berkeley at ACME Bakery, the loaves are ready for the morning rush. If you look closely, you can see dark baking is the standard.

So Cal is not without a few great sourdough bakers, like Zack Hall’s Clark Street Bread in the historic Grand Central market in Los Angeles.

Even in So Cal, Zack Hall’s sourdough at Clark Street satisfies the need for a darklybaked country loaf with a beautiful, open crumb.

Sometimes I go crazy in my home bakery: 10 loaves for my AP Language class to eat before their big test. All of it disappeared that day.

The crumb in my own bread is getting better with practice. I am pretty happy with my results, but of course, I am still learning!

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September 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 19

what’s

photos by David Mulvihill

BREWING

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.

Karl Strauss Brewing Co Tasting Room.

Fat Mike’s Punk In Drublic Stone Brewing Collab The touring Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival begins in midSeptember with stops in Tacoma, Washington (9/16) and Boise, Idaho (9/17), followed by Concord (10/14), Sacramento (10/15) and Huntington Beach (10/28), California.

As a fitting kickoff to the tour, festival producers Brew Ha Ha Productions and Synergy Global Entertainment teamed up with Fat Mike from NOFX and Stone Brewing Co for a collaboration brew, “Stone & NOFX Punk in Drublic Hoppy Lager.”

Brew day kicked off with a media gathering at Stone’s brewery in Escondido. A brief press conference included Stone’s CEO Dominic Engels, Fat Mike and some the Stone brew crew. After the Q&A, Fat Mike donned the pink boots provided him by the Stone crew. With beer in hand, FM led the procession into Stone’s massive brewery. A ceremonial adding of pre-wort hops to one of the mash tuns was followed by a quick tour of the brewery.

Stone’s Escondido location now possesses two beautiful multiple-vessel 120-barrel brewing systems from Rolec (Bavaria, Germany). Stone also employs a much smaller 5-barrel pilot system it is utilizing for experimental and one-off beers that can be purchased at the brewery and in growlers to go.

Punk in Drublic Hoppy Lager will debut shortly before the tour begins and will be featured and available during each festival. The beer will also be available in cans in festival market areas. NOFX will co-headline each date of the Punk In Drublic tour. Flogging Molly will also be headlining in some markets, as will Bad Religion. Each date will feature four additional bands. Four hours of craft beer tasting is also included with the many admission choices. Beer will also be available for purchase during and after the included tasting.

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This connubial joining of Punk Rock with Craft Beer may result in elevating the independence both strive for. PunkInDrublicFest.com.

Brew Ha Ha Productions and SGE will also be powering the comeback of Ye Scallywag, presented by 91X. It returns to San Diego’s Waterfront Park for another day of punk rock and craft beer on Saturday, October 21. Over 100 craft beers with punk rock music from Pennywise, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, The Vandals, Lagwagon, Strung Out, The Adolescents and Western Settings.

Pictured at the SDBW preview (l to r): Vince Meehan, Erik Jenson (Green Flash), Tommy Kreamer (The Lost Abbey), and Shannon Skelton.

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Fat Mike and Team Stone share a toast to the Stone & NOFX Punk in Drublic Hoppy Lager.

Stone Brewing Company, Escondido.

San Diego Beer Week San Diego’s annual San Diego Beer Week starts November 12. The Capitol of Beer has historically attracted over 20,000 craft beer fans to a week of events that opens with the San Diego Brewers Guild Festival.

Although SDBW has only been celebrated for nine years, this year marks the 16th year for the Guild Fest. In addition to the best of San Diego craft breweries represented at this year’s two-day festival, this year’s fest will also showcase beer from the many south-of-the-border (Baja, California) craft breweries.

During the10-day SDBW run, expect more than 500 brewery-hosted happenings throughout the county. These will include brewer dinners, food pairing events, special beer releases, collaborative brews, tap takeovers and more. Check the SDBW website often to stay up-to-date with all of the happenings as they get posted.

SDBG closes the week every year with The Beer Garden, an intimate celebration of fine food and beer at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Last year it joined 28 San Diego Brewers Guild member-brewers with 14 of San www.socalfnbpro.com

Fat Mike dons his pink boots on the brew deck at Stone.

Diego’s Chef Celebration Foundation’s chefs. Chefs work with each brewer to create a dish or dishes to pair with at least one of the brewery’s beers. Participating brewers typically bring two beers. The Beer Garden takes place outside the striking Craftsman-style structures on the Arroyo Terrace, overlooking golf course and ocean beyond. It benefits the San Diego Brewers Guild and the Chef Celebration Foundation.

The Guild hosted a SDBW media preview at Karl Strauss Brewing Company’s Tasting Room and Beer Garden. In addition to Karl’s full line of brews, many of the other Guild member breweries were set up in the garden (Coronado, Bagby, Benchmark, Rip Current, Mason Ale Works, Pizza Port). The schedule included meet-and-greets with a number of brewers and owners: Carli Smith, from Rock Bottom La Jolla, San Diego Brewing Company’s Lee Doxtader, Rip Current’s Paul Sangster, TK Kreamer (the other Tommy from The Lost Abbey), Erik Jensen, from Green Flash, and Derek Gallanosa, from Abnormal Beer Company. The highlighted breweries also brought growlers and bottles of some of their select brews to share.

September 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 21

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT | Stay on track with the latest trends in carrier and filling: “With the boom of Mexican fusion in 2016, wraps in their many forms, both hot and cold, are now more popular than ever and have earned their rightful place alongside sandwiches and paninis on daily menus. There is a distinct call for more adventurous flavors. From Piri Piri-infused Short Rib Tacos to Moroccan Chicken Burritos and Vegetarian/Flextarian options, Fra Diavolo Roasted Halloumi Wraps and Tandoori Potato Chapatti, caterers should look to incorporate the latest flavor trends and serve them with confidence alongside staples such as ham and cheese. Just simply mix into mayo; it’s simply amazing,” says Fergus Martin, Major Development Chef.

“Major Mari Bases are used in a multitude of different ways to enhance condiments and fillings for your cold and hot sandwiches and wraps offerings, but is gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan, thus a perfect product to use across the board. Alongside our Moroccan Mari Base, this is set to be one of our top sellers in the year to come.”

“Smoky flavors are a bang on trend for 2017 and are being incorporated into a whole variety of different dishes from dairy products, right through to snacks and desserts,” says Bob McDonald, Major’s Consultant Development Chef. “By using a readymade products such as Major’s, caterers can wrap up the lingering flavor of Major’s Hickory Applewood and Smoke simply by stirring this liquid seasoning through condiments and fillings.”

“Customization is becoming an increasingly more important deciding buying factor for customers. Not only do they know what they want but know exactly how they want to eat it. Using Major’s readymade Stock Bases and Mari Bases can help busy caterers factor this into menus with minimal effort for maximum gain. Simply stir a marinade into your condiment or filling of choice, use to pimp up your pickles and chutneys or to infuse the dressing on your salad. Quick, versatile, delicious and cost effective,” says Fergus Martin, Major’s Development Chef. www.majorproducts.com

Our Picks by Adam Rains

photo courtesy Santo Tequila

Santo Tequila Rock and Tequila have had a history of going “mano y mano” so it makes sense that two of rock-n-roll’s most prolific players, Adam Levine and Sammy Hagar, have partnered in a new agave distillate named Santo. They are calling it the “world’s first mezquila” and are bringing together two of Mexico’s best spirits: Tequila and Mezcal. Tequila has already had great commercial success internationally and Mezcal is a growing a fervent fan base. Santo blends equal parts Blue Weber and Espadín agave (the former is used in tequila and Espadín in Mezcal), which brings together two icons of what is quintessential Mexican. It tastes of bright sweet & peppery citrus with hints of smoke and a good amount of complexity. A great way to bring non-Mezcal drinkers over to Mezcal side! Available soon in Nevada! www.santomezquila.com

photo by Adam Rains

Fiamma Cioppino was created in San Francisco by Italian fisherman, who sought ways to use their catch. The Cioppino differs from many other Italian-American dishes in that, the ingredients and technique truly matter. To develop those flavors and meld them together correctly can be a masterpiece. One place that does it well is Fiamma at the MGM in Las Vegas. Tomatoes, garlic, white wine, Calabrian chiles and butter are stewed with shrimp, lobster, clams, mussels, fish and calamari. Their Cioppino is not rushed and has many layers of rich flavor and textures.

The freshness and quality of the seafood is apparent and every piece of the fish and shellfish is cooked perfectly. All ready to soak up that sumptuous broth is the toasted bread. ¡Molto Gustoso!

Fiamma Trattoria & Bar, www.mgmgrand.com

photo courtesy Titomirov Vodka

Titomirov Vodka Water is not only the base of life, but is a major component of all spirits. In no other category is this more true than with vodka. The word itself derives from the term meaning “little water” and is the purest of all distillates. Therefore, it can easily showcase the characteristics of the source. Meet Titomirov, which is made with a one-of-a-kind alkaline water from the Carpathian Mountains and non-GMO gluten-free corn. It is the first pH balanced vodka and has a unique softness with virtually no acidic bite. Titomirov is attempting to reach new levels of “smooth” by distilling 7-8 times and being naturally alkaline (pH balance at 8.2). Their Facebook page exclaims that, “the level of alkalinity allows water molecules to aggregate into smaller groups that can enter cells more easily, with improved hydrating effects for the body.” After trying it in your favorite vodka cocktail, you will probably agree.

Titomirov Vodka is available at Mandarin Oriental, The Cosmopolitan and Chica at The Venetian.

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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

Best Way to Deal with Difficult Employees Human Resources (HR) can be a very rewarding field because there is great satisfaction in helping others. However, at times, it can be a challenging and stressful place to work. This stems from the complex and diverse types of employee problems that are presented to HR for resolution. There is never a dull moment in today’s workplace and the actions taken by your employees are not to be underestimated. From insubordinate acts to workplace drunkenness, from harassing and aggressive behaviors to coercion, collaboration and theft.

In my opinion, to be effective in HR, you have to stay in tune to the issues that your organization faces, and also to stay current with all laws, regulations and legislation that are introduced to the workplace environment.

My tips for Minimizing as well as Dealing with Employee Problems.

First, I suggest that you start with the basics and ensure that you get your management team on the same page with you. Even very basic steps can help to reduce workplace problems and encounters with difficult employees.

Secondly, I suggest that you ensure consistency in your disciplinary procedures and train to achieve that.

Lastly, make sure that discussions with “offenders” are handled in a fair and legal manner, and are private.

• Have consistent and fair procedures for documenting performance problems and how to address them.

• Ensure that privacy and confidentiality are adhered to when disciplinary meetings occur.

• Use progressive discipline as much as possible–avoid using the “at will” doctrine when possible.

• Review disciplinary documents with the employee and ask questions to ensure understanding of expectations.

• Train your supervisors and managers on how to use these steps and the importance of documentation.

• Ask the employee how/in what ways he/she intends to make the necessary changes.

• Start with a thorough onboarding process such as new hire orientation and training.

• Have a solid practice of good communication with all stakeholders in your organization.

• Have a complete handbook and communicate frequently about key policies, procedures and expectations.

• Reinforce the importance of an open door policy with all of your managers.

• Be prepared to assist with the language in disciplinary documents so that they are clear and legal.

• Ensure that the manager is available when/ if problems occur along the way and that they are receptive to talks with this and all employees.

Following this advice and staying consistent in your approach to resolution of problems as well as to the importance of documentation can and will stave off issues and accusations of unfair treatment and favoritism. It is unfortunate that the old adage … “Managers spend 90% of their time on 10% of the workforce” is still true today. But how you use your time during the day and over the course of your career–with an open mind and open door–will ultimately determine how much time you spend with those problems you might have avoided.

HR Question of the month:

Please send your HR questions and concerns, or share your thoughts on your human resources challenges via email to the following address. Send input to vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com. Your comments, questions or concerns will help determine the direction for my next month’s column and earn you a copy of my book. Include your mailing address when sending your responses.

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By Bob Barnes

Dining at the Beach

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.

The word driftwood refers to lumber that has drifted onto the shoreline. Driftwood Kitchen is well named, as it could not be much closer to the surf and sand unless it was situated on the water.

Located at the Pacific Edge Hotel (also aptly named for its proximity to the beach) in Laguna Beach, the panoramic views of the ocean are a huge draw and as the view looks towards the west, timing your visit at the end of the day has the bonus of enjoying the spectacular Pacific sunset.

The décor fits the locale, with an open feel and floor-to-ceiling windows that open when weather permits and seats that overlook the ocean. And while you may come for the view, you’ll stay and return time and time again for the cuisine.

Helming the kitchen is Executive Chef/Partner Rainer Schwarz, who was born in Austria and began his culinary training at the age of 15. After working at various five-star hotels and restaurants in Switzerland, Germany and France, he continued his career in the US at prestigious restaurants such as Highland Inn in Carmel and at L.A.’s famed Patina & Pinot restaurants. He went on to create his own restaurants, including several in the Denver area, and in 2009 returned to L.A. to become Executive Chef at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, where he launched the criticallyacclaimed Public Kitchen & Bar. In 2013, Chef Rainer formed the Sentinel Restaurant and Hospitality Group (SRHG), an in-house operation for the management of restaurants and hospitality venues, with restaurant industry veterans Colby Durnin and John Nye and in 2014 the group opened Driftwood Kitchen.

Executing the menu is Chef de Cuisine Randall Hane, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate who has some quite impressive credentials of his own. Before coming to Driftwood he honed his culinary expertise at L’Auberge in the Park Hyatt in Monterey and at the Chateau De Brindos in Anglet, France, where he helped the restaurant earn a Michelin Star.

The small plates section of the menu is well represented by grilled Spanish octopus— extremely tender due to the fact that it is cooked for three hours in red wine and oranges— matched with a chickpea puree, tomatocapers vinaigrette and za’atar spice and lemon agrumato. Yellowtail carpaccio is enhanced with cucumber, pineapple vinaigrette and a verjus gelee made from the skins of green grapes. A tremendous feast for both the eyes and palate is the burrata cheese with tomato marinated in sherry vinegar, honey, fennel and coriander brought together with a delicious fennel-madera jam. Butternut squash gnocchi has an added level of richness compliments of sage brown butter, speck and parmesan and is topped with cookie crumbles and ricotta.

While dining seaside it makes sense to enjoy www.socalfnbpro.com

some of the ocean’s fresh harvest. Some standout large plate seafood dishes are the Alaskan halibut with sweet corn puree, sautéed mushrooms and lemon confit; and my favorite dish of our tasting: lobster spaghetti carbonara with Maine lobster, heavy cream, pork guanciali, tarragon, pecorino romano and farm egg.

Finishing touches include a sticky toffee cake with warm toffee sauce and vanilla Chantilly cream and a very unique ladyfinger banana split with valhrona chocolate, almonds, Luxardo maraschino cherries and salted caramel ice cream.

Much to my liking was an extensive whiskey, bourbon and Scotch list with more than 35 choices, such as Whistle Pig Rye, Elijah Craig 12 and Templeton Rye; and a wine list with more than 40 by-the-glass options and 70 bottles from Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Washington State, Australia and Germany.

Breakfast and lunch are served daily, with the breakfast menu featuring the usual standards like French toast and steak and eggs, but both are upgraded. The French toast is crusted with granola and comes with hazelnut butter and the steak and eggs with chimichurri sauce. For lunch, check out the salmon sandwich with heirloom tomato, rocket arugula, basil aioli and Kennebec fries. And, a weekend brunch includes “Balik” smoked salmon open faced sandwich with caramelized onion, fennel and chives.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get to experience the exceptional service of Brittany Ryan, who has worked at the restaurant since it opened. It’s quite evident that she enjoys her job and she says, “This is the best company I’ve ever worked for.

There is an incredible feel, with such a family environment and the food speaks for itself.”

One thing to take note of is the prices are not through the roof, as they certainly could be with such a pristine view as this location has.

All aspects combined make this restaurant one of the best choices you can make on the Orange County coast. But don’t just take my word for it: Driftwood Kitchen has garnered several honors, including being named one of the OC Register’s 75 Best Restaurants, OC Weekly’s Best Waterfront Dining and Best New Restaurant by the Orange County Register, COAST Magazine, and RIVIERA Magazine.

Opening hours are Breakfast: 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.; Lunch: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Dinner: Sun-Thurs 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Fri-Sat till 10:30 p.m.; and Weekend Brunch: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

photos courtesy Driftwood Kitchen

He welcomes your inquiries.

Email: bob@lvfnb.com

Chef Rainer Schwarz

Driftwood Kitchen @Pacific Edge Hotel 619 Sleepy Hollow Ln. Laguna Beach 949-715-7700 driftwoodkitchen.com September 2017 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 25

EVENTS

AD INDEX

There are several major food & beverage events coming up in the next few months in both SoCal and regionally which we list for our Food & Beverage Professionals looking to broaden their perspective and increase their industry knowledge! Here is a sampling of some of the events we highly recommend, so if planning to attend you can start booking now.

Deep Eddy Vodka www.deepeddyvodka.com

September 22-24 Life is Beautiful food, music and art festival returns, held across several streets in Downtown Las Vegas. www.lifeisbeautiful.com

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Flavors of the Heart flavorsoftheheart.com

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Keep Memory Alive Event Center 702-263-9797 kmaeventcenterlasvegas.com

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September 27-28 Supply Side West at the Mandalay Bay Expo Hall will bring together more than 15,000 ingredient buyers and suppliers from the dietary supplement, beverage, functional food, personal care and sports nutrition industries and will offer an opportunity to explore new trends from over 1,200 exhibitors and 140 hours of educational and conference programming. www.supplysideshow.com/en/home

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

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Patron rocapatron.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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September 30-October 1 brings us to the Annual Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival featuring local and regional foods prepared by professional chefs and pared with wines from California’s coast and wine regions. Additionally, there will be celebrity chefs offering culinary demonstrations and mixologists showing you the latest concoctions in spirits and liquor. Weather in Southern California and Orange County should be excellent for this outdoor event. www.newportwineandfood.com October 2-5 finds G2E (Global Gaming Expo) back in Las Vegas hosted at the Sands Convention Center. The largest gaming show in the world, it includes several exhibitors of F&B related food & beverage products and services to the casino gaming industry. For you Food & Beverage Professionals, especially those involved in gaming facilities, it’s a must. www.globalgamingexpo.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 September 2017

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IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO READ THIS AD, WE’VE MADE LITTLE TO NO PROGRESS. We slow-roast the finest 100% Weber Blue Agave for more than three days and then slowly crush it with a two-ton tahona stone wheel. The result is an earthy, complex taste that’s more than worth the wait.

The perfect way to enjoy Patrón is responsibly. Handcrafted and imported exclusively from Mexico by The Patrón Spirits Company, Las Vegas, NV. 42-45% abv.