August 2018 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional

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Issue 8 Volume 18

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NEW SERVICE STANDARDS IN HOSPITALITY SGWS Steps Up Training of Its Wine, Beer and Spirits Academy

CHARDONNAY SUMMER

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Please enjoy our wines responsibly. ferrari-carano.com

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August 2018

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CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER WELCOME BACK TO OUR AUGUST ISSUE OF THE SOCAL FOOD & BEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL and hoping everyone is keeping as cool as possible. I’ve been told that the summer is a slow season in the Food & Beverage Industry. Well, I just recently was visiting Seattle and had a chance to cover Bite of Seattle, a local Mill Creek Festival and Leavenworth, WA, which was modeled after a Bavarian village and enjoyed wine tasting throughout my visit and every place was very busy!

Cover Our August Issue Cover Feature is dedicated to the newest addition to SGWS,

Executive Director of Mixology, Spirits Education and Special Events BRIAN VAN FLANDERN, coming from a very impressive background which includes work with a Michelin award-winning restaurant and writing his own cocktail books. We welcome Brian from New York and are looking forward to working with him closely. WELCOME, BRIAN VAN FLANDERN…

22 PAGE 22 Brings us another great article from John Rockwell and his “Made from Scratch.” This month part 1 of his Yogurt Revelations starts with: “The procedure for making yogurt is simple, and to disabuse any notions of what yogurt is, it is simply milk that you eat.” With that said you have to see the entire article and even try making yogurt in your kitchen. Just remember, it’s “Made From Scratch!”

24 PAGE 24 Presents our Chef Talk column by Chef Allen Asch and his take on Climate

14

Change. Chef Allen tells us: “I am not writing this article to create a political statement.

Even if you do not believe in global warming, statistics say that seven of the hottest years on this planet were in the last 10 years. The average global temperature in 1980 was 57.2°F and in 2015 the hottest year on record increased 1.8°F to 59°. This might not seem like a lot but it certainly makes a difference in agriculture and livestock cultivation.” Read the whole story by Chef Allen Asch…

25 PAGE 25 Max Solano begins a new monthly column called Spirits Confidential. Max is

a principal mixologist at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Nevada and is considered one of the most respected and premier authorities in the West Coast on all matters whisky and serves as a Spirits Judge at the coveted New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, International Whisky Competition and world-renowned San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This is Part 1 of Smitten with Rye and in Part 2 of this article next month, Max will go into detail and address many of the commonly asked American whiskey questions and misconceptions, the laws and introduce you to some must-have rye whiskey brands.

CHEERS and BON APPETIT! Mike Fryer-Sr. Editor/Publisher

Page 4 Hot off the Grill!

Page14 Foodie Biz

Page 24 Chef Talk Climate Change??

Page 5 The Bottom Line Knowing When to Participate in a Food Festival

Page 16 COVER FEATURE New Service Standards in Hospitality SGWS Steps Up Training of Its Wine, Beer and Spirits Academy

Page 25 Spirits Confidential with Max Solano Smitten with Rye Part 1 of 2

Page 18 Product Review

Page 27 Wine Talk with Alice Swift Taiwan and Its Hidden Gems: F&B and the Region of Taitung

Page 6 What’s Brewing Page 9 The Catering Coach Price It Right Page 10 The Restaurant Expert When Employees Say, “I Can’t,” It Really Means, “I Won’t”—Why This Is Important and What You Can Do About It

22 www.socalfnbpro.com

Page12 Human Resources Insights Safety Is More Than Words on a Poster. How to Keep a Safe Workplace!

Southern Nevada Health District Appoints First Chef, Nicole Brisson, to Board of Directors Page 20 Twinkle Toast The PacNW Got #TwinkleToasted

Page 28 Brett’s Vegas View

Page 30 Events

Page 22 Made from Scratch Yogurt Revelations - Part I

Ad Index ACF Chefs of SoCal

August 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 3

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

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HOT OFF THE GRILL!

Mike Fryer

Sr. Editor/Publisher Thank you for joining us in this issue of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional.

For any questions or comments please email mike@socalfnbpro.com

Bob Barnes

Editorial Director bob@socalfnbpro.com

Restaurant Editor Ben Brown attended the 15th annual California Wine Festival in Santa Barbara. Find out more about free-flowing libations steps from the beach, as well as a roundup of restaurant recaps, in his Foodie Biz column on page 14.

Juanita Fryer

Ben Brown

Juanita Aiello

Adam Rains

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

Creative Director juanita@socalfnbpro.com

Restaurant Editor ben@socalfnbpro.com

Beverage Editor adam.rains@socalfnbpro.com

We recently had the chance to visit Seattle and attend and cover the Bite of Seattle and found this food truck, whose name gives new meaning to the acronym KFC!

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Article Submissions/Suggestions articles@socalfnbpro.com

Calendar Submissions calendar@socalfnbpro.com

Website webmaster@socalfnbpro.com

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General Information info@socalfnbpro.com

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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 Spirits Confidential Max Solano

Journalist Good for Spooning LeAnne Notabartolo

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

Photographer Audrey Dempsey

Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch

Journalist Pat Evans

Journalist The Restaurant Expert David Scott Peters

Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift

Journalist Sandy Korem

Journalists Twinkle Toast Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover

Journalist Lisa Matney

Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein

Journalist Made from Scratch John Rockwell

4 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

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The Bottom Line Knowing When to Participate in a Food Festival

Food festivals have skyrocketed in popularity, often drawing thousands of guests and creating prime exposure opportunities for restaurants of all types. Any opportunity like this, of course, comes with a cost…several costs, actually. The challenge comes with knowing when to take the plunge and sign your restaurant up as a food festival vendor.

A food festival is essentially a great way to get prospective guests to sample your restaurant, and for the most part, you will profit if enough of those guests visit your restaurant later on.

Take the following items into account when assessing the potential return of participating in a food festival.

Understand the costs for food festival vendors.

To establish a baseline for profitability, it’s best to understand all the costs that typically go into participating in a food festival. Exact labels and prices vary, but expect the following: • Vendor fee: a flat fee to simply have a booth space • Ingredients • Plates/bowls, utensils, napkins and serving tools • Cooking equipment and food storage • Power generation • Staffing • Signage as well as any additional elements you may want at your booth, such as menus, decorations, photo booths, etc.

• Vehicle(s) to transport ingredients, cooking equipment, signage and staff • Insurance Festivals will outline some of these costs, such as vendor fees, but most of these costs will be for you to calculate. Factor in setup, 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.

execution and takedown, and always bring more ingredients than you think you’ll need.

Nobody wants to run out of food at a festival.

Once you have a dollar amount calculated, compare this to your average profit per guest, and determine how many new people the festival would need to bring in to make it worth your while.

Compare target customers and restaurant profiles.

Food festivals, by definition, attract foodies that are ready and willing to try new places such as yours. It’s necessary, however, to take a closer look at the expected attendee and restaurant profiles and compare that to your typical guest and competitive set.

If the food festival has taken place in the past, look at the list of restaurants that attended in previous years, and whether any shifts occurred. If you own a casual burger bar and notice that most participating restaurants are higher-end, then the festival may not be a good fit. If the festival has a particular theme, such as vegetarian, and your menu doesn’t have significant offerings in that theme, then best to pass on the opportunity.

If the festival attracts a mostly-local crowd, you likely won’t want to participate unless you’re in the neighborhood.

Have the time, budget and labor available.

Once you’ve assessed the costs and determined that the festival is a fit, lay out a plan to cover yourself financially and operationally.

Designate the staff needed for the event— you’ll likely need several back-of-house staff to cook and at least two front-of-house staff to serve and converse with guests. Extra hands for setup and takedown always help, so plan for additional staff to come before and after the festival, if possible.

Meet with your designated staff well before the event to walk them through expectations. Map out every touchpoint, from loading materials to booth setup, food prep and presentation, guestfacing talking points and takedown. Scout the site beforehand, if possible, so staff know the route for efficient delivery and setup on the event day.

Set up emergency procedures, from small incidents like running out of food to larger issues such as cooking equipment failures or kitchen injuries. If your restaurant is nearby, it’s always good to have additional staff on call and/or the opportunity to deliver finished product straight from your kitchen.

Have food and a setup that will leave an impression.

Every restaurant wants to put their best foot forward at a food festival. Choose a menu item that will ‘wow’ your guests. If you’re already putting in the time, effort and money toward a festival, you don’t want to be stingy with ingredient costs.

Your booth should give guests a great taste of your restaurant’s atmosphere as well. If you have a wall-size chalkboard displaying your specials, then perhaps a small propped-up chalkboard with your featured items would make a nice touch. If you’re known for seafood, then some ocean décor would add positive flare.

While you’ll be doing your due diligence in assessing the return from a food festival, remember that the returns may be long-term.

Providing discounts for follow-up visits certainly help, but food festivals are about exposure more than anything. Let your food and booth speak for itself, and success will likely follow.

August 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 5

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.

Oggi’s new summer menu items.

Summer Time at Oggi’s There is a new summer menu at Oggi’s/Sports/Brewhouse/Pizza (locations throughout Southern California). Executive Chef Jason Tsiames has launched new menu items to highlight the best of summer produce with Oggi’s signature-brewed craft beers. Each recommended beer was the starting point in creating a corresponding food pairing. Chef looked for ingredients that would complement and enhance the beer. This reporter and his wife recently dined at Oggi’s Mission Viejo to sample the new menu items, and of course, the beer.

Duck Dive Hefeweizen was the inspiration for Oggi’s new Summertime Salad. With arugula as its base, pickled red onions, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, fresh sliced apples and Feta cheese were added and tossed in honey-lemon vinaigrette. Additional protein options include allnatural chicken or shrimp. The vinaigrette clears one’s palate and assists in heightening the delicate flavors of the hefe, while the hefe in turn complements the salad’s fruit and sweet components.

The maltiness of McGarvey’s Scottish Ale went well with the spice and roast notes of the SoCal BBQ Chicken Salad. This salad combined mixed greens, black beans, sweet corn, chopped tomato, fresh cilantro, Gouda cheese and chipotle BBQ chicken. Tossed with house-made Santa Fe dressing, it was topped with crispy onion strings. The combination provided a fitting contrast to the sweet notes in the ale.

For the Southern Chicken Sandwich, Oggi’s California Gold is the suggested brew. Served on a brioche bun, spicy southern-style buttermilk fried chicken is draped in melted American Swiss cheese and topped with roasted shallot aioli, avocado, shredded lettuce, tomato and pickles.

The light, clean, refreshing notes in the California Gold tend to cut any perceived heaviness of the proteins in the sandwich without overpowering it flavors.

6 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

It wouldn’t be Southern California summer if there wasn’t an IPA on the menu. Hoppily Ever After IPA, with its fresh citrus notes and bittering malt balance, fits the bill and easily accompanies Crispy Brussels Sprouts.

The Summer Lovin’ menu continues through the summer and we can look forward to a new seasonal menu every season.

A Bit of History–Oggi’s & Left Coast

San Clemente-based Oggi’s has been around for 27 years. That was when brothers George and John Hadjis opened their first pizza restaurant in Del Mar. In 1995 a brewhouse was added to that location, when Oggi’s multiple-TV sports focus was already bringing folks in, and the top notch house-brewed beer would add more to the mix. Along with one of San Diego’s notable pioneer brewers, Tom Nickel (currently of Nickel Beer Co and O’Brien’s Pub), the restaurant and brewery would go on to win numerous awards, including being named World Champion Small Brewery and Brewer in 2004 at the World Beer Cup awards. This was the same year that the family opened its Left Coast/Oggi’s production brewery in San Clemente. In addition to brewing beer for its growing chain of franchised restaurants, its sister brewery, Left Coast Brewing Company, was also born. With an amazing group of brewers Oggi’s beers would continue to receive many accolades that include eight World Beer Cup and 10 Great American Beer Festival awards. Left Coast has also received one WBC and two GABF Awards.

A strong focus and dedication to family is exemplified by the number of Hadjis family members in key company roles. In addition to George and John, George’s wife Dora, daughter Estella, son Tommy, and John’s son Shawn hold key positions. In addition to the aforementioned Southern California locations, there is also one in Glendale, Arizona. www.socalfnbpro.com

Left Coast Brewing Company Irvine.

Left Coast II Regarding Left Coast Brewing Company, it is very timely to note the recent opening of a second location. Irvine is home to Left Coast’s new brewery, tasting room, smokehouse and distillery. Yes, Left Coast’s newest location has food, signature beer, an onsite brewery and will soon be firing up its still. A recent visit (during the extremely busy first two weeks after opening) found its 24 taps dispensing 13 Left Coast beers on tap and a new BBQ-focused menu. Starters include KC fried pickles, burnt ends and beer battered onion rings. Vegetarian

fare includes a smoked garbanzo and purple kale salad with marinated onion, heirloom tomatoes and feta. Three types of mac n cheese include traditional cheese and enhanced versions with smoked pulled pork or smoked bacon. The nonveg area of the menu includes brisket, pulled pork, chicken and ribs in varied options.

Comfortable, approachable and casual, the new location offers much to an area definitely lacking in something of the like. Beer prices are also notably approachable. Most beers are also offered in 3 sizes: tasters, 10-ounce and full

pint pours. Enjoy Left Coast’s core beers, from Del Mar St Dortmunder-style lager to Asylum Belgian-style tripel and Hop Juice triple IPA, and an assortment of Brewer’s-choice beers— new beers worth trying that might not be around for long. One of those on the brewer’s list was Simply Mosaic, a 5.5% ABV New England-style pale ale exuding flavors of citrus juices. This beer also saw a recent release in 16 ounce cans.

Left Coast Brewing Co Irvine 6652 Irvine Center Drive

Left Coast Brewing Company.

www.socalfnbpro.com

August 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 7

•Wholesale distributor of exceptional quality dried spices and specialty foods to the finest hotels and restaurants •Owned and operated by a former chef with over 20 years of experience •Custom packed Herbs and Spices •Custom Spice Bends •Private labeling •Now Certified Kosher

The Catering Coach Price It Right

Have you ever wondered if you’re pricing your catering proposals correctly? Is it possible to make more money? I know I wasn’t doing it right and it cost me. Let me show you what took me too long to learn myself.

Let’s pretend we’ve been asked to cater a fivehour event in someone’s backyard for 150 people. You are providing everything, including the staff, except for the alcohol.

Never send all-inclusive pricing. It does nothing to show the client the value you bring and the cost for all the things they are asking you to do for their convenience and ensures nothing is left out.

Cost breakdown Now, let’s price this event right! Here are the components for our cost breakdown: • Food Experience 150 guests @ $X per person 150 desserts @ $X per person • Staff • Rentals • Disposables • Subtotal • Tax • Total Food experience Combine ALL of the costs of the accurately updated recipes that you will use for the menu EXCEPT for dessert. Take the cost of goods sold (COGS) and multiply by 3.5 to set your profit margin (the standard is 3 times, and you can even multiply by 4 or 5 times during highdemand periods to maximize profits during the busiest times if your market can bear it). Let’s suppose the COGS is $800. Multiplying $800 by 3.5 = $2,800. Divide $2,800 by 150 guests = $18.66. www.socalfnbpro.com

By Sandy Korem Sandy Korem, catering expert, is CEO and founder of one of the top 20 catering companies in the U.S., Dallas-based The Festive Kitchen. She was awarded the White House Food Service Medallion in 2008 for outstanding food service to President George W. Bush. Her company, www.thecateringcoach.com, helps restaurateurs take their off-site catering revenue stream to a different level. If you have any questions about how to launch a profitable catering business, email her at sandy@thecateringcoach.com.

If the dessert COGS is $174, then multiply 174 x 3.5 = $609. Divide $609 by 150 = $4.06. Profit to the company for food is $2,425.

Many business owners stop there, but there’s more.

Staff Why do you charge for staff? Think about it.

• Who finds the staff?

• Who pays the staff’s payroll taxes?

• Who pays for the insurance to cover damage at a client’s home?

• Who trains the staff?

• Who spends time contacting the staff to inform them about the event?

YOU do. Don’t let the profit you are making on the food cost cover the cost of that staff.

To determine what to pay your staff, find out the average cost of waitstaff for your area of the country. In many parts of the county, it is at least $25/hour per staff person. Make a profit PER HOUR on each of your staff members and mark up what you pay by at least $5 per hour per staff person. Remember, you have to match payroll taxes and expenses from each check plus make a profit.

The minimum each staff person should be paid is four hours per event. Also, figure in the staff time a minimum of two hours prior to event start time for set up. Don’t let the client talk you into a one hour set up. Your presentation and food will not be the same if you are rushed. Many times it takes 30 minutes just to unload the delivery van and get everything to the event room.

Also, figure one hour after the event ends for clean up. Clean up is CRITICAL! If the place is left a wreck, you will not be hired again.

For our sample event, I have charged $31/hour per staff person and also allowed one waiter/ kitchen staff per 50 people since this is a casual

event with an easy menu. The staff is paid $20/ hour.

Staff

Two kitchen (5 p.m.–12 a.m.) $496

Waiter (6 p.m.–12 a.m.) $186

Bartender (5:30 p.m.–12 a.m.) $201 Profit to the company for the staff: $274 Rentals If your company is providing the platters, chafers, paella pans, table top griddles, serving utensils, etc., for this event, you must charge for these items. They are rentals from your company. Profit to the company for rentals is $110.

Disposables For some reason, charging for the disposable items is difficult for many caterers, especially restaurant owners. Remember: this is not an event at your restaurant where the client is seated and served at your table. I prefer to line item the cost of the disposables, but you could wrap it into your food costs. In the end, it doesn’t matter how it’s done, just get it paid for by the client.

For our 150-guest party, we will need two plates, one fork, three cocktail napkins and conservatively two-and-a-half cups per person, which is $1.26 per person. Double the cost of this when charging it to the customer. Profit to the company for disposables is $223.

Client pays $5,200 total after tax. Profit to your company $3,032. That’s a profit that reflects what your food and service are worth!

What I have written in this article is the MINIMUM profit that should be proposed for this sample event. There are more items like service fees or production fees which are at the discretion of the caterer. My company always charges a production fee of 18 percent. There is value in what you do and people are willing to pay for it!

August 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 9

The RESTAURANT EXPERT

By David Scott Peters David Scott Peters is a restaurant consultant, coach, speaker and founder of TheRestaurantExpert.com, a company committed to the success of independent restaurants. Peters is a restaurant industry-recognized blogger and his writing is regularly published in restaurant industry publications, such as Restaurant Hospitality, Catersource, and QSR Magazine.

Learn more at www.TheRestaurantExpert.com.

When Employees Say, “I Can’t,” It Really Means, “I Won’t”—Why This Is Important and What You Can Do About It

Something universal about successful restaurant owners is they never say or accept someone saying to them, “I can’t!” Successful restaurant owners recognize that when someone says, “I can’t,” what they are really saying is, “I won’t.”

To get an idea of how powerful this two-word phrase is, picture Superman stopping a train, using all his power, digging his heels into the ground, smoke rising up from his heels. That is what someone who says, “I can’t,” is doing to your restaurant. That person is digging in their heels and stopping your success train.

One specific example of a restaurant owner who accepts “I can’t” as an answer is one who attends one of my workshops and goes home motivated to make changes in the business.

Instead of coming back to employees and managers excited for change and a chance at greater success, they are greeted by a chorus of employees and managers telling them they are too busy, their restaurant is different, it’s too much work, etc. Ultimately, I get a phone call from the owner saying, “David, I love your systems, but I CAN’T get my managers to do the work.” OMGoodness! Who signs their paychecks?

Listen to that statement when I change just two words, “David, I love your systems, but I WON’T make my mangers do the work.” Isn’t that what the owner is really saying to me?

Other popular ways to say “I can’t:”

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

I can’t (won’t) raise my prices.

I can’t (won’t) cut labor.

I can’t (won’t) change my menu.

I can’t (won’t) find the time.

I can’t (won’t) leave my business.

I can’t (won’t) let someone else place the orders.

7. I can’t (won’t) have someone else take my inventories.

8. No! (I won’t do it!)

I have also been on site in a restaurant and had many teams, managers and chefs look me dead in the eye and say, “It can’t be done that way.”

All they really did was look me in the eye and say “No, I am not going to do it, nor am I going to try.”

So, what do you do when you hear that phrase coming out of your mouth, your manager’s mouth or an employee’s mouth?

1. You ask the person to rephrase their statement and say it back to you using the words “I won’t” instead of “I can’t.” Try it—it’s powerful!

2. Then you need to explain to that person (or yourself) that you don’t want to hear the words I can’t. In fact, tell them you don’t want to hear why something can’t be done, but how it can be done.

I understand that sometimes the solution the owner or manager comes up with might be too expensive, might take too much time, might

10 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

change the way things are done, but it’s better to experiment with these options than just digging in your heels and saying, “No, I won’t do the work!”

That’s not to say that a now-successful restaurant owner didn’t start out in a challenging situation, or that it didn’t take them years to get it right. In fact, in most cases, the successful restaurant owners I know put up with a lot of “I won’t” attitude before they figured out what it was doing to their businesses. That means you can have their type of results if you’re willing to lead the change and ensure people are doing the work.

Successful restaurant owners are where they are today, no matter how quickly or slowly they got there, because they all decided not to accept the words “I can’t” from themselves or anyone that works for them. They lead the changes in their restaurant and are willing to change an employee into a customer if that employee wants to stop progress, stop change and simply doesn’t want to do the work. While an employee may have done a great job in the past, for the company to move forward, restaurant owners must have people on the team who buy into and embrace the changes being made, even if it is a challenge.

Don’t let the phrase “I can’t” become a success train stopper in your restaurant. Teach everyone to tell you how it can be done, hold people accountable and lead your team. This is how results are achieved. www.socalfnbpro.com

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.

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

Safety Is More Than Words on a Poster.

How to Keep a Safe Workplace!

So many organizations just slap up a few posters and say a few words to their employees like “be careful,” and then walk away patting themselves on the back for doing a great job on workplace safety. After all… safety is really up to them, right? If a few words was all that it took, we’d have a lot less work to do and far fewer injuries and accidents. But, in reality, safety in food service takes a bit more time, focus and effort.

The third most common is burns. These are expected due to the nature of work in a kitchen where employees work around hot ovens, open flame, grills, fryers, oils and other liquids.

First, the most common type of injury in our business is slip and fall. Around 72% of workplace injuries are the result of employees wearing the wrong shoes for the work that they do. This figure encompasses all industries, not just food service, but still emphasizes how proper footwear is essential in every industry and environment. The expense of investing in a $50 pair of slip-resistant shoes is minimal compared to what one slip and fall injury can cost you, especially when there are debilitating, long-term health consequences from a severe concussion or similar.

1. Start at the time of hire with food service safety videos, policies, PPE education and other materials.

The second most common injury in food service is cuts or lacerations. We use a lot of sharp and dangerous types of tools and equipment.

5. Hold everyone accountable. Make sure there will be consequences for failure to comply.

So, now knowing what challenges we face, how do we establish a safety effort that has the potential for actual success?

Here are my tried and true suggestions for a safety workplace program…

2. Make sure that your location not only has the latest posters but also trains new hires on safety rules.

3. Maintain an ongoing Safety Awareness program and highlight a different area/ theme each month.

6. Have a policy of “See Something, Say Something” and don’t let employees walk by hazards.

7. Maintain a Safety Committee and engage your management in the process. Have regular meetings.

8. Develop clear, easy and compliant steps for injury reporting, proper care, recovery and return to work.

Because workplace injuries can cost you a lot in lost time, medical care, recovery time and labor due to shift coverage for the injured employee, you will benefit from making safety a top priority at your organization. It doesn’t take as much time as you think and will show return in improved morale, reduced lost time and less administrative work once safety is part of your culture and your expectations.

4. Reward good behaviors and actions, including pro-active efforts to identify hazards and fix them.

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.

12 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

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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.

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

photos by Ben Brown

California Wine Festival Celebrates 15th Year in Santa Barbara The 15th annual California Wine Festival saw an array of wineries, breweries and food purveyors gathered amidst a classic summer day in sunny Santa Barbara. Taking place in downtown Santa Barbara, literally steps from the beach, the festival attracted a fun-loving crowd that perused from tent to tent, different tastes in tow every step of the way.

Many familiar labels and storefronts from years past returned for repeat performances, accompanied by a few new faces. And as the festival’s name reveals, wines were the star of the show. Wineries included 3 Steves, Miner Family Winery, Ferguson Crest, One Madrone, McGrail Vineyards, Rutherford Wine Company, Wood Family Vineyards and Vinemark Cellars among many others.

Beer lovers found themselves right at home as well, with breweries gaining a stronger presence year after year. Featured brewers included Unibroue, Santa Barbara Brewing, Karl Strauss Brewing, Island Brewing, The Brewhouse in Santa Barbara, Firestone Walker and M. Special.

While food isn’t a namesake feature of the festival, a scattering of culinary vendors kept libations in check. Enterprise Fish Co., Hippy Pop Popcorn, Oat Bakery, Hoppy Fused Food, and Santa Barbara Woodfire Catering represented some of Santa Barbara’s local food scene, joined by larger brands such as Kerrygold and Gelson’s.

Be on the lookout for the next California Wine Festival, with events taking place across Southern California year-round.

Visit CaliforniaWineFestival.com for more info.

The Blind Pig Brings Bold Global Fare to RSM, Yorba Linda Deep in the suburban Orange County community of Rancho Santa Margarita lies the Blind Pig, humbly perched in a shopping mall overlooking the manmade Lago Santa Margarita. Part small plates, part gastropub and going 5 years strong with an expected expansion to Yorba Linda in fall 2018, The Blind Pig proves that haute cuisine can live outside your traditional haute neighborhoods.

The eclectic, ever-changing menu is purposefully small, with Executive Chef Karl Pfeider laser-focused on executing 18 dishes perfectly rather than doing twice as many half as well. The Blind Pig’s offerings change with the seasons, but consistently feature familiar dishes from across the world with dazzlingly unfamiliar twists woven in.

14 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

The Blind Pig’s bold, global flavors are easily explained in their Parisian gnocchi—exceptional pasta pockets flash-fried just enough to make things interesting, beautifully complemented with intense Portuguese sausage and a spicy arribiata sauce that makes your tastebuds dance. The Korean short ribs then take you a few thousand miles east with dense oriental flavor that makes you wonder how you’re still in Orange County.

The mushroom saltado, a play on the classic Peruvian lamb dish, integrates puffed rice to give four types of wild mushrooms an elegant finish. For dessert, the panna cotta comes topped with sweet granola and paper-thin dark chocolate for multiple layers of sweet indulgence.

The drink menu is just as interesting, with local beers on tap, a solid wine list and a craft cocktail lineup that emphasizes novelty and complexity. The extensive Moscow mule selection is tough to turn down.

For more information, visit TheBlindPigOC.com.

Tuck Room Tavern Wows with James Beard Award-Winning Talent Tuck Room Tavern is the exact kind of posh hotspot that foodie cities need.

No, not just another pretty face, with elegant chandeliers hanging over a chic lounge, hot bartenders making a show out of liquid nitrogen cocktails nearby. Sure, at Tuck Room Tavern you’ll be surrounded by hot servers, a vivacious crowd and an insane attention to luxurious detail. But for the food to match—or dare I say, exceed—the mood, from a James Beard Awardwinning chef no less? Now that is a truly special foodie experience.

Chef Sherry Yard has mastered the ability to transform backyard barbecue classics into globally elevated masterpieces. Mentored by Wolfgang Puck and taking home two—count ‘em, two—James Beard Awards before taking the helm as parent company’s iPic Entertainment’s Restaurant COO, Yard runs her kitchen with the same seasoned expertise with which she works the crowd. You may recognize the 5’2” Yard from shows like Top Chef, Iron Chef America and Cutthroat Kitchen, and you’ll quickly get a sense of her approach to flavor, because she knocks it out of the park.

The enlightenment commences with your first bite of some of the best calamari you’ve ever tasted, made heavenly with a Korean gochujang glaze for just the right spiciness and a blow-your-mind bold kick. The crab cakes are cleverly sandwiched between two of the thinnest slices of crispy brioche for astounding texture and rich seafood flavor. Hard to put the fork down before both plates are gone, if not for that Tuck Moscow mule, with housemade berry-infused vodka and ginger beer. www.socalfnbpro.com

Keep going with a crisp and colorful gulf shrimp and beet salad, completed with goat cheese and hazelnuts, before settling in on a round of mains that transport you to the countryside. Southern shrimp and [imported from North Carolina] grits and mango habanero baby back ribs make you feel like you’re rocking on a porch swing during a warm summer night, and then that rich cornbread with whipped goat cheese, plus a farmer’s market sangria, takes you right back into Tuck Room Tavern’s new age ambiance.

The haute crowd is often inclined to skip dessert, but not with a red velvet pavlova—a small mountain of earl grey meringue, vanilla gelato and raspberry red velvet cake crumbles all over—staring you in the face. Or the chocolate hot and cold, with gelato, fresh-baked brownie and a pool of chocolate dipping sauce. Did I mention Chef Yard was one of the top 10 pastry chefs in America?

And at Tuck Room Tavern, you’re always dining with extra company, whether that comes in the form of an exceptionally entertaining crowd nearby or the tuxedo-clad elephant [his name is Percy], painted on a wall made entirely of books.

As noted above, Tuck Room Tavern is part of iPic Entertainment, known for upscale movie theaters with in-cinema dining. Chef Yard has a completely separate menu for the movie-going experience just a few steps away, clearly in need of further exploration.

For more information, visit TheTuckRoom.com.

Sajj Mediterranean Expands Its presence in the OC Build-your-own is hot in the world of Middle Eastern cuisine, and Sajj is a prime example of the trend’s rising prominence. Sajj—named after the convex frying pan used for heating flatbreads—is steadily growing its presence across California, most recently opening in Rancho Santa Margarita with an Irvine location expected to open fall 2018. The Chipotle-meets-Middle East concept has seen great success across multiple locations in the Bay Area, and is on pace to do the same in Orange County.

Sajj has tweaked classic Middle Eastern flavors just enough to make them approachable for the www.socalfnbpro.com

masses. Steak and chicken shawarma, falafel, hummus and toum [Lebanese garlic sauce] are key staples, as well as a few fun additions like pomegranate-marinated chicken and roasted cauliflower. Spicy tahini, feta and even guacamole finish off wraps, pitas and bowls for new flavors with comfortingly familiar elements.

A plethora of locally sourced vegetables allows Sajj to become a healthier alternative as well.

Fresh lettuce, arugula and kale from San Juan Bautista, tomatoes from Carlsbad, and cabbage from Santa Maria are just a few ingredients that go into Sajj’s veggie selections for wraps, pitas and bowls. Additionally, Sajj prides itself on sourcing meats with no hormones and no antibiotics.

And for an additional fun twist, Sajj has added Chocolate Hummus to the menu. Made with garbanzo beans, tahini, cocoa powder, chocolate hazelnut spread, pistachios and maple syrup, the dish is arguably on the healthier side of dessert and best paired with house-made cinnamon chips.

For more information, visit SajjStreetEats.com.

Oggi’s: Pizza, Beer and Sports, SoCal Born and Bred Oggi’s has built itself up to become a household name in SoCal over the last 25+ years. What started as a humble pizzeria in Del Mar is now a regional empire, with 16 locations that span from South San Diego to the high desert, with a far-reaching spot in Phoeniz, AZ. Brewing craft beer before craft beer was cool, serving up funbut-approachable pizzas and perfecting a laidback sports bar atmosphere has allowed Oggi’s to become a trusted destination for guys’ nights out and family gatherings alike.

Pizza may have been where Oggi’s got its start, but the franchise has expanded its offerings. A labyrinth of a menu covers myriads of all the usual suspects you’d hope for in a sports bar.

Burgers, wings, sandwiches and SoCal favorites like fish tacos provide a strong base for those seeking indulgence, while a long salad list appeals to those coming along for the ride. Thai chili buffalo wings and a seemingly endless plate of short rib nachos are certainly house favorites.

Oggi’s has also taken strong ownership of pizza’s closest complements, pasta and breadsticks.

Their vodka penne di parma comes out with richness and full flavor far beyond its modest price point, and of course it would be a sin to skip over the garlic knots, as dense and buttery as you’d hope for. Oggi’s pizzas are made fresh with hand-tossed dough and named after various sports references. The slam dunk [buffalo chicken] and the heavyweight [meat lover’s] are surefire winners.

And what would the Oggi’s experience be without their home-brewed beer, which continues to gather awards and accolades. Several of Oggi’s beers pay homage to their San Diego roots, such as the Ladainian Tomlinson grapefruit session IPA and the Torrey Pines IPA. For more information visit Oggis.com.

Art Beyond the Glass Celebrates 7th Year in L.A. Art Beyond the Glass, a cultural celebration of all things cocktails and the bar staff who make them, brought together a myriad of mixology talent at Silver Lake’s Los Globos nightclub. Raising funds for the Women’s Center for Creative Work, this charity event placed a special focus on SoCal’s top women in the industry. Bartenders such as Emily Alexander [The NoMad, DTLA], Adele Stratton [Jayne’s Gastropub, San Diego], Valerie Erickson [Bar Mercado, La Brea] and Gigi Dail [UNION, La Brea] were just a few of a long list who poured drinks that stretched the brink of liquid creativity. Joining them were colleagues that showcased additional artistic talents, such as photographer/bartender Christina Russo [Castaways, Burbank], painter Kecia Hook [Little Sister, DTLA], and burlesque dancer Evalee Gertz [Las Perlas, DTLA].

Creativity flowed as freely as the drinks themselves, with Aviation Gin’s ‘flight attendants,’ Bacardi’s canned cocktails and Edinburgh Gin’s ‘La Croix Boys’ as just a few of the event’s visual and experiential focal points.

Additional sponsoring brands included Ilegal Mezcal, Lillet Wine, Born & Bred Vodka and Mulholland Distilling Whiskey.

For more information, please visit ArtBeyondTheGlass.com.

August 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 15

NEW SERVICE STANDARDS IN HOSPITALITY SGWS Steps Up Training of its Wine, Beer and Spirits Academy by Appointing Brian Van Flandern Executive Director of Mixology, Spirits Education and Special Events

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits recently made the prudent move to step up the training of its Wine, Beer and Spirits Academy by appointing Brian Van Flandern Executive Director of Mixology, Spirits Education and Special Events. The industry veteran, who spent 25 years as a bartender in NYC, comes with some quite impressive credentials, and enough accolades to fill several pages, including being named ‘America’s Top Mixologist’ by The Food Network, opening Thomas Keller’s Per Se and serving as the Michelin three-star restaurant’s head mixologist, authoring award-winning cocktail books and appearing on various TV programs such as the CBS Morning Show and Foodography on the Cooking Channel.

We sat down with Van Flandern to learn about his storied career and how he plans to apply his vast and impressive experience and knowledge to his new position at Southern Glazer’s.

Cover and feature photos by Audrey Dempsey • Infinity Photo

16 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

www.socalfnbpro.com

Brian Van Flandern, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirts of Nevada Executive Director of Mixology, Spirits Education and Special Events.

Can you tell us about the training you received when opening Thomas Keller’s Per Se? My career didn’t really start until 2004 in New York City, when by a fortunate chain of events, I landed the coveted job as the opening head barman. It was an eye-opening experience that forever changed the course of my life. Chef Keller’s passion for food and his legendary attention to detail was infectious. It was an incredibly stressful joy to come to work every day and learn, in detail, about every single facet of the restaurant’s operations.

Our opening training was nothing less than a full culinary education. For six weeks, we had the owners of top purveyors come in twice a day and instruct us about everything you could think of from the front to the back of the house. We learned voluminous tomes about salt, olive oil, coffee, tea, bread, poultry, woodcock, pheasant, grouse, quail, beef, pork, heirloom vegetables, caviar, glass eels, truffles, and so on. We tasted dozens of varietals of garlic, tomatoes, beans, cheese, chocolate and so much more…and that was just food. We learned about marking, clearing, presenting, posture, flatware, glassware, art, interior design and even took an 18th century ballroom dance class, with a feather in hand, to learn to be more graceful when walking through the dining room.

I was very excited when we finally got to the training on fine wines, beers of the world and distilled spirits. Finally, I could contribute and show off my knowledge on a topic that I was comfortable with…or so I thought. It was then, that a much younger Francesco Lafranconi (on recommendation from Larry Ruvo and Steve Wynn to Chef Keller) trained the opening staff on distilled spirits. I learned more in three hours than I had in the previous twenty years about the products behind my bar. I was so inspired and fascinated with the knowledge and stories behind each label that I spontaneously became an encyclopedic sponge. Since then my knowledge has increased 10,000-fold.

What did you learn about flavor profiling while at Per Se? I was taught by Chef Keller and Master www.socalfnbpro.com

Sommelier Paul Roberts the art and science of flavor profiling, how to compose flavors on a plate and pair them with great wines to complement the incredible compositions being prepared in the kitchen. With this philosophy in mind, I learned to take ‘risks of epiphany’; using flavor profiling, I could pair esoteric or non-traditional wines (and later spirits) with fresh ingredients and discover an ardent universe of new flavor combinations to share with our guests.

I understand you were the first bartender to make your own tonic water from scratch?

Well, yes and no. In 2004 I was credited as the first bartender in modern history to make his own tonic water from scratch using cinchona bark powder sourced from Brazil. This was a full year before ‘Fever Tree’ came on the scene. Today, making your own tonic water is almost passé as thousands of bars around the world are sporting their own unique recipes.

What did you do after leaving Per Se? In 2008, I left Per Se and branched to out on my own to try my hand at private consulting.

I was extremely fortunate to be courted by Diageo to become their first ever global brand ambassador for Tequila Don Julio and was part of the original team that designed their World Class Cocktail Competition, helping to define the rules by judging regional finals in over 40 countries around the world, sending the winners to the World Class finals. As a founding member of the USBG New York chapter, now the largest national chapter (formerly Vegas), I was instrumental in bringing Diageo World Class to the United States.

You’ve appeared on numerous TV programs. What are some that are most memorable to you?

I appeared on The Barefoot Contessa with Ina Garten, after which The Food Network called me ‘Americas Top Mixologist.’ I also did several episodes of Bar Rescue with Las Vegan Jon Taffer, including a positive ‘uplifting’ episode shot at UNLV set to air in late July or early August of this year.

What books have you written?

I’ve written five award-winning cocktail books including Vintage Cocktails, Craft Cocktails, Celebrity Cocktails, Tequila Cocktails and the most recent Whisk(e)y Cocktails, which is set to be released in September with a book launch right here in Las Vegas.

What different spirits do you feel confident in speaking about and how do you prepare for your presentations?

Today I lecture on Vodka, Gin, Tequila, Rum, Whiskey/Whisky, Brandy, Mezcal, Cachaça, Genever, Aquavit, Eau-de-vie, Vermouth, Amaro, Pisco, Grappa, Singani, Baijiu, Raki, Sake, Soju, Shochu, Aguardiente, Sherry, Port and hundreds of various liqueurs. I try to learn the stories about each label, their histories, awards, distillation techniques, ageing practices, yeast strains and various quality control standards.

What do you hope to accomplish in your new position with SGWS? I will be assuming the role of Special Events

Director, as industry legend and new friend Michael Severino slowly transitions out of the position and takes on a more leisurely role as a consultant. This tremendous opportunity will allow me to embrace the community and get to know the major players in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada.

My primary objective is to service the community by giving back through education.

It’s not just good business, it’s part of SGWS’ mission statement to give back to those who have supported us so generously over the years in a meaningful and tangible way.

Thanks to visionary philanthropist Larry Ruvo, Southern Glazer’s has become a magnet for those who have a passion for excellence within their respective fields of study in the beverage industry.

For now, my job is to listen and learn. The collective talent and knowledge within the walls of SGWS is staggering. I am learning their culture, past and present, and working with their incredibly talented mixologists and events teams to review projects that have already been set in motion.

Following in the footsteps of my longtime friends and colleagues Francesco Lafranconi and Livio Lauro, it is my intention to build upon their legacy and solidify SGWS Senior Managing Director Larry Ruvo’s vision of making Southern Glazer’s Bar Academy the preeminent beverage and service standards training facility in the world.

What are some projects you are planning?

Future projects on the horizon include expanding the wine, spirits and beer education and certification programs; partnering with UNLV to expand their world-renowned hospitality and leisure management program within the halls of SGWS; and implementing a barista training and certification program, including the first-ever barista-cocktail certification.

And, perhaps most exciting, per the direction of Larry Ruvo, I will lend my experience to establish a service standards training program based on the principles of Michelin.

Students coming out of the academy will be in high demand within the industry with a certification in hospitality, armed with my knowledge of Michelin three-star service skills as well as comprehensive beverage knowledge and culinary oriented mixology certificates.

How has your move to Las Vegas gone for you and your family?

This is a dream job and the whole team at SGWS has been extremely welcoming to me, my wife Kelly and my beautiful daughter Katherine Rose. So far, we are genuinely enjoying the city, but it is the people that drew us here and it is this wonderful embracing community that has reaffirmed that my instinct to pull up roots and settle down in Sin City was the right choice. I have come home.

For more information on how your team can benefit from SGWS Beverage Education or Hospitality and Service Standards Program, you can reach out directly to Brian at 702-248-3306 (work), 702-902-0126 (cell) and via email at brian.vanflandern@sgws.com.

August 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 17

Product Review

By Bob Barnes

BFF (Beer Friends Forever) San Diego Pale Ale BFF usually stands for best friends forever, but in the case of this collaboration, the acronym takes on additional meaning, as it celebrates the friendship, support and camaraderie of more than 20 years shared by two San Diego craft beer pioneer breweries: Stone Brewing and Pizza Port. Stone Brewing Senior Innovation Brewing Manager Jeremy Moynier stated, “Taking inspiration from our original Stone Pale Ale (that first keg sold to Pizza Port!), and combining both of our breweries’ histories with our continuing innovative practices, we crafted a very unique Pale Ale…a mix of English, New Zealand and newer American hops creates a complex mix of aromas and flavors, combined with a perfectly crisp and complementary malt background.” Pizza Port Director of Brewing Operations Sean Farrell added, “The beer is a modern take on an English Pale Ale. Maris Otter barley gives the beer a rich, but clean, malt background. London III yeast with New Zealand, American and English hops provide flavors of passion fruit, oro blanco grapefruit and earthy tangerine peel.” After tasting this brew I imagine it would have been considered an IPA back in the days when both breweries were founded, but compared to today’s over-the-top hop monster IPAs it is more subdued, but in a good way, for the vibrant citrus flavors are allowed to shine without being overpowered by an overload of hoppy bitterness. BFF is a summertime seasonal release and is available in AZ, CA and NV. pizzaport.com stonebrewing.com

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey Coming out of Prohibition, the Federal Government approved four straight whiskey standards: Bourbon, Rye, Wheat and Malt, which were the types of whiskies produced in the US prior to Prohibition. This new expression from Woodford Reserve has a grain bill of 51% malted barley, 47% corn and 2% rye; is aged in new charred oak barrels; and should appeal to bourbon lovers. Based on historical recipes and driven by Master Distiller Chris Morris, tasting notes for the 90.4-proof blended malt whiskey include aromas of light caramel, milk chocolate and tropical fruit; flavors of dark chocolate and caramel-covered nuts dried out with a sprinkle of cocoa and brown spice; and a nutty finish with an enduring subtly sweet chocolate malt note. This new addition to the Woodford Reserve portfolio joins its original Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and Woodford Reserve Rye. woodfordreserve.com/whiskey/malt-whiskey

New Packaging for Lindemans, Samuel Smith’s and Du Bocq Blanche de Namur The Lindemans family brewery has been in operation in the quiet town of Vlezenbeek in Belgium’s Senne River Valley southwest of Brussels since 1822, producing fruit lambics made using locally-grown wheat and barley fermented via wild, airborne yeast. The multiple strains of yeast lead to complex flavors and fresh fruit are added to balance the tart notes with sweetness, which have become huge crowd favorites in the US and around the world. Where previously you could only purchase 750 mL or 12-oz single bottles of its spontaneously fermented ales, the brewery is now packaging its popular Framboise (Raspberry), Peche (Peach) and Strawberry Lambic in 250 mL (8.45 oz) four-packs.

Samuel Smith’s was established in 1758 in Tadcaster and is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery and one of the few remaining independent breweries in England. This iconic brewery is considered an early pioneer of authentic beer styles and to this day uses a strain of yeast that dates from the early 1900s. Two of its most popular beers—Nut Brown Ale and Pure Brewed Organic Lager—are both now available in four-pack 14.9-oz cans.

Witbier or bìere blanche (“white beer”) is a wheat ale style that originated in Belgium hundreds of years ago. The Belgian brewery Du Bocq, founded in 1858, now has the distinction of being the first to package a wit beer in cans, as its Blanche de Namur is now available in 16.9-oz cans. Blanche de Namur is made from barley malt, unmalted wheat, hops, a touch of brewer’s licorice and the classic witbier spices: coriander and bitter orange peel. merchantduvin.com

SOUTHERN NEVADA HEALTH DISTRICT APPOINTS FIRST CHEF, NICOLE BRISSON, TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS LAS VEGAS (July 2018) – For the first time, the Southern Nevada Health District has appointed a chef to its Board of Directors. Chef Nicole Brisson will serve as a member-at-large on the board for a 2-year term.

As noted on their website, “the Southern Nevada District Board of Health, through policy development and direction to staff, identifies public health needs and, as mandated by County Ordinance 163, establishes priorities on behalf of local taxpayers, residents, tourists/visitors, and the commercial service industry: to establish and conduct a comprehensive program of health which shall include the promotion of environmental health, exclusive of air quality matters, maternal and child health, control of communicable diseases and the further programming of the prolonging of life and the promotion of the well-being of the people of Clark County.”

“It is an honor to be the first culinary professional on the board, especially at a time where the destination is experiencing such tremendous growth and change. I feel it is important for the culinary community to be active in the changes we want to see and that is why I proactively sought this position. One of my goals is to bridge the gap between the culinary industry and inspectors. Working together, we can continue to safely run the city’s best kitchens and accomplish great changes for the industry,” says Chef Brisson.

Chef Brisson has recently accepted a position as the new executive chef at Eataly Las Vegas. Prior to this position, she served as culinary director for B&B Hospitality Group. During her extensive career, she was the executive chef at Carnevino at The Palazzo and chef di cucina at OTTO Enoteca e Pizzeria at The Venetian. Before joining B&B Hospitality Group, she opened Wynn Las Vegas where she worked under Chefs Steven Kalt and Paul Bartolotta.

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www.socalfnbpro.com

Twinkle Toast

photo by Christine Vanover

The PacNW Got #TwinkleToasted

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

Veronique Drouhin In your opinion, what makes Domaine Drouhin so special?

The fact that my family believed in Oregon more than 30 years ago, and involved themselves personally in the farming of the grapes and making of the wines. Philippe, Robert, Françoise or myself have been at DDO for every single vintage since 1988, taking the delicate decisions of picking and winemaking using our longtime experience from growing and making pinot noir and chardonnay in Burgundy.

What is your favorite stage of the winemaking process?

All of them! Bud break when vines wake up from a long dormant time. Flowering because of the enchanting smell. Harvest because you have not seen grapes for a year. The beginning of fermentation when the winery gets filled with an extraordinary range of aromas and bottling because you have spent two years of your life taking care of your vines and wines.

What has been your greatest challenge in winemaking in Oregon?

Leaving my children back home in Burgundy. What has been your greatest challenge in Is there a varietal you have not yet worked winemaking?

Building the business to get to a point where with that you are interested in doing so? we could control as much as possible. Today Yes, syrah! we farm sixty acres of estate vineyards and Which of the wines you make (or have work with only three other growers who are made) are closest to your heart and why? amongst the absolute best in Washington.

1992, 1994 and 1996 because each of these In 2015, we brought our new winery online years I made both a wine and a beautiful which affords us total control of processing, fermentation, ageing and bottling. child.

Which of the wines you make (or have Corey Braunel made) are closest to your heart and why?

Who in your group was the biggest We name our top cabernet sauvignon and top initiator/instigator of making a drastic syrah after our grandfathers. lifestyle change and entering the wine V.R. Special is named after Chad’s grandpa, business?

Vernon Rhodes. The V.R. Special refers to Chad and Janet had moved from the Midwest Vern’s Special Chocolate Chip Cookies that to Portland, Oregon in 1998 to get to the he was famous for.

Pacific Northwest. Upon visiting Chad and Janet, Cindy and I fell in love with it. Tall Tales Syrah is named after my grandpa, Chad began sharing Walla Walla Valley Fred Sicklinger. Fred was an amazing and Washington wines with me while I was storyteller who kept his seventeen grandkids living back in Madison, Wisconsin and I took on the edge of their seats waiting for each a transfer to move to Walla Walla in May story’s sensational ending. We honor Grandpa Fred and his oral tradition in our 2003. Dusted Valley was born by June of that year and we crushed our first vintage that estate-grown and -produced syrah from Stoney Vine Vineyard.

October!

How did you decide that Walla Walla was the best place for your winery?

Once you visit this place you get the “why Walla Walla” factor. Walla Walla and worldclass wine are synonymous with quality and are recognized around the globe today. The people in our community and industry are amazing and the comradery is infectious here.

What prompted you to incorporate American White Oak from northern Wisconsin in your barrel program?

We all grew up in the northcentral area of the state. It’s about as far north as American White Oak grows in the river valleys. We harvested our first logs from that area and had them sawn into staves in Minnesota and air dried there for three years of seasoning before being coopered in California. What we found was the tighter grain from these trees made the barrels subtler and more restrained as compared to other American Oak.

20 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

photo by Kate McGuire

This July, we were fortunate enough to travel to Willamette Valley AVA to visit Roserock and Domaine Drouhin and Walla Walla AVA to visit Dusted Valley Winery. The Drouhin family has been in the wine business for centuries with Roserock Vineyard being their latest endeavor.

Dusted Valley just celebrated its fifteen-year anniversary. What these wineries have in common is that each is steeped in family values and a passion for crafting the best possible wines their regions can offer.

During our trip, we were fortunate enough to hear from Veronique Drouhin, winemaker for Maison Joseph Drouhin in Burgundy as well as Domaine Drouhin and Roserock in Oregon, and meet Corey Braunel, co-owner and winegrower of Dusted Valley. Braunel owns and operates Dusted Valley alongside his wife Cindy Braunel, her sister Janet Johnson, and Janet’s husband, Chad Johnson. It truly was an honor to become better acquainted with these talented people, their beautiful wines and the growing wine regions of the Pacific Northwest.

www.socalfnbpro.com

Made from

By John Rockwell

SCRATCH Yogurt Revelations - Part I

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.

photos by John Rockwell

The procedure for making yogurt is simple, and to disabuse any notions of what yogurt is, it is simply milk that you eat.

After the milk has fermented at 107 degrees for 8-12 hours, it turns to curd. It is then strained through a cheesecloth for 1-2 hours (longer=thicker) and then scooped into sealed containers.

Up until the past 100 years or so, with advances in refrigeration, food storage and chemical preservation, people had to rely on microbes and natural processes to preserve their food over longer periods of time. Wine, beer, kombucha, pickles, bread, cured meat, cheese and yogurt are all part of that heritage of foods where human beings (unwittingly until recently) used microbes (and sometimes chemicals) to preserve protein, starches and liquids during seasons when fresh water, crops, dairy and meat weren’t always available. The invention of the electric refrigerator fundamentally changed the way people eat and

live, shifting the responsibility of food storage and preservation to food companies in exchange for the assurance of year-round food availability.

The benefits of cold storage are essential to urban societies separated from food production, but in the process, the art of the preservation of seasonal food has been lost.

Canning, pickling, brewing and other home-made items in those categories now either give you hobby status, or if you’re a restaurant, give you some gravitas in the “artisanal food” or “gastro” category. Aren’t we all a little more impressed when a gastropub makes its own pickles, even

22 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

though mom and pop Mexican restaurants in SoCal have been doing this for the past 40 years?

After experimenting with Greek yogurt making the past few months, I am convinced that the process of making yogurt was a way to preserve milk that had soured, possibly milk that had started curdling, and was no longer drinkable. I’m convinced of this because as I sit here writing about yogurt, I’m eating some homemade Greek yogurt that is approximately eight weeks old—way past its “expiration date,” and it’s still wonderful and delicious. Under light refrigeration or room-temperature storage, it probably wouldn’t have lasted as long, but it would last longer than raw milk under those same circumstances.

The procedure for making yogurt is simple, and to disabuse any notions of what yogurt is, it is simply milk that you eat. Well, milk and a mixture of living yogurt cultures that ward off infections and mold. There are generally two version of it commercially available: “regular”—which simply means the whey hasn’t been broken out of it—and “Greek,” which means the whey has been broken out of it.

I’m a fan of Greek yogurt, but not all Greek yogurts on the market are equal. The ones that spend more money on marketing themselves to seem Greek are usually not quite as good.

Look at labels. Avoid products where there are additions of fruit pectin, sugar or corn starch used to artificially thicken the product. None of that is required to make good, thick commercial Greek yogurt.

If you’re one of the few people who hasn’t tried Greek yogurt, a good reference point for a starter is the Fage Greek yogurt brand. The name is www.socalfnbpro.com

pronounced “Fah-yay,” and it is most definitely the “Budweiser” of Greek yogurts, based on sales and popularity. It’s definitely a gateway product.

It has a thick, smooth texture, it’s a little grainy and earthy, and isn’t really sour. It is also very filling. There are a couple of other commercially available Greek yogurts which are just as good— maybe better—but have increased sourness levels, or “culture” flavors as industry people like to say. It’s almost like a mixture of ricotta cheese and sour cream, both of which are made with very similar processes. I’ll look more at the different types of Greek yogurt in the next piece.

I am going to describe the process for making Greek yogurt. You can make some today if you want and eat it tomorrow. It’s really that easy, and when you make it you’ll see why so many dairy companies jump in on this “value-added” product where they can take a relatively inexpensive resource like milk, process it for a few hours, and then sell it back to customers at many times the price of the original milk. It’s a lot easier to make with an Instant Pot or some other device that can hold a reliable temperature for a long period of

time. But you could just let it sit in a jar or pot for additional time at room temperature, and you’d get a similar result. All you need is that pot, milk, a thermometer, about a cup of plain Greek yogurt from the grocery store (for live cultures), some cheesecloth and some containers for final storage. I do about 1-1.5 gallons of milk at a time which yields around three quarts of Greek Yogurt, give or take.

Step 1: Destabilize proteins and pasteurize. Use any milk you want, but as usual, stay away from ultra-pasteurized milk because it has been heated to a point where the proteins aren’t as reliable for use. Heat the milk to 180 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. This is just below boiling. Instant Pots have a setting where this is “automatic.”

Step 2: Cool to 110 degrees and add culture. Like any fermented product, you have to hit the right temperature before adding microbes. The Instant Pot is nice because you can remove the stainless pot, immerse it in ice-water while monitoring the temperature, dry it, and put it back in the Instant Pot when it hits 107-110 degrees. Then stir in a cup of store-bought yogurt, seal it, and let it

Homemade Greek yogurt is thick, smooth and delicious. Because the liquid (whey) content is drained away, it is not as sour as you might think, and because it is made of solid milk proteins, it is surprisingly filling.

www.socalfnbpro.com

ferment at 107 degrees for 8-12 hours. (This is a setting on your Instant Pot.) If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you may need to let it sit more than the 8-12 hours (more time=more sour) at room temperature (70-80 degrees). Of course, in SoCal, you could just seal the pot and leave it outside in the shade in the 100 degree heat and see what happens!

Step 3: After fermenting for 8-12 hours, it should be thick. Scoop the yogurt into a yogurt funnel or cheesecloth and strainer and let the whey drip out for around 1-2 hours. Then scoop your thick Greek yogurt into clean sealed storage containers. I use Ball jars, and the yogurt keeps well beyond the two weeks most recipes claim.

Perhaps they claim this because it’s so delicious it is eaten before that time anyway!

Yes, there are things that can go wrong, but if you followed this basic procedure, you’re going to have something resembling yogurt. If you don’t strain out the whey, you might have a product that’s thinner than you hoped for, but it’ll still be yogurt. Experiment and enjoy! That’s what food preservation is all about!

Fage “Total” is the gold-standard of Greek yogurt. Far and away the most popular brand, Fage is at the top for a reason: It is thick, smooth, and not too sour. Once cup of Fage makes a great starter culture for your own home-made yogurt experiments!

August 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 23

By Chef Allen Asch

Chef Talk Climate Change??

I am not writing this article to create a political statement. Sometimes the facts are just facts. Even if you do not believe in global warming, statistics say that seven of the hottest years on this planet were in the last 10 years. The average global temperature in 1980 was 57.2°F and in 2015 the hottest year on record increased 1.8°F to 59°. This might not seem like a lot but it certainly makes a difference in agriculture and livestock cultivation.

You certainly can be aware of the difference in the weather patterns with the droughts that we’ve had in the last couple years. On a personal note I’ve been in Las Vegas 25 years and the last two Junes were definitely the hottest that I’ve experienced. Another sign of global warming is the increase in ocean evaporation, which has led to much bigger storms in the winter on the East Coast.

How does this affect the food supply?

We have the ability to adapt our growing of food and livestock to more drought-resistant products as has been witnessed the last 8,000 years in the Southwest. Many of the vegetables grown in the United States are grown in Yuma, Arizona which is watered by Lake Mead reservoir.

The reservoir has suffered due to the drought since the year 2000 and in 2016 it was at its lowest level. Its volume reduction was due equally to the lack of rain as well as evaporation from the heat. Scientists predict that for every 1°C of warming, corn yield in the Midwest will be reduced by 6%. Also predicted, by the year 2050 we will see a decrease of around 15% and up to 50% by the year 2100.

This also affects livestock and poultry production because they have less feed but also due to heat stress and the length of time for an animal to be large enough to get to the slaughterhouse, and the heat stress also causes fertility problems. Humidity and heat are not good for most livestock. An additional factor is when the rains come they usually come torrentially, which erodes the soil destroying crops.

One way to deal with this is to find drought-friendly or -resistant plants to grow and breeds of animals that live well in the desert climates.

One example is cows. Most ranchers in the west breed Hereford and Black Angus breeds, which are British and were bred in a country that has large amounts of rain and large amounts of grass. The advantage of these breeds is they bulk up quickly, but they do not do well in the 24 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

Feel free to contact Chef Allen with ideas for comments or future articles at allena@unlv.nevada.edu Chef Allen Asch M. Ed., CCE is a culinary arts instructor that has earned degrees from Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales University and Northern Arizona University. He is currently teaching at UNLV. He earned his Certified Culinary Educator Endorsement from the American Culinary Federation in 2003.

drought-stricken Southwest of the United States. The solution is a Criollo breed which comes from Mexico, originally brought over from Spain. This breed has already been adapted to the dry environment and to naturally find ways to protect themselves from the high heat. They feed at night, which is unusual but gets them out of the daylight heat and they have learned to shelter themselves under trees during the day.

The most amazing thing about these animals is that they’ve adapted to their environment and survive on mesquite, cacti and other desert plants as a food source.

What foods are affected?

50% of coffee plantation land will be unusable in 30 years. Cocoa trees that like the heat don’t like the dryness. As the ocean warms up we’re finding smaller hauls of oysters. Apples which require a certain number of days of winter chill are finding the 8+ days of frost in the Northeast a hindrance to their growing. In 30 years we might lose half of the bean production that we produce now. As it gets warmer, maple syrup which needs the cold weather has not been producing the level it used to in New England and has to move further north. The almond, a $4 billion industry in Northern California, is getting smaller and smaller due to the drought situation. Lobster harvesting has moved further north, leaving the Boston area into the Maine bays but that is going to become too warm for them as well. And wines from Napa Valley will be coming in short supply due to the heat.

What can you do?

If every American cut out meat one day a week it would be the equivalent of taking 16 million cars off the road annually. Agriculture is responsible for approximately 14% of greenhouse gases. There are 1 1/2 billion cows in the world and 1 billion other animals that create methane through belching and flatulence. Another way to fight this is by composting, which relates to an article I’ve written recently. This could save the equivalent of the production from 5.2 million cars annually. If we reuse water bottles it would be the equivalent of taking 2 million cars off the road annually. By eating organic, due to the lack of fertilizers needed would be the same as taking 710,000 cars off the road annually. If you have a big grass yard, convert some of it to a garden and that could save the equivalent of 161,000 cars. www.socalfnbpro.com

SPIRITS CONFIDENTIAL with Max Solano Smitten with Rye

Max Solano is a principal mixologist at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Nevada and is considered one of the most respected and premier authorities in the West Coast on all matters whisky.

He also serves as a Spirits Judge at the coveted New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, International Whisky Competition and world-renowned San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

photo by Audrey Dempsey

Part 1 of 2

By Max Solano

I am convinced, now, more than ever, that what was once old is new again. That is certainly the common theme in our industry. A category like rum, for example, which experienced such resounding growth and popularity during the colonial days from what would eventually become this great country, was king of distilled beverages. If one was not distilling rum, one was certainly consuming it! Certainly, long before whiskey became a household staple and a major commodity. At different intervals in this country’s history during the decades that followed Prohibition and more recently, rum piqued the interest of spirits consumers worldwide. This was indeed the similar path that rye whiskey has followed.

Rye whiskey is enriched with so much history and importance that I struggle with what essential facts need to be mentioned versus the ones that have to be sacrificed like innocent lambs. Long before bourbon became a household name (circa 1820s), rye was the style of whiskey that started it all in this country. In 1640, William Kieft, Director General of the New Dutch Netherland Colony, established the very first New World commercial distillery and Wilhelm Hendrickson is credited as this country’s first master distiller whom experimented with rye distillates.

Rye whiskey’s popularity began skyrocketing just years prior to the Revolutionary War as the British continued to impose higher tariffs on molasses and began blockading trade routes to the Caribbean making it more difficult for the colonialists to produce and/or purchase rum.

Without question, the two biggest rye whiskey producing states, Maryland and Pennsylvania, had two very distinct styles and flavor profiles www.socalfnbpro.com

from one another. Pennsylvania rye would become known as the more robust, earthy, spicy of styles, whereas Maryland’s style was more composed, delicate and finessed. And, let us not forget, our very first President, George Washington, was this country’s largest whiskey producer in 1798 after he had stepped down from office. Mount Vernon was a very majestic distillery and property located in Virginia and has been fully restored to its past glory. And, these whiskeys did not see long periods of maturation in barrels like they did beginning in the second half of the 19th century on.

Piggybacking off the Industrial Revolution, the 19th century brought many technological and scientific innovation from which our whiskey industry reaped the benefits and continued to grow and evolve. Since it wasn’t until 1870 when Old Forester became the very first company to offer commercially bottled whiskey, one would merely go to their local watering hole and either consume their fill there or come equipped with their own cask, flagon or other vessel for storing their own domestic stock.

Immediately following the Civil War there was a major whiskey shortage and unethical and hazardous blending practices came about that ultimately forced the government to become involved in spirits production oversight and eventually acts such as the Bottle-In-Bond Act (1897) and The Pure Food & Drug Act (1906) were passed. From the 1870s-1919, the liquor industry was booming and experiencing its first major Renaissance. Breweries and distilleries were opening up everywhere and by the 1880s the whiskey industry became responsible for almost 40% of this country’s GDP! Then, just like any satire, tragedy sadly struck! Following

World War I, we again experienced another whiskey shortage. But, the sledge hammer that forever changed this country’s landscape, The Volstead Act, better known as Prohibition (a.k.a. The Noble Experiment), peeked its very ugly head. This 18th Amendment was ratified on January 16, 1919 and went into effect one year later on January 17, 1920. When the 21st Amendment was finally ratified on December 5, 1933, Prohibition was repealed and alcohol manufacturing, transportation, sale and consumption was once again legal. However, very serious damage was done! Many of this country’s earlier and great rye producers did not come back. For those that did reestablish themselves, in the following years they either were purchased by another company or sadly closed their doors for good.

Rye whiskey was holding on by a thread, especially those in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Luckily, over the years, the larger bourbon producers and other whiskey producers continued to produce some rye whiskey. As the global resurgence of classic cocktails began trending globally in the early 2000s, and in the years to come, a high demand for rye whiskey from bartenders started taking precedence.

This was due to many of our country’s great pre- and post-Prohibition cocktails being made with rye whiskey. Whatever few rye brands were available were purchased and consumed faster than producers could release. And, just like that, rye whiskey was in high demand again. Although, during my years as a buyer, I very much recall a period from roughly 20102012 that rye became so popular amongst the bar community and whiskey consumers everywhere that we experienced a shortage for a while.

Fortunately, with this new and unprecedented growth and Renaissance in the alcohol beverage industry we are currently experiencing, the rye whiskey supply has caught up with today’s grueling demand. We can now find many styles of rye whiskey, young and old, readily available or very scarce, for cocktail mixing or sipping leisurely by producers old and new, and big and small. The craft distillers are constantly keeping the TTB on their very busy toes and slowly continue to expand the horizon of spirit styles, laws, innovation and creativity.

In Part 2 of this article next month, I will go into detail and address many of the commonly asked American whiskey questions and misconceptions, the laws and introduce you to some must-have rye whiskey brands. And, soon you’ll realize exactly why I am “Smitten with Rye!” To be continued ... Cheers!

August 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 25

CABERNET

COLOR UP YOUR LIFE! RIEDEL.COM

Wine Talk

with Alice Swift

By Alice Swift Alice Swift has been writing Wine Talk since 2011, and has a passion for education and hospitality/ F&B. In 2016, she obtained her Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration from UNLV and moved from the “ninth island” to the island of Oʻahu. She now works for Kamehameha Schools as an instructional designer/project manager, and teaches part-time for UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality.

See more at www.aliceswift.com.

photos by Alice Swift

Taiwan and Its Hidden Gems: F&B and the Region of Taitung

Introduction to Taiwan (Republic of China) This month, I continue my exploration of Asia’s hidden secrets while traveling abroad. Being from Taiwan, I can tell you that it does indeed have much to offer.

The island of Taiwan occupies the most density of mountain ranges, and has the largest number of beautiful mountain ranges in the world. In fact, a list of the top 100 mountain peaks over 3,000 m high was released in 1971 for those avid hikers who strive to climb all 100.

For the foodie lovers out there, Taiwan is full of diverse eating experiences, from the famous night markets where you can have the “street food” experience, to the high-end restaurants like Taiwan-born Chef André Chiang’s RAW, a French-style, modern Taiwan cuisine restaurant, which was just awarded a one-Michelin-star for 2018!

Fun fact! Chef André Chiang shuttered his two-Michelin star restaurant, Restaurant André in Singapore, to return to his roots in Taiwan and focus on educating the next generation of young aspiring chefs in Asia.

The beverage industry is quite prominent in Taiwan as well. Coffee and tea continues to maintain its popularity, with many local growers and coffee/tea shops. Whiskey has also continued to rise, with Kavalan whiskey (of King Car Distillery) becoming quite well known due to its recent wins at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Taitung What you may not know about Taiwan is its rich history and indigenous culture. There are 16 recognized tribes living in Taiwan, with the majority of tribes living in Hualien and Taitung.

Many of the indigenous peoples living in Taiwan www.socalfnbpro.com

continue to embrace their native cultures and traditions, with increased tourism in both regions.

My husband and I traveled to Taitung for the second time in June/July and discovered there is much more to learn about the area. It is a great place to visit if you want a good balance of arts and culture, along with outdoor activities and events that connect you with nature.

Since 2011, Taitung County has held the Taiwan International Balloon Festival (http:// balloontaiwan.taitung.gov.tw) with people and their hot air balloons traveling from afar to the Luye Township. The festival has grown from 350,000 in its first year to over 4.5 million accumulate visitors!

The Taitung Railway Art Village and the Tiehua Music Village are two other wonderful places to visit for those who want to get up close and personal with local artists. It’s a place where art and culture meet, with local artists, musicians, events and performances taking place.

Taitung is also known for its fresh seafood (e.g. swordfish, flying fish, sunfish), and its agricultural staple, rice. Surprisingly, Chi Shang, the township in Taitung that is famous for its rice fields, gained its boom in popularity because of an EVA airline commercial featuring a famous actor riding a bicycle past a paddy field and resting under a tree, now known as the Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree.

Millet Wine Last but not least, what would a “Wine Talk” article be without talking about wine? While in Taitung, I was able to learn about (and try) a traditional wine made entire from millet.

Known as millet wine, this beverage is primarily produced locally by indigenous peoples in areas like Taitung and Pingtung Counties. Millet production has declined due to the onset of rice

as the primary agricultural crop in Taiwan. It was considered a “holy crop” because of its traditional use in giving offerings. It would also be used as a celebratory beverage of choice at special events, festivals, weddings, etc.

Fun Fact! Millet is used in the U.S. primarily as a primary ingredient in birdseed!

There are quite a few health benefits to millet as well, so it’s a surprise this grain hasn’t taken America by storm like quinoa has. It is high in protein and fiber, contains antioxidants and other essential minerals, and can be used for everything from wine to food dishes and desserts.

Millet can survive in arid environments and doesn’t need much water, and can grow in less than ideal soil. The wine itself is composed of millet, yeast and water, and is typically made in the traditional, homemade method by the aboriginal tribes.

Fun Fact! The Malasun brand of millet wine became famous when it was featured in the Taiwan box office hit, Cape No. 7.

Malasun is made by Sinyi Winery (Nantou County) whose majority of residents come from the Bunun tribe.

Taiwan is such a vibrant place filled with rich history, arts, culture, food & beverage and so much more. It’s no wonder the island was formerly called “Ilha Formosa” (beautiful island in Portuguese). I genuinely hope the world puts Taiwan on the map for tourism, as there is just so much to learn and experience.

For more information on traveling and events in Taiwan, go to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s website at: https://eng.taiwan.net.tw.

Until next month, Cheers~!

Alice

August 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 27

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.

Email: jackiebrett@cox.net

ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Nitro Circus is creating its first resident choreographed sports stunt action stage show opening at Bally’s next spring in the Jubilee Theater, which is getting a multi-million redesign and name.

Wynn Las Vegas is planning its first-ever seasonal musical “The Holiday Show” for the Encore Theater Nov. 30-Dec. 30.

“The Voice—Neon Dreams,” a show planned for the theater being built at the Hard Rock Hotel, which is becoming Virgin Las Vegas, has been cancelled.

Paula Abdul will bring her “Straight Up Paula!” tour to the Red Rock Ballroom Saturday, Nov. 10.

Anita Baker, 2018 BET Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, will headline three shows at Wynn’s Encore Theater Aug. 29-Sept. 2.

“ABBA The Concert” returning to the Tropicana Saturday, Aug. 25 gets energized with release of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Celebrity social media influencer Perez Hilton is special guest host for Chippendales at the Rio through Sept. 2.

Interactive satire dinner show “Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding” opened at Buca de Beppo Italian Restaurant in Bally’s.

Guitar legend Al Di Meola is bringing his Opus Tour 2018 to Santa Fe Station’s Chrome Showroom Saturday, Sept. 29.

SHOW RESIDENCY NEWS

One of Las Vegas’ longest running shows, “Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas,” closed suddenly at The LINQ. Gwen Stefani debuted her residency “Just a Girl” show inside Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood.

Backstreet Boys ending their residency at Zappos Theater Feb. 6-April 27 has a new single “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and will release a new album this year.

In its eighth year, “Rod Stewart: The Hits.” has new fall dates at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Nov. 21-Dec. 2.

ABOUT TOWN NOTES

Colin Kane, master insult comedian, started his first residency inside Vinyl at Hard Rock with his new R-rated show, “The Wolf,” returning Aug. 31 and Sept. 28.

Mariah Carey began her all-new more intimate residency, “The Butterfly Returns,” at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and returns Aug. 31.

Penn & Teller will return to their Rio show Saturday, Aug. 18 after the silent partner’s recent spinal-fusion surgery.

Mirage headliner Matt Goss released his single “Red Flares.” This fall, a feature documentary about him and his twin brother’s life When the Screaming Stops will be released.

DINING – BEVERAGE NEWS

An all-new Smith & Wollensky will debut next spring in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian/Palazzo in the former two-story Zeffirino Ristorante location.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse has undergone a $2 million complete renovation with completion expected this month revealing a new modern look.

New at the Ethel M Chocolates’ factory store in Henderson is the addition of Trinchero Family Estates’ wine pairing at chocolate tastings on the odd hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Z’Cream Dream, available through Aug. 31, is The Underground speakeasy’s first “Zap-onTap” craft house-brew at the Mob Museum.

Searsucker at Caesars Palace partnering with “Absinthe” is offering a dinner-and-show package.

Executive Sous Chef Thomas Tapat from SUSHISAMBA at Grand Canal Shoppes won Food Network’s Chopped.

Two established chefs Antonio Nunez and Scott Commings opened second-story The Stove for breakfast and lunch in space formerly occupied

by Standard & Pour.

Fast-casual Sharky’s Modern Mexican Kitchen committed to organic clean eating opened its second Las Vegas-location on Blue Diamond Road.

28 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

On The Record opening New Year’s Eve at Park MGM will be trendsetting fraternal twin brothers Jonnie and Mark Houston’s biggest project and first in Las Vegas. The three-room nightlife venue will have a modern “speakeasy” atmosphere with indoor and outdoor spaces.

The Rio introduced esports arena The Wall Gaming Lounge, the first phase of Las Vegas’ newest interactive space by Hybrid One, and first permanent esports venue for Caesars Entertainment.

Wayne Newton’s former home and ranch estate Casa de Shenandoah is now closed for tours and as a public attraction.

The Resort on Mount Charleston was sold for $4.8 million to a North Carolina couple, who will rename it The Retreat on Charleston Peak and make upgrades.

Cannabition, Las Vegas’ first and only immersive cannabis-themed museum, is opening at Neonopolis.

Corks ‘n Crafts upscale DIY craft-and-sip studio opened in Downtown Summerlin offering crafting opportunities.

Resident Rehab Beach Club performer Flo Rida unveiled a dedicated memorabilia case at Hard Rock.

Primal Water: An Exhibition of Japanese Contemporary Art with 28 works in various forms at Bellagio Gallery of Fine Arts runs through Oct. 21 highlighting important post-war Japanese art.

Japanese artist Kisho Mwkaiyama can be viewed working in a public studio at Bellagio on a commissioned art installation, Vendarta 100: Six Elements and The Seasons, through January 2019 to be placed at Mandalay Bay. The LINQ headliner Jeff Civillico is the Las Vegas Natural History Museum’s first celebrity partner and “Ambassador.”

EVENTS

The 64th Miss Rodeo America Pageant will be held at the Tropicana Dec. 2-9.

Premier bodybuilding event, Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend, will return to the Orleans Arena Sept. 13-15.

South Point Car & Truck Show will be held in Exhibit Halls Saturday, Aug. 18. Admission is free.

Gold Spike is holding Down & Derby dance party on skates every third Wednesday in the transformed roller rink “Backyard.”

The 32nd Annual Aid for AIDS of Nevada’s over-the-top Black & White Party fundraiser will be held Saturday, Sept. 8 at Daylight Beach Club inside Mandalay Bay. www.socalfnbpro.com

Allan Karl’s best-selling book FORKS: A Quest for Culture, Cuisine, and Connection has been a #1 best-seller in three Amazon categories.

FORKS brings the world to your table: An around-the-world adventure story. A colorful photo book with more than 700 color photographs. A global cookbook with 40 signature recipes.

Why would someone sell nearly everything he owns, pull roots, and travel for three years--alone--on a motorcycle? One day Allan Karl woke up to discover that he was unemployed and his marriage had ended in divorce.

Allan looked at these forks in the road of his life as an opportunity to both follow a life-long dream and pursue his passions. He hopped on his motorcycle and traveled around the world--alone. After three years and 62,000 miles of riding, through 35 countries on 5 continents, he returned home only to set out on another journey--to share the truths he’d uncovered and the lessons learned during his adventure around the world.

Between these pages, Allan shares the discoveries, cultures, and connections he made on this global adventure. Through stories, color photos, and the flavors of real local food, FORKS brings his adventure to life and the world to your table: the kindness of strangers, the beauty of humanity, the colors of culture, and the powerful gift of human connection.

Every photograph, story, and recipe in this book presents readers with an opportunity to witness new cultures, taste exotic flavors, or journey into dangerous and unknown territories. Every experience is an opportunity to connect with others.

The second edition of FORKS is widely available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bookstores everywhere. Autographed and personalized signed copies are available on the FORKS website www.forksthebook.com.

4310 W Tompkins Ave Las Vegas, NV 89103

702-645-0049

www.jayssharpening.com • customerservice@jayssharpening.com

Mobile Service Our mobile service vans provide sharpening services on-site to even the largest resort properties, without disrupting workflow.

Commercial Knife Exchange Program We furnish sharp knives to your kitchen on a weekly or biweekly rotation schedule.

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Cutting Board Resurfacing & Replacements

Arville St

Equipment Sales We offer top-of-the-line knives, culinary tools, kitchen supplies and replacement parts.

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Steak & Table Knife Re-Serration / Sharpening

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August 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 29

EVENTS

AD INDEX

August brings a plethora of food and drink festivals and conventions to celebrate summer fare. Check out some of the events in your area:

Al Dentes’ Provisions sales@aldentes.com 702-642-1100

August 11: Orange County Coffee Fest The Rat Park Foundation hosts this gathering of Orange County coffee, tea, pastries, food trucks and craft vendors. Garden Grove, Orange County Ratparkfdn.org/portfolio_ page/orange-county-coffee-festival

Bivi Sicilian Vodka 631-464-4050 www.bivivodka.com

August 25–26: Matcha LA Fest This inaugural event brings together 20+ matcha vendors and will be the kick-off festival for the Saint Matcha Tour with future festivals to hit NYC, SF and LA in 2019. La Brea, Los Angeles Saint-Matcha.com August 17: San Diego Magazine’s 2018 Best of San Diego Party 40+ winners from the June Best Restaurants issue and the August Best of San Diego issue will come together for an incredible celebration of San Diego’s finest.

Point Loma, San Diego SanDiegoMagazine.com/San-Diego-Magazine/January-2018/Best-of-San-DiegoParty-2018 August 18–19: Pacific Wine and Food Classic This all-inclusive event brings together vibrant summer-inspired cuisine, more than 150 wines, cold beer and craft cocktails. Newport Beach, Orange County PacificWineAndFood.com

page 8

page 13

Big Dog’s Brewing Company page 29 www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715 Deep Eddy Vodka deepeddyvodka.com

page 21

Ferrari-Carano Vinyards & Winery ferrari-carano.com

page 2

FORKS: A Quest for Culture, page 29 Cuisine, and Connection www.forksthebook.com

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

page 31

Jay’s Sharpening Service www.jayssharpening.com 702-645-0049

page 29

Riedel riedel.com

page 26

Roca Patron rocapatron.com

page 11

Rodney Strong Estate Vinyards www.rodneystrong.com

page 32

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

page 19

August 19: Bevcon Professional bartenders, sommeliers, buyers, beverage makers, distributors, importers, media, marketing, public relations professionals and other related companies all gather to grow their respected businesses. Koreatown, Los Angeles. bevcon.org August 31–September 2: The Taste LA The Los Angeles Times’ Labor Day food festival will see three evenings of food, wine, spirits and chef experiences, plus culinary pop-ups and collaborations.

Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Extras.LATimes.com/Taste

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 30 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I August 2018

www.socalfnbpro.com