October 2016 SoCal Food & Beverage Professional

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Issue 10 Volume 16

US $3.95

Frey Distillery From Ground to Glass, Made in Nevada

October 2016

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CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER WELCOME BACK to our October 2016 issue of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional, bringing you up-to-date information and articles “On the End of Our Fork” of the Food & Beverage Industry in Southern California. Inside you’ll find many of the highlighted shows, expos and events, plus interviews and updates on the restaurant and bar and pub scene with new and innovative ideas! ENJOY!

Cover Our October issue Cover Feature is dedicated to another up and coming small

business, not only distilling spirits but growing the crops to make it work. Better known as the Frey Ranch Estate Distillery in Fallon, Nevada, they are really not that new in that Joseph Frey Sr. filed the original land claim in Nevada in 1894, and it would be 10 years after that when Nevada became a state. And to this date the Frey family has continued to strive and grow into an award-winning distiller for its products. Take a look at our feature spread inside this month’s issue.

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PAGE 6 with Linda Duke shows us how the use of POP (point of purchase) material is the Silent Sales Force in your restaurant, club, pub and foodservice facility. Now going on 25 years in the business, Linda has been a mover and shaker to some of the top restaurants and restaurant chains in setting up a solid workable marketing plan geared for individual or multi-unit operations. See what Linda has to say about the Do’s and Don’ts of POP material in your establishment.

PAGE 20 Around Town by Ben Brown takes us to this year’s Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival which takes place in a number of venues around town with individual restaurants presenting the finer food and beverage and selling tickets to this ever popular fundraising event. Much preparation takes place during the week leading up to the weekend’s main events—Friday’s Night Market, Saturday’s Grand Tasting and Saturday’s Live on Grand—with each featuring their own specialties, chefs, wines and mixology. Check out Ben’s report on The LA Food & Wine Festival taking Culinary Creativity to new heights!

As I always say, “Man, I love this job!”

MIKE FRYER

Page 4 Hot off the Grill!

Page 14

Page 21

COVER FEATURE

Product Review

Frey Distillery Page 5 Food for Thought With Fall Now Here We Can Enjoy a Special Dessert

Page 6 Point of Purchase Materials The Silent Sales Force

From Ground to Glass, Made in Nevada

Product Spotlight Page 16

Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips

The Bottom Line

Oktoberfest Beers

Make In-House vs.

Sourcing Elsewhere Page 24 Human Resources Insights Page 17

Page 7 Book Review - Colonial Spirits: A Toast to Our Drunken History

Paso Robles

Page 10 What’s Brewing

Oenophiles and

16 www.socalfnbpro.com

Something out of Nothing

Page 25 West Eats East Imitation Crab Meat

Page 18 Aphrodisi-whack

Page 26 Events

Page 20 Foodie Biz LA Food & Wine Festival Takes

Page 12 Brett’s Vegas View

Optimism – The Art of Making

a Premier Tourist Destination for Culinary Aficionados

Page 8 Tripping with Cheese: Part 2 Face Rock Creamery

Page 22

Ad Index ACF Chefs of SoCal

Culinary Creativity to New Heights

October 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 3

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

HOT OFF THE GRILL!

October 2016 Mike Fryer

Sr. Editor/Publisher

The Socal Food & Beverage Professional was recently very fortunate to be invited by Charlie Palmer to try his newest seasonal creations at Charlie Palmer Steak. A magnificent 7-plus course tasting menu was prepared in conjunction with Executive Chef Thomas Griese and paired perfectly with wines chosen by Steven Geddes MS and Lindsey Geddes MS and completed with an array of delightful desserts by Pastry Chef Kristen Hutton. Here our happy team looks totally in bliss. No wonder!

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

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

Juanita Fryer

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

Bob Barnes

Editorial Director bob@socalfnbpro.com

Spago by Wolfgang Puck recently held its annual Sip & Savor fundraiser where he brought together the executive chefs from five of his key restaurants, who attempted to outdo one another with the best small plate tastes they had to offer. This was paired with just the right cocktails, beers and unique wines to make this another most memorable event of the season. Here Wolfgang takes a minute to invite me to try his Kobe beef offerings, which as an old Japan hand, I couldn’t resist!

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

Juanita Aiello

photo courtesy Shelley Stepanek

A staple of Las Vegas since 1993, after an expansive remodel The Palm Restaurant held a media dinner to show off its new look and menu. Here SOCALFNBPro Editorial Director Bob Barnes is all bibbed up and ready to dig into the ultimate steakhouse delight: 1/2 Broiled Jumbo Nova Scotia Lobster and 1/2 Prime New York Strip.

Adam Rains

Creative Director juanita@socalfnbpro.com

Beverage Editor adam.rains@socalfnbpro.com

Advertising sales@socalfnbpro.com

Article Submissions/Suggestions articles@socalfnbpro.com

Calendar Submissions calendar@socalfnbpro.com

Website webmaster@socalfnbpro.com

Press Relase Submissions news@socalfnbpro.com

General Information info@socalfnbpro.com

@socalfnbpro

The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Legal Editorial Advisor Andrew Matney

Journalist Apryl Bruso

Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan

Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett

Journalist What’s Brewing David Mulvihill

Journalist Food for Thought Les Kincaid

Journalist Hungry for PR Jen Morris

Journalist John Rockwell

Pre-Press Technician Brandon Yan

Journalist Good for Spooning LeAnne Notabartolo

Journalist East Eats West K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.

Photographer Audrey Dempsey

Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch

Journalist Linda Duke

Journalist Heidi Rains

Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein

Journalist Green Restaurant Association Michael Oshman

Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift

Journalist Lisa Matney

Journalist The Bottom Line Ben Brown

Photographer Bill Bokelmann

Photographer Joe Urcioli

Journalist Margie Mancino

Master Sommelier Joe Phillips

4 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I October 2016

www.socalfnbpro.com

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

By Les Kincaid Les Kincaid is a food, wine, and golf expert and cookbook author. He hosts the nationally syndicated wine radio show Wines Du Jour each Thursday from 7 to 8 pm. You can enjoy his website or his broadcast at www.leskincaid.com les@leskincaid.com www.facebook.com/leskincaid www.twitter.com/leskincaid

With Fall Now Here We Can Enjoy a Special Dessert With the weather cooling off a bit, try these tasty trifles layered with vanilla pudding, shortbread cookies and bananas for an elegant but SO easy favorite!

There are dozens of reasons I love the fall; for one, the hottest temperatures you’ll ever endure are almost gone.

Well, that part I don’t love so much. So let’s replace it with… the tastiest banana pudding you’ll ever have! But it doesn’t matter where you live, because you can make it at home!

Banana pudding is pretty much a southern specialty of sweet, creamy vanilla custard layered with sliced bananas and, typically, Nilla Wafers. And, oh boy, who doesn’t feel like a kid again when eating those wafers. But I wanted to jazz up these tasty little trifles with something a bit different—Walker’s Shortbread Lemon Thins. You can find them at many grocery stores, but in the event you can’t, any shortbread cookies or Nilla Wafers work just fine.

If you’ve never tried homemade pudding before you’ll be super surprised at how easy and amazingly delicious it is.

The taste of velvety cooked butter, vanilla, eggs and milk leaves no comparison to the boxed powder. This is the real stuff, and it’s also really good!

Mini Banana Pudding Trifles with Shortbread Cookies 3 cups milk 3 large eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

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2 tablespoons sweet butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 medium-size ripe bananas 1 (4.2 oz.) package Walker’s Shortbread Lemon Thins, or shortbread of your choice 2 cups whipped cream

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar and flour. Cook, whisking constantly until thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla. Whisk until butter is melted.

Fill a large bowl with ice. Nestle saucepan in ice and let sit, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly chilled.

Meanwhile, cut bananas into 1/4-inch slices. Break up cookies with your hands.

Spoon half of pudding mixture equally into 4 wine glasses or parfait glasses. Top with bananas and cookies. Spoon remaining pudding mixture over bananas and cookies. Top with whipped cream. Serve immediately, or cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. Garnish with extra bananas, cookies or mint sprigs.

Yield: 4 servings

www.socalfnbpro.com

October 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 5

Point of Purchase Materials The Silent Sales Force For restaurateurs, marketing within the four walls is just as important as marketing outside the four walls. Point of purchase materials are essential in carrying out the communication of marketing messages within the restaurant. These materials allow consumers to make perceptions about a brand and can potentially drive traffic, increase sales and positively impact consumer choices.

Points of purchase materials help consumers make purchasing decisions at these strategic locations throughout the restaurant.

Choose a message to communicate. Restaurants can use POP materials to share about in-store events, sell menu items or introduce new menu items. These materials can communicate a message, share the brand story and increase trial. It is very important that brands commit to a message and follow through with their POP materials. The message should be clear and to the point and should fit into the brand’s positioning with all other marketing materials.

Point of purchase materials increase impulse buys. Research shows that 53 percent of those instore purchases are made on impulse. Depending on the restaurant establishment, quick service or fast casual, impulse purchases can occur at the register or the table. Both register toppers and table tents can help promote the impulse purchases of dessert and appetizers. Using enticing food photography and creative copy, restaurants can increase sales of both new and profitable menu items. These are both great ways to launch sales of new menu items or increase profits by selling higher margin menu items.

Brand the point of purchase message. Point of purchase materials should always reinforce brand positioning and should include the same design aesthetic, logos and colors as the rest of the marketing materials. Similarly, POP materials need to be synched with one another. Too many messages in the restaurant window, at the register or table can confuse guests and lower restaurant brand perceptions. POP messages need to be positioned to work together to form a single message to drive sales and increase traffic.

Use point of purchase materials to inform guests about events and promotions. Restaurateurs need to take advantage of those customers that they already have because these are the ones that are most likely to attend special events and participate in promotions. Restaurateurs should always integrate point of purchase materials to communicate the message about events and promotions. Table tents, register toppers and check presenters can be used to share these messages to in-store guests, while banners, posters and a-frame signs can communicate event messages to community traffic outside the restaurant.

Take advantage of vendor partnerships when creating point of purchase materials. Often, vendors can provide photos or even help pay for point of purchase materials if their logo is included.

By Linda Duke Celebrating 25 Years in the Restaurant Industry, Duke Marketing has handled numerous crisis scenarios for restaurant chains and Linda Duke, CEO is an expert witness, crisis communicator and emergency legal liaison.

duke@dukemarketing.com • 415-492-4534

Utilize all different types of POP. Here are some of the different forms of POP that are available to restaurants: • Table tents and register toppers: Use these at the tables and on registers in the restaurant to market upcoming events, specials or promotions. Use these to up-sell drinks, desserts and appetizers as well as to promote new menu items.

• Wall hangings and signs: Posters and signs with a message, logo and food photography shot can help increase sales of new and existing guests. Use these to share store messages, increase customer appetite and drive sales of menu items.

• Window clings: These are easy to put up and attract attention from the outside.

• Ceiling danglers: Use these to promote new menu items in the store as an alternative to posters.

• Digital advertising: These work best for quick service restaurants to keep customers entertained while they wait in line. They can be used to advertise menus options and events.

Digital signage and digital menu boards have shown plenty of promise for quickservice chains, especially their ability to offer centralized control over promotions, price changes and menu rollouts.

• Check presenters: Many restaurateurs forget to utilize this important tool that customers are insured to see when they pay the bill. Use these to share upcoming event information, bounce backs or the restaurant story.

• Gift card displays: These can be utilized all year round, not just for the holidays. Use POP merchandised gift cardholders to increase impulse buys for birthdays, graduations and other holidays outside of winter like Valentine’s Day or Easter.

Restaurants have a very valuable tool at their disposal to drive home the messages of POP materials—food! Using samples along with POP

6 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I October 2016

is a great way to increase sales. Restaurants can use bakery display cases to show off new menu items, or provide small pastry tasters to increase add-on purchases.

Finally, restaurants must remember that POP cannot stand alone. POP must be integrated into all the marketing efforts of the brand. Whether the POP exists to promote an event or communicate about catering orders, all employees must fulfill their sales and local store marketing obligations.

Staff members also need to communicate POP messages, like new menu items, by upselling to patrons in the restaurant. Signs do promote the message within the four walls, to existing guests, but to create an integrated marketing campaign that works restaurateurs must share their message with the public.

The Do’s and Don’ts of POP:

• Do use POP to create a branded message.

• Do integrate all point of purchase branded materials.

• Do use point of purchase materials to increase sales.

• Do use eye catching food photography and contrasting colors to get the attention of guests.

• Do use point of purchase materials to inform guests about upcoming events and promotions.

• Do use point of purchase materials to sell new and high profit menu items.

• Do keep POP simple and direct.

• Do partner with vendors for POP. • Do rotate POP every 4-8 weeks.

• Do place POP in highly visible areas to drive sales.

• Don’t use multiple POP materials to share many different messages.

• Don’t forget to put a logo on POP materials.

• Don’t forget to add an offer to increase sales.

• Don’t use POP materials without a food shot if you are marketing a new menu item. Make sure that the food shot looks professional. www.socalfnbpro.com

D RIVE S ALES with Easy to Execute M ARKETING P ROGRAMS Recently published, Four Star Restaurant Marketing Cookbook — Recipes for RestaurateursTM, is a 300 page marketing resource for restaurant operators.

Creative marketing programs are written in an easy-to-use recipe format, with ingredients needed, directions to implement and tips, tools and tactics to drive sales. Over 250 real restaurant case studies and photos are included.

Available to purchase online at: marketing-cookbook.com

See what operators are saying:

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“Recipes for Restaurateurs is a practical ‘how to guide’ written in an easy to follow format with case studies and proven sales building programs. Our franchisees will truly benefit from implementing and following many of its recipes and instructions.”

“Recipes for Restaurateurs is a comprehensive, easy to follow book of effective marketing strategies and is a great tool we purchased for each of our general managers. Ms. Duke trained 65 managers of our Me-n-Ed’s Pizzerias how to use the recipes and provided motivation and directions for effectively driving sales and we are already seeing success.”

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“Recipes for Restaurateurs is an incredible resource for not only those looking to enter the restaurant business, but for those that have been running restaurants for years.”

Book Review - Colonial Spirits: A Toast to Our Drunken History

By Bob Barnes I was initially drawn to check out this book by its title alone. Being both a history buff and a student of spirits, I saw an opportunity to explore both our nation’s history from the colonial period and to learn about what our founding fathers and early colonists enjoyed imbibing. Until recently, not much had been written about the history of spirits in America, and while most of us with a limited knowledge of early spirits history know that the Pilgrims stopped in Plymouth instead of Virginia because they were almost out of beer, or that George Washington used to use chicken as an ingredient in his homebrewed beer, little more is known by the average amateur historian.

Both of the aforementioned historical tidbits are contained in this book, but it goes several steps beyond, by not only describing the types of alcohol the early Americans made, but providing recipes so we can recreate facsimiles using modern day equipment and ingredients. More than 50 centuries-old folk recipes are provided which you can follow to recreate in your bar or kitchen.

This 224-page historical tome runs across a rough timeline of 1600 through 1776 and shows how the European settlers used ingenuity born of necessity in devising techniques and adapting the use of largely untested materials that differed from the ones they were used to using in the Old World.

Some interesting tidbits I gleaned from reading this book include: Martha Washington’s recipe for Cherry Bounce (a brandy-based drink); Benjamin Franklin’s Drinkers Dictionary, where he published at least 200 synonyms for getting drunk; details of Thomas Jefferson’s collection of 20,000 red wines from all over the globe; William Penn and the Quakers fear of drinking unpurified water, due to health concerns, leading them to drink beer; John Smith and the early settlers at Plymouth Rock learning how to ferment alcohol from corn, as taught to them by Native Americans; and that John Adams, who lived to be 90 years old, preferred hard cider and drank a tankard of the stuff every morning.

The author, Steven Grasse, is a renaissance brand maker whose influence has made Hendrick’s Gin, Art in the Age spirits, Narragansett beer, Sailor Jerry Rum and Tamworth Distillery darlings of the contemporary cocktail movement.

For a short trailer touting the book, visit http://allagesproductions.com/colonial-spirits.

COLONIAL SPIRITS: A Toast to Our Drunken History | By Steven Grasse | Website: www.colonialspiritsbook.com www.socalfnbpro.com

October 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 7

Tripping with Cheese: Part 2

By John Rockwell

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

Face Rock Creamery

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.

There is a lighthouse in Bandon, Oregon, but it’s the Face Rock building I’m always looking for at the end of the 110-mile trek from Crescent City, California.

In my previous column, I made the observation that as one travels north in California, the distance between food and everyday life is reduced. Once the California-Oregon border is reached, it seems like there is no longer that separation. What we call “rural living” in Southern California is just “living” along the northern California and southern Oregon coastline. Life seems imbued with a sense of knowledge about where the food is gathered and who gathers it, and there is a general sense of responsibility for the land and other resources that provide this sustenance. There seems to be an understanding that the land will always give back if we treat it responsibly.

With that in mind, Face Rock Creamery in

Bandon, Oregon, and the creameries I found later in Marin and Sonoma County, California all seem to embody that connection with the natural resources surrounding their immediate geographic areas. The Oregon coastline is no exception. Running along the city of Coos Bay—about 25 miles north of Bandon—is a network of sluices that support the logging industry—at one time claimed to be the largest lumber shipping port in the world—and the mountains of wood chips at the north end of town are evidence of the remaining sawmills.

Charleston, a town that sits at the southwest entrance of Coos Bay proper, is where you go to get oysters and clams, and the mountains of shucked shells at the west end of the Cape

Arago Highway drawbridge—as well as the three mom and pop restaurants claiming to have the best clam chowder—are evidence of a struggling seafood industry. Chuck’s Seafood in Charleston has fresh fish, clams and oysters, and you have to arrive early in the day before they sell out. But it’s worth the 12-mile trip from Coos Bay. Bandon is a city at the mouth of the Coquille River, and its historic Oldtown is a touristcentered experience with fishing and crabbing boats lining its harbor. It’s reminiscent of San Francisco’s Pier 39, but moves more slowly.

Maybe there’s just something more pleasant about the experience when you can get free parking. Like Pier 39, it has boutique shops,

Who wouldn’t fall in love with a shop that gives away samples? The trick is to crinkle your forehead and purse your lips so it looks like you’re thinking about the flavor of the cheese, which justifies the need to go in for “one more taste” before making your final decision.

Face Rock’s Clothbound Cheddar is a limitedrelease cheddar aged with a traditional, natural rind. There is a plain version, and a version with cracked peppercorns. Both are well worth the 910-mile drive from the Inland Empire to Bandon, Oregon.

These temperature-controlled steam tables keep the milk at the proper temperature for mixing culture and rennet (left) and then for stirring the curds (right) during the separation process.

8 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I October 2016

www.socalfnbpro.com

After the whey is drained, the remaining curds begin to knit together on the heated tables, and are pulled to the sides. They are cut and “stacked” during this cheddaring process.

The curds in these bags have been cut. While warm, they could have been cheese, but these have been cooled and are destined to be the ever-popular fresh curds.

restaurants, bars and of course, a couple of places where you can eat freshly caught crab.

But unlike Pier 39, Bandon has a rum distillery (Stillwagon) and because of the three-year-old Face Rock Creamery, it boasts some world-class cheese.

As the north 101 veers to the right after the Bandon city signage, Face Rock Creamery is a beige-trimmed, remodeled two-story building across the street from the Oldtown. You can’t miss it. The creamery has everything you need in a cheese-centric experience—it is a fully functional cheesemaking facility open 9-6 all week in the town’s historic cheese factory building. Not only can visitors sample and purchase Face Rock’s award-winning jacks, cheddars and curds, but they can also watch cheese being made behind the glass. During my most recent trip to their facility, they were actually making cheese, and as families would pass by the glass and make comments, in true new-to-the-hobby style, I would explain the cheesemaking process to them. Most appreciated this knowledge; others just wanted to get back to sampling more cheese.

The boutique store sells wine, beer, deli meats and cheese-related kitchen gadgets (slicers, knives and boards). Within their shop space, there is an extremely popular ice cream counter, a deli counter for sandwiches and light fare and of course, a real cheesemonger’s counter featuring their own clothbound aged cheddars, along with some pretty nice international, national and regional cheeses from Oregon, California and Washington. (There isn’t a better

selection of fine cheese for more than a hundred miles in either direction.) And for the parent who wants to get away from the tourist bustle, there is a very small, 21-and-up-only craft beer tap area that you can find if you sneak around behind the ice cream counter (you’re welcome).

Like the Loleta Cheese Factory in Loleta, California, Face Rock’s focus seems to be flavored jacks and aged cheddars sold in 8 oz bricks. They have some interesting flavor combinations: pizza (it’s orange-red), cranberry walnut (it’s purple), and various pepper varieties. The local favorite—well, the one I hear my sister and her Oregon friends talk about all of the time—is Vampire Slayer, a garlicsaturated cheddar. There is also Super Slayer, which includes a garlic and pepper combination.

The cheese is powerfully addictive, and I doubt even a vampire would be able to resist it.

Another local favorite are the cheese curds, which are made in bulk and flavored similarly to the cheddars, using variations of garlic and pepper. “Curds” of course are pieces of cheese taken off the line before they’re pressed into cheddar blocks, but instead are just salted and eaten. When you eat them, the rubbery consistency left there by the rennet and acid buildup during the cheddaring process cause them to “squeak” on your teeth as you chew them. If they don’t squeak, you’re not eating fresh curds.

Their flagship aged cheddars—two- and threeyear especially—are great all-around sharp cheddars, robust, creamy and nicely balanced.

Of course they’re white because we all know

that the orange coloring of commercial cheddar comes from Annatto dye, and Face Rock does not use that additive on its cheddars. The clothbound cheddar, cave-aged in a traditional manner and wrapped in food-grade gauze that creates the rind, is done in both a plain variety version and a version with fresh peppercorns.

Both have the complex, slightly acidic and sharp flavor you’d expect with a natural-rind hard cheese. That flavor and the crumbly and crunchy texture one would expect in an aged cheese put these clothbound cheddars on a par with another very famous clothbound I’ve tasted.

Face Rock may only be three years old but they’re partnered with The Scolari Family Dairy, a local dairy that supplies them with milk, and they’ve already positioned themselves to be available in Southern California at Bristol Farms and some Costco stores. It looks like they want to be a brand that sits in a similar market position (and shelf area) where you might find Beecher’s Handmade Cheese and Kerrygold.

There is something magical about tasting a food that is made with resources from the area, and Face Rock’s popularity is a testament to the quality of small, handmade operations, and the public’s desire to link the food they eat with a place and the people who make it.

If the cut curds are to become cheese, they are salted and packed into these metal boxes where they are pressed tightly by a hydraulic machine. This knits the curds together and presses remaining water out. They are then vacuum-packed and aged in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment.

In a way it’s sad these curds never became blocks of cheddar, but in another sense, it’s not, because people love to eat these salty, flavored morsels of delight.

Face Rock’s cheesemonger counter is a pretty rare sight in this part of Oregon, so if you’re like me, you stocked up on some clothbound, some Brie, a few blues, and of course, Cypress Grove’s excellent Humboldt Fog.

www.socalfnbpro.com

Face Rock Creamery 680 2nd St Se On Hwy 101 Bandon, OR 97411 (541) 347-3223 Hours: 9-6, Monday-Sunday

October 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 9

what’s

By David Mulvihill

photos by David Mulvihill

BREWING

David Mulvihill strives to experience and write about the ever-evolving face of SoCal craft beer. He also covers Orange County for Celebrator Beer News as well as Southern California for Southwest Brewing News. Contact him at dbrewhill@gmail.com.

(l-r) AleSmith team members Eric McManus, Leah Milton, and Nick Betteker inside AleSmith’s new Anvil & Stave.

With more than 120 breweries and growing, wherever you find yourself in San Diego is likely not far from freshly brewed craft beer at its source. From Oceanside to Imperial Beach, breweries and brewpubs dot the coast. In North San Diego County, Highway 78 adjacent breweries now number over 20. There are more than 13 craft breweries within the Sorrento Valley, Miramar, Mira Mesa area, 7.5 square miles encompassing Mira Mesa Boulevard and Miramar Road on the north and south and bordered to the east and west by the 15 and the 805 freeways. San Diego proper also has numerous breweries and brewpubs downtown, downtown adjacent or close to the 805 and 8 freeways.

A helpful reference for planning your craft beer outing is the San Diego Brewers Guild website (sandiegobrewersguild.org). Its Map page contains an interactive map listing the breweries, pubs and restaurants catering to craft beer. A PDF version of the map can also be downloaded. Be sure to utilize the site’s Events page in planning for upcoming events, including November’s San Diego Beer Week. Complete beer week info is also available at SDBW.org.

In this month’s column, let’s focus on some of the breweries in the Sorrento Valley/Miramar/ Mira Mesa area.

If looking to stay in the area, a base camp could be the commercial area just north of Mira Mesa Blvd. nearest to the 805 Freeway. Choices

include Hyatt House, Country Inn & Suites, Residence Inn and Extended Stay America.

Nearby, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Sorrento Mesa is a good start or end point to a day of brewery touring, providing nourishment in addition to well-appointed craft beer.

Heading east on Mira Mesa, Green Flash Brewing Company’s 45,000-square-foot facility offers tours, tastings and the complete line of Green Flash and Alpine Beer Company’s beers, at perhaps some of the best beer prices in San Diego. Longship Brewery, which held its grand opening in early July, is nearby, just south of Mira Mesa on Camino Santa Fe. This reporter has not yet been to Longship, but looking forward to a visit soon.

Continuing east on Mira Mesa, another option for food along your journey is Callahan’s Pub & Brewery. Before heading south on the 15 to the next exit at Miramar Road, you could consider a stop at O’Sullivan Bros Brewing Co., a small family-run brewery. It is located just east of the 15, south of Mira Mesa.

After heading south to Miramar Road, an educationally-tasty stop awaits you at White Labs. White Labs propagates, stores and provides many craft breweries with yeast, a major ingredient in beer production. The White Labs San Diego tasting room highlights beers brewed onsite with varied yeasts and ingredients.

As many as 35 offerings may be available, grouped by base beer recipe. Multiple beers of a

10 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I October 2016

singular style or recipe, but with different unique yeasts. This allows for side-by-side comparison of taste, smell and experience. Both subtle and marked differences in these finished beers can result. Four pale ales utilizing varied yeast strains can result in a wide spectrum of flavors and aromas. The same can be said for many other beers offered, such as porters, saisons, etc. Tours of the White Labs facilities are also available and offer a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the formulation, propagation and banking of proprietary yeast strains.

Leaving White Labs and continuing west on Miramar, AleSmith Brewing Company’s 105,000-square-foot brewery complex is located at the end of AleSmith Court. This tasting room opened in October of 2015 as part of a planned six phase development of the new facility.

This year we have witnessed the June and July openings of Anvil & Stave and the Tony Gwynn Museum as part of phase 3. The intimate Anvil & Stave room is set up in speakeasy-fashion for specialized tasting of AleSmith’s barrel-aged beers. It is hidden behind a rustic looking wall of repurposed wood, dark and inviting upon entry.

Here, a variety of AleSmith’s barrel-aged beers are served. Visitors are also welcome to create their own barrel-aged beer blends employing the available beers. Forthcoming developments include a new onsite cheese-making facility.

Cheese making is a more-recent artisanal interest of owner Peter Zien. “It’s going to be www.socalfnbpro.com

AleSmith Brewing Company Tasting Room.

fun to have tastings of cheese that is made onpremises with the milk from the animals that eat our spent grain,” Zien shared in speaking about the new venture. Spent grain from AleSmith’s brewing process goes to a local dairy about 12 miles away. Milk from that same dairy will soon be used for cheese-making.

As announced in this column early this year, AleSmith’s former brewery location (a couple of blocks NE on Cabot Dr.), is now occupied by Mikkeller Brewing San Diego. World-renowned gypsy brewer Mikkel Borg Bjergso partnered with AleSmith’s Peter Zien to take over the vacated property (along with AleSmith’s 30 barrel brewhouse and some of the former brewing team). Zien maintains a minority interest in Mikkeller SD. Other breweries in the area include Mike Hess Brewing Co.’s original nano-brewery location and tasting room on Silverton and Little Miss Brewing on Stromesa Ct. A visit to Little Miss is also on the agenda.

Continuing SE, Amplified Ale Works and Duckfoot Brewing Co. are both on Kenamar.

Two other choices further west are 32 North Brewing Co and Rough Draft Brewing Co. There are a couple of other notable breweries in the area: Saint Archer Brewing Company on Distribution Avenue and Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits on Carroll Way. Both have been producing remarkable beers for some time, but are no longer recognized by the Brewers Guild as craft breweries due to current ownership status. Ballast Point was sold to Constellation Brands (owners of various entities including Corona and Modello) and Saint Archer sold controlling interest to MillerCoors in late 2015.

Regarding the aforementioned San Diego Beer Week, November 4th through the 13th are the dates for this year’s run. In past years the Capital of Craft has drawn over 20,000 attendees to over 500 events taking place during the 10-day week. Given San Diego’s increase in breweries and venues serving craft beer, this eighth year beer week is expected to be even bigger.

Anchoring San Diego Brewers Guild events include the two-day San Diego Brewers Guild Festival on Friday and Saturday, November 4th & 5th. Friday night’s VIP Brewer Takeover will highlight rare specialty beers from San www.socalfnbpro.com

Diego brewers. The Beer Garden at the Lodge at Torrey Pines closing event on November 13 continues to be a key pivotal occasion. This year, the number of chefs increases to 14. Each chef will team with two select breweries to pair some amazing dishes that complement beers from the breweries selected. The beautiful outdoor setting overlooking the greens and the sea beyond makes for a delicious and memorable experience. The above events have sold out the past two years, so purchase tickets soon if you haven’t already.

AleSmith Brewing Company owners Vicky and Peter Zien inside the new Anvil & Stave.

Green Flash Brewing Company Tasting Room.

Mikkeller San Diego Tasting Room.

October 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 11

Brett’s

By Jackie Brett

Jackie is a freelance public relations specialist and writer specializing in the Las Vegas entertainment and travel scene. Her writings have appeared in magazines and newspapers nationwide and on numerous websites. She is also an instructor covering Special Events at CSN- College of Southern Nevada.

Email: jackiebrett@cox.net

Spotlighting Entertainment

Blue Man Group Las Vegas is holding its first Drum-Off competition with the final round at Downtown Container Park on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.

Dining Highlights The Palm Restaurant inside The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace reopened following an all-encompassing restaurant remodel.

Band of Magicians with Australia’s James Galea, Stuart MacLeod from the UK, and Brett Loudermilk and Joel Ward of the United States, will take up residency at the Tropicana Oct. 26 sharing the room with new show Cherry Boom Boom.

America’s Got Talent Live will headline at Planet Hollywood Oct. 27-29 with 12-year-old singer-songwriter Grace VanderWaal, Season 11 America’s Got Talent (AGT) winner; runnerup act The Clairvoyants featuring Tommy Tena and Amelie van Taas; and comedic finalist Tape Face.

Comedy Daredevil featuring AGT stars Ryan Stock and AmberLynn opened at Hooters in the Night Owl Showroom. The couple became famous for their mishap on AGT with a flaming arrow hitting Stock in the neck.

Comedy show Vinnie Favorito Unfiltered opened at the Westgate in the Cabaret Theater starring unscripted Favorito.

Shows have been closing. Improv comedy Puppet Up! Uncensored closed after seven weeks at The Venetian. At Planet Hollywood Showroom, Frankie Moreno’s Under the Influence closed after 10 weeks and AGT winner Paul Zerdin’s Mouthing Off after 12 weeks.

Sin City Comedy & Burlesque at Planet Hollywood in the Cabaret room closes Oct. 2.

Windows Showroom changes at Bally’s include Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding closing and new shows opening: Motown tribute show, Solid Gold Soul; The Bronx Wanderers; and Tony Sacca’s Vegas The Story.

Jokesters Comedy Club with a rotating list of comedians moved to the D downtown with Mario Z hosting at 10 p.m.

Zowie Bowie starring Chris Phillips returned to Rocks Lounge at Red Rock Resort performing every Friday night. Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine will kick off a three-show residency there on Saturdays — Nov. 5, Feb. 4 and April 1.

Male revue Aussie Heat, formerly called Aussie Hunks, celebrated a year anniversary while launching the new name at the V Theater inside Miracle Mile Shops.

Mercato Della Pescheria, an Italian seafood market-style restaurant with dozen-plus culinary stations, opened in St. Mark’s Square at The Venetian.

The contemporary Angry Butcher Steakhouse opened at Sam’s Town in the Mystic Falls Park atrium.

Uber launched UberEATS, a new app offering a service that delivers food to your door from local restaurants.

Locally owned Nacho Daddy Mexican restaurant’s newest location is at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.

Jaburritos, Las Vegas’ original sushi burrito concept, will open a new location at The LINQ Promenade in December.

Standard & Pour, a joint venture created by Simon Hospitality Group and Titan Brands, opened at 11261 S. Eastern Ave.

Three new tenants joining the historic Huntridge downtown neighborhood redevelopment include: a yet-unnamed Cory Harwell restaurant, national chicken wings chain Wingstop and furniture store Henricksen Butler from The Holsum Lofts.

Party in The Park is every Tuesday from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Park with participating restaurants Beerhaus, Sake Rok and California Pizza Kitchen.

Motley Brews’ Downtown Brew Festival returns to the Clark County Amphitheater for its fifth anniversary Saturday, Oct. 22 from 5 to 9 p.m.

Vanessa Williams will serve as Woman of the Year for Nevada Ballet Theatre’s 33rd Annual Black & White Ball Jan. 28, 2017, at ARIA. Open rehearsals for Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère at Treasure Island are offered on Saturdays inside the Mystère Theatre from 3 to 3:30 p.m.

Guests receive an exclusive two tickets for $99 voucher.

Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters launched brand-new Hoover Dam-area tours and opened the company’s seventh heliport next to the Hoover Dam Lodge.

Lazy Dog will open a second outlet at Town Square this fall. The first location is at Downtown Summerlin.

Amorino, known for its flower-shaped cone, opened its new upscale gelato store at The LINQ Promenade.

Rockhouse at The Venetian became the exclusive Las Vegas location serving Flavor Flav’s Chicken.

Las Vegas Grimaldi’s Pizzeria locations offer the company’s first weekday Stoking Social Hour from 3:30 to 6 p.m.

Happening News Chinese-themed Lucky Dragon’s grand opening will be Saturday, Dec. 3 and reservations are open on the resort’s website.

The Strip’s first FlowRider Wave-in-a-Box Double opened at Planet Hollywood on the pool deck.

The Atrium, a high-end multi-brand retail concept, will open at The Venetian and The Palazzo this fall and be travel retailer Hudson Group’s first luxury retail concept in a hotel setting.

ALEX AND ANI, an eco-conscious jewelry and accessories store, opened in the Fashion Show Mall.

12 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I October 2016

Sustainable indoor-farming company Urban Seed Inc. is building a farming facility with eight greenhouses, offices, a production facility and an event space.

The High Roller launched North America’s first in-cabin chocolate tasting experience with Ethel M Chocolates available every Thursday from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

Therapy in the Fremont East Entertainment District is displaying renowned sculpture artist Joseph Jilbert’s inventive recycled metal pieces, which are for sale.

The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is converting a 1,200-square-foot space into a working Richard Ditton Learning Lab with three objectives including a live exhibit for museum visitors.

Michael Jackson’s suit and fedora from his Smooth Criminal video are on display at the Michael Jackson One Theater at Mandalay Bay and rock band Breaking Benjamin have a memorabilia display case at Hard Rock Hotel. www.socalfnbpro.com

www.socalfnbpro.com

October 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 15

The Bottom Line Make In-House vs.

Sourcing Elsewhere

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

‘Homemade’ is a big industry buzzword, motivating eateries across the country to shift a lot more work to in-house production. On the surface, this should boost the brand. Homemade items garner trust, showing that your restaurant dedicates time and attention to every aspect of its menu. Outsourcing, on the other hand, might give people the impression that you cut corners.

But while it’s a nice touch, ‘homemade’ isn’t for everyone. Oftentimes it falls back to your core customer, your price point, and the direction you want to take your establishment.

Whether you’re opening up a brand new place or looking to tweak your menu to fit the trend, consider a few points before directing your chefs on one particular trail.

What is the in-house production cost?

On the surface, producing in-house is cheaper than sourcing elsewhere in the same way that guests save money by cooking in instead of going out to your restaurant. Think beyond the basic food costs, though, to assess whether producing a certain item is worthwhile. Let’s say that you’re revamping your dessert program and want to add cheesecake to the menu:

• What additional ingredients do you now need to buy in order to make cheesecake?

What are the operational costs associated with this expansion?

• Do you have the necessary storage capacity for cream cheese, graham cracker crumbles and extra butter? How will this affect your utility bills?

• How many hours will your staff spend making cheesecake? Will you have to hire an additional chef?

Compare these types of line items to your current liabilities. Food costs, labor for loading/ unloading, logistics behind deliveries and storage are all factors to consider. From the very beginning you should know how any operational changes will affect the bottom line.

You consider outside measures to evaluate ROI from there.

Does the outside source have brand appeal?

Sourcing from a renowned brand can be a big advantage, drawing in customers that might not otherwise have walked in through your doors. If you want to serve cheesecake, The Cheesecake Factory is the obvious brand partner of choice.

Tread carefully, however, as these types of contracts often come at a price. Consider the following points to determine your ROI:

• Compare the cost of a brand partnership with that of other third-party vendors. How many more cheesecake orders will you have to sell on a weekly basis in order to break even?

• Consider your restaurant’s previous dessert category sales. Do you see potential from a brand-name partner to significantly lift the category as a whole?

Sometimes a brand-name partnership can be all a restaurant needs to differentiate itself from its counterparts. And even if you have the budget, these partnerships should be kept to a minimum.

You want your restaurant to retain its own identity.

What would your guests think?

If your restaurant aims to serve self-righteous millennials, then homemade is a surefire way to win over customers. Conversely, if you’re a roadside diner and attract a largely pricesensitive visitor base, you’re not going to turn too many heads by promoting yourself as a

16 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I October 2016

‘from scratch’ restaurant.

Think critically and truthfully about your core customer, and whether you want to keep them or change your brand to attract a new profile.

A roadside diner could recognize major money coming in the surrounding area, and may want to transform into a premium brand as part of the transition. In this case, homemade cheesecake from natural ingredients would be a nice touch, if promoted correctly. All else equal, however, outsourcing cheesecake from a typical food vendor will reduce overhead without as much as a second glance from your loyalists.

Test conversion Whatever decision you do make, it should drive sales over the long term. If you are deciding whether to make an item in-house or outsource it, track sales data for that item a few months prior to the transition, then monitor sales over the next year to account for seasonality. From there you can evaluate if the change was worthwhile.

If you’re looking for a complete rebrand, be sure to pace yourself in a way that you and your team can handle. A bustling kitchen may not adjust easily to making all of its sauces in-house at once. Taking things step by step and measuring results will allow you to properly move in the right direction. www.socalfnbpro.com

Paso Robles

By Elaine & Scott Harris

Cuisinist@Gmail.com • www.Cuisineist.com www.VinoLasVegas.Blogspot.com www.LasVegasDiningTours.com Facebook:ElaineScottHarris Twitter:TheCuisineist.com Twitter: VinoLasVegas • Instagram : Cuisineist

photo by Scott Harris

a Premier Tourist Destination for Oenophiles and Culinary Aficionados

Sommeliers and Editor-In-Chief of Nationally Recognized Cuisineist.com and Vino Las Vegas LLC. They are the Las Vegas City Editors for TheDailyMeal in New York City.

After traveling in the area for over a decade we are very familiar with the central coast of California and the explosion of world class wines and gastronomic delights in Paso Robles. Highway 46 can be quite a beautiful drive through cattle ranches, farms and finally vineyards. The vineyards act as a beacon guiding visitors to one of California’s hottest destinations.

Paso Robles is fast on the way to becoming a premier tourist destination for oenophiles and culinary aficionados. It now has a world-class resort by Ayers Resorts, Allegretto, which is a true resort and long overdue in this growing region. Allegretto is perfectly located in Paso Robles Wine Country, on 20 acres of vineyards and olive and fruit trees. When you arrive on property, the European, Mediterranean atmosphere takes ahold as you as you forget you are in California but rather on a quaint European estate. Walking the property, why not take some time and lounge with a lovely glass of wine in the Tuscan-style courtyard. After a fun day of wine tasting in the area sit back and relax in your own private poolside cabana or visit the spa and experience their Chära wellness program.

Accommodations at Allegretto rival any resort www.socalfnbpro.com

we have stayed in for quite some time. The resort’s 171 guestrooms and suites provide a perfect respite from the day with a classic European flair. We opened our door to old world luxury at its finest. Our eyes were immediately drawn upward to 14’ vaulted ceilings and our private patio that opened out to a lovely lush green garden. The Allegretto Dream Sleeper pillow-top mattresses with highcount linens, plush bamboo towels, robes and slippers pampered us to no end. After feeling rejuvenated, take some time and tour global art and antiques and enjoy the French-inspired Abbey.

Paso Robles now has a plethora of fantastic dining venues to explore; however, when staying at Allegretto your exploration will not be very far. Cello Ristorante and Bar is right up there with the region’s best. No matter how casual or dressed up you choose to be, you will certainly feel comfortable with excellent farm to table dining.

Start off at Cello’s bar and enjoy a very nice selection of handcrafted cocktails created by mixologist Alexandra Pellot and Andrew Brune.

The Rye Gold & Raw is a soothing combination of fine rye, raw sugar cube, bitters, grapefruit

peel and edible gold. If you are in a wine mood, sample Allegretto’s private label Viognier, Zinfandel, Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon or one of the many fine wines on their impressive list. In addition to excellent cocktails and wine Cello has a fine selection of artisanal draft beers that should not be left unexplored.

After enjoying a spectacular libation of your choice, take your seat in Cello’s beautiful restaurant for a true farm-to-table experience.

Chef Eric Olson’s rustic Mediterranean menu fits right in with the ambiance of the resort.

Every dish is carefully created using fresh local ingredients sourced from regional farmers, ranchers and purveyors daily. In fact, Chef Olsen recently spent three years studying sustainable cuisine, super foods and learning the art of foraging. All of these skills can be tasted with every bite of his creative cuisine all in concert with his staff and local sources who he knows by name.

Start off your experience with the Big Eye Tuna Carpaccio with red onion and capers to get your palate warmed up. How about salad with locally-sourced Kale with Edna’s Bakery Rye Croutons, aged coco dusted jack cheese, cracked pepper and of course house made Caesar salad for a fresh taste of the local terroir? Diners have a choice of three flatbreads: Margarita, 100% Natural Chicken and Mushroom, all of which are excellent.

Chef brought out his Crab Spaghetti for us to enjoy. This marriage of snow crab claws, sliced jalapeno, minced scallion, lemon and Allegretto Viognier butter had our taste buds jumping with delight. Locally foraged mushrooms with eggplant, shallots, leeks, garlic, Italian parsley and shaved truffle cheese combine in one of the best risottos we have had in quite some time.

Ask about the daily seafood special. More than likely your dish was swimming that very morning.

For the carnivores, try the oak-grilled 10 oz sirloin or the all-natural beef filet with creamy garlic mashed potatoes. The menu is diverse featuring burgers and pasta as well. No matter what you crave on your visit, anything on the menu will bring a smile to your face and satisfy any member of your party.

After dinner enjoy a quiet moment under the stars on the patio and reflect on this rare experience where most everything that was enjoyed was most likely sourced less than two hours away that day. Allegretto is a true resort in every sense of the word and long overdue in the region. One day is certainly not enough to enjoy the region, the resort and all it has to offer.

Book a weekend and really indulge yourself in the area, Allegretto and the many amenities it has to offer.

October 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 17

By Apryl Bruso

Aphrodisi-whack

So, as waiters, we have all had that table that giggles while ordering the oysters with much implied innuendo. I have found this to be pretty basic. Yeah right, certain foods make you more amorous. Just blame the wine or the fact that you got all dressed up and taken out for a nice meal by someone that you already found attractive. Or better yet, no shame.

You wanted to end the evening with some light exercise and feelings of euphoria coursing through your body, duh. Then I started thinking about the Food and Drug Administration and how foods really can affect your health and well-being. Is there something to this? I mean we’re not talking about ecstasy, booze and ground up rhino horns, we are contemplating the effects of common foods on your libido. I have always thought these ideas were hogwash. But, I will tell you a secret... I am wrong... a lot of the time, some might even argue MOST of the time—they are all dead now, but I am digressing.

18 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I October 2016

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

According to sex central, also known as Cosmopolitan magazine, the top libidinous foods are as follows: chili peppers, asparagus and avocados; bananas, chocolate, oysters, pomegranates, red wine (super duh), salmon and walnuts; and vanilla and watermelon (I guess that Beyonce song is right on the money). The foods that are grouped together within the semicolons contain the same slutty chemicals.

What is the point of all of this? That there is scientific proof that certain foods get your blood pumping a little faster or stimulate the production of certain hormones. What do you do with this information? Probably nothing, OR... You make a really disgusting smoothie featuring all of the above ingredients and go to town on each other. In nine months you can name your baby after me—even the boys. www.socalfnbpro.com

Everything’s better with

C H AR D ON NAY Butter Chardonnay by JaM Cellars is one of three, easy-to-love California wines including JaM Cabernet and Toast Sparkling.

“We made these wines in the style that we and our friends love to enjoy. We hope you do too!”

John and Michele, Napa Vintners – the “J” and “M” in JaM.

1460 First Street, Napa, CA 94559 | 707.265.7577 Sip, smile and share! @JaMCellars #JaMCellars Get The Scoop! to stay in the know at JaMCellars.com

| Foodie Biz |

Bone marrow custard with camel milk. Sea urchin ice cream. Frito BBQ casserole. Octopus prepared half a dozen ways. Seen as abstract and lofty by some, these kinds of ideas were executed with near-perfection on a grand scale at the LA Food & Wine Festival [LAFW], which took place August 25–28 in venues across Los Angeles. And while these novelties wowed attendees day in and day out, they served a far greater purpose in strengthening LA’s reputation in the culinary world.

LA has no shortage of all that is hip and trendy in the foodie realm. Myriads of places pop up practically every day to experiment with the newest concepts, giving the city a massive portfolio of best practices. LAFW was kind enough to reel in some of the most forwardthinking players.

Let’s take a look at three of the festival’s biggest draws, each of which drew dozens of restaurants to showcase their style. Up-andcomers, household names and outright culinary celebrities all followed through on the same mission to bring new meaning to the dishes they created.

Friday’s Night Market

Based on the night markets that serve street food across East Asia, this event delivered the same ‘casual’ fare with an obvious gourmet western twist. Taking place on First and Grand in Downtown LA, a city thoroughfare was covered in red carpet [literally] with the Walt Disney Concert Hall serving as the backdrop.

Highlights included the following: • ‘Badass’ Indian-spiced sliders. Badmaash, Chef Pawan Mahendro • Liquid nitrogen-chilled foie gras. Patina, Chef Paul Lee • Octopus salad. Café Pinot, Chef Jake Eaton • Gourmet hot dogs. Sumo Dog, Chef Jeffrey Lunak Chefs Jet Tila and Brian Malarkey took the stage to tout Los Angeles as “one of the greatest food cities in the world.”

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

photos courtesy LA Food & Wine Festival by Stefanie Parkinson

LA Food & Wine Festival Takes Culinary Creativity to New Heights

By Ben Brown

Saturday’s Grand Tasting Some seriously good eats made for a glorious LAFW afternoon in Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar—a surprisingly popular venue that hosts other events such as the Planned Parenthood Food Fare. Chefs from across LA represented the city’s culinary diversity in spades.

• Sea urchin ice cream. Chaya Downtown, Chef Joji Inoue • ‘Mountains of’ foie gras. Hot’s Kitchen, Chef Sean Chaney • Lobster and shrimp sausage. The Lobster, Chef Collin Crannell • Purple yam bread pudding. B Sweet, Chef Barb Batiste • Cocktail-infused cupcakes. Bree’s Cakes, Chef Bree Miller Restaurant: Impossible Host Robert Irvine was present, serving up some amazing fried chicken and deviled eggs. Celebrity Chef Aaron Sanchez also made a cameo appearance.

Saturday’s Live on Grand

Live on Grand brought in some eye-catching features to bring the festival to its peak. From Barrel and Ashes’ speed-eating competition to Starry Kitchen’s Nguyen Tran shouting obscenities through a megaphone while donning a banana costume, there was no shortage of personality to keep the energy flowing. The food was, of course, excellent.

• Curry sugar and German chocolate donuts.

ICDC, Chef Mariah Swan • Homemade pasta and pesto with Parmesan foam. Ray’s & Stark Bar, Chef Fernando Darin • Braised beef cheek with basil spaetzli. Nick + Stef’s Steakhouse, Chef Andreas Roller

20 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I October 2016

Tyler Florence brought a splash of Norcal to the scene, representing Wayfare Tavern with shrimp and grits like you wouldn’t believe. He also praised LA’s food scene, and went on to introduce blast from the past De La Soul, who performed for the latter half of the event.

Of course every event came with impeccable and free-flowing wine, beer and cocktails from across the world. Wineries such as Bastianich, Michael Mondavi Family Estate, Chateau d’or et Gueules and Zonin poured while Glenlivet Scotch and Hendrick’s Gin showed off their marketing prowess with grand displays of audience interaction.

The retailers showed some impeccable novelties of their own. Be on the lookout for Choctal Single Origin Ice Cream, where a 40-year winemaking veteran decided to apply his attention to detail toward ice cream and sources ingredients from across the globe. Skinny Pop has come out with dark chocolate-dusted popcorn. Even Lexus showed off via its foodie partners, serving chocolate grilled cheese sandwiches and Not Your Father’s Adult Root Beer floats.

LAFW spanned over four days with dozens of events. In addition to the grand tasting-style gatherings, restaurants across the city featured special menus and guest chefs that made for landmark dining occasions. Be on the lookout for next year’s LA Food & Wine Festival at www.lafw.com. www.socalfnbpro.com

Product Review

by Bob Barnes The Wine Hook

Last month I was sent a sample of The Wine Hook, a cute little device intended to secure a wine glass to a chair with an armrest. A few days later I had the perfect opportunity to try it out, as I was attending an outdoor theater event. I found it to be very secure (it’s made of sturdy ABS plastic) and fairly easy to attach to my lawn chair. Although it has wine in its name and the opening in the holder fits perfectly to hold a wine glass, I was drinking beer that night, and found my Belgian-style tulip glass worked just as well as a wine glass.

As the holder has a diameter of 1and a half inch, basically any glass with a stem should work. I also see it being a handy device to use when attending a dine-around event, as it would easily attach to a firm plate and free up your drink-carrying hand so you can get at the food.

The Wine Hook is available in colors of black or pink and the SMRP is $9.99. For more info and to purchase, visit www.thewinehook.com.

Twang Beer Salts

Once again I have offered up my body as a human guinea pig, testing a product so you can have some info before making your decision about purchasing it or not. This time it’s the line of beer salts from Twang. By now we’re used to drinking beer with myriad ingredients added, so why not flavoring salts. Beer salts are not something new, but the variety of flavors offered did surprise me. According to Twang, the company “creates a line of premium flavored, salts, sugar and spices that create an additional level of flavor to enhance the taste and drinking experience of beer of all varieties and cocktails. Beer Salt is a citrus flavored salt used to dress the rim of longnecks and beer mugs. Salts are a very popular addition to beers in many places around the world, specifically in Latino cultures, which originated from the tradition of adding citrus and salt to beers.”

The makers also recommend that it is perfect for domestic lager, Mexican import, Belgian wheat ale or beer Rita.

I was sent samples of Lemon + Lime, Lime, Hot Lime, Orange and Michelada Especial (blend of tomato, lime and chili to give flavors of a Michelada), each of which are packaged in the shape of a mini beer bottle. I proceeded to experiment with each, using a bland yellow macro-brew beer which shall remain nameless, and as directed, added a dash of salt to the rim of the glass before pouring the beer. Here are my findings based on an unscientific sampling of one person’s experience.

Lemon + Lime…almost like drinking a Sprite or Seven-Up if it was a beer…enjoyable and different Lime…reminds me of Corona with a lime, but salty Hot Lime…Being a lover of all things hot and spicy, I was especially looking forward to this one. The heat was there, especially in the aftertaste, and I could see this going great with chili or meat-heavy dishes.

Orange…like the lemon lime, it reminded me of a salty orange soda, also enjoyable.

Michelada Especial…tomato comes through, reminds of a Bloody Mary if it could be a beer.

As beer is not the only drink suggested to try these salts with, I also experimented with tequila and bourbon and found similar results, but the flavoring of the salts were less pronounced than when tasted with bland beer.

Worth mentioning is that each salt added a very pleasant aroma that prepared your senses for the taste you were about to experience, so remember to sniff before sipping.

The salts are made in Texas and the company has been producing them since 1986. In addition to beer salt, they also make a variety of snack toppings. For more info, recipes and to purchase, visit www.beersalt.com. The beer salts sell for $12 for a six-pack, which comes out to $2 per bottle.

www.socalfnbpro.com

October 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 21

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT | There is no confusion when it comes to Major Pan-Asian Infusions!

More than just a broth, Major’s PAN-ASIAN BASE range is the perfect way to add an exotic twist to any dish. Create healthy, fun, on-trend street-worthy recipes in seconds.

It’s OH so SIMPLE and versatile: • use in casseroles, stir-fries, pasta dishes, noodles and soups • create seasonings and dressings • brush onto protein, vegetables or fish as a marinade • stir directly into sauces Making the chef’s life that little bit easier, Major Products blends the ingredients so you don’t have to. From coconut to lemongrass, cilantro, chili pepper, ginger, herbs and spices, and available in four mouthwatering flavors: Beef, Chicken, Pork and Vegetable, you can not only maximize on flavor but stay on budget and save on time. www.majorproducts.com

Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips Oktoberfest Beers

By Bob Barnes Oktoberfest is far more than a beer style, and it’s hard to separate it from the festival it’s named for. The original Oktoberfest was a five-day wedding party that occurred in Munich in 1810 to honor the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, and it’s been commemorated ever since. While the name implies an October observance, celebrations last sixteen days beginning in mid-September and running into early October, and the festival doubles as a celebration of the harvest season. German representatives of the Märzen/Oktoberfest lager style tend to be moderately malty sweet, toasty, copper-hued, lightly hopped and are usually between 5 and 6% ABV. So, in honor of the season, and to save you the cost of a plane ticket, here is a rundown of three of the same beers being served at the Oktoberfest in Munich that you can pick up at your favorite craft beer store.

Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest Hacker-Pschorr is one of Bavaria’s pre-eminent breweries, having been in existence since the fifteenth century, and one of the breweries commissioned to brew beer at the original Oktoberfest in 1810; the brewery claims its modern day version is similar to the brew first introduced at the first Oktoberfest. This traditional Marzen utilizes natural spring water, dark and light-colored malt from two-row Bavarian summer barley, a traditional Hacker-Pschorr centuries-old exclusive yeast strain and Noble Hallertau hops. Amber color, rich and clean toasted malt flavors, a sweet hop aroma and strong carbonation are descriptors of this brew and at 185 calories per serving, it’s nearly a light-calorie beer.

Hofbräu Oktoberfest Founded in 1589, the Staatliches Hobräu brewery in Munich began as a court-owned brewery run by a duke. The brewery hosts the largest tent at the Oktoberfest festival in Munich and imports the same beer, from the same batches that are served at its tent, and you can also enjoy it on tap at the Hofbräuhaus in Las Vegas through the end of October. Although it’s very easy-drinking, with crisp flavor and a bit of sweetness, the hops are a bit more prevalent, the alcohol content is slightly higher (6.3% ABV) and the appearance is a shade paler than the traditional beers of this style.

Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen The Paulaner brewery was founded by Pauline monks in 1634, and the monks named the brewery in honor of the patron saint of their own order, Saint Francis of Paula. Monks did the brewing until the early 19th century, after which operations were turned over to a non-religious brewmaster. Characteristic to the style, this 5.8% ABV Märzen is amber-hued with a full malt aroma and the taste offers a decidedly nutty light roast with an emphasis on malt sweetness that’s smooth and well balanced with subtle, but noticeable hop flavor.

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By K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.

West Eats East Imitation Crab Meat Imitation crab meat looks like crab meat, tastes like crab meat, and splits like King Crab meat. Not cloned or artificially engineered, it is made from fish flesh with crab flavor and color, often from the Crustacean-like krill caught in the Antarctic Sea. A term of “imitation” may be a little bit distracting, while “crab meat” enlightens an image of King Crab. King Crabs are that ones seen in the “Deadliest Catch” with a bunch of captains and crews in characters on the Discovery Channel. At Costco, the boiled ones are sold at $17-19 per pound. An edible portion may be 50-60% of the weight sold. It is expensive but delicious. Imitation crab meat would bring that kind of image and hopefully taste, but conveniently at a lower price.

Nowadays it is accepted as seafood. Again it is not artificially engineered but originated from the Japanese traditional surimi (labeled as fish paste in our market) seafood. Seafood has been consumed raw like sashimi or sushi, fried like fish and chips, grilled, sauted or steamed. Imitation crab meat may add a new venue to eat fish in a different form and taste, as well as other surimi foods. Primarily they are made for preserving fresh fish which deteriorates promptly after harvest at the time when refrigeration was not available. Let’s see surimi and imitation crab meat for our new application.

Surimi is easy to be understood by thinking about a salmon burger patty.

Surimi uses mostly white flesh fish like pollock or cod but not so-called “blue fish” like sardines, mackerel, tuna or bonito. Such fish is cleaned and de-boned, and then mashed with binders of starchy materials or egg white into a paste form. Salt and other flavorings are added here.

Then it is formed in respective shapes, which is either direct-heated over hot charcoal, boiled, steamed or fried, which are labeled as fish cake in translation. Each product has its own name depending on fish, formula and localities. Many surimi products are sold in Japanese grocery stores in our market. By the way, surimi is nothing new to us. The term of “surimi” appeared at our market in the late 60s to early 70s, but disappeared probably because it was premature to consume this type of seafood at that time.

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Mike Masuyama is a bi-cultural science-technologybusiness consultant. He earned a Ph.D. in Food Science at Cornell University, is involved in teaching, research and business in major-beer, micro-beer, soft drinks, sake, sea salt, rice, white soy sauce and other areas both in Japan and the US., and has published several books and dozens of articles.

“Ask Doctor Sake” was his last series in this journal.

“Chikuwa,” “Kamaboko,” and “Hanpen” are among the conventional fish cake products that Japanese people love to eat as is with hot mustard or chopped ginger with a drip of soy sauce, in soup noodle dishes, in cooked vegetable dishes and many more. Those seafood are sold in their own corner or shelf at J-food stores in big cities. Traditionally and locally each has its own usage or recipe in daily eating. They are regulars in J-eating for adding an extra animal protein to ordinary, vegetable dishes. FYI, it goes well with sake, hot and cold. Japanese are even creative enough to make fish sausage out of such fish cake with meaty color-flavor. It smells meaty but not fishy.

Imitation crab meat was developed from surimi. With a special technology, they developed surimi to line up for splitting like crab meat with a texture like Mozzarella cheese or snack string cheese. It is an innovative product to be able to get into western style eating from the traditional surimi market. What is the best contributor to promote imitation crab meat, do you know? Yes, you are right, “California Roll” sushi. Though not specified who invented this great sushi, imitation crab meat is located in the center of the sushi, next to an avocado piece. There was not such a sushi in Japan, believe or not. Some authentic culinary J-professionals still say that is not a sushi and you cannot eat it easily in Japan. It could be served only at too Americanized sushi places or family sushi restaurants in Japan. Do not order a California Roll at a fancy sushi restaurant in Japan and also here. Can you believe that? Imitation crab meat is now well spread by such a creation here in our market.

In addition, imitation crab meat is used in seafood salad, tempura, Chinese stir fry, and many other dishes, most of them not seen in Japan. Seafood ceviche, I have seen in a Mexican supermarket flier. It must be good particularly with a little bit of tiny shrimp and jalapeno chunks, fresh or pickled. Imitation crab meat will have a rosy future in retail markets if its taste gets widely recognized. In culinary it has also a good prospect: how about crab cake with imitation crab meat? It can be made at a kitchen or specialty food processing plant. In addition, a fish patty can be made with fish surimi for burgers or sandwiches just like a salmon patty. Anything is possible here but it may take a while to get used to something new or odd.

Try to make something creative with surimi products or imitation crab meat in your kitchen.

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EVENTS

AD INDEX

OCTOBER SOCAL EVENTS HEAT UP THE SOUTHLAND and you can bet that we will be there eager for some great food, delicious wines and splendidly mixed drinks from our local mixologists.

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October 8-11 back in Las Vegas is the IBIE-International Baking Institute Expo, held every four years, and if you are in the Food & Beverage Industry and your business has anything to do with baking or bakery products you should plan on attending this world-renowned event. There you will find new and innovative products and services from around the country and the world. www.ibie2016.com October 11-13 is the Santa Maria Celebration of Harvest which is held throughout Santa Maria at wineries, restaurants, and other locations celebrating the harvest period. Keep in mind that there are now direct flights from Las Vegas and Santa Maria on a regular basis, so it’s a quick and easy flight. www.celebrationofharvest.com

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October 16-20 the Paso Robles Harvest is celebrated with Wine Weekend wrapping up a solid week of winery visits and restaurants featuring their best foods paired with all local wines. Some wineries will be open for barrel tastings and there is always a good time to be had with some of the friendliest locals we know. www.pasowine.com

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American Culinary Federation Chefs of SoCal

The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional is proud to be associated with these fine organizations: ACF-American Culinary Federation Chef de Cuisine Association of California Chapter Culinarians of San Diego Chapter Chefs de Cuisine Association of San Diego Chapter 26 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I October 2016

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SOME WINES ARE WORTH CELEBRATING Celebrate Robert Mondavi Winery’s 50 th Anniversary of uncompromising excellence and generous inspiration.

Please enjoy our wines responsibly. © 2016 Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville, CA

Enjoy our limited edition anniversary release of 2013 Maestro.

“This is just the beginning.”

Learn more at RobertMondaviWinery.com