November 2016
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CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER Welcome back to the November 2016 issue of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional where we strive to bring you the latest news from the Food & Beverage Industry regionally and from around the world, including updated restaurant and hospitality establishments coming and leaving. Additionally, you can discover the latest shows, expos and events for the industry and see the latest products available on the market. Our mission is to Ask-Inform-and-Educate! We at The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional would like to thank the NvRA (Nevada Restaurant Association) for honoring our sister publication LVFNB Pro in being nominated for the 2016 Restaurant Allied of the Year which is indeed an honor and acknowledgement of our hard and relentless work striving to be the best publication serving the industry in the Las Vegas Valley over the past dozen years. Thank you for that recognition!
Cover Our November Cover Feature is dedicated to The La Jolla Shores Hotel “Room with a
View” which is much more than just the view, but is a total immersion into the oceanside accommodations where, as our own Editorial Director Bob Barnes remarks, “You don’t need to leave your room to sit on the beach and watch the ocean, you are already there! This is your invitation to visit the Lajolla Shores Hotel with a complete guided tour including the food & beverage and restaurant dining…YUMM!
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Please join us in welcoming a familiar face to an advanced position with SoCal F&B Pro. Ben Brown has recently been elevated to Restaurant Editor (Page 4) where he has also joined the Executive Team in helping to create the future destination of the publication. Ben is an excellent investigative journalist who leaves no stone unturned and we are delighted to have him ‘on board’ with The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional. Ben will continue his regular monthly columns The Bottom Line (Page 16) explaining the business of business and his Foodie Biz (Page 20) bringing you the latest food & beverage happenings in the region. Additionally, Ben will be contributing to “Hot Off The Grill” (Page 4) where we see what is hot and then again what is not! We also look forward to hearing from Ben from time to time on his international travels and the food & beverage he encounters. CHEERS! Mike Fryer
Page 4 Hot off the Grill!
Page 5 Food for Thought Pumpkins
Page 6 Making the Most Out of Fourth Quarter Sales!
Page 8 Tripping with Cheese: Part 3 The Capitol of Cheese
Page 10 What’s Brewing
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Page 14 COVER FEATURE Room with a View La Jolla Shores Hotel
Page 21 Product Review
Page 22 Product Spotlight Page 16 The Bottom Line How to Nail Restaurant Expansion
Page 17 Chef Talk Fermentation Nation
Page 18 Wine Talk with Alice Swift Blind Wine Tasting: the Ideal vs. the Reality
Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips New Releases
Page 24 Human Resources Insights Luck - Are We Born with It or Can We Make It Happen?
Page 25 West Eats East Energy Drinks
Page 26 Events
Page 12 Brett’s Vegas View
Page 20 Foodie Biz
Ad Index ACF Chefs of SoCal
November 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!
November 2016 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
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
Princess Cruises held its second annual Culinary Cruise, where they brought Chefs Ted Hopson [The Bellwether, Studio City] and Joel Miller [The Wallace, Culver City] for a week of extravagant tastes. The duo put on a 4-part cooking demo, and followed up with a Q&A session to discuss ‘chef life.’ Additional events included guest appearances at Princess’s onboard wine tasting and the ceremonial champagne waterfall. Passengers feasted on specialty items inspired by Hopson and Miller, as well as enjoyed Princess’s renowned culinary program that includes SHARE by Curtis Stone, The Salty Dog Gastropub by Ernesto Uchimura and Chocolate Journeys by Norman Love. RESTAURANT MORIMOTO OPENING Congratulations to all involved in finally putting the RESTAURANT MORIMOTO together. It’s taken several years; first it was to take the place of the Japanese restaurant Japonaise at The Mirage which never pushed through, and when the Shibuya space at the MGM Grand became available, it was a done deal. When I finally cornered Morimoto-San at his opening I asked him (in Japanese) what all the delay was about and he only said (seiji) politics!
Restaurant Editor ben@socalfnbpro.com
Beverage Editor adam.rains@socalfnbpro.com
Advertising sales@socalfnbpro.com
Article Submissions/Suggestions articles@socalfnbpro.com
Calendar Submissions calendar@socalfnbpro.com
Website webmaster@socalfnbpro.com
Press Relase Submissions news@socalfnbpro.com
General Information info@socalfnbpro.com
@socalfnbpro
The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Legal Editorial Advisor Andrew Matney
Journalist Apryl Bruso
Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan
Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett
Journalist What’s Brewing David Mulvihill
Journalist Food for Thought Les Kincaid
Journalist Hungry for PR Jen Morris
Journalist John Rockwell
Pre-Press Technician Brandon Yan
Journalist Good for Spooning LeAnne Notabartolo
Journalist East Eats West K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.
Photographer Audrey Dempsey
Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch
Journalist Linda Duke
Journalist Heidi Rains
Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein
Journalist Green Restaurant Association Michael Oshman
Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift
Journalist Lisa Matney
Journalists Elaine & Scott Harris
Photographer Bill Bokelmann
Photographer Joe Urcioli
Journalist Margie Mancino
Master Sommelier Joe Phillips
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
By Les Kincaid Les Kincaid is a food, wine, and golf expert and cookbook author. He hosts the nationally syndicated wine radio show Wines Du Jour each Thursday from 7 to 8 pm. You can enjoy his website or his broadcast at www.leskincaid.com les@leskincaid.com www.facebook.com/leskincaid www.twitter.com/leskincaid
Pumpkins
While October is the uncontested best time to get a pumpkin, especially if you plan on carving it for Halloween, baking pumpkins will be around for longer, and you can still stock up in November since they are still readily available.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 2 sticks sweet butter, softened 1 cup white sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper. Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks. Yield: 60 cookies
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 lifelong 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. www.socalfnbpro.com
November 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 5
Making the Most Out of Fourth Quarter Sales! How can restaurateurs make the most of the upcoming holidays and 4th quarter sales? With the Presidential election days away, consumers have been “waiting to see” what will happen and have pent-up demand to SPEND on cars, electronics, and going out to eat, for all these months. Restaurant sales across the country have suffered in recent months and with well planned activities operators can reap the rewards. Central California restaurant brand, Big Bubba’s Bad BBQ, hosts Toys for Tots during the holidays by asking their guests to donate toys for less fortunate children and in return, get a free bull ride on their electronic bull! They also do extra special holiday decorations that get great results. They merchandise Big Bubba’s t-shirts, BBQ sauce, mugs and promotional items so well that the gift baskets fly off the shelves! Time constraints for consumers during the holidays will once again play a big part of growing gift card sales. Be prepared to sell gift cards by posting signs, adding something in a check presenter at the end of the meal, have a server contest to motivate staff and add an offer. Big Bubba’s uses their cowboy theme to promote gift cards by offering REWARDS for purchasing theirs. For a $25 gift card, the guest gets a free bottle of BBQ sauce, with a $50 purchase of gift cards, they offer a free stack of their signature stack of onion rings, and for $100 purchase they get a free entrée! Here are some other 4th quarter tips for holiday planning: • Pre Orders–Do you sell enchiladas, tamales or lasagna? How about offering a large pan of your signature menu items as a holiday party special. Create an order form and talk it up with guests! These trays can be prepared the night before and offer a good large to-go order with lots of profit! • Special Desserts–How about offering special holiday desserts. Using flavorings or unique condiments you can create peppermint chocolate or popular pumpkin spice flavored ice cream. Small dessert shooters are great too! • Gift Cards and promotion–Create a crew contest, create an offer and promote in-store with signage and display. • Dinner to-go–Make it easy for guests to order and pick-up a whole dinner package during the holidays. If you offer roasted chicken or turkey with sides and dessert for a special price to-go, pre-orders for holidays will help drive sales! • Large catering orders–Black Friday started because retailers didn’t want their staff to leave at lunch the day after Thanksgiving. Every big box retailer (Best Buy, CostCo) and car dealer in the U.S. order food for their staff. Create a Black Friday offer, an order form and visit and drop off to area prospects. Watch the catering orders roll in! • Holiday Events & Banquets–Have a big dining room or a separate party room? The name of
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
the game is BOOK EM!!! Create a holiday event package and target large area businesses to take your menus and details for planning their event at your restaurant! • Product Catalog–Do you make special cakes, pastries and holiday items to sell during the holidays? Create a small catalog that guests can pick up at the register and you can put into to-go and catering bags. Offer your hats, t-shirts, gift cards and menu items you can sell! • Merchandise-Gift Baskets–If you have your own merchandise such as t-shirts, mugs, sauces or spices, create gift baskets and display them in the area where guests pay and can make last minute purchases. Be sure to have clear pricing and signage to reap the rewards! • Gift Ideas–Fleming’s Restaurants offers their top spending patrons a special holiday gift each year for the holidays. Guests who use their AMEX card and spend over a certain amount of money, are sent an etched wine glass for customer appreciation. Offer your guests a custom mug and coffee, cocoa or tea! • Sampling–It’s no surprise that consumers eat more during the holidays and by offering samples of your signature menu item at various events and functions (chamber open house), you can remind guests about how great your food is and get them to dine in. • Up-sell desserts and wines–Create a contest for your servers to add on sales. From offering wine and beer to up-selling desserts, it can be a fun and lucrative contest for your whole team! • Employee contest–Do a TRADE for gift cards or food with your local businesses like a car wash for fun incentives for staff that up-sell. Offer cash prizes or movie passes! Set a goal and motivate the team thru the fourth quarter. • Holiday Pre-Fixe Special–Create a special holiday meal guests will love to share for two with beverages and desserts for a set price. Be sure to promote it on Facebook, in store and send a press release to the local news media! • Signature Item Holiday Twist–Serve menu items with a holiday twist.Pies (pecan and pumpkin), cakes (fruitcake, Danish rings and cheesecake), spiced ciders, cocoa and after
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dinner drinks with peppermint and chocolate! How about milk and cookies for guests to take home for Santa! • Fundraisers toy/food drive–Partner with your local food bank and ask guests to bring in nonperishable food items to donate and help those less fortunate in your community. Host a fundraiser for local nonprofits during the last months of the year when they are ALL looking for donations! • Holiday tasting event–Invite your best guests and area movers and shakers, chamber members and host a holiday tasting event. Give each guest a clipboard with order forms for catering, holiday trays and gift basket orders and in one evening you can BOOK BUSINESS! • Wine & Beer Flights–Check with your beer and wine vendors for special products during the holidays and ask their representative to come do a pouring during your tasting event! Promote wine and beer flights (3 for a special price). • Special Uniforms–Get your staff excited with something new to wear for the holidays. Perhaps it is a new colored apron or t-shirt with a holiday message.Try it! They are walking billboards! • Decorations–Right now is the time to be thinking about fourth quarter decorations. Simple and elegant flowers and candles can work and of course painted windows, lights and tinsel can get everyone in the spirit! • Direct mailer-Ads–The fourth quarter is a great time to wish your guests happy holidays. Friends and family connect with each other during the holidays via the US mail. It’s the one time of year when postage costs can actually make a difference with a direct mailer that gets to customers mail boxes. Guests are looking for their holiday cards in the mail and by receiving a restaurant card with a special greeting and offer can pay off greatly! Start your holiday planning now! Create special holiday desserts, beverages and sides to offer guests. www.socalfnbpro.com
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November 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 7
Tripping with Cheese: Part 3
By John Rockwell
photos by John Rockwell
The Capitol of Cheese
When they say “visitors welcome,” they mean it: there is a fishing lake, ample picnic grounds, a small sandwich bar, and of course much cheese to be had on this property about 10 miles away from Point Reyes Station.
A vat of milk receiving rennet for the production of Cowgirl Creamery’s award-winning Red Hawk—a washed rind “stinky” triple-creme.
John Rockwell is a native Southern Californian and career English teacher working in the Riverside area. In his spare time, he rides his bicycle to breweries, restaurants, and cheese shops, and is always looking for culinary delights within riding distance of the vast network of SoCal bicycle trails. He is an ardent fan of the waiver theater culture in Los Angeles. He is new to cheesemaking, but has been a homebrewer for over twenty years.
I visited the local jewelry shop in Point Reyes Station, California because the Chamber of Commerce kiosk had a sign tacked to it telling me that was where I needed to go for a local map. I walked across the lot to the store, and told the owner I was hoping to get information on the whereabouts of local cheesemakers. “That’s fine if watching the mold grow is your thing,” he said. “Yeah, it’s definitely my thing,” I replied humorlessly. Cheese is no joking matter. Especially in one of the major epicenters of the cheese renaissance in the United States. Despite the fact that the Palace Market grocery store across the street had an outdoor chalkboard containing a long list of all the local cheeses in stock, he didn’t seem to know much more than I did about cheese tours happening at local creameries. Everybody knows about Cowgirl, and we passed Marin French Cheese and one of the Straus Dairy pastures on the road heading west from Petaluma (home of Lagunitas Brewing Company for those of you who keep track of breweries). What I didn’t understand about the jewelry store owner’s glib commentary was that he was really trying to tell me that there are hikes, beaches, mountains and other wonders to experience in the area that could take weeks to explore. The natural environment of the Point Reyes National Seashore is unlike any I’ve experienced. Of course, as you drive around the 71,000-acre park, you cannot help but notice the predominance of free-range cattle at some dairies that are on historic ranches dating back to the 1850s. And grazing milk cattle means cheese. Point Reyes Station in Marin County is about 40 miles north of San Francisco and is the gateway city to the Point Reyes National Seashore. The northward-jutting peninsula of the Point Reyes National Seashore and Tomales Bay are something to behold, and if you visit in late June or early July, be prepared to bring your long pants, shorts, a winter coat, a raincoat, a tank top and your swimming trunks. We stayed at the International Hostel on Limantour Road where the climate was alpine, with crisp, chilly evenings and mornings in the 40s. As we found out, other parts of the peninsula and its varying elevations offered anything from the scorching summer sun to wind, near-freezing sleet-like rain, and a pervasive coastal fog—all within the same day. To understand the cheese revolution in California, you have to become familiar with the styles of cheese that aren’t cut from vac-packed blocks— styles that showcase the flavorful fresh milk grazed from the grasses in the local environment. This is the land of mold and natural rind—which makes its cheese landscape one filled with Brie, Camembert, chèvre, blue, washedrind, and farm-style Tomme. This cheese tastes like the region that makes it. On the occasion a creamery doesn’t also own a dairy, the milk is acquired locally. According to the University of California, Marin County has 23 cow dairies, and the average dairy has only 330 milk cows, the smallest herd at 110. The region boasts herds of sheep and goats as well.
Tomales Bay Foods has a fully operational cheese counter, complete with a fully-certified cheesemonger. The first rule of cheese counters: ask questions, and maybe you’ll be rewarded with a sample.
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The independent Good Earth Natural Market in Mill Valley has a selection of artisan cheese that rivals food giant Whole Foods.
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This ranch house dating back to the 1860s is tucked into the alpine wilderness of the Point Reyes Natural Reserve. Saved from destruction by the National Park Service, it became an international hostel in 1972 and is a mere $30 per night.
Marin French Cheese has an extensive collection of Brie and Camembert. You can sample cheese, so make sure there is room in your ice chest because etiquette says if you sample, you should buy some! Because they make so much, prices are always reasonable.
Marin French Cheese offers a pastoral setting with which to enjoy your cheesy acquisitions.
According to the California Cheese Trail Map, there are 27 creameries in the Marin and Sonoma area. In my short two-day visit, I visited two creameries and tasted cheese from a couple of others of note, balancing my time with some cycling and sightseeing. There was simply not enough time to take in the region—if you visit, give yourself several days. My favorite times of the day were my Tuesday and Wednesday morning breakfasts in the Point Reyes Hostel—a sublime father-daughter time that included conversations with international visitors, fresh fruit, local organic milk, and of course local cheese. Our first morning at the hostel, we ate a small pyramid of Nocturne, a cows’ milk Valençay (a tart, ash-rind cheese) from Andante Creamery in Petaluma. This creamery uses Geotrichum mold, the white variety that brings out barnyard flavors, and creates an almost cake-like texture. We also enjoyed a half-round of Pierce Pt., a “traditional” Camembert made by Cowgirl Creamery (and rare in southern California) that they cover in some not-sotraditional herbs. (Pierce Point Ranch on Point Reyes Station is a historical landmark located on the northern tip of the peninsula.) Some Andante cheeses are available in southern California, and are always named after something musical, since it is rumored the owner, Soyoung Scanlan, has experience as a concert violinist. Breakfast on our second day included some selections from our visit to Marin French Cheese, which is located about 10 miles east of Point Reyes Station. Marin French Cheese claims to be the longest operating cheese company in America (in operation prior to the Civil War). This creamery offers a beautiful property with
picnic tables, a grassy meadow, and a small lake, apparently stocked with fish. Inside, their selection is much more extensive than what is available in southern California. Marin French Cheese is known as a Brie and Camembertbased creamery, but they do some interesting variations, namely with a washed-rind cheese called Schloss that is smelly enough to stand up to any Reblochon and a delightful ash-rind Brie called Dark Moon. They have a small cafe that serves food and snacks, and a store that sells cheese-related goodies. Cowgirl Creamery at Point Reyes Station sits inside of Tomales Bay Foods, which is part specialty market, part food kitchen, part creamery and part cheese counter. When we visited, they were busy making the famous Red Hawk, and we got to see it in its three stages—as curdling milk in the vat, as fully-bloomed triple-creme Brie, and as its Penicillium Candidum was washed/ scrubbed off to allow the wild Brevibacterium linens strain to take hold in its rind. Cowgirl claims that it does not add the strain to the milk, and that the flavor of Red Hawk comes about because of the microbes in the air in this particular creamery. Their manufacturing operation for Mt. Tam, their signature triple-creme Brie, has been moved elsewhere. I was able to get a wedge of Wagon Wheel, Cowgirl’s nod to a melting gouda or Tomme cheese (their cheese is somewhere in between), and a small round of Inverness (served in a paper espresso cup). Inverness is a small Crottin de Chavignol—a farm-style, Geotrichum-based soft cheese that you can eat fresh or allow to age. We also picked up a wedge of Toma, a Tommestyle cheese made by Point Reyes Farmstead
Cheese, and also a half-square of Nicasio Square, a washed-rind cheese made by Nicasio Valley Cheese Company. Toma can be found at some southern California Whole Foods locations, but I have never seen Nicasio Valley Cheese in Novato. Nicasio Square is a washed-rind that is a hybrid of the French washed-rind cheeses like Pont-l’Évêque, and Taleggio--Nicasio’s version is even more flavorful (sorry, France and Italy). Although Wagon Wheel and Inverness are sometimes available in southern California, it is rare to see them. But if you do find them, pick up a wedge and a round. The cheeses in this region are buttery and creamery and if you try the milk (Straus Organic and Clover Organic), you will understand a lot about the flavors found in the cheese. The milk on its own is amazing. Cowgirl was almost like a religious experience for me, because my cheese journey truly began with their Mt. Tam Brie. Perhaps even better was the experience of eating our small round of cheesecake-textured Cowgirl Inverness while sitting on the sand at Stinson beach, about 15 miles south of Point Reyes Station. As we began to drive south, we decided to ascend Mt. Tamalpais (by car, of course), the namesake of my favorite Cowgirl Brie, and were wowed by the broad views of San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. As we descended into Mill Valley, we had one more treat at Good Earth Natural Foods, a northern-California version of Whole Foods. Only the cheese selection was much more extensive. My intention is to return to this “off the grid” area of California where clear cell phone signals do not exist and natural food abounds.
This is how the famous Cowgirl Red Hawk is made—fully bloomed triple creme Brie is dipped in saltwater and brushed, revealing the reddish rind of the cheese. Brevibacterium (stinky microbes) then thrive on the surface where the mold once was.
Inside Tomales Bay Food is Cowgirl Creamery and a couple of Cowgirl-owned businesses, including a small kitchen, specialty market, and cheese shop.
If you want to experience the beach inside the Point Reyes peninsula, prepare for a hike. Only a couple of beaches have direct vehicle access. The landscape is always beautiful.
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November 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 9
what’s
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.
photos by David Mulvihill
The Brew
Pizza Port San Clemente Assistant Brewer Jonathon Eckelberger with Head Brewer Trevor Walls at Pizza Port’s annual Hoptoberfest celebration.
Craft beer enthusiasts are always in search of great beer, whether in their home region or out of town. One area close enough for a weekend getaway is the City of San Luis Obispo. Already a haven for fine wine, it has quickly become a destination for quality craft beer. SLO awardwinning breweries include Tap It Brewing Company, Central Coast Brewing Company and SLO Brew. We’ll focus this issue on SLO Brew, followed by a recap of the many awards received by So Cal brewers at October’s Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition.
SLO Brew SLO Brew has roots in San Luis Obispo that date back to 1988. Having experienced expansion and subsequent contraction in its earlier history, ownership changes and even loss of its name for some time, SLO Brew is back, stronger, rejuvenated and underway on an impressive pathway. Much is in the works at SLO Brew’s new Higuera Street location downtown and its production brewery a few miles south near SLO County Regional Airport. Let’s begin downtown.
SLO Brew’s core brewing team, Brewer Luis Lapostol (l) and Brewmaster Steve Courier (r).
In mid-2016 SLO Brew moved from its original location on Garden Street to the nearby historic (1905) Carissa Building at 736 Higuera. The renovated building incorporates two venues, The Brew and The Lofts. The Brew occupies the first floor. It houses SLO Brew’s original brewpub system and a pub-restaurant with sizeable stage for music. Chef Thomas Fundaro oversees the kitchen. He and his team create fresh and flavorful selections in a very approachable menu. My wife and I began by sharing an aperitif, the Barrel Aged Manhattan. SLO Brew’s very own rye whiskey combines with Carpano Antica, Luxardo Maraschino and orange bitters for a remarkable Manhattan. Through a joint venture with Alex Villicana, owner of Villicana Winery and Re:Find Handcrafted Spirits in Paso Robles, SLO Brew wort is fermented, distilled and aged at Re:Find’s facility. The result is a smooth and flavorsome rye. An onsite distillery is expected to be installed at SLOs new production facility in 2017. Jan ordered the Bistro Steak Salad. I opted for Hatch Green Chili. Expecting a few pieces of meat tossed with greens, we were both surprised by a presentation of perfectly cooked Wagyu beef slices alongside locally sourced fresh hearts of romaine, red pear, walnuts and Point Reyes blue cheese dressing. My chili came replete with chunks of tender pork shoulder in a hearty hatch sauce that provided just enough heat to enhance flavor without overpowering. Tastes and pints of SLO signature brews would follow to complete our experience. 14 taps dispense SLO brews along with a couple of guests. SLO’s Brewmaster Steve Courier has been brewing at SLO since 1998. After Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s purchase of SLO’s former production brewery in Paso Robles, Courier was also able to season his brewing chops at Firestone Walker. Now that SLO’s new production facility is up and running Courier is exclusively brewing and directing brewing
Taps Fish House and Brewery’s Kyle Manns (l) and Dave Huls (r) with Veronica, who assisted with pouring at this year’s Sabroso Craft Beer & Taco Festival.
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operations at SLO Brew, along with brewer Luis Lapostol and the rest of his team. Each beer we tried was very well-appointed, especially Feelin’ Your Oats Oatmeal Stout, a beer that would just days later be awarded a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival. Core beers include The Original Blonde, Wave Wrangler Session IPA, Reggae Red, and Cali-Weisse.
The Lofts At the end of the evening we didn’t have to venture far. The Lofts on the top floor of this historic building feature a selection of upscale one, two and three bedroom apartment-style suites with mega amenities, including full kitchens and impeccable appointments. Each room also comes with a record player, with a large selection of albums just down the hall. Whether you are in SLO for the beer, music or an event at one of SLO Brew’s venues, wine tasting in the region, or visiting your kid at Cal Poly, the lofts make a great headquarters. These luxury accommodations offer the choice of one, two and three-bedroom suites; many with decks overlooking the river and one with rooftop terrace. Large parties can even rent the whole floor.
The Rock Three miles south of downtown, SLO Brew’s new complex at The Rock will soon be complete. Co-founder Hamish Marshall showed us around the property. The brewery is up and running. As for the rest of the property, an initial vision for a modest adjacent tap room pub has expanded into a destination complete with an expanded taproom, restaurant and beer garden, plus a 600 person event-space for concerts, weddings and special events. Approachable in presentation, the taproomrestaurant will have views of the brewhouse beyond. A long bar with stained concrete preserves the industrial look. The perimeter area will consist of rollup garage-type doors opening to the patio that abuts a sizable natural rock
SLO Brew’s multifaceted venue at The Rock; beer garden and pub-restaurant are inprogress alongside its namesake.
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formation that gives The Rock its name. Beyond the beer garden is the event space. Casual dining will feature SLO Brew food with a smokehouse theme. A large smoker has been secured for slowsmoking of brisket and other meats, offering a great deal more than just Santa Maria BBQ. The ample kitchen will serve onsite and supplement the brewpub downtown. Upon entering the brewery the smell of mashing grains made it evident that the brewing team was hard at work. The substantial 30-barrel brewhouse and brewery tanks have been arranged to allow for easy expansion within SLO’s massive complex. All brewing equipment (brewhouse, tanks, filter systems and canning line) came from Italy’s Criveller Group, a leading brewery fabricator. “It’s cost a lot to do what we’ve done up-front, but it was with a vision of five years down the track. I think we will be able to sustain ourselves and provides us the space to grow,” Marshall shared. He went on to emphasize that the talented and dedicated teams in place on both the brewery and restaurant sides are key to sustaining and growing the business. “You can do whatever you want but if the product isn’t good it doesn’t mean a lot.” SLO’s first shipment of cans will hit local markets on November 11th (San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties). Soft opening of the restaurant is expected by November 15th. “Once we get up and running by the end of November it’ll be pretty sweet. It will be a great space for us and the community,” Hamish offered.
bronze for The Packinghouse (Riverside) Riley’s Irish Red and bronze for Belgian Honey Blonde from Rancho Cucamonga’s No Clue Craft Brewery.
GABF
Two LA Arts District breweries, both barely a year old, also won first-time medals: silver for Arts District Brewing Co Cowboy Curtis smoked beer and bronze for Iron Triangle Brewing Co Jawbone Imperial Stout.
With over 7,000 entries coming from over 1,700 US breweries, So Cal brewers came away with 45 medals at this year’s GABF. San Diego’s Karl Strauss Brewing Company was Mid-Size Brewing Company and Brewer of the Year. Karl Straus received four medals, something almost unheard of these days. Gold came for Windansea Wheat in the South German-style Hefeweizen category and for Queen of Tarts, an AmericanStyle Sour Ale. Team Karl was awarded bronze medals for Mosaic Session IPA and Liquid AC English-style Summer Ale. 13 other San Diego County breweries received medals. SD Gold Medals: Bagby Beer Company Sweet Ride Bohemian-style Pilsener; AleSmith Brewing Company Old Numbskull Barley Wine; Second Chance Beer Co Tabula Rasa Toasted Porter; Culture Brewing Co’s Solana Beach American-Style Brown Ale; Rip Current Brewing: Breakline Bock. SD Silvers Medals: Benchmark Brewing’s Oatmeal Stout, Duck Foot Brewing’s The Contender IPA with Fresh Chiles and BNS Brewing & Distilling for Gatling Gun Imperial Stout. SD Bronze Medals: New English Brewing Co Zumbar Chocolate Coffee Imperial Stout, Societe Brewing Co’s The Volcanist Americanstyle Stout, Alpine Beer Co HFS Strong Pale, Mother Earth Brew Co ESB and Pure Project Roes Red Belgian Style Lambic. Inland north from San Diego, three breweries were awarded: gold for Temecula’s Wiens Brewing Co for Apricot Wheat, Belgian-style fruit beer, www.socalfnbpro.com
Orange County brewers received seven medals. The Bruery (Placentia) came home with gold for Mischief (American-Belgian-style) and silver for the experimental beer, Wineification II. TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Irvine, Brea and Corona) also received gold for Silent Warrior (Barrel Aged Strong), brewed at the team’s Corona location. Trevor Walls and his assistant Jon Eckelberger, earned their first Pizza Port San Clemente GABF medal, silver for Dusk ‘til Dawn Imperial Coffee Porter. Evan Price and Team Noble Ale Works (Anaheim) scored silver for Nobility Imperial IPA. Nano-brewery RIIP Beer Co (Huntington Beach) was awarded silver for Super Cali IPA in the highly contested (312 entries) American IPA category. RIIP will soon be expanding to a 10 barrel brew system.
SLO Brew’s Production facility.
Photo by Alexandra Howard
Working north to LA County, Highland Park Brewery and El Segundo Brewery both received gold medals: Bob Kunz and HPB for his delicious Good Green, and Casa Azul Dark Lager for El Segundo. Beachwood Blendery (Long Beach) earned its first medal in the Belgian-style Lambic/ sour ale category for Chaos is a Friend of Mine. SLO Brew’s downtown brewpub and music venue.
Jonathan Porter and the Smog City Brewing team in Torrance received a bronze medal for SabreToothed Squirrel in the Amber/Red Ale category. Lancaster’s Kinetic Brewing Co also earned bronze for 4th Gear, its 4th Anniversary chocolate beer. Continuing up the coast, Island Brewing Co in Carpinteria also received a bronze medal for its anniversary beer, 15th Anniversary Ale, a session beer. Three Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company locations received a combined total of four medals: Buellton: gold for its dunkel-style beer and bronze for its dark lager; Westlake Village: bronze for Figtoberfest fest-bier-style lager; and Arroyo Grande: bronze for its German-style schwarzbier. Including the aforementioned Fig Arroyo Grande and the SLO Brew medals, breweries in San Luis Obispo County received five medals. Paso Robles’ Firestone Walker Brewing Company earned bronze for its well-decorated DBA (Double Barrel Ale). Central Coast Brewing in San Luis Obispo scored gold for General Shwartz schwartzbier and bronze for Monterey Street American Pale.
The Lofts at SLO Brew.
November 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 11
Brett’s
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www.socalfnbpro.com
Room with a View La Jolla Shores Hotel By Bob Barnes
Originally opened in 1970 as the Sea Lodge Hotel, the three-story 128-room familyowned and -operated La Jolla Shores Hotel is one of the few in San Diego situated directly on the beach. Like they say, location, location, location—and that is the best way to describe this hotel. La Jolla is renowned for its picturesque beaches, and this hotel abuts the San Diego/La Jolla Underwater Park, a 600-acre ecological and 533acre marine life refuge that draws ocean enthusiasts to kayak, surf, snorkel, scuba dive or just revel in the beautiful sights and sounds of the waves.
photos courtesy of La Jolla Shores Hotel
Amenities
The Shores Restaurant
Imagine going to sleep each night listening to the sound of the ocean. The first and foremost amenity, if you are wise enough to splurge on one of the 30 full ocean front rooms, is a room with a balcony with a view so close to the sand and surf that you may choose not to leave your private perch. Or if you venture out to the beach, depending on the time of day and tide, it’s a mere 50 or so steps from the lobby. The hotel provides complimentary chairs and umbrellas or will even set up a barbeque on the beach for a modest fee.
Like the hotel, the views from its The Shores Restaurant are hard to beat, with large arched floor-to-ceiling windows which run the length of the dining room and lounge providing a bird’s eye view of the sand and surf just yards away. With dining both indoors and outdoors the sound and sights of the surf are beckoning as you enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner. And, if you time it right, you can dine while watching the sunset from one of the most advantageous spots in Southern California. In addition to the tremendous view, the room is attractively adorned with sea green seats, dark wood tables, bright white walls and comfortable booths. The restaurant is overseen by Executive Chef, Director of Food and Beverage Bernard Guillas and the menu is ably executed by Chef de Cuisine Percy Oani. Chef Percy, born and raised in Los Angeles, came from a family that loves cooking and his father was a Navy cook. He began his career as a waiter and bartender, and after he constantly found himself spending time in the kitchen, decided to follow his passion and attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. After graduating he worked as a sous chef at Peohe’s in Coronado and as executive chef at Roy’s, for 13 years, and brought his talents to The Shores Restaurant in 2013.
Other perks are a beautiful courtyard with fountains, blooming foliage and ping pong table; two tennis courts; a fitness center; sauna; heated swimming pool with jacuzzi; free Wifi; room service; secure gated underground parking; and large flat screen TVs and DVD players in every room and a library of movies that can be checked out for free. For dining, in addition to its on-site restaurant, nearby is The Marine Room (more on that later), and there are more than a dozen eateries just two blocks away, with a variety of pizza, Italian, Mexican, sushi and sandwich shops.
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Chef Percy and Chef Bernard work together on crafting a family-friendly menu that fuses Pacific inspiration with seafood and seasonal ingredients. The breakfast menu offers healthy options such as the Green Goddess smoothie with cactus, cucumber, celery, spinach and parsley and Tropical Madness with mango, banana, papaya and yogurt; or Spa Omelet with egg white, wilted kale, sun dried tomato, fennel and feta. More indulgent entrees include Eggs Benedict with Canadian bacon, arugula and citrus hollandaise; Bloomsdale Spinach Omelet with butternut squash, mushrooms and goat cheese; or Signature Baja Omelet with crab meat, avocado, cheddar, scallions, cilantro cream and pico de gallo, all of which come with hash browns, choice of toast and the unforgettable organic Jackie’s Jam. The lunch and dinner menu includes a mix of shareable plates, salads and soups, burgers, tacos and ocean & land entrees. Worthy plates to share include Local Sea Bass Ceviche, Ahi Tuna Poke and Citrus BBQ Chicken Lettuce Wraps. A must-have salad is the Toasted Quinoa Kale, with a variety of textures and crunch compliments of toasted quinoa, almonds, orange, blueberries, manchego and sweetness from a honey lime vinaigrette. Some unique entrees are the Firecracker Yellowtail served with forbidden rice, rainbow chard and sake sesame sauce; www.socalfnbpro.com
Seasonal Vegetarian Risotto, which during our visit was a mix of carrots, broccoli, spinach, peas, mushrooms and mascarpone; and Angus Braised Short Ribs served with scalloped potatoes, vegetable medley and shiitake cabernet sauce. Desserts are equally creative, with Banana Split Mud Pie composed of chocolate, strawberry, banana ice cream, marshmallow and almond crunch; Chocolate Crème Brulee with papaya, macadamia shortbread and brown sugar; and Cappuccino Tiramisu with candied pecans, chocolate shavings and Amaretto syrup. The prices are quite reasonable, especially considering that the view is free, with most breakfast dishes ranging from $6 to $13 and lunch and dinner from $10 to $25. Show up on a Wednesday and a selection of bottles of wine are half priced, such as the outstanding Edmeades 2013 Mendocino County Zinfandel from Santa Rosa, CA that I enjoyed. Other great deals can be had during happy hour, available in the lounge Sun.-Fri. from 3-6 p.m. Drink specials are craft beer drafts for $6 and glasses of wine, mojitos, margaritas and sangria for $7; and several EATS priced from $6.50-$12.95 include fish tacos, pork pot stickers, calamari and Cajun wings. www.socalfnbpro.com
The Marine Room Another dining option located a short threeminute walk or free shuttle ride away, is The Marine Room, located in the sister property La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club. In 2016 the landmark restaurant celebrates the 75th anniversary of its opening in 1941. Its unrivaled awe-inspiring view with the surf only feet away is especially dramatic during high tide when waves splash onto the windows, making dining here the epitome of ocean-front dining. The world-renowned restaurant has obviously stood the test of time and is its stellar reputation as a culinary gem in the San Diego community has made it THE place for fine dining in the region. The expertly crafted menu features items such as Lobster Bisque, Togarashi Sesame Spiced Ahi Tuna, Ume Plum Wine Braised Kurobuta Pork Cheek, Chimichurri Rubbed Mary’s Farm Chicken with marsala reduction, Center Cut Black Angus Filet Mignon with mountain berry chutney, and Pistachio Plugra Basted Maine Lobster Tail; and is complemented by a wine list so extensive it spans 34 pages. The executive chef is as legendary as the restaurant. Maitre Cuisiniers de France and Award-winning Chef Bernard Guillas joined La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club Inc. as executive chef in 1994 and oversees the group’s three restaurants and all catering operations. The French-born
chef is regularly featured on local and national programs including The Today Show and coauthored Flying Pans, a self-published cookbook that was awarded two IACP book of the year awards. Chef has also been invited as guest chef to the prestigious James Beard House in New York on many occasions.
Longevity and Loyalty One thing I was struck by was the attitude of the hotel and restaurant employees, all of whom seemed to genuinely like their place of employment, such as Lupe, who has been a server at The Shores Restaurant for 16 years and several others with more than 30 years of service at the hotel. And, everyone I spoke to claimed they never get tired of looking at the incredible view. In conclusion, it would be hard to find a hotel with closer beach access where, as the hotel’s motto states, “The beach is your playground.” A stay at the La Jolla Shores Hotel offers the best of the California beach lifestyle with choices of snorkeling, lounging poolside, oceanfront dining, beach barbeques or lounging on the beach.
La Jolla Shores Hotel
8110 Camino del Oro La Jolla, CA 855-253-2572 www.ljshoreshotel.com
November 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 15
The Bottom Line How to Nail Restaurant Expansion
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.
your first location, now do it again before even thinking about expanding further. Il Fornaio, a wildly successful Italian fine dining chain, which has expanded one location at a time since 1972, attributes its success to growing slowly, but perfectly. Big chains are a big exception; they expand rapidly because they have massive management teams and a corporate headquarters to provide large-scale direction. The vast majority of restaurateurs should focus on getting it right one step at a time.
Clear communication
Expansion is a happy problem for most restaurateurs. You opened up shop and business is booming to the point where your four walls can no longer contain your success. Now comes an entirely new decision process that goes beyond your current spectrum. Managing staff, inventory, execution, and of course customer satisfaction is not twice as hard with two restaurants—it is exponentially harder. A happy problem, nevertheless. If you are set on expansion, take the following factors into account. Critical thought up front goes a very long way in the end.
Location, location, location Your first restaurant likely owes a good deal of its success to its real estate, and your second will be much the same. You should ask yourself a myriad of questions to determine location viability, of which there will be some overlap from your first establishment: • Does this location serve my target customer? • What is the local competition here? Will neighboring restaurants drive my prices up or down?
• Based on foot traffic and neighboring establishments, what are my projected sales? • How does rent compare to my first location, and can I afford it based on projected sales? • Will I be able to easily travel between here and my first restaurant? Of course there are many more factors to consider, but the overall themes are whether this location caters to your restaurant’s identity, how competition will challenge and help you, and how easily you will be able to manage this location from a logistical standpoint. Some establishments choose to own their locations outright, which turns the restaurant investment into a real estate investment. If you have long-term plans, are looking at a highgrowth area and are in the financial situation to do so, owning your location outright can ease pressure early on and provide an even greater payoff in the long-term.
One at a time No matter how much success you see in your first location, limit your openings to one restaurant at a time. You hit it out of the park at
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In order to get it right every step of the way, it is imperative to set up clear infrastructure and communication channels to maintain consistency between locations. At the ground level, many restaurants will bring veterans from the first location to open the second location, so that they can train new staff to mirror best practices. Note that training should allow each restaurant to create the same feel and experience, and not necessarily make each restaurant a carbon copy of one another. Plan Check, a burger powerhouse with locations across Los Angeles, adapts its menu to each neighborhood it serves. At the management level, the owner should establish set points of contact and a routine check-in schedule that keeps all parties aligned. Understanding differences in inventory and item demand, peak hours, staff needs and other factors on a regular basis will allow owners to make informed decisions that do not always treat each restaurant the same. Different locations have different needs, and arranging meetings with each restaurant’s management is crucial to understand those needs.
Eye on the prize A restaurant’s success, at least at the granular level, is ultimately determined by its profitability. Before you expand, set an ROI goal and quarterly benchmarks. Make these benchmarks realistic, based on your first location’s performance in its opening quarters, and monitor them closely. If you’re not seeing the results you want, and you’re following all the same practices at your first location, it may be due to the new surrounding area. Observe what the restaurants nearby are doing to attract customers, as well as their menu mix, pricing and other factors. If that’s been taken care of and you’re still not in winning territory, it may be best to close up shop and move to another place. You may not strike gold every time, but the most important thing is that your restaurant is successful at heart. www.socalfnbpro.com
By Chef Allen Asch
Chef Talk Fermentation Nation
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.
pickled vegetables the salt brine allows the growth of bacteria that eat the natural sugars and produce lactic acid. This acid works as a preservative for the foods that are brined. For wine, when yeast, either natural or added, are mixed with the crushed grapes the yeast eats the natural sugars and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. Sweet wines come from grapes that have higher natural sugars so when the fermentation stops there are still sugars left in the wine. In bread when the yeast eats the sugar they produce carbon dioxide which gives the rise to the dough. The other main food item that has a need for the fermentation process is cheese. Bacteria in the milk, natural or added, eat the sugar lactose and reacts with the added rennet enzyme to curdle the milk. The whey, the liquid, is then drained off and the curds are compacted, dried further and then aged. Or in the case of cottage cheese the whey is drained but the curds are not pressed so some whey (liquid) remains.
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Besides the nutritional aspects of fermented food, fermenting of food also assists in the preservation of foods.
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I started making my own pickles a few months ago. I bought a high quality fresh, refrigeration required for storage brand and when I finished them I had a huge amount of brining liquid left. I also had an older cucumber that I did not plan on using before it would have turned. I cut it into wedges and stuck it in the brine. I did this a few more times before it was time to dispose of the liquid. In hindsight when I think about this, it shows the exact purpose of brining or fermenting of food. Fermenting, which can be traced to at least 9,000 years ago, started as a way to produce alcoholic drinks. People then came to the realization that this was a perfect way to store food. If you want to see some old wines head to the University of Pennsylvania to see 7,000-year-old bottles of wine. Fermentation in food processing uses yeast or other bacteria in a controlled environment, to convert carbohydrates to alcohol, thus preserving the foods. This obviously will change the flavor profile of the foods being preserved. The texture of the food items is also changed during this process. Vegetables are the most common foods that are fermented but fish and meats as well as beans are fermented often. Although this is a proven method to preserve foods there are some risks associated with it. Alaska is one of the biggest states that use fermentation due to the short growing season and the long and cold winters. Unfortunately, Alaska also leads the nation in cases of botulism, which is a big byproduct of improperly fermented foods. Fermented foods are also considered a carcinogenic food source, possibly leading to cancer. Having said that, one of the most famous fermented dishes in the world is Kimchi and studies have tied this dish and fermented fish dishes as one of the causes of a very high rate of stomach cancer in Korea. Fermentation in food is mostly used to preserve foods but it also adds a lot of flavor and other characteristics to many foods. When you ferment foods you encourage growth of certain “good” microorganisms in it, while preventing growth of spoilage-causing microorganisms. When you are intentionally fermenting foods you may need certain equipment and a control of the environment where the fermentation takes place in. To avoid bad bacterial growth you need to control temperature and pH levels of the food. Here is how fermentation occurs and how it affects certain foods. For
Although with the negative effects mentioned earlier, fermented foods do have a lot of positive effects for people. Natural fermentation of foods has been shown to preserve nutrients and make the foods more digestible than in other forms. Another great byproduct of fermentation is the amount of probiotics that are created during the fermentation process. This is why the foods are easily digested. The problem with today’s fermented foods is that they are generally not done naturally, but using vinegar as the fermentation agent. Vinegar based fermented foods do not have the probiotics that naturally fermented foods have. Another reason we have lost a lot of our natural intake of probiotics is that dairy products such as milk and yogurt are all pasteurized, killing a lot of the probiotic microorganisms and leading to a barrage of probiotic supplements for sale.
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November 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 17
Wine Talk
with Alice Swift
By Alice Swift Alice Swift has been a resident of Las Vegas since July, 2011, and is currently an instructor as well as a Ph.D. student at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. She also works as Learning Design & Development Business Partner for MGM Resorts University. Check out her website at www. aliceswift.com for the dish on wine, technology, or even both! She is happy to take suggestions for article topics or inquiries.
Blind Wine Tasting:
the Ideal vs. the Reality Wine tasting is an activity that allows consumers to taste a flight of wines and hopefully learn more in the process. Your senses (sight, smell and touch/taste) are used to objectively evaluate and form your subjective opinions from the wine. The key word here is objectivity. The ideal is to be neutral when wine tasting so that consumers can evaluate specific characteristics of the wine itself. Unfortunately, preferences are swayed by many aspects, like bottle labels, region, varietal and/or producer. Price and reviews are also major factors when judging quality, and amazingly, this all happens before the wine is even tasted! Herein lies the benefits of blind tasting! Wine is evaluated using your senses and excluding possible biasing factors. However, there is an ideal vs. the reality when contrasting general consumers versus professionals. Although social consumers may not want the formality of a professional blind tasting, there are still best practices that can be applied. Here are some factors to consider: Environment/Setting The Reality: Blind tasting in social settings have many potential distractions. Poor lighting, loud music, party type atmosphere, all contribute to bias when evaluating wines. The Ideal: o Neutral, natural lighting o Minimal noise distractions o White tablecloths (or provide white paper as a backdrop to visually inspect the wine) Packaging The Reality: There are many ways to conceal a wine label (aluminum foil wrapping, brown bagging, newspaper wrapping, etc). However, there are still some remaining visual biases, like the shape of the bottle if tightly wrapped, the foil/capsule or bottle color or the cork. The Ideal: o Re-pour the wines into neutral glass bottles like large format San Pellegrino or Perrier bottles. o If re-pouring isn’t practical, remove as many visual cues as possible (cork, foil, etc.). Wrap a large paper bag loosely around the bottle to help distort the shape. Consumption Order and Quantity of Wines The Reality: If the entire group wants to participate, then chances are the wines will simply be grouped into white/red. Lack of ordering can lead to some wines overpowering
others. Too many wines tasted in one sitting can also lead to palate fatigue. For purely social drinkers, it’s not a big deal. But, for those who do want a learning experience, palate fatigue is when your sense of smell and taste becomes overworked, and the wines consumed start to blur together, smelling and tasting the same, producing flawed evaluations. The Ideal: o Provide drinking water for consumption/ rinsing your mouth between wines. o Provide neutral food to cleanse your palate and take pauses in between wines. Characteristics like acid and tannins often linger on your palate. o Have one person (who will know the wines being poured) order the wines properly (light to full bodied, low to high tannin, white to red, etc.). Other Consumed Items The Reality: Wine tastings are often paired with food, which affects the wine evaluation itself. I’ve experienced guests who favor a wine during their meal. When they later purchase/ consume the wine by itself or with other foods, it is disliked. All items consumed during wine tasting affect neutral evaluation and should be taken into consideration when forming your subjective opinions. The Ideal: o When blind tasting, the only items that should be consumed with the wines are water and a couple neutral items (unsalted/ unflavored crackers or neutral white bread). o If food will be served, then perhaps wait to serve food towards the end of the tasting
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when the fuller bodied red wines are being poured. By this time, your palate may be increasing in palate fatigue anyway, and food may be beneficial at this point. Wine Evaluation Method The Reality: Often during social events, blind tasting is very casual, with questions like “What kind of wine do you think it is?”, or “Do you like this wine?” This results in lack of identification of specific traits that the participants likes or dislikes, and are forced to draw conclusions without evaluating the wine properly. Participants may also have a wide range of wine education/tasting experience. The Ideal: o Introduce the concept of wine tasting evaluation (sight, smell, taste, major evaluation factors, etc.). o Provide some sort of evaluation or tasting grid for people to fill out for each wine to maintain consistency and neutrality when evaluating. My favorite is the Wine and Spirit Education Trust’s (WSET) Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine, which provides a tasting grid as well as categorized descriptors. A sample intermediate level grid is provided here: www.wsetglobal. com/media/2491/level-2-wines-satenglish-2014.pdf In conclusion, there are many methods to reduce internal/external biases when blind wine tasting. At the end of the day, the goal is to enjoy yourself and learn more about what is it you like or dislike about the wines you taste. Until next time, Cheers~! Alice www.socalfnbpro.com
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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.
| Foodie Biz |
Contact Ben at Ben@socalfnbpro.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.
SideChef and Chef’d Apps Partner up
Border Grill’s Street Food Fights
Water Grill Opens in Costa Mesa
Border Grill launched weekly ‘Street Food Fights’ this summer, pitting countries from across the globe against each other in a fun-loving culinary battle. Once a week, members of the Border Grill staff battled it out in matchups such as Thailand vs. Cuba, Brazil vs. Italy and Mexico vs. Lebanon. The events generated great festivity outside the Downtown LA location, as well as showcased global fusion into the restaurant’s Latin roots. Each country paired a crafted taco with a set of native items, such as Thai curry or Cuban mariquitas, which came out extremely well. We will hope to see Street Food Fights return in 2017. Also already missing Border Grill Santa Monica, which closed in October after 26 years of operation.
Water Grill, a fine dining establishment operated by King’s Seafood Company, has been serving for more than 30 years. The Costa Mesa location joins Water Grill’s restaurants in Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica and San Diego, and is King’s Seafood’s first in Orange County. Focusing on first-of-season seafood, Water Grill prides itself in offering a broad selection of fin fish, oysters, crustaceans and shellfish to its guests. The largest Water Grill to date, the nearly 18,000-square-foot restaurant and accompanying patio were designed in partnership with Hatch Design Group. Taking inspiration from a refurbished ship, the restaurant features reclaimed locally-sourced woods and authentic nautical components paired with rustic and iron finishes. King’s Seafood Distribution, the company’s private seafood distribution operation based in Santa Ana, CA, provides all the seafood for Water Grill’s menu. Streamlining the process from ocean to table, King’s Seafood Company provides seafood to its 20 restaurants. Menus are crafted daily to account for freshly caught fish and seasonal culinary changes for Water Grill guest to enjoy.
The Halal Guys Continues Expansion By the end of 2016, The Halal Guys are slated to open three more locations in Southern California. The first location will be in Cerritos, at 11435 South Street Suite A9-B. Next will be Glendale, at 201 B. Brand Blvd Suite 110. In 2017, a third location will open in Downtown Los Angeles, at 510 W 7th St. The Halal Guys, which started as a food cart on the streets of New York City, is now known as the largest American halal street food concept in the world. Current Southern California locations include Costa Mesa, Long Beach and Korea Town. The now-global chain is known for spectacular gyro sandwiches, chicken and rice platters, and its famous white sauce.
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photo courtesy Yalla Mediterranean
photo courtesy Vinoteca
Vinoteca Opens in Beverly Hills The executive and culinary team at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills introduces Vinoteca, a new Italian wine bar and espresso café adjacent to Culina restaurant. Espresso café by day, wine bar by night, Vinoteca looks to be an extension of Los Angeles’ creative pulse. Vinoteca will also feature a trendy food component to complement its beverage program. Chef Denis Dello Stritto draws inspiration from his upbringing near Naples to curate a menu of hyper-seasonal sharable plates with a focus on traditional Italian “street food.” Vinoteca offers three distinct menus for breakfast, lunch, and “apéritivo.”
photo courtesy SideChef
photos courtesy Water Grill
SideChef, a virtual culinary assistant app with built-in GPS-like recipe navigation, has partnered with Chef’d, a subscription-free meal-kit marketplace, to offer users an integrated tool that conveniently delivers pre-portioned ingredients to their door. Home cooks on the app now have access to ingredient delivery of more than 200 recipes from celebrity chefs, such as Dominique Crenn, Fabio Viviani, Adam Richman, Alex Guarnaschelli and Robert Irvine, as well as renowned cooking resources including Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, and The James Beard Foundation. Meal kits are distributed nationwide in as little as one business day and pricing begins at $6 per serving, with additional packages to serve up to a party of four.
Yalla Launches Lunchbox Concept Yalla Mediterranean, a California fastcasual concept with locations in Culver City, Long Beach and Burbank, has introduced the ‘lunch box,’ a catering alternative that focuses on vibrant fare utilizing local and responsibly raised meats and produce. Catering to people with all types of dietary restrictions [no pun intended], the new Lunch Box encourages guests to customize their own meal with a Mediterranean twist. Available for a minimum of eight people, Yalla’s Lunch Box along with all packaging comes in fully compostable containers, with easy to pop off lids. www.socalfnbpro.com
Product Review Fizzics Transforming Canned or Bottled Beer to Draft By Bob Barnes
Those of you who watch Shark Tank should be already familiar with Fizzics, a machine that uses patent-pending fluid & sound technology to transform bottled or canned beer into a creamier draft-like beer with an enhanced head. On the Season 8 premiere Fizzics CEO Phil Petracca and Chief Technology Officer David McDonald convinced Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner to invest $2 million for a 16.67% equity. The process is simple. You place a can, bottle or growler (compatible with all size cans, bottles, and accommodates up to a 64 oz growler) in the chamber, insert the straw into the opening, close it up and pull the tap handle forward. After dispensing the amount you want into your glass, the real magic happens. You then pull back on the tap handle and sound waves magically dispense a portion of the beer adding a billowy cloud of foam, providing extra creaminess, carbonation and head. I was provided with the system and did before and after taste tests on a pumpkin ale packaged in a can, a coffee stout that had been in a growler for two days and a wet hop IPA in a bottle. In the case of all three it was a very noticeable difference, with beer dispensed from the Fizzics having much more of a draft-like mouthfeel and flavor enhancement. It especially helped the beer in the growler, which had already lost much of its carbonation. The only caveat is that in the case of the IPA, I found the Fizzics version had slightly (but noticeable) less vibrancy of the hop flavor. It’s worth pointing out that not all reviewers agree with me on this, and one thought it was great for an IPA but not for a Saison, so I suggest you experiment for yourself on different beer styles. All in all, I highly recommend this product and see it as a device that will revolutionize beer drinking. What’s great is that it is easy to transport, and no CO2 cartridge is required: only four AA batteries and beer! It’s also a great attention getter and novelty for a party or casual gathering of friends. The system is currently going for $150 on the Fizzics website and is also available at Amazon, Best Buy, Brookstone and Target. As for the price tag, it’s much cheaper and less equipment to fuss with than investing in a draft system. I’ve already had friends and relatives ask to borrow it, so perhaps you could recoup your investment by renting it out. :) To see a video demonstrating the product and to purchase, visit fizzics.com.
Miracle Berry Changes Sour to Sweet By Bob Barnes
MiraBurst is a concoction that temporarily modifies the perception of sour and acidic foods and drinks and has been called “the magic berry that turns sour foods sweet.” The suggested use is to dissolve a tablet completely on your tongue before swallowing followed by foods and drinks immediately and up to 90 minutes. The miracle berry (Synsepalum Dulcificum) is a plant native to West Africa that has been used for centuries by local tribes to sweeten generally acidic diets. The berry is treasured for its unique effect on the taste buds and contains Miraculin, which binds to the taste receptors on the tongue and transforms the tastes of sour and acidic foods, making them taste sweet naturally. The idea and reason for its use is that this product will transform the taste of a cheap wine into a wine with a much fuller, rounder flavor; or augment foods and drinks that are already sweet to new heights of enhanced sweetness. Each tablet is 0 calories, so it could also be used to sweeten the flavor of water or other low calorie drinks. As usual, I submitted my body to the test, and tried some before and after tastes of red wine, a dark lager and a lemon slice. Amazingly after ingesting the tablet the lemon slice tasted as sweet as lemonade. In the case of the cheap red wine (indeed cheap, a $3.99 bottle!), it was considerably improved, and, the dark beer had added sweetness. A pack of 10 tablets sells for $12.75. For more info and to order, go to miraburst.com.
Cachaça Augusta By Adam Rains
Cachaça Augusta hails from Engenho São Luiz, near São Paulo, Brazil. With the perfect “terroir,” experience and mastery through practice, they are producing a unique and artisanal Cachaça. While this sugar cane spirit is lessor known than its Caribbean cousin—rum, it is one of the preeminent and most consumed spirits in the world. The makers of Cachaça Augusta have a focus on ecological preservation and operate in a sustainable way. It is distilled from hand-cut, estate-grown fresh cane juice. Augusta utilizes artisan copper stills which not only gives tight control over quality but also allows for the character of this unique spirit to show though. For more info visit www.concurrentimports.com/cachaca-augusta.html.
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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 New Releases By Bob Barnes CraftHaus Belgard Coffee Stout Beers made with coffee have been catching on in recent years, and while I have tasted quite a few coffeeinfused beers over the past few years, CraftHaus Belgard Coffee Stout is without question the coffeeist I’ve ever tasted. (Okay, I know coffeeist isn’t a word, but I think it should be and want the credit for creating it!) Belgard Coffee Stout is moving into the core line-up of the Henderson, Nevada-based brewery, joining its Evocation Saison and Resinate IPA. It’s also about as local as a beer can get, for it is brewed with freshly roasted beans from local roaster Vest Coffee. Upon pouring you’ll encounter a huge coffee aroma and upon sipping an ample coffee essence. In fact, I’d go so far as to suggest this would be a great alternative to enjoying after a meal instead of an espresso or other coffee drink. And, at only 5.2% ABV it’s not too filling. Good news for us is that it is now being offered year round and will soon be available in cans for purchase in stores.
Uinta Funk’ N Patch Brett Pumpkin Ale It’s certainly the season to enjoy food and drink with pumpkin and the spices associated with pumpkin pie. The Salt Lake City-based Uinta Brewing has produced annual pumpkin beers for quite some time, but now comes its most unique and out-of-the-box variant yet, one spiked with brettanomyces, which features that great barnyard funkiness (hence the Funk’ in the name). Part of Uinta’s new wild ale program, this 8% ABV brew brings forth tartness, but not overwhelmingly so, which allows the sweet malts and pumpkin pie spices to have their turn satisfying your taste buds. This beer is worth purchasing for the cool artwork by Evan Jed Memott on the label alone, which depicts a guy with a pumpkin head dancing and trying to look cool.
Sapporo Premium Black SAPPORO U.S.A. recently launched its Sapporo Premium Black, its first new product in the U.S. market since 2004. This dark lager is a new direction for Sapporo and marks its first dark beer. The 5% ABV brew offers aromas of chocolate and roasted dark malt, complemented by a sweet, round fullness of black coffee on the palate. It weighs in at 5% ABV and is packaged in a 22 oz can. The brewery suggests it is suitable for food pairings that include grilled, roasted or blackened meats, burgers, smoked sausages and hearty seafood such as swordfish or tuna. The beer officially launched September 1, and joins the Sapporo brand family that also includes Sapporo Premium, Sapporo Reserve and Sapporo Premium Light.
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SKA Brewing Euphoria Pale Ale Just in time for the approaching colder months, the Durango, Colorado-based SKA Brewing has released its annual winter seasonal. This American-style Pale Ale has a backbone of malt, some caramel sweetness, a touch of chocolate and toast and enough alcohol (6.2% ABV) to help you stay warm through the winter months. It also has a resinous and citrusy grapefruit hop aroma and flavor, provided by a huge dry hop addition at the end of fermentation, and is hop-forward enough to fool you into thinking you’re drinking an IPA, despite its middle range of 45 IBUs. The label depicts a dancing skeleton, likely in front of the San Juan Mountains which the brewery sits at the base of.
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By K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.
West Eats East Energy Drinks Energy drinks: non-alcohol beverages, with or without carbonation, to invigorate you to recover from fatigue quickly and move forward positively in these busy days. Since birth, humans have been searching for such a thing and trying many things, and will continue to do so. It is part of our ultimate, eternal desire to live long and active by all means. Medicinal plants, fungus, minerals and alcohol, currently legal or illegal, have been our agents to pursue such a goal. They have been also fomented often for communicating with gods in most civilizations. Drinks in liquid form are more susceptible to dissolve or suspend functional ingredients which can be more quickly absorbed than in solid food form, which requires longer time in digestion. Besides, liquid form is good for supplementing moisture to the body, which is another key element for recovery. History recorded Chinese emperors had spent enormous time and resources to seek magic potions or stuff for eternal youth and longevity all over their territories and beyond. A utopia where people lived happily without any annoyance of struggles with economy and health was also sought. They wanted to warp into such a dream state or land in this and the other world. Among them, garlic, wild onion, ginseng, tea leaves (a source of caffeine) and many other medicinal plants-herbs were found promising not only in Asia but also in the Silk Road territories and beyond. Ordinary people utilizing those found recovery from fatigue, early symptom remedy or simple refreshment as well. Thus health drinks were innovated and consumed seriously all over the Far East. When a bottling facility became available, health drinks started to be produced in a bottle or packaged commercially. Vitamins, minerals and functional materials are further added for enhancing health functions in the commercial production. People anticipate something magically healthy in such drinks for materializing our ever-lasting dream, physiologically and psychologically. In the Far East including Japan, commercially manufactured health drinks have been very popular primarily for two specific reasons or anticipations.
TRADITIONAL YET NEW Perfect Soy Sauce Flavor without the Color! A golden color white soy sauce No burnt dark soy sauce flavor No darkening color in cooking Remarkable for sea foods, veggies, pasta, fusion and natural foods
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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.
One is for quick recovery from a hangover. Another is for stronger macho functions. Such drinks range from simple carbonated drinks with vitamins and minerals to ginseng drinks under or out of pharmaceutical regulations like medicine or supplement. In other words, health drinks were created for males to behave like a strong macho. TV commercials or ads target only to men accordingly. A man who is hungover gulps such a drink at a train station kiosk in the morning. A golfer also drinks before starting playing for betting on scores. It is not a doping. As a matter of course, it is also a common scene prior to disappearing into the dark at night in red zones. Such a macho market was there but limited. The manufacturers tried to expand such a health drink macho market into a wider general public soft drink market by launching a clean, healthy image for all gender and age sections. Sugar, carbonation, less medicinal image and other soft drink characters are brought into health drinks to convert into an energy drink. An energy drink can be then defined as a soft drink version of health drinks for anyone for both refreshing and invigorating. Our current energy drinks have a well-tested record in Asian and Japanese markets. Again one of the biggest soft drink entities of the world launched one in Japan after canned coffee drinks. It added an image of soft drinks for anyone who felt the need to boost energy. Its market expanded as intended including children, though this market was not intended to be included. Some parents believed it good for longer, eager studying for better grades, which eventually would lead to admission to good schools. It is not a sports drink like Gatorade which primarily supplies water and mineral electrolytes which are lost in sweat in sport activities. Now in our market, soft drink manufactures and newcomers have launched it, targeting young people, both male and female, who may need an instant kick occasionally in their busy routine. Caffeine is a significant ingredient to promote its function just like coffee. It may provide physiological and also psychological effect to satisfy desire to gain power for the thing to come next. Its store shelf appears to have been expanding. I personally have no idea of making a mix with alcohol. Besides, I am not so young anymore for such a drink. An energy drink seems the one for younger people who need full energy ahead. November 2016 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 25
EVENTS
AD INDEX
For the Main Event of November I would like to invite all serious Food & Beverage Professionals as well as aficionados to the upcoming San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival now celebrating its 13 year anniversary of great food, wines and fun! From November 14 thru 20, you can pick and choose from dozens of events, dinners, tastings and all-out experiences. Some of the best wines from around the world will be served and there will be several celebrity chefs starting with one of our favorite chefs out of Chicago, Rick Bayless. You can look forward to over 150 wineries, brewers and spirit purveyors and 60 of San Diego’s best restaurants.
Audrey Dempsey Infinity Photo page 7 www.infinity-photo.com 702-837-1128
HERE ARE A FEW OF MY PICKS OF DAILY SAMPLINGS… Monday 11/14 Dinner at Ironside Fish & Oyster w/Jason McLeod & Stephanie Prida Manresa Tuesday 11/15 Fish Taco TKO Hosted by Rick Moonen Wednesday 11/16 Morning-Expedition: BAJA Evening-A Sicilian Grand Wine Dinner: Highlighting the Slopes of Mount Etna
Bivi Vodka www.bivivodka.com 631-464-4050 Don Julio donjulio.com
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FORKS: A Quest for Culture, Cuisine, and Connection www.forksthebook.com JaM Cellars 707-265-7577 jamcellars.com
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Jay’s Sharpening Service www.jayssharpening.com 702-645-0049
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Major Foods www.majorproducts.com 702-838-4698
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Recipes for Restaurateurs www.marketing-cookbook.com
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Robert Mondavi Winery robertmondaviwinery.com
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Uncle Steve’s www.unclestevesny.com 718-605-0416
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White Soy Sauce www.whitesoysaucefood.com
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Thursday 11/17 History of Craft Beer: Ancient to Present Friday 11/18 Bounty of San Diego: Rancher, Farmers + Fishermen Saturday 11/19 Lexus Grand Tasting: Where it all comes together and explodes with excitement!
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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 November 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