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November 2018
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CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER WELCOME TO OUR NOVEMBER ISSUE OF THE SOCAL FOOD & BEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL as the cooling weather which mixes up menus with fresh products and presentations. November is harvest time in the Northern California wine vineyards, which bring us great wines to pair with the new menus. Trends we are now seeing in a multitude of restaurants and foodservice facilities is HAPPY HOUR, offered from upscale restaurants to fast casual stores, usually for pre-dinner service, and late-night venues even offer a reverse Happy Hour late night for industry professionals. November Cover Feature supports ALZHEIMER’S AWARENESS MONTH and turning Cover Our the town purple, the color of mental health awareness. PBS-Public Broadcasting Service has produced a documentary, The Power of Love, supporting mental awareness and focusing on The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health which has been honored as a “Center of Excellence” by the Parkinson’s Foundation. The Las Vegas clinic, Keep Memory Alive, is the brainchild dedicated to Lou Ruvo, by his son Larry Ruvo, when his father was diagnosed with a brain health disorder.
5 PAGE 5 The Bottom Line by our Restaurant Editor Ben Brown brings us what he calls,
14
Tips on Leading a Great Restaurant Staff. “Know your people… Too many managers [across the business world] fail to see the human aspect of their business. Praise consistently…Recognize positive performance in real-time, or soon thereafter. Do this often with every staff member. Point the finger on yourself first…Plates get dropped and orders get botched. It’s unfortunate, but accidents happen. Get in the trenches when needed…Managers truly stand out when they take orders, serve tables and take the burden off their staff. Take a breath when things heat up…The hospitality industry comes with a constant influx of high-pressure situations. Being that caring, compassionate leader is most important during the toughest times.”
9 PAGE 9 Goose Island Remains Committed to Chicago and Good Beer according to our Beer Writer Pat Evans who tells us, “more than seven years ago, the beer world was shaken by the Anheuser-Busch deal to purchase Chicago’s Goose Island. The impact of Anheuser-Busch, now part of AB InBev, has certainly divided parts of the beer industry as the company has gone on to purchase more craft breweries and seemingly dominates the separate, but all too included beer distribution industry.” Read more and learn more!
10 PAGE 10 The Restaurant Expert, David Scott Peters, takes us through 7 Steps to Keep
Profits Coming in the Back Door. “Your back door is where you do a very important segment of your business–it’s where you order and receive your product. And it’s where restaurants bleed cash. To fix this, I stress the importance of having systems in place to make your life easier and make you a lot more money. Here’s a step-by-step system that will help you do both of those things.” So read on… A final note for the upcoming holiday season and enjoying all the food & beverage available. Please contact a designated driver if you over-enjoy your party and drink too much to operate your car. There is always LYFT and UBER available and just a phone call away…Thank you and CHEERS! Mike Fryer-Sr. Editor/Publisher Page 4 Hot off the Grill! Page 5 The Bottom Line Tips on Leading a Great Restaurant Staff
21 www.socalfnbpro.com
Page11 Human Resources Insights Train Your Leadership Team to Value Diversity
Page 6 What’s Brewing
Page 12 COVER FEATURE Month of Memory National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness & Family Caregiver Month
Page 8 Product Review
Page 14 Foodie Biz
Page 9 Goose Island Remains Committed to Chicago and Good Beer
Page 17 Spirits Confidential with Max Solano From Slave to Distilling Legend
Page 10 The Restaurant Expert 7 Steps to Keep Profits Coming in the Back Door
Page 20 Brett’s Vegas View Page 21 Wine Talk with Alice Swift Alice’s Wine Picks for the Holidays Page 22 Events Ad Index ACF Chefs of SoCal
Page 18 Chef Talk A Beta Feta Cheese
November 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 3
The Socal Food & Beverage Professional 7442 Grizzly Giant Street Las Vegas, NV 89139
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HOT OFF THE GRILL!
Mike Fryer
Sr. Editor/Publisher Thank you for joining us in this issue of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional. For any questions or comments please email mike@socalfnbpro.com
Juanita Fryer
Assistant To Sr. Editor ACF Chefs Liasion/Journalist juanita.fryer@socalfnbpro.com
Juanita Aiello
Creative Director juanita@socalfnbpro.com
Bob Barnes
Editorial Director bob@socalfnbpro.com
Restaurant Editor Ben Brown was on site for the 5th annual Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival, and what a show it was! A full Foodie Biz spread is needed to recount the tales of homemade flamethrowers, liquid nitrogen explosions, foie gras cream puffs and more.
Ben Brown
Restaurant Editor ben@socalfnbpro.com
Adam Rains
Beverage Editor adam.rains@socalfnbpro.com
The World’s Largest Gin & Tonic made with Empress 1908 Gin was recently prepared at the Palms Casino and certified by Guinness Book of World Records. The record-breaking event was held in conjunction with Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, the United States Bartenders’ Guild and Keep Memory Alive and Brain Health Awareness Month.
Advertising sales@socalfnbpro.com
Article Submissions/Suggestions articles@socalfnbpro.com
Calendar Submissions calendar@socalfnbpro.com
Website webmaster@socalfnbpro.com
Press Relase Submissions news@socalfnbpro.com
General Information info@socalfnbpro.com
@socalfnbpro
The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Legal Editorial Advisor Andrew Matney
Journalist What’s Brewing David Mulvihill
Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan
Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett Journalist
Best of the Best Shelley Stepanek
Journalist Spirits Confidential Max Solano
Journalist Good for Spooning LeAnne Notabartolo
Journalist Front & Back of the House Gael Hees
Photographer Audrey Dempsey
Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch
Journalist Pat Evans
Journalist The Restaurant Expert David Scott Peters
Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift
Journalist Sandy Korem
Journalists Twinkle Toast Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover
Journalist Lisa Matney
Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein
Journalist Made from Scratch John Rockwell
4 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I November 2018
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The Bottom Line
Know your people
Too many managers [across the business world] fail to see the human aspect of their business. There’s a living, breathing person behind every position you’ve filled, and establishing a personal connection with them is the easiest way to not only get a better grasp of your operation, but to also get your staff to feel valued in their roles. Take 30 minutes to sit down with each of your staff. In these one-on-ones, ask them about their hobbies, their families and their motivators. Hone in on the motivators, as these will be your fuel for fostering positive performance over time. Listen more than you speak. You’ll gain tremendous insight and build rapport at the same time. www.socalfnbpro.com
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,
Tips on Leading a Great Restaurant Staff
Any successful restaurant—and really any business entity in general—boils back down to its people. As an owner, manager, head chef or any other authoritative figure, the power is in your hands to lead your team to greatness. This analogy has been used many times, but think of your interactions with your staff as a form of currency. Positive interactions are a form of money in your pocket, which you can use whenever you need your people to give a little something extra. If you run out of this theoretical cash, you may not get the performance you’re looking for. Take a few of the items below into consideration for managing your team:
By Ben Brown
Analytics, Consumer Insights, PR and Business
Development. Contact Ben at Ben@lvfnb.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.
Praise consistently
core responsibilities, goes a long way. This shows staff that you don’t think you’re “above them,” and while you may remain higher in the pecking order, you’re also perceived as an equal in many regards. This goodwill will serve you well when you do need to ask people to go above and beyond. They know you’ve got their back, so they’ll get yours.
Recognize positive performance in real-time, or soon thereafter. Do this often with every staff member. It doesn’t have to be a landmark moment to receive praise; of course recognize a server when they win an upsell contest, but it can be as little as handling a tough table or making a timely decision in the kitchen. Be sure to note whether each staff member prefers to be praised publicly or privately. Take a breath when Some people don’t like to be called out in front things heat up of their peers, even if it’s for something great. The hospitality industry comes with a constant influx of high-pressure situations. Being that Point the finger on yourself first Plates get dropped and orders get botched. It’s caring, compassionate leader is most important unfortunate, but accidents happen. An easy during the toughest times. When the kitchen go-to would be to scold the perpetrator. “How gets backed up or the hostess is dealing with an endless line, this otherwise stressful situation is could you let this happen?!” you could yell. your time to shine. But instead, why not ask yourself “How could Barking orders and singling people out can I let this happen?” often be the go-to for mangers already pulling Mistakes often have a root for their cause. A their hair out. Acting on the ‘easy way out’ will server could have dropped those plates because sadly undo a lot of goodwill you may have they’re handling 20 more covers than they built up. Game-changing leaders, on the other should be taking on. That goes back to the top, hand, will remain calm and give constructive where management is responsible for providing guidance. Help your people through the tough their staff with the environment and resources times and their productivity will skyrocket. they need to succeed. Each of these items will work differently at Get in the trenches your restaurant, and of course each of your staff when needed will respond differently to these various tactics. Managers truly stand out when they take It’s critical to be genuine in your efforts, as just orders, serve tables and take the burden off ‘going through the motions’ will be a waste their staff. Head chefs stand out when they of time for everyone involved. If you go the join the line. Taking the burden off your staff extra mile, your staff will be motivated to do during rush periods, while maintaining your the same. November 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 5
what’s
By David Mulvihill David Mulvihill strives to experience and write about the ever-evolving face of SoCal craft beer. He also covers Orange County for Celebrator Beer News and provides business and compliance support to SoCal breweries. Contact him at david@socalcraftbeer.com.
BREWING
GABF 2018
photo by Taylor Peck
photo by David Mulvihill
50 Great American Beer Festival 2018 Medals Were Awarded to SoCal Breweries this Year
photo by David Mulvihill
(l-r) Jerrod Larsen (Tustin Brewing), Ian McCall (RIIP Beer Co), Maxwell Jones and Tana (TAPS).
Multiple awards winners: Buellton’s Firestone Walker Barrelworks scored gold in the Experimental Beer category for its Feral Brute, a beer that began by being cofermented with foot-crushed pinot noir grapes and aged in French oak barrels for a year prior to blending, bottle-conditioning and beginning the Champagne method of riddling for a threeyear period. Barrelworks’ second medal came in the Collaboration Competition. Keeping it in the family, silver was shared with Firestone Walker Brewing Co (Paso Robles). The team from The Publican in Chicago was also part of the collaboratively-brewed Pixie Dusted, an American wild ale fermented with Pixie Tangerines (juice & zest) from Friend’s Ranches of Ojai. Open for two years and 2 GABF competitions, Orange County’s Stereo Brewing Company (Placentia) also received two 2018 medals, adding confirmation for owner/brewer Rick Smets and his team that the painstaking time and effort they place on doing things right
photo by David Mulvihill
Clockwise from front: Brandon Fender (The Good Beer Co), Kyle Giannuzzi (Brewery X), Brian Rauso (Green Cheek), Rick Smets (Stereo), Brian Hendon and Bryan Giesen (Docent).
Stereo Brewing’s (front l-r) Dylan Macsata, Paulina Logan, Courtney Cross, Michelle Stauffer.- (top l-r) Marco Rios, Rick Smets, Amanda Pearce Smets, Tina Anderson, Nicole Coram.
(l-r) Brian Hendon (Docent), Evan Price (Green Cheek), and Bryan Giesen (Docent).
translates into some amazing and on-point beer. Having already received a gold medal in 2017 for his Wall of Sound oatmeal stout, this beer was again recognized, this time with a bronze medal. Robot Imperial Red was Stereo’s second medal winner this year, awarded a silver medal. Rick and Amanda pulled out all of the stops for Stereo Brewing’s Second Anniversary Celebration. Along with five bands and even a haircut station Stereo’s line-up of quality beer was supplemented with quite a few one-off variant beers and the release of its Year 2 beer, DO IT AGAIN!, a hazy IPA fermented with A38 Juice yeast and triple dry-hopped with Calypso, Mosaic & Citra. Orange and mango flavors emanate and the beer finishes with satisfying orange zest bitterness. San Diego County’s Groundswell Brewing (Chula Vista) also received silver for Piloncillo Brown and bronze for Know Ego Irish-style dry stout. Groundswell owners Kevin Rhodes and Christianne Penunuri were likely ecstatic. From its humble beginnings in its Grantville location
6 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I November 2018
Groundswell grew to take over the former Twisted Manzanita facility in Santee and most recently open a tasting room in Chula Vista. And, representing both ends of the spectrum, Orange County’s other double medal winner was Green Cheek Beer Co (Orange). With 311 entries in the highly contested American-Style IPA category (311 entries), Evan Price, Brian Rauso and team scored bronze for West Coast IPA is Dead!. Earlier this year the team was awarded a silver medal at the World Beer Cup for Radiant Beauty, also an American-style IPA. Green Cheek’s second bronze was for Fools & Babies, entered as a dark mild in the EnglishStyle Mild Ale category. Demonstrative in the awards received, Green Cheek, Stereo and many other breweries that received decorations this year show that Southern California beers are not only about hops. Many classic styles as well as Belgian inspired sours also received awards. www.socalfnbpro.com
The SoCal list (by area): San Diego County (5 Gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze) Gold: Rye Dawn, Breakwater Brewing, Oceanside Natural Bridge: Vienna Lager, Eppig Brewing, San Diego The Coachman, Societe Brewing, San Diego Liquid AC, Karl Strauss Brewing - La Jolla B.Right On Pale Ale, Ocean Beach Brewery, San Diego Noble Miner, Burgeon Beer, Carlsbad
Funk Yeah, Beachwood Blendery, Long Beach Silver: It’s My Island, Pocock Brewing, Santa Clarita
OC & Corona
(2 Gold, 4 Silver, 6 Bronze) Gold:
The Shroud, Bravery Brewing, Lancaster
Grandpa Tractor, Barley Forge Brewing, Costa Mesa
Skag, 6th and La Brea, Los Angeles
Nobility, Noble Ale Works, Anaheim
It’s My Island, Pocock Brewing Co, Santa Clarita
Silver:
Bronze: Kumquat Saison, Smog City Brewing Wood Cellar, Torrance
Redrum, Duck Foot Brewing, San Diego
Figtoberfest, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Westlake Village, Westlake Village
Duck Duck Gooze, Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey, San Marcos
Bear Temper, Trustworthy Brewing, Burbank
Robot, Stereo Brewing, Placentia TAPS Irish Red, TAPS Fish House and Brewery - Corona Black the Riipper, Riip Beer Co, Huntington Beach Udder Love, Beachwood Brewing, Huntington Beach Bronze:
Silver:
Central Coast & Ventura County
(3 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze)
Piloncillo Brown, Groundswell Brewing, Santee
Gold:
West Coast IPA is Dead!, Green Cheek, Orange
Delaminator Doppelbock, Rip Current, San Marcos
Oats, Pizza Port Solana Beach Bronze: Chocolate Macadamia Nut Stout, Kilowatt Brewing, San Diego Zungen Brecher, Home Brewing Co, San Diego Know Ego, Groundswell Brewing, Santee Bird Park, North Park Beer Co, San Diego Rail Gun Wee Heavy, BNS Brewing & Distilling Co. Santee
Los Angeles County (3 golds, 4 Silver. 3 Bronze) Gold: Happy Days, Claremont Craft Ales, Claremont Get Up Offa That Brown, Golden Road Brewing-Los Angeles
Mischief, The Bruery, Placentia Lumino, Unsung Brewing Co., Tustin
Feral Brute, Firestone Walker Barrelworks, Buellton
Fools & Babies, Green Cheek, Orange
Davy Brown Ale, Figueroa Mountain Brewing, Buellton
Hayshaker, Gunwhale Ales, Costa Mesa
MadeWest Standard, MadeWest Brewing, Ventura
Inland Areas
Silver:
Gold:
Neighborhood, Ventura Coast Brewing Co., Ventura
Raspberry Twist Lager, Garage Brewing, Temecula
Pixie Dusted, Firestone Walker Barrelworks, Buellton/Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles
New England Style Double IPA, Black Market Brewing, Temecula
Bronze: Hoppy Poppy IPA, Figueroa Mountain Brewing, Buellton Lucky Day, Central Coast Brewing, San Luis Obispo Nighthawk, Enegren Brewing Co, Moorpark
Wall of Sound, Stereo Brewing, Placentia
Belgian Honey Blonde, No Clue Craft Brewery, Rancho Cucamonga Silver: Sippin on Dank 2.0, Kings Brewing Co., Rancho Cucamonga Brown Claw, Kern River Brewing Co., Kernville
Brewer Mash
Hoptoberfest
The annual OC Brewers Guild Brewers Mash took place on a beautiful Saturday evening in late October within the serene surroundings of the Fullerton Arboretum. The Guild encouraged host breweries and attending guests to dress in costume and decorate their serving booths in Halloween related themes. Guild member brewers brought some of their best beers along with seasonal creations: few tricks but plenty of treats. Chapman Crafted’s “B” is for Brownie beer was served with TCHO chocolates. Unsung Brewing Co dispensed its Shiver & Shake S’mores Stout. All American Ale Works served a s’mores inspired porter. Oktoberfest beers were provided by Anaheim Brewery, Cismontane, Hoparazzi and Unsung Brewing. The hops-, IPA- and sour-inclined found numerous choices including those offered by Beachwood, Bruery Terreux, The Good Beer Co, Artifex, Bootleggers, Left Coast and Pizza Port. Food, music, costume contest and booth decor awards were also on the bill to fill out the evening. Stereo’s Fun House-inspired setup was awarded best booth.
The previous weekend, the aforementioned Pizza Port San Clemente held its 10th Annual Hoptoberfest. Ten years ago Pizza Port decided on a different form of Oktoberfest celebration. Instead of traditional Germanstyle Oktoberfest it would pay tribute to hoppy beers. In past years Hoptoberfest was held as a separately-ticketed rooftop parking lot event. This year, all of the fresh hop, hoppy ales and IPAs were available to all comers throughout the restaurant and lot, without the need for separate entry fee. Taste and full-pint options were available. As in past years, Pizza Port co-owner Vince Marsaglia was on hand to assist in preparing tasty non-pizza fare on the rooftop annex. Fresh hop ales included nine Pizza Port creations brewed at the various Pizza Port locations. Ten additional fresh hop beers came from Fall (San Diego), Hop Saint (Torrance), Artifex (San Clemente), Docent (San Juan Capistrano), Faction (Alameda), Three Weavers (Inglewood), Fieldwork (Northern CA), Beachwood (Huntington Beach) and Great Divide (Denver). This reporter attended Friday night’s session that was also accompanied by a period of torrential rain and power outage. Attendees and staff dealt with these brief inconveniences without issue or much interruption.
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November 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 7
Product Review By Bob Barnes
Ambros Banana Whiskey Southern Nevada-based Derby Spirits has released the first-of-its-kind Ambros Banana Whiskey, using premium-aged whiskey infused with 100% real bananas, with no artificial flavors, preservatives, ‘natural’ flavoring, fruit juice concentrate, added sugars or syrups. The 30% ABV spirit delivers pure banana taste along with a smooth premium whiskey presence, making this a unique drink which I personally enjoy very much and think anyone who likes the flavor of banana and whiskey will as well. Since its launch in August, 2018 the whiskey has found a home at several of Las Vegas’ premier venues including Hakkasan Group at its namesake club, Wet Republic, Omnia and Searsucker; Clique Hospitality at The Still, Apex and Hearthstone; at Wynn venues Intrigue, Encore Beach Club and XS; restaurants including STK, Yellowtail, TopGolf and Scotch 80; and at all Liquor World and Lee’s Discount Liquor retail locations. Look for it in SoCal beginning mid-January. AmbrosWhiskey.com or Facebook and Instagram @AmbrosWhiskey.
Humboldt Distillery Organic Rum Rum is a spirit currently enjoying an increase in popularity, especially premium varieties like those from Humboldt Distillery, Northern California’s original micro-distillery. The distillery makes small-batch spirits crafted from domestic, sustainably farmed ingredients and sources all water from watersheds that originate in the county’s ancient redwood forests. I sampled their Organic Rum, a light-bodied and easy drinking gold rum, with aromatic hints of caramel and toffee; and Organic Spiced Rum, with hints of vanilla, allspice and fruit. I found both to be great on their own, but if you are so inclined they should be ideal for mixing into cocktails, hot holiday ciders or as a topper for eggnog. For recipes, visit humboldtdistillery.com.
Anchor Fog Breaker IPA Anchor Brewing Company’s roots date back to the California Gold Rush, making it one of America’s oldest breweries. The brewery was revived in 1965 by brewing legend Fritz Maytag who was one of the first to brew craft beer in the modern age, gaining acclaim for the iconic Anchor Steam Beer. In the following years Anchor has launched many other beer styles, and lately has gotten into the IPA game, offering their versions of the number one-selling craft beer style. Its latest release is named for the brewery’s location in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood, an area known for sunshine. The brewery’s marketing suggests its sunshiny brightness bursting with fresh pine and juicy tropical hops will burst through the fog. Upon pouring there is a defined tropical fruit and pine aroma and the flavor is as described above, but I was happily surprised by its remarkable crispness, something one would expect more from a lager than an ale. While admittedly not a big IPA fan, I found this 6.8% ABV IPA brewed with malted wheat and 2-row pale malt to be an easy-drinking representative of the style that pretty much anyone who likes beer can enjoy. This is the first Anchor beer exclusively developed at Anchor’s pilot brewery and bar, Public Taps, and after consistently being one of the quickest beers to sell out was moved into full-scale production. www.anchorbrewing.com
The Macallan Since its founding by Alexander Reid in 1824 an obsession with quality has been the hallmark of The Macallan distillery. Nestled on a plateau above the river Spey in northeast Scotland, The Macallan has built a reputation as one of the world’s leading single malt whisky makers, and after sampling three of its exquisite expressions I can see why. The Macallan Reflexion brings a blood orange hue; aroma of fresh citrus and notes of chocolate and caramel; flavors of citrus zest, sweetness of lemon and orange and subtle hints of cinnamon and ginger; and finish of toasted oak. The Macallan No. 6 has a Spanish sunset hue; aroma of raisin, dates, figs, dark chocolate and toffee apples; flavors of rich fruit cake of raisin, dates and figs, apples, sultanas, orange, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and hints of clove; and silky smooth full finish. The Macallan M presents a rosewood hue; aroma of dried fruits, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, nutmeg and cinnamon; flavors of wood spices, and a bit of smoke; and raisin and sultana finish. As you can see from the descriptions these are extremely complex expressions with myriad of flavor aspects. Look for these Scotch whiskies wherever fine single malts are sold. www.themacallan.com/en-us
8 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I November 2018
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More than seven years ago, the beer world was shaken by the Anheuser-Busch deal to purchase Chicago’s Goose Island. The impact of Anheuser-Busch, now part of AB InBev, has certainly divided parts of the beer industry as the company has gone on to purchase more craft breweries and seemingly dominates the separate, but all too included beer distribution industry. I often see the divisiveness as a national beverage writer—even among writers— between people who happily still drink those beers or are oblivious to ownership and those who protest the global conglomerate’s ownership. I couldn’t tell you the last time I bought a Goose product, but I’ll happily drink it when I come across it, even before I was invited on a press trip to Chicago in September. The trip was meant to showcase this year’s Bourbon County Stout variants, but also the commitment and investment within the Chicago Goose Island brewery. It’s a little jarring to me that so many people outside of employees of the craft beer industry are concerned with the deal, but I do understand those employees’ issues. Having once worked at a brewery, I understand the desire for many owners to accept a deal—Goose Island sold for $38.8 million and a few years later, Ballast Point sold for $1 billion to Constellation Brands. At the time of the deal, it was understandable that Goose Island founder John Hall was nearing retirement age and wanted to recoup his investment. The ensuing investment in Goose Island, and the other brands it’s since purchased, has been a boon to the brewery and its employees and likely the entire industry. Walking through the brewery, it looks like many of the other large craft breweries across the U.S., an expected picture given Goose Island’s influential status as it’s now in its 30th year of operation. But with production of its major brands, like 312 Wheat Ale and IPA farmed out to AB’s massive breweries, the brewers in Chicago are given a long leash in terms of innovation. Those beers often start as taproom-only releases and Chicagoonly releases, eventually graduating into full distribution, but still brewed at the Chicago brewery. www.socalfnbpro.com
Twitter: @patevans Instagram: @patrickmevans
We also walked toured Intelligentsia Coffee, the brewery’s coffee provider, and the barrelhouse with thousands of barrels of beer aging. While in the barrelhouse, we tried this year’s Bourbon County variants: Bourbon County Brand Wheatwine, Bourbon County Brand Stout, Reserve Bourbon County Brand Stout, Bourbon County Brand Coffee Barleywine, Bourbon County Brand Midnight Orange Stout, Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout, Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout and Bourbon County Brand Bramble Rye Stout. While in Chicago, I chatted with an innovation brewer, Tim Faith, whom I knew from my days at the Grand Rapids Business Journal and his at New Holland Brewing Co. His wheatwine will be among the variants of Bourbon County releases this year. He spoke to me about the great opportunities the brewery has now because of AB’s investment, including research, quality tools and educational experiences. A quality assurance employee at another major Midwest brewery I recently had drinks with, said the research and advancements made at the major breweryowned production facilities benefit the entire industry, backed up Faith’s statements. Then when you start to look at the beer scene in Chicago (and Midwest) and notice how many of the founders and brewers came from Goose Island, it’s startling. I’ve always been on the side of drink what your palate likes and I still am. If one of the AB breweries (Goose Island, 10 Barrel, Golden Road, Blue Point, Elysian, Wicked Weed, Karbach, Devil’s Backbone, Four Peaks, Breckenridge, or even the CBA breweries like Kona) tastes good, drink them! I’m also of the belief it’s important to try, and support, local beers wherever travels take you and in your neighborhood. Yes, some of AB InBev’s tactics can be a bit predatory. Does that stop consumers from buying products from other major corporations? No. Does their investment in breweries help the entire industry? Yes and I have no doubt, while AB wants to make the most money it can, that it also cares about beer as a whole.
The trip to Chicago could have altered my view, especially if they were trying to hide behind a veil, but the entire time they talked freely of their experiences with AB. I respect those who disagree with AB InBev, but I also don’t feel like beer (or politics) should be like sports fandom, it’s not cut or dry. No matter how you feel this year’s batch of Bourbon County Stout variants are definitely worth a try, no matter how you feel about the brewery’s ownership.
Tim Faith discussing his beer
Goose Island head brewer Jared Jankoski pulling fresh Bourbon County Brand Stout from a barrel
photo by Pat Evans
Goose Island Remains Committed to Chicago and Good Beer
By Pat Evans Pat Evans is a writer based in Las Vegas and Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is a regular contributor to Grand Rapids Magazine, October and The Manual often writing about food, beer and spirits. He has written one book, Grand Rapids Beer, and has more on the way.
November 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 9
The RESTAURANT EXPERT 7 Steps to Keep Profits Coming in the Back Door
By David Scott Peters David Scott Peters is a restaurant consultant, coach, speaker and founder of TheRestaurantExpert.com, a company committed to the success of independent restaurants. Peters is a restaurant industry-recognized blogger and his writing is regularly published in restaurant industry publications, such as Restaurant Hospitality, Catersource, and QSR Magazine. Learn more at www.TheRestaurantExpert.com.
Your back door is where you do a very important segment of your business– it’s where you order and receive your product. And it’s where restaurants bleed cash. To fix this, I stress the importance of having systems in place to make your life easier and make you a lot more money. Here’s a step-by-step system that will help you do both of those things. 1) Plan where deliveries are to be accepted. If you have the room, the best place to check deliveries in is in the walk-in cooler. 2) Work with your purveyors in advance to set up receiving time. Bring your orders in when you have trained staff to check them in (see step four) and during slower times. 3) Limit your delivery driver’s access to only delivery areas. 4) Have either management or a trained key employee receive orders. 5) When checking in your delivery, follow these steps: a. Check invoices for accuracy against your PO (hung at the back door) for each item, quantity and prices. b. Check products for quality and condition. c. Check temperatures of any refrigerated products to make sure they are not out of the safe zone. d. Weigh products i. Have a large scale in your receiving area. (If you don’t have one, go get one!) ii. Check it routinely for accuracy. iii. Remove products from packaging and/or ice before weighing and compare to the invoice weight. iv. If there are any discrepancies or problems with products that have to be returned, have the driver make note on the invoice or fill out a credit memo immediately, before signing the invoice. v. Remember that once you sign an invoice, you are responsible for payment as shown on the invoice. 6) Have stocking procedures in place as follows: a. Get any refrigerated products into walk-in coolers or freezers immediately. b. Remove and date any fresh product as may be required by your health code authority. c. Remove any excess packaging and break down boxes as soon as possible. d. If you are breaking down all of your boxes, keep the label from each so you have the lot number. e. Make sure whoever is stocking is trained to use the first in/first out (FIFO) method in stocking. 7) Have clerical procedures in place as follows: a. All invoices are verified and signed before a check is written if you are on COD. b. A copy of the invoice goes to the kitchen manager or chef and a copy goes to whoever is in charge of the checkbook. c. Immediately update prices in your inventory spreadsheet (or in SMART Systems Pro). One of my members shared that implementing these systems for ordering and receiving food reduced the amount of food he has in his three restaurants, motivated his kitchen managers, resulted in cleaner more organized walk-ins and most importantly, it put more than $6,000 back into his bank account. So what are you waiting for? Follow these simple steps at your back door and start making more money. 10 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I November 2018
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By Linda Westcott-Bernstein
Human Resources Insights
Linda Westcott-Bernstein has provided sound human resources advice and guidance to Fortune 500 companies and others for over 25 years. Linda has recently re-published her self-help book entitled It All Comes Down to WE! This book offers guidelines for building a solid and enduring personal work ethic. You can find her book on Amazon or Google Books. Phone: 702-326-4040 Email: Vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com
Train Your Leadership Team to Value Diversity
There is a significant amount of discussion these days on diversity in the workplace. In my humble opinion, it comes down to how each of us as individuals view one another and the value that each of us bring to the table. Valuing diversity is truly a matter of respect, but even more than that it is about supporting and nurturing a culture of acceptance and tolerance that truly paves the way and sets the tone for diversity in any workplace. I believe that the leadership in any organization today is influenced by the behaviors and actions of those at the top. When or if a culture of respect and acceptance is expressed by those who set the example for all, then your organizational culture will likely be characterized as a team of tolerant, respectful and encouraging leaders who move your company forward and into the future. You’ll do this with a strong and confident workforce that is driven by their passion for what they do and supported by your leaders with moral and ethic behaviors and actions which emphasize and support the new Company mission, vision, and culture of respect and engagement. How do you make this diversity “leap” happen in your organization? Let me see… 1. Start with a clear vision, mission and cultural acceptance message of your intent. I don’t believe in policies–I think this effort should be borne out of honest, simple and clear discussions, with the goal of understanding why this effort is important and why it has value.
2. Begin by having your top executive(s) and leaders talk to your management team about the changes in our society, in our neighborhoods and in our organizations as it relates to diversity and explain how diversity has value to the Company now and into the future. 3. Start your training or introduction of these concepts with simple discussion of respect for other cultures, peoples, traditions and beliefs, and the potential that different perspectives can provide to the Company. 4. Ensure that your management team has a clear understanding of the intent and that they do not feel threatened or uncertain about next steps, development of their staff and their role in these processes. 5. Encourage participation and identification of strong leadership team members who will champion this effort and get the ball rolling on this new endeavor. 6. Begin a communication campaign and share the excitement and enthusiasm with your employees about what this process means to them and the organization. 7. Set fair and equitable parameters for participation and development of all employees regardless of race, age, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and so forth.
8. Establish coaching and mentoring resources for those who need it and/or struggle with how to engage and participate as well as how to identify their strengths and areas to improve on. 9. Keep the momentum going by having regular progress meetings, communication pieces such as newsletters or websites and visible support and encouragement from the entire management team. 10. Celebrate the successes! Highlight the contributions, achievements and changes in business methods made by those who are engaged in and participating in your new diverse culture and improvement efforts. Hold recognition events that are small but meaningful–most individuals don’t want public recognition–they want most of all to be appreciated and to feel in on things, as a valued contributor. Setting the tone for success with diversity is more about helping others than it is about being in the limelight. You have to embrace the importance of seeing others advance and succeed, and do so by knowing in your heart that you did all that you could do to help another human being succeed without needing to take the credit for it!
HR Question of the month:
Please send your HR questions and concerns, or share your thoughts on your human resources challenges via email to the following address. Send input to vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com. Your comments, questions or concerns will help determine the direction for my next month’s column and earn you a copy of my book. Include your mailing address when sending your responses.
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November 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 11
Month of Memory National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness & Family Caregiver Month By Pat Evans • Photos by Infinity Photo and Jeff Ragazzo Editor’s Note: This feature was written and published before the Guinness World Record-setting event, but photos of the epic cocktail were obtained after Nov. 5 and inserted into this version.
Las Vegas will be treated to a spectacle on November 5, when a giant highball glass full of indigo-hued gin will meet gallons of tonic water and magically turn pink. The feat at the Apex Social Lounge at the Palms Casino Resort will set a world record for largest mixed drink for the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) Las Vegas Chapter, but will also serve a greater purpose. “We’re creating awareness Las Vegas style,” said Livio Lauro, of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Nevada, and lifetime member of the USBG. The record breaking drink is just one of many events throughout the month of November to help highlight National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness & Family Caregiver Month through Keep Memory Alive’s Month of Memory. Keep Memory Alive is the fundraising arm for the Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in downtown Las Vegas. It’s the second year for the Month of Memory, which was created to help spread the awareness beyond the typical community who frequent and support the Lou Ruvo Center. “Last year, we were doing different promotions to not just raise money, but also raise awareness right here in this community, local and homegrown, doing a lot of good,” said Anna Robins, senior director of Keep Memory Alive.
“Not everyone knows what goes on in our cool building downtown. We created this (Month of Memory) as a way to hopefully speak to a different audience.” Breaking the Guinness book of World Records will certainly reach an audience. The cocktail, made with Empress Gin, Fever Tree Tonic Water and giant ice cubes from Ice Occasions, starts out a shade of purple because of the botanicals used and will turn pink because of how one of its botanicals—Butterfly Pea Flower—interacts with acid. Made in British Columbia, Empress Gin also features Empress tea, juniper, grapefruit peel, coriander, rose petal, ginger root and cinnamon bark. “It’s a very crafty gin, and it’s not just the gimmick of turning purple to pink,” Lauro said. “It truly is a good gin and is noteworthy for a lot more than just the color change.” Roughly 400 bottles of Empress Gin will be used for the mixed drink, along with about twice as much tonic water, fresh lime juice and the ice cubes, mixed in a giant glass made by SRS Fabrication. Spectators will be able to try the gin and tonic. At the right time, the tonic will be poured in, forcing the change from the gin’s natural color to pink. “That color change is sudden and dramatic,” he said. “It’ll go viral, but we’re creating much more than a stunt.”
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Lauro helped put together the event, as a member of the Guild and wanting to help it break a world record. “The members of the USBG are the heroes behind this,” said Lauro, who co-founded the Nevada chapter in 2001. “The mission of the Guild is to enhance the image of the bartender and the cocktail itself, so this is all right up our alley. It’s a community event and we plan to have the Vegas community there. It’s greater than just the Guild and the Palms.” But it is the location, the Palms, that helps highlight why some of the partners of Month of Memory are so special. The resort was chosen because the cure to this disease is very near and dear to their executive team and they have been supporting the cause for a long time. The choice of gin runs deeper than the color purple, as does the partnership with Crown Royal, which is packaged in a purple bag. Lauro said, “The reason behind Empress, is the ownership of that brand had loved ones affected and they’ve been supporters from day one, as has Diageo, the owner of Crown Royal. Purple is cool, but the involvement is even cooler.” Purple is the color of Alzheimer’s awareness, the same way pink is for breast cancer awareness. Month of Memory is a major initiative by www.socalfnbpro.com
Keep Memory Alive to spread awareness of everything the local Lou Ruvo Center does. The center also works with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and ALS. While there are epic events like the giant mixed drink, Keep Memory Alive’s partnerships also include little activations, dollar donations per check, round ups to the check or even little plastic brains that can be sold for a dollar. There’s also the Audi Henderson Lake Las Vegas Classic on Nov. 1-3 in Henderson, a twopart golf tournament and culinary event with proceeds heading to Keep Memory Alive. Other events happen throughout the year, including the annual Keep Memory Alive Power of Love Gala (which has raised millions of dollars for its cause), a Texas Hold ‘em Charity Poker Tournament and Summer Social and Rodeo. “There are all sorts of creative ideas partners come up with,” Robins said. “There are all sorts of ways, but no matter what you’ll be doing to participate, we get a chance to spread awareness.” Robins added that an important part of the awareness is to spread the word on where the money actually goes and explained they felt they hadn’t done a good enough job educating the entire community about how much the center does beyond treating patients. In addition to treatment, the center also offers free social services, social workers, care groups and more. “We don’t just treat patients and these diseases,” Robins said. “We wrap around the entire process and help the families get through the journey of diseases with no cures. It’s our job to make that process better.”
his father, Lou, who suffered from the ravaging disease of Alzheimer’s, from which he passed away in 1994. The other parts of the series will highlight the state of the clinic, talking about the doctors, programs and research to all of the center’s support for caregiving. Robins also highlighted a program throughout schools in Clark County, which teaches them about Alzheimer’s, but also how to have a healthy brain and ensure that it’s healthy now and throughout their own aging process. The program also depicts children going through couch cushions and car seats finding coins. The hope is to teach the children every little bit counts, what people are going through and, maybe, inspire them to go into medicine. “All these little guys come in with change and raise thousands of dollars,” Robin said. “It shows together we can raise a lot of money in small amounts. That’s probably one of our favorites. It gives us that platform into the younger generation. They might see relatives struggling and they didn’t understand what was going on and we can help them, at least a little bit.”
“There is a really rich story happening in downtown Las Vegas,” Robins said.
The entire month of November is dedicated to making sure the city of Las Vegas is aware of the work being done right here in the city at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and about the diseases in general. Here’s to investing in a penny for your thoughts (which happens to be the name of a very worthy children’s program): While some of the events can generate thousands of dollars and others can generate a lot of buzz, like the record-setting giant cocktail, even the smallest actions matter, as Robins explained: “I think the important thing is for people to understand every penny really does count and really does make a difference in someone’s life. Maybe a family can get extra services, or access to food stamps. Whatever is going on, the philanthropy underwrites it.
To help really spread the message of the Lou Ruvo Center, PBS will be airing a three-part educational series on Keep Memory Alive and the Lou Ruvo Brain Center. One part will focus on the creation of the center and how it stems from “one man’s promise other families won’t go through what he went through with his own father,” Robins said. The Lou Ruvo Center opened in 2010, founded by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits senior managing director Larry Ruvo in dedication to
With Las Vegas already doing so much, why not take part in helping the city achieve more? It’s as easy as checking out the world’s largest gin and tonic. For more information on the event, the Alzheimer’s Awareness Month of Memory, and what you can do to support awareness of brain health, visit Keepmemoryalive.org.
That’s not to take away from the research happening at the center, which is the largest research study on Alzhemier’s, including 21 clinical trials. More than 70 clinical trials in all have been conducted at the center.
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I think a lot of the community maybe thinks we’re just a hospital, but we’re so much more than that.”
November 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 13
| Foodie Biz |
By Ben Brown Benjamin Brown, MBA is Restaurant Editor of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional. A seasoned writer and consultant, Ben works with Fortune 500 companies and mom & pop shops alike in Marketing, Analytics, Consumer Insights, PR and Business Development. Contact Ben at Ben@socalfnbpro.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.
Photos by Ben Brown
Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival Showcases Fine Food, Drink and Celebrity Chef Extravagance
The 5th annual Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival may have just found itself among Southern California’s elite culinary events. It wasn’t just about four days of gourmet food and drink that took you across Newport Beach’s coastal paradise. The weekend was dedicated to much more than the palate, with everything from liquid nitrogen to homemade flamethrowers [thank you Richard Blais] turning this festival into an entertainment spectacular for all in attendance. Two days of grand tastings highlighted the weekend, with a near-full overnight transition of food and drink purveyors. With a few years under their belt now, festival organizers made a smooth event even better, with a flow that kept the crowd happy and festive without feeling overcrowded. And they’ve somehow mustered
the ability to bring even more world-class talent to the stage, with celebrity chefs like Michael Mina and Jet Tila joining vets Hubert Keller, Katsuji Tanabe, Amar Santana and others in an all-new and even more intimate cooking demo setup. Chefs Tanabe and Santana, when they’re not killing it in SoCal, expanding nationally or tearing up Top Chef, make for a part cooking demo/part comedy act duo, lighting up the stage with ridiculous banter and jaw-dropping knife skills. They were roaming the venue throughout the weekend, shouting hilarities through a megaphone to add a perfect zest to each day. Then throw in Richard Blais, who, in all his eccentricity, busted out a homemade flamethrower to char a fish, then added boiling water to liquid nitrogen for a truly explosive
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grand finale. Sure, these may not necessarily be lessons you’ll try at home, but the Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival has nailed it in capturing chefs in their element for a truly theatrical experience. With great chefs comes great food, and the festival’s tastes did not disappoint. Top dining destinations from across Orange County, as well as a few spots coming in from L.A. and San Diego, set up shop and left everything [or nothing, as a good festival goes] on the table. Sushi Roku’s baked crab hand rolls, Aveo Table + Bar’s pork belly donuts and Old Vine Café’s curry shrimp were but a few crowd favorites. LSXO’s Vietnamese short rib, Catalina Island Company’s grilled octopus and Marche Moderne’s enormous seared diver scallops also earned repeat visits. Foie gras mousse-filled www.socalfnbpro.com
cream puffs, heavenly garlic soup, and just about every cut of sashimi you could ask for made stomach capacity the weekend’s limiting factor. Dessert was in a league of its own here as well. The Dirty Cookie’s cookie cup milk shots and the illustrious Salt & Straw’s decadent ice cream took the cake, though there was plenty of cake served throughout each day as well. Miss Mini’s Butterfinger, Oreo and cookie dough donuts were so elegantly displayed that you almost didn’t want to touch them [but of course you gave in]. Giant macarons and peanut butter blondies completed the sugar rush. Wine does come first in the title, after all, and a strong lineup made its presence known throughout the weekend, with 90+ point pours for days. Guest enjoyed endless sips of DeLoach Vineyards, Chateau Montelena Winery, Haute Couture French Bubbles, S.R. Tonella Cellars and Juggernaut Wines among others. Additional libation purveyors included Stella Artois, Duke Bourbon Whiskey, Hangar 1 Vodka and TatraTea, a tea liqueur that’s all the rage in Eastern Europe and includes a 144-proof bottle in its lineup. The Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival’s grand tastings took place once again at the city’s beautiful civic center, just a few minutes from the coast. The weekend brought in an always-classy but never shy crowd, which of course became more and more entertaining as wine poured throughout each day. Live music and upbeat emcees carried the festivities even further, and you couldn’t have asked for better weather. 2018 set a high bar, though 2019 is sure to take things to an even greater level. For more information, visit NewportWineAndFood.com. www.socalfnbpro.com
November 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 15
SPIRITS CONFIDENTIAL with Max Solano From Slave to Distilling Legend
Without question, the further we delve back into history, the probability of there being inaccuracies and/or lost and missing records or dates becomes greater. We know this! For example, the Reverend Elijah Craig is often credited as being the founding father of the bourbon whiskey category and having his very own distillery established in 1789. I do not think you’ll find too many historians arguing that Elijah Craig did not play a major role; however, what about the many other individuals who were already making this corn-style whiskey in the very same region at the same time as the Reverend such as Watty Boone (yes, a relative of the famous frontiersman and earlyday explorer, Daniel Boone), Jacob Briar, Jacob Spears, Evan Williams (who founded his own distillery in 1783), etc. just to name a few? Maybe I am just being controversial and wanting to stir up the proverbial pot… Let’s shift gears to another important and less discussed American whiskey category: Tennessee whiskey. Tennessee certainly produces a very unique style of whiskey, which is also known as the Lincoln County process. Early American whiskeys were often harsh, and their coarse, uneven flavors made them unpalatable to drink neat. Alfred Eaton, a Tennessean, is associated with the creation of the Lincoln County Process (circa 1825)— a technique that mellows and smoothens whiskey by filtering it through sugar maple charcoal before it ever enters a barrel. Charcoal mellowing reduces the grainy characteristics of freshly distilled whiskey, removes the fatty acids and softens the mouthfeel. There is debate as to whether Eaton deserves all the credit for this technique. Historically, Tennessee whiskey www.socalfnbpro.com
By Max Solano Max Solano is a principal mixologist at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Nevada and is considered one of the most respected and premier authorities in the West Coast on all matters whisky. He also serves as a Spirits Judge at the coveted New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, International Whisky Competition and world-renowned San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
has been produced identically to that of the bourbon-making process. However, it’s been legally defined that for bourbon there can be nothing added to it except for water, to prohibit from anything enhancing the whiskey’s flavor aside from the oak barrel(s) it’s aged in. For Tennessee whiskey, this unique maple charcoal filtration process is said to not only mellow the whiskey, but also add a subtle sweetness to it. In May of 2013, Tennessee whiskey officially became a distinct style and category. Whereas, bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States (including Tennessee), Tennessee whiskey can only be made in that particular state and has to use the Lincoln County process, with one brand (Benjamin Prichard’s) as the lone exception. Tennessee is becoming a hotbed of amazing spirits producers. Some of the most notable producers are Corsair, George Dickel, Nelson Green Brier (Belle Meade), Tenn South, Jug Creek, Popcorn Sutton, Pennington Distilling, just to name a few. Of course, the biggest name in Tennessee whiskey in the last century plus is the Old No. 7 Distillery, better known as the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. Interestingly enough, in 2016, there was an article published by the New York Times alleging that in actuality Jack Daniel himself, learned how to make whiskey from a slave by the name of Nathan “Uncle Nearest” Green. Brown Forman, owner of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery and brand, finally recognized this story as being factual and now pays tribute to Uncle Nearest and the Green family for his great contributions.
The company’s decision to recognize its debt to a slave is a momentous turn in the history of Southern foodways. Even as black innovators in Southern cooking and agriculture are beginning to get their due, the tale of American whiskey is still told as a whites-only affair: about Scottish, Irish and German settlers who brought Old World distilling knowledge to the frontier states of Tennessee and Kentucky. Green’s story changes all that by showing how enslaved people likely provided the brains as well as the brawn in what was an arduous, dangerous and highly technical operation. According to the co-founder of the independently-owned Uncle Nearest Tennessee whiskey, author and historian, Fawn Weaver, Green was rented out by his owners, a firm called Landis & Green, to farmers around Lynchburg, including Dan Call. Mr. Call was a wealthy landowner and preacher who also employed a teenager named Jack Daniel to do chores around the farm, and, eventually, help make whiskey. When young Jack was ready, Mr. Call made the introduction to Uncle Nearest. Green, already adept at distilling, took Daniel under his wing and, after the Civil War and the end of slavery, went to work for him in his fledgling whiskey operation. Furthermore, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is inspired by the best whiskey-maker the world never knew and the first African-American master distiller on record in the United States. The Uncle Nearest brand, wholly owned by Uncle Nearest, Inc., encompasses a Premium Aged, distilled, aged, bottled and hand-labeled in Tennessee using locally sourced grains and using whiskeys in the range of 8-11 years of age and bottled at a deliciously smooth 100 proof. Aside from this tremendous honor, Green is also thought to have helped perfect the Lincoln County Process. Again, re-writing history. And, if Fawn’s discoveries weren’t admirable enough, through archives she located the actual farm in the Nashville area where Nearest was enslaved and first distilled whiskey, purchased it with her husband, Keith, and will now be the site of the new distillery in 2019. Cheers, to you, Nearest Green!
November 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 17
Chef Talk A Beta Feta Cheese
I’ve recently been pondering a trip to the Mediterranean, especially Greece, so I’ve started eating at all of the Greek restaurants in town to start getting a taste for that style of food and food preparation. There are a lot of common foods amongst all of the Mediterranean restaurants, especially Greek restaurants. The ingredient that intrigues me the most is feta cheese, which appears in many dishes in Greek culture and cuisine. Traditionally feta cheese is a white curd cheese that is brined and made from sheep’s milk or a combination of goat and sheep’s milk. There are other types of cheese called feta cheese that are made from cow’s milk, but the traditional style is made from the sheep’s milk or the combination milk. True feta cheese has its Designation of Origin, DOO (there are other terms used but they all begin with D) protection in the European Union. What that means is that to call something feta cheese it needs to be produced in the traditional way and in a particular place. Greek feta cheese can be made from pure sheep’s milk or a mixture of up to 30% goat’s milk with the rest being sheep’s milk. The European Union does a very good job of protecting their quality food products. These laws protect the names of wines. Champagne can only be called that if it comes from the Champagne region of France; if not it must be called Sparkling Wine. Other foods that have this protection include many cheeses, olives and olive oils, beers and balsamic vinegar. Europe is not the only area with this form of a “trademark.” Mexico has tequila that can only be made from agave of the Tequilana Weber blue variety. The United States has a few, not many. One example is Vidalia onions, which must come from Vidalia, Georgia. These designations are mainly due to soil conditions, rain, sun and preparation technique. Feta cheese is used in many dishes across the Greek cuisine including the common Greek salad as well as a popular phyllo dough dish called Spanakopita, which means spinach pie. It also is considered a table cheese, which is added to many other dishes. Feta cheese can also be cooked as part of a grilled cheese sandwich or in omelets. If you’re going to use feta cheese, realize that it is saltier than many other cheeses that are commonly used, due to the brining of the curds. 18 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I November 2018
By Chef Allen Asch 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.
Feta cheese can have a maximum amount of moisture of 56% of its volume and a fat content of at least 43% and is traditionally categorized into two varieties. The first is firm and the second variety is soft. The firm is usually higher in quality and is used for crumbling while the soft is almost spreadable, and much cheaper than the firm variety. Feta cheese, which has about a 3% salinity content, is made like most other cheeses. The milk is heated up to kill any bacteria and when it cools down rennet is added, which allows the cream to coagulate. Rennet traditionally comes from the stomach lining of calves, but there are vegetable-based rennets made from a specific mold. The curds are then placed in a cheesecloth to allow the whey to drain out. The curds are then put in the molds for several days. Aging at room temperature can take several weeks and then the cheese is refrigerated for at least two months to create the end product. Many other countries make feta-like cheeses with different standards, but the most common available in the United States is Greek. Other countries are mostly Eastern and Western European, but it is also common in Northern Africa. When possible, you should always buy feta cheese in brine. Feta in brine means the cheese comes packed in a plastic container full of salt water liquid, which is compared to the pre-crumbled or vacuum-sealed varieties. Not only does the brine intensify flavor and add to feta’s life span, it also improves the cheese’s creamy texture. You can use that brine to marinate chicken, thin out dips, build flavor in broths and braising liquids, and it can be used to cook grains and beans. There are some substitutes for feta cheese. They include Ricotta cheese which is the most similar. It’s crumbly like feta but is much less salty. There also is Halloumi from Greece. This has a similar texture but a much milder flavor than feta. Mexican Queso Fresco can also be a substitute, but it is moister. Or you can use Tofu as a substitute.
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•Wholesale distributor of exceptional quality dried spices and specialty foods to the finest hotels and restaurants •Owned and operated by a former chef with over 20 years of experience •Custom packed Herbs and Spices •Custom Spice Blends •Private labeling •Now Certified Kosher
Brett’s
By Jackie Brett Jackie is a freelance public relations specialist and writer specializing in the Las Vegas entertainment and travel scene. Her writings have appeared in magazines and newspapers nationwide and on numerous websites. Email: jackiebrett@cox.net
2019 ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Chef Scott Conant’s Italian eatery Masso Osteria at Red Rock Resort started a weekly Sunday brunch with a live DJ. Family-owned Bok Bok Chicken opened its second valley location in Henderson with plans for two more outlets this year and a fifth site next year in Town Square. Keith Norman, assistant executive chef and food safety manager at South Point, published his first book, Allergen Awareness: A Chef’s Perspective. Slater’s 50/50 Las Vegas has two new decadent 24K gold-dusted burgers. Cabo Wabo Cantina at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood added a new DINING • BEVERAGE full-service bar seating 10 and opening daily Puddles Pity Party featuring America’s Got NEWS at 10 a.m. Talent singing clown quarter finalist is set for nine performances at Cleopatra’s Barge inside NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal opened his new Shake Shack launched The Slapshot provolone Big Chicken restaurant near Hard Rock Hotel. Caesars Palace Jan. 17-19, 24-26 and Feb. 7-9. double cheeseburger paying homage to the Las In partnership with Caesars Entertainment, Vegas Golden Knights. Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club will open next MB Steak at Hard Rock Hotel introduced a spring at The LINQ Promenade across from sharable 16-pound Tomahawk steak with six Brooklyn Bowl. side dishes. Next year, Britney Spears will have a new ABOUT TOWN residency at Park Theater at Park MGM. The 293-room luxury NoMad Las Vegas ZZ Top will return for an eight-show engagement opened inside the new Park MGM with a at The Venetian Jan. 18-19, 23, 25-26 and 30, and Feb. 1 and 2. high-limit casino, Moroccan-inspired pool, bar and restaurant. Duran Duran will appear at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan Friday-Saturday, Feb. 22-23. Ghost Donkey, New York City’s famed mezcal Park MGM opened a new spa and salon “Legends in Concert” at the Flamingo will debut and tequila bar, opened at The Cosmopolitan experience. an all-new headlining residency at the Tropicana with an intimate speakeasy style setting. Aria at CityCenter debuted the Resort Club The Silverton’s newest culinary venture is Su Lounge and Concierge Lounge offering the second week of February. The 1975 band will visit The Joint inside Casa opening inside Mi Casa Grill and Cantina dedicated gathering spaces with amenities. Hard Rock Tuesday, April 16 and release their as a full-service restaurant and bar merging Asian Ethel M Chocolates’ 25th annual Holiday third album, “A Brief Inquiry Into Online and Mexican cuisine. Next April sixth+mill pizzeria and bar will open Cactus Lights will sparkle from Nov. 6 through Relationships,” this month. Sunday, Jan. 6 from 5-10 p.m. STYX will return to the newly renovated Pearl at Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian in St. Mark Square. Concert Theater at the Palms Sunday, Jan. 20, and perform two sets in one night. “Billy Idol: Palace Station’s new Feast Buffet started the Las Vegas 2019” will have a 10-show run there only overnight buffet along with an exclusive late-night menu available daily from midnight with five shows in January and October. 8 a.m. 2018 ENTERTAINMENT toFerraro’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar has NEWS opened its patio for a new late-night, all-you-canMagician Murray Sawchuck moved from eat grilling al fresco event called Sotto le Stelle Planet Hollywood to Laugh Factory at the on Saturdays every two weeks from 11 p.m. to Tropicana with 5 and 7 p.m. shows. 3 a.m. Rocker Jonathan Davis, frontman for Korn, After delays mounting a large-scale production The Galleria at Sunset mall’s newest dining unveiled a memorabilia case at the Hard Rock show and refurbishing the retro-showroom at the experience is Bobby Mao’s Chinese Kitchen with his typical black AllSaints “uniform.” Plaza, “A Mob Story” is up and running. + Mexican Cantina, and the first location Adult revue “Fantasy” at the Luxor revealed “Little Miss Nasty” made its Las Vegas- in Nevada. the 2019 calendar, “The Golden Goddesses debut in Hooters’ Night Owl Showroom with Top of the World restaurant on the Stratosphere’s of FANTASY,” showcasing the cast wearing performances every Friday and Saturday nights 106th floor has been remodeled and introduced nothing but gold tape. at 10:30 p.m. new lunch, dinner and complementary Indoor 62-bike cycling experience SoulCycle Rock quintet Good Charlotte’s North American wine menus. Tour supporting their seventh studio album, In spring 2019 CraftHaus Brewery will open will open a studio in the new Wynn Plaza. “Generation Rx,” concludes at Pearl Concert a second tasting room in the Las Vegas Arts The new Casino Dominoes game made its world District across from Esther’s Kitchen. Theater at the Palms Saturday, Nov. 24. debut at the Plaza downtown on table games. Florida Georgia Line headlines Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood with Mason Ramsey Dec. 1, 5, 7, 8 and 11, while the Wranglers National Celine Dion’s residency at The Colosseum Finals Rodeo runs Dec. 6-15. at Caesars Palace will end June 8. James Two-time Grammy-winner, John Prine, whose Taylor joined by his All-Star Band new album is “The Tree of Forgiveness,” will will have a 12-show run there April 17- return to Westgate Wednesday, Dec. 12. May 11. Paul Shaffer and his band The Shāf-Shifters have a return engagement at Cleopatra’s Barge inside Caesars Palace Nov. 29-Dec. 1. Naturally 7, an a cappella group who toured with Michael Bublé released their seventh studio album, “Both Sides Now,” and will appear at M Resort Saturday, Dec. 15.
20 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I November 2018
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It’s that time of year again! The days and months just seem to go by faster and faster with each passing year. The fall/winter decorations have begun coming out, and we are closing in on the holidays! It’s time to start thinking about menu planning for the upcoming feasts. Though the food menu might not be set, you can always start early by planning the wine pairings for the big meals. I recently taught a wine tasting class, and we tasted a few wines along the way. Below are three wines we tried that I enjoyed, and they just so happen to go well with your traditional holiday meals (there’s a little something for everyone)! Here are my picks for the quarter:
2014 Argyle Chardonnay Argyle has over 30 years in the business, since 1987. The winery is located in Willamette Valley, which is a well-known AVA due to its similarities in latitude and maritime climate to Burgundy, France. Initially, the winery focused on sparkling wines, made in the traditional Champagne style with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes. Over time, they have expanded their portfolio, which now includes still wines: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and even Riesling. The wine that I was able to try was a little older, a 2014, whereas their current vintage is 2016. However, the wine was still quite pronounced in aroma, with buttery notes and ripe fruit still showing through. The age of the wine allowed the earthy tones to shine, and I could really see this wine capable of being paired with your roasted poultries and gravy, like roasted chicken or turkey. Even heavier vegetarian dishes would pair well with this wine, such as your green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, biscuits and roasted corn.
2015 Charles Krug Cabernet If you are planning to have a rib roast or the equivalent beef dish, then the Charles Krug Cabernet would be a perfect pairing! The vintage I tasted was the 2015, though the current release is 2016. The earthy aromas are well-balanced with the dark ripe fruit aromas and flavors of black fruits like cherry, plum, blackberries, etc. The higher tannin levels in the wine from the www.socalfnbpro.com
Source: www.drloosen.com
Alice’s Wine Picks for the Holidays
Source: www.argylewinery.com
with Alice Swift
Alice Swift has been writing Wine Talk since 2011, and has a passion for education and hospitality/ F&B. In 2016, she obtained her Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration from UNLV and moved from the “ninth island” to the island of Oʻahu. She now works for Kamehameha Schools as an instructional designer/project manager, and teaches part-time for UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. See more at www.aliceswift.com.
Source: www.charleskrug.com
Wine Talk
By Alice Swift
18 months spent in French oak helps complement the fattiness of a rib-eye cut, though this wine could hold for several more years before drinking. While Charles Krug shares the same last name as the famous Krug Champagne house in France, that is about all they share in terms of wine production. Charles Krug produces mostly red Bordeaux varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, along with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. There are also some limited production wines, such as the limited release Malbec and Zinfandel Port. Charles Krug winery prides itself on being the oldest winery in Napa Valley, and has been owned by the Mondavi family since 1943 (currently operated by Marc and Peter Mondavi, Jr.).
Loosen Brothers Dr. L Riesling If you prefer something a little sweeter (but not too sweet), one of my standard “go-to” wines is the Loosen Bros. Dr. L Riesling. This wine is quite versatile, as it is a great entry wine for those who are new to wine, as well as an easy drinking, everyday wine. If you plan to have some apple pie, pumpkin pie or some type of desserts with your holiday meals, a sweet wine might also be a good option. This wine is quite popular, and comes from the Mosel region of Germany, which is alongside the river of the same name. Dr. Loosen estate has remained within the same family since 1988, when Ernst Loosen acquired the estate. The wine has a good balance of acid and sweetness, and has the aromatic fruit forward characteristics that makes Rieslings so desirable. Though the grapes are not estate-grown, the wines are quite reliable and excellent quality in terms of consistent aromas and flavors year over year. The wine is a little on the sweeter side, but even for someone like myself who does like to eat sweets (nor do I like chocolate or candy), this Riesling is my go-to if I am looking for a easy drinking, low alcohol glass of wine. This holiday season, experiment a little with your wines and see if you can find a new favorite or one that pleasantly surprises you? Keep an eye out for the next quarterly “Alice’s Picks” of the spring with some selections for celebratory occasions! Until next month, Cheers~! Alice November 2018 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 21
EVENTS
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Thanksgiving is within reach, but the holiday spirit is already making its way into the culinary events scene across Southern California.
Al Dentes’ Provisions sales@aldentes.com 702-642-1100
11/9–10: California Wine Festival, Huntington Beach The California Wine Festival Series hits Huntington Beach, bringing a myriad of wines from across the state, local breweries and nearby food purveyors. Paséa Hotel & Spa, Huntington Beach CaliforniaWineFestival.com
Big Dog’s Brewing Company page 18 www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715
11/13: San Diego Magazine’s 2018 World Eats 19 featured restaurants representing 13 different countries will serve their signature dishes alongside live music, entertainment, craft cocktails and beer. Seaport Village, San Diego SanDiegoMagazine.com/San-Diego-Magazine/January-2018/World-Eats-2018 11/14: Stars of Cabernet A Cabernet lover’s showcase bringing together the most revered wine producers and a star-studded audience. More than 100 wines will be poured, with Cabernet taking the main spotlight. The Peninsula Beverly Hills WineLA.com/Stars-Of-Cabernet 11/17: Burbank Winter Wine Walk Part of the California Beer Festival series, this annual event will bring endless wine and beer to Downtown Burbank, lit up with winter holiday ambiance: expect snowfall at the main stage! Downtown Burbank BurbankWinterWineWalk.com
Ferrari-Carano Vinyards & Winery ferrari-carano.com
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Keep Memory Alive Event Center kmaeventcenterlasvegas.com 702-263-9797
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Riedel riedel.com
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Rodney Strong Estate Vinyards www.rodneystrong.com
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11/29: Taste & Tequila San Diego Formerly ‘Taste of Old Town,’ this annual event features tastings of the area’s best Mexican food and spirits at several restaurants in the heart of Old Town, along with music and entertainment. Old Town, San Diego OldTownSanDiego.org/TasteTequila 12/1: Ventura Winter Wine Walk Also part of the California Beer Festival series, the Ventura Winter Wine walk brings out holiday cheer in full force with a street fair, live entertainment, and of course no shortage of wine and beer. Downtown Ventura VenturaWinterWineWalk.com
American Culinary Federation Chefs of SoCal
The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional is proud to be associated with these fine organizations: ACF-American Culinary Federation Chef de Cuisine Association of California Chapter Culinarians of San Diego Chapter Chefs de Cuisine Association of San Diego Chapter 22 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I November 2018
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CABERNET
COLOR UP YOUR LIFE! RIEDEL.COM