FO
RM
W
W
OR
W
EP
HO
.LV
TO
FN
Issue 12 Volume 18
US $3.95
Vegas Embraces Two Unique Asian Spirits
S&
BP
ST
RO
OR
.C
IES
OM
VI
SIT
December 2018
CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER
6
WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF THE LAS VEGAS FOOD & BEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL where we are preparing for the Holiday Season and eating and drinking, especially in the food capital of the world, Las Vegas. This issue will share our take on the holiday season with articles representing the industry and what you can be doing to prepare for it.
Cover
5
12
12 14
29
COVER FEATURE this month introduces two Asian beverages near and dear to our heart! The emergence in Las Vegas of two Asian spirits—Shochu and Baijiu—is an example of a change brought about by the dynamic influence of our many Asian guests. Aaron Diec has watched these distillates slowly creep into the Las Vegas market, both in his current position as Director of Sales-Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Nevada Asian Product Portfolio, and at his former position as Villa Butler at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort. Follow Aaron as he walks us through these unique Asian beverages. PAGE 5 ALICE’S WINE PICKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS. It’s that time of year again! The fall/winter decorations are out, and we are closing in on the holidays! It’s time to start thinking about menu planning for the upcoming feasts. She tells us about three wines she tried and enjoyed, and they just so happen to go well with your traditional holiday meals! So read more about 2014 ARGYLE CHARDONNAY, 2015 CHARLES KRUG CABERNET and LOOSEN BROTHERS DR. L RIESLING. PAGE 12 WHAT’S COOKING BY BOB BARNES takes us through several events going on at local restaurants. Read on to find out more on Honey Salt Farm Table Dinners, Monthly Wine Dinners at Estiatorio Milos and Dinner and Show Deals at The Cosmopolitan. PAGE 14 TWINKLE TOAST-PULLING CORKS FOR CONVENTIONERS. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, over 6.5 million people traveled to Las Vegas last year in order to attend more than 21 thousand conventions. We thought it might be interesting to examine how successful restaurants prepare for such a large influx of business. Erin Cooper and Christine Vanover recently caught up with Dylan Amos, Sommelier at Delmonico Steakhouse in The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, and he shared some of his observations in a Q&A. PAGE 29 CHEF KEITH NORMAN PUBLISHES NEW FOOD ALERGY BOOK and tells us that allergies can be a deal breaker for dining out at restaurants and it’s a rare occurrence when establishments make a hardy effort to cater to those suffering from severe sensitivities. Chef Keith Norman has set out to completely change the perception. Norman, the assistant executive chef and food safety manager at South Point Hotel, released Allergen Awareness: A Chef’s Perspective this year as a tell-all guide to help other chefs navigate the allergen waters and help guests understand what chefs can and will do for them.
Page 4 Hot off the Grill! Page 5 Wine Talk Alice’s Wine Picks for theHolidays Page 6 What’s Brewing Page 8 Brett’s Vegas View Page 10 Product Review Page 11 Front & Back of the House Making Them Happy– The Holidays for the Rest of Us Page 12 What’s Cooking Page 13 Spirits Confidential with Max Solano Toasting to the Holidays
21 www.lvfnbpro.com
Page 15 Chef Spotlight Patrick Munster
Page 24 Nevada Restaurant Association Turn Ideas to Action
Page 16 COVER FEATURE Vegas Embraces Two Unique Asian Spirits
Page 25 Human Resources Insights Train Your Leadership Team to Value Diversity
Page 18 Eataly Las Vegas Opens at Park MGM This December
Page 26 The Restaurant Expert 7 Steps to Keep Profits Coming in the Back Door
Page 19 Chef Talk The Meat Update Page 21 The Big Smoke Las Vegas Page 22 Best of the Best Page 23 The Bottom Line Tips on Leading a Great Restaurant Staff
Page 27 UNLV Epicurean Society Page 28 Park MGM Bartender Wins Back Pay After Being Illegally Fired Page 29 Chef Keith Norman Page 30 Events Ad Index
Page 14 Twinkle Toast Pulling Corks for Conventioneers
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 3
The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7442 Grizzly Giant Street Las Vegas, NV 89139 www.lvfnbpro.com
HOT OFF THE GRILL!
Mike Fryer
Sr. Editor/Publisher
Sushi Roku invited us to experience their annual media dinner, which was also a celebration of the 14th anniversary of its opening at the Forum Shops at Caesars. During the tasting we were treated to several of their new dishes and some signature favorites. Pictured here is the Carnival P.B.J. dessert encased in cotton candy, which is dramatically lit afire when served. To learn more of Sushi Roku’s new menu items, see Shelley Stepanek’s Best of the Best column on page 22.
Thank you for joining us in this issue of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional. For any questions or comments please email mike@lvfnb.com
Bob Barnes
Editorial Director bob@lvfnb.com
Juanita Fryer
Adam Rains
Assistant To Sr. Editor ACF Chefs Liasion/Journalist juanita.fryer@lvfnb.com
Beverage Editor adam.rains@lvfnb.com
Last month celebrated Brain Health Awareness Month here in Nevada and throughout the US. Strong Las Vegas supporters, pictured here, are past and current Las Vegas Mayors Oscar and Carolyn Goodman along with Michael Severino of Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits of Nevada.
Juanita Aiello Creative Director juanita@lvfnb.com
Advertising sales@lvfnb.com
Article Submissions/Suggestions articles@lvfnb.com
Calendar Submissions calendar@lvfnb.com
Website webmaster@lvfnb.com
Press Relase Submissions news@lvfnb.com
General Information info@lvfnb.com
@lvfnb
The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift
Journalist The Bottom Line Ben Brown
Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan
Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett
Journalist Best of the Best Shelley Stepanek
Journalist UNLV Epicurean Society Justin Leung
Journalist Made from Scratch John Rockwell
Journalist The Restaurant Expert David Scott Peters
Journalist Good for Spooning LeAnne Notabartolo
Journalist Front & Back of the House Gael Hees
Photographer Audrey Dempsey
Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch
Journalist Don Chareunsy
Journalist Samuel’s Beer Picks Samuel Merritt
Journalist Spirits Confidential Max Solano
Photographer Bill Bokelmann
Journalist Pat Evans
Photographer Joe Urcioli
Journalists Twinkle Toast Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover
Journalist The Catering Coach Sandy Korem
Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein
4 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
www.lvfnbpro.com
Wine Talk
By Alice Swift
Source: www.charleskrug.com
Alice’s Wine Picks for the Holidays
Source: www.argylewinery.com
with Alice Swift
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.lvfnbpro.com
Source: www.drloosen.com
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.
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
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 5
By Bob Barnes
what’s
He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
photo by Erik Nielsen
photo by Kevin Holder
BREWING
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com.
Local Breweries Brewing Up Holiday Seasonals and Gifts Head Brewer Erik Nielsen at Chicago Brewing Company is gifting us with some interesting and fun seasonals. Currently on tap are Bitter Jitters, a 6.5% ABV Coffee IPA; Brews Brothers, a 4.5% ABV Session IPA with blueberry green tea; and Sh-Wheat Dreams, a 6% ABV American Wheat with pineapple, grapefruit and strawberry. Coming up in time for the holidays will be an Imperial Brown with maple syrup and cinnamon and Quad Damn It, a 12% ABV Belgian Quad that was aged in Breckenridge Bourbon barrels for about 5 months. It’s packaged for sale in 750ml bottles, making it a worthy holiday gift.
Triple 7 Restaurant & Brewery at Main Street Station is still in full construction mode, as it installs its new Premier Stainless 15-barrel brewhouse (which I reported on in the Aug. 2018 issue). As a result, brewing has been greatly limited, but last month Brewmaster Tom Harwood partnered with Magnum Coffee Roastery in Las Vegas to make a limited (only two kegs) edition Pumpkin Spice Coffee Ale— his Royal Red Ale blended with their pumpkin pie spice coffee, cold-brewed at the brewery. By mid-Dec. the new brewhouse should be completely finished, and coming in late Dec. will be beers blended with Magnum’s Kona light roast and espresso roast coffees. And, to commemorate the old brewhouse, the aptlynamed Bitter End, which was the very last
6 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
batch of beer brewed on the old system, will be out in early Dec. The 6.5% ABV IPA is copper in color (like the old equipment) and assertively bitter, but a very tropical IPA, loaded with Simcoe and Idaho 7 hops. Lovelady Brewing Brewmaster/Co-owner Richard Lovelady reports they just released Sea Breeze Sour, a combination of grapefruit, cranberry and key lime, which in Jan. will be followed up with a Mojito Sour infused with key lime and mint and a Doppelbock once some tank space is freed up. Hitting the taps and on shelves this month, Joseph James is gifting us with their Something About Berry, which Head Brewer Kyle Weniger relates is a sour brown ale aged www.lvfnbpro.com
in bourbon barrels for 28 months on a mix of cultures—saccharomyces, brettanomyces, lactobacillus, pediococcus and acetobacter—with an absurd assortment of berries—raspberry, blueberry, black currant, cherry, boysenberry, cranberry, blackberry and strawberry (and a few fruits that aren’t berries). To help us celebrate the New Year, in early Jan. they will release Chitra Rye Hazy Pale Ale, the hazy/New England counterpart to their Citra Rye. Kyle says it is made with mostly the same ingredients, but with double the hops, cryogenically separated Citra hops and chit malt. (To save you time Googling it, cryogen hops are a complicated procedure to make a powder from hop cones that has about twice the potency of normal hops.) Just before Christmas Hop Nuts Brewmaster/Owner Kevin Holder will release his Abominable Haze Man, a super juicy double IPA brewed and double hopped with Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic and Amarillo hops, a brew they reprise every Dec. He also informs me they recently added a new brite tank and a new canner, so another gift will be seeing more Hop Nuts beer on the shelves in the coming year. If you’re looking for a holiday gift for a beer geek, Big Dog’s has its Brew School convening on Jan. 5 for $99 (includes brewing an imperial red ale with Big Dog’s brewers, lunch, beer and grad party) or a pack of its six anniversary beers (each 750ml), packaged in a custom wood box with the Big Dog’s logo, priced at $125.
with a children’s menu. Aces & Ales first opened in 2009 in the southeast on Nellis near Twain and added a larger space in the northwest on Tenaya between Smoke Ranch and Cheyenne in 2013. For the past decade it has proven to be a bastion for great craft beer, offering numerous beer events and an extensive selection of rare and vintage beers. Now this brewery will bring to fruition their longtime dreams to brew their own, but also give Southern Nevadans in the southwest a brewery in their neighborhood. I promise to keep you updated on the new brewery as more details are revealed.
4310 W Tompkins Ave Las Vegas, NV 89103
702-645-0049
www.jayssharpening.com • customerservice@jayssharpening.com
Another New Brewery Coming to Southern Nevada
Mobile Service Our mobile service vans provide sharpening services on-site to even the largest resort properties, without disrupting workflow.
It’s been rumored for months that our friends at Aces & Ales were planning on opening a brewery to go along with their two craft beer pub locations, and now they’ve announced it is true. While there aren’t many details at this time, plans are to break ground in the coming months, with an opening slated for fall/winter 2019. The 275-seat, 8,200-sq. ft. 10-barrel brewery will be located at The Bend, a new center with a movie theater and handful of restaurants on W. Sunset Rd. near IKEA. The brewery will include a scratch “craft cuisine” kitchen and familyfriendly restaurant, VIP/private events space and two dog-friendly outdoor patios. The menu will offer some of the most popular dishes from the two current Aces & Ales locations, and also incorporate expanded seasonally-inspired entree selections (with vegetarian options), along
Commercial Knife Exchange Program We furnish sharp knives to your kitchen on a weekly or biweekly rotation schedule.
Jay’s Sharpening Service
Cutting Board Resurfacing & Replacements
Arville St
www.lvfnbpro.com
Equipment Sales We offer top-of-the-line knives, culinary tools, kitchen supplies and replacement parts.
W Harmon Ave
Steak & Table Knife Re-Serration / Sharpening
W Tropicana Ave
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7
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
Wishing Everyone the Merriest of Holidays and Peace Always!
ENTERTAINMENT
DINING
Television star, restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump will open Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, her first Las Vegas-venue early next year at Caesars Palace. The Stratosphere opened a new 24-hour Asian restaurant Strat Café & Wok with art by local artists adorning the walls.
Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace celebrated its fifth anniversary announcing a decade-long extension including refreshing 180-rooms and debuting a new spa treatment, Nobu GO. Scott Conant chef-owner of Masso Osteria at Red Rock revealed his line of Sprezza products starting with a collection of nine sauces, spreads, olives including his Pomodoro Sauce. PUB 365 inside Tuscany now offers Sunday brunch featuring bottomless mimosas $12.
photo by John Shearer
ABOUT TOWN
Lady Antebellum’s first Las Vegas-residency includes 15 dates, five in February, May and August, at the Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms starting Feb. 8. Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell–The Musical will visit The Venetian Theatre for a 16show limited-engagement Dec. 25–30 and Jan. 1–6. “Bat Out of Hell” is a 1977 song Steinman wrote. Cher with a new hit album, “Dancing Queen,” has added nine shows March 13 to 30 to her Park MGM residency. Chicago with 36 albums will return to The Venetian next year with an eight-show limited engagement in February. Comedy Cellar at the Rio, which showcases five television-headliner comedians, now offers laughs nightly by adding 7 and 9 p.m. performances on Monday and Tuesdays. Always a holiday-themed favorite, ventriloquist Terry Fator’s show A Very Terry Christmas is running through Tuesday, Dec. 25 at The Mirage. Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream will visit the Thomas & Mack Center Jan. 1013 with seven performances and “Moana” voyaging onto the ice for the first time. Brothers Kevin and Jeff Saurer, known as Hippie Sabotage, will stop at Brooklyn Bowl with their The Beautiful Beyond tour on Friday, March 22. Peti & Taller: The Hooligans of Magic opened Friday, Sunday-Monday 9 p.m. show at Hooters in the Night Owl Showroom. The duo is Mateo Amieva from Criss Angel MINDFREAK! and Christian Ford from FOX comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Frankie Scinta moved his show from the Plaza since “A Mob Story” took over the showroom to South Point on select weekends at 3 p.m.
Trendy coastal Su Casa is the newest culinary adventure nestled inside the Silverton’s Mi Casa Grill Cantina offering dinner daily and lunch on weekends. Shocker…celebrity Chef Rick Moonen closed both his rm seafood and Rx Boiler Room restaurants at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place and plans to open a new off-Strip restaurant TBA. Chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara debuted their signature concept NoMad Restaurant and Bar with 23-foot soaring ceilings at NoMad. Authentic Brazilian “churrasco” steakhouse Rodizio Grill opened at Galleria at Sunset in Henderson with traditionally dressed Gauchos carving tableside. CATCH Las Vegas at ARIA recently opened its doors with successful locations already in New York City and Hollywood. The Cosmopolitan has two new restaurants: Ghost Donkey, a speakeasy-style mezcal and tequila bar, and Red Plate with Chinese cuisine. The United States Bartenders’ Guild’s (USBG) local chapter broke the Guinness World Records title for Largest Gin and Tonic by mixing 249.99 gallons, beating the prior record of 181 gallons. Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar’s new contemporary décor replaced the OldWorld-inspired scheme while keeping the ornate Venetian-style glass chandeliers. Buddy V’s Ristorante in The Venetian celebrated its fifth anniversary with what else…CAKE!
8 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
Wynn Resorts Paradise Park lagoon project is scrapped. Instead a revamped 18-hole golf course will be resurrected, and the convention center is scheduled to open in January 2020. Meanwhile the new $54 million upscale Wynn Plaza Shops just opened. SLS Las Vegas, formerly the Sahara with yet another new owner, has begun more than $100 million in resort renovations including enhancing the casino floor, upgrading hotel rooms and renovating existing pool and entertainment venues. The Plaza’s first and only permanent outdoor equestrian center downtown will become the city’s newest regular outdoor venue when the National Finals Rodeo concludes Dec. 15. A brand-new $16.9 million pedestrian bridge opening next July is under construction crossing over the Strip between Park MGM and the Showcase Mall. Mass-premium candy company Lolli & Pops at the Fashion Show is joined by two new outlets inside the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. The Mob Museum now offers daily 30-minute tours in The Underground Distillery at 5 p.m. with a sampling of a variety of distilled spirits. New casino game Casino Dominoes completed a 45-day trial run at the Plaza and is officially live now with free “Learn to Play” classes daily at 5 p.m. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) with 180 bikes and 21 docking stations has celebrated two years of service downtown.Caesars Entertainment is the first founding partner of the Las Vegas Stadium, future home of the Las Vegas Raiders, with an unprecedented 15-year partnership deal. American artist Karen Jaikowski has developed a new cute showgirl-themed product line “Vegas Girl!” on a range of products. Las Vegas’ largest dispensary and entertainment complex Planet 13 is now open. The NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at LVMS will move one week later next year taking place Oct. 31-Nov. 3 and accommodating dates for the 2019 SEMA Show Nov. 5-8. www.lvfnbpro.com
•Wholesale distributor of exceptional quality dried spices and specialty foods to the finest hotels and restaurants •Owned and operated by a former chef with over 20 years of experience •Custom packed Herbs and Spices •Custom Spice Bends •Private labeling •Now Certified Kosher
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
10 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
www.lvfnbpro.com
Front & Back of the House
Making Them Happy– The Holidays for the Rest of Us
The holidays are upon us, and for many people, this means getting together with friends and family members, sharing good food, perhaps playing games, throwing around a football. The holidays are about candles, special music, the fragrances of baking cookies and greenery. But to those of us in the hospitality industry, the holidays mean working overtime, providing cheerful holiday service and catching up with family and members and friends on the fly. Here are ideas from several hospitality professionals who shared how they navigate the line between work and family life at holiday times… Andy Porter, general manager of Slice of Vegas, looks at the holidays this way: I’ve spent almost 20 years in the industry, starting in Baltimore where you could be a bartender at 18, but couldn’t drink until you were 21. I worked over the holidays for years. Now, I fly back to spend Thanksgiving in Baltimore every year–it is the one holiday in our family where everyone gets together. Taking off at Thanksgiving is easier than trying to get time off at Christmas. There is a point when you’ve moved into a management position and are able to take a holiday off now and then. I’ve bartended and served to give others who had kids the time off. The team I have on board right now, half have kids and half don’t. The ones who don’t have kids are willing to work holidays and then they get another day off, an extra day. We’ve known www.lvfnbpro.com
By Gael Hees Gael Hees is a Las Vegas freelancer, specializing in written, graphic and audiovisual communications. She has written for national publications and has won numerous awards for tourism-related printed materials and videos, is accredited in public relations by the Public Relations Society of America and is a certified hospitality educator. gael.hees@icloud.com
for months who gets off and who doesn’t– it’s pretty transparent. Somehow it seems to work for everyone. Terry Clark, co-lead at Sparrow + Wolf, celebrates on another day: I am still trying to figure out how to do this myself. I’ve had to work every holiday I can remember for over 10 years now. My family tradition has become having to meet up a few days before or after the holiday. Adam Rains, mixologist and Tiki at the Golden Tiki, finds fun in working the holidays: I have a wife and two kids and when we can, we will have friends come over and family will come from California and eat and drink a lot. We definitely like to celebrate each other’s company and life in general. This year at Thanksgiving, we celebrated the following Tuesday with everyone. It worked out great. This year I’m lucky to have Christmas off and I’m glad because it’s so special for the kids. However, it’s fun to work on the holidays. There is a special vibe in the air and it is fun to be part of someone else’s celebration and to know you’re making their time special. It’s part of the fun part of the job. However, it is tough not to be with your family during a holiday. So let’s think about this. Traditions If you’ve been in the industry for many years – you have probably already developed traditions
of your own–you just may have never thought of them as such. Do you “always” go to your mom’s house two days after a holiday? Do you “always” buy a special pie or other baked good to share with friends the weekend before a holiday? Do you “always” send a festive text to your family members telling them you’re with them in spirit? If you “always” do anything on a holiday (or before or after), you have traditions of your own and they should be honored as such! A Day Is a Day The specific date of a holiday can be important, or not. Any time you spend with friends and family members is of value–whether it’s a day around the pool in August or a day around a tree in December. It is always about the quality of the time you have with people, not the quantity. You May Be Giving More Than You Know Are you single and working the holidays, after having volunteered to do so? I have heard many stories from people in the industry who have volunteered to work the holidays, and others who are so grateful to have been with their young children because someone at their restaurant volunteered for holiday duty. Not everyone can have time off. One’s method for making it through the holidays is totally personal. But, no matter how you celebrate, know that all of us at The Las Vegas Food and Beverage Professional hope that yours are happy!
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 11
By Bob Barnes
What’s Cooking
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com. He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
Honey Salt Hosting Farm Table Dinners photo by Bill Milne
apple galette with salted caramel ice cream and pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls with chantilly cream. Needless to say, no one left hungry. I was told that the dinners typically sell out a week or two before and the dinner we attended hosted 125 (but would have been 160 if the private room hadn’t already been booked for an event). Most impressive was how the Honey Salt team executed serving such a large turnout with no gaps in service. It’s not surprising that these dinners are so popular, for as you can see from the menu, it’s quite a feast, but at an extremely reasonable price of only $49 per person (with optional wine pairing for $25). For info on the next dinner visit www.HoneySalt.com.
photo courtesy Honey Salt
I finally made it out to check out one of Honey Salt’s farm table dinners, attending the October 30 event with a fall harvest theme. The dinners featuring seasonal ingredients are served on long tables with most of the dishes served family style and are hosted by the husband and wife Honey Salt owners, chef Kim Canteenwalla and restauranteur Elizabeth Blau. The menu included welcome cocktail of warm apple cider sangria; bruschetta with ricotta and Bartlett pear; sweet potato hummus; homemade pretzels; crudité; heirloom squash soup with autumn-spiced crème fraiche and toasted pepitas; roasted pumpkin ravioli with crispy brussels sprout leaves; braised beef short rib with Anson Mills polenta; and salted caramel
Monthly Wine Dinners at Estiatorio Milos
Our dinner included Greek ceviche with sea bass, herbs of the Mediterranean, navy beans and feta paired with 2016 Gerovassiliou
Sauvignon Blanc; fresh jumbo lump crab cake matched with 2016 Katsaros Chardonnay; lobster salad with Metaxa brandy paired with 2016 Gerovassiliou Viogner; sashimigrade grilled Mediterranean octopus, Holland peppers and mushrooms matched with 2016 Biblia Chora Sole Pinot Noir; petite filet with Greek fried potatoes paired with 2008 Katsaros Merlot; and “Chocolate Sin” with house-made vanilla ice cream matched with 2014 Tselepos Avlotopi Cabernet Sauvignon.
photos courtesy Estiatorio Milos at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
Estiatorio Milos at The Cosmopolitan is offering monthly wine dinners spotlighting Greek wine to accompany its Greek cuisine. Called winemaker’s table dinner, they have been offered since the spring. Six courses are paired with wine with a chosen theme, with the theme for the dinner I attended being international grapes (those grown all over the world), but the three whites and three reds we enjoyed were all produced from grapes grown in Greece. Lead Sommelier Ronald Buyukliev ordered the pairings from light to heavy and youngest vintage to oldest. He pointed out that Greek wines are underappreciated but are of equal quality to wines from countries more known for their wineries.
The dinners are $79 per person and are held the first Tuesday of each month, available during the evening service from 5-10:45 p.m. We began our meal at 5:30 and by the time we finished at around 7:30 the restaurant was packed, so evidently the dinners are not a well-kept secret. To reserve, call 702-698-7930.
Dinner and Show Deals at The Cosmopolitan restaurant between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and there is a minimum order of 2 packages. The Wicked Spoon buffet deal, priced at $95 and available with all shows, includes free VIP line entry to the top quality buffet and a Reserved category show ticket. For more details and to order tickets, visit https://spiegelworld.com/ Opium and for the full menu at Rose.Rabbit. Lie. visit https://spiegelworld.com/wp-content/ uploads/2018/06/Rose-Rabbit-Pre-TheatreMenu-Opium.pdf.
12 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
photo by Erik Kabik
While the dinner show, once a staple in Vegas, is now pretty hard to find, dinner and show packages are popping up with greater frequency. Two restaurants at The Cosmopolitan are offering dinner and show packages for the Spiegelworld show, OPIUM. The Rose.Rabbit. Lie. offer, priced from $184 and available with any Wednesday to Sunday 8 p.m. show, includes a prix fixe 3-course dinner followed by quick VIP entry to the show with Ringside price category seating. Guests must arrive at
www.lvfnbpro.com
SPIRITS CONFIDENTIAL with Max Solano Toasting to the Holidays
photos by Joy Solano
Yes, ladies & gentlemen! It’s that time of the year, once again… Holiday season! As I am still trying to figure out where exactly 2018 went, I typically get excited about the last sixty days of the calendar year as we get to experience and celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s (eve). I know, it’s not everyone’s favorite, but I certainly enjoy getting out of the exhausting heat and into some cooler weather, as well as enjoying the energy leading up to the ringing in of the New Year! With the cooler weather peeking its head, we start to get away from the lighter-natured spirits, beers, wines and fruity foo-foo summer drinks into the heavier brown spirits and seasonal fall and winter flavors, deeper rich red wines and darker beers. Since I am now into the “spirit(s)” of the holidays, I would like to share with you some joyous, holiday season cocktails that are easy to make at home or anywhere else you find yourself celebrating. I love my whiskey sours. It’s a beautifully simplistic drink consisting of three essential ingredients: Bourbon or Rye whiskey (your choice), fresh lemon juice and sugar. Something so easy, and yet, so flavorful. Over the years, I have developed quite a few variations and am happy to share one of my favorites, especially for this time of year.
THE AUTUMN POMME (Served Hot or Cold) 1.50 oz. Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond rye whiskey 0.50 oz. Licor 43 2.00 oz. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider (Cloudy) 0.50 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice 0.25 oz. Cinnamon-infused Pure Maple Syrup* www.lvfnbpro.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.
* For every four ounces of Grade A maple syrup, mix with 1 Tbsp. of ground cinnamon and blend together. Let sit for 8-12 hours. Scoop out the sediment at the top, then run the remainder through a cheese cloth to filter out as much of the cinnamon particles. Keep refrigerated. In a mixing glass or tin, combine all of the ingredients and shake well over ice. Strain the contents into a double old-fashioned glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a fresh or dehydrated red apple slice and a cinnamon stick. To serve hot, place all of the ingredients into a sauce pan times the amount of desired servings and place at a low to medium heat. Remove and serve as soon as it begins to boil. Place the warm drink in a heat-resistant mug or snifter and garnish. Another one of my go-to cocktails is the Old Fashioned. It’s the epitome of the original “cocktail” DNA which consisted of a base spirit (typically whiskey), sugar, water and bitters. Of course, over the last two centuries the Old Fashioned, itself, has evolved, and now you see many different variations. For the holiday season, one of the great and vast types of ingredient I enjoy working with is tea.
CHAI OLD FASHIONED 2.00 oz Sia blended Scotch 0.25 oz El Silencio Mezcal Espadin 0.50 oz Homemade Chai Tea Syrup* 2 Grapefruit Swaths 2-3 Dashes aromatic bitters * For every 12 ounces of hot water, steep three chai tea bags for 15-20 mins or longer until very strong. Remove the tea bags and add equal parts granulated sugar to make the syrup. Stir well until the sugar’s dissolved. Keep refrigerated.
In a mixing beaker or glass, place the grapefruit swaths, bitters and syrup and muddle well. Add the remainder of the ingredients and stir well over ice. Strain the contents into a double Old Fashioned glass over a large sphere. Garnish with a grapefruit peel or long twist for aromatics. What would the holiday season be without a nog-style drink? I appreciate the versatility of this style of cocktail for being equally as tasty whether its served hot or cold.
BROWN COW (Served Hot or Cold) 1.25 oz. Remy Martin 1738 Cognac 1.25 oz. Cruzan Velvet Cinn Horchata 4.00 oz. Half & Half or Whole Milk 0.50 oz Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup In a mixing glass or tin, combine all of the ingredients and shake well over ice. Strain the contents into a highball or Collins glass over fresh ice. Garnish. To serve hot, place all of the ingredients into a sauce pan times the amount of desired servings and place at a low to medium heat. Remove and serve as soon as it begins to boil. Place the warm drink in a heatresistant mug or snifter. Garnish with some grated nutmeg, cinnamon or allspice. Happy Holiday season! ~ Cheers!
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 13
Twinkle Toast
photo by Erin Cooper
Pulling Corks for Conventioneers
By Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover Erin Cooper and Christine Vanover have been residents of Las Vegas since 2007. Vanover is also a UNLV Alumnus. Both women are Territory Managers for the Resort Wine Team at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, members of Women Gone Wine and the founders of Twinkle Toast. info@twinkletoast.com • www.twinkletoast.com Facebook: @TwinkleToast Twitter: TwinkleToastLV Instagram: TwinkleToastLV
Sommeliers Dylan Amos and Jennifer Szychowski.
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, over 6.5 million people traveled to Las Vegas last year in order to attend more than 21 thousand conventions. Since we are approaching one of the busiest convention seasons of the year, we thought it might be interesting to examine how successful restaurants prepare for such a large influx of business. We recently caught up with Dylan Amos, Sommelier at Delmonico Steakhouse in The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, and he shared with us some of his observations and tips. Which conventions tend to draw the most people into your restaurant? CES (of course), SHOT show, SEMA, MAGIC and Concrete. Which conventioneers tend to spend the most on wine? It lines up with the convention size usually and matches up to the host’s position within the company. The higher up in the food chain, the bigger the expense account. The bigger the convention, the more dollars there are to go around. And those Concrete guys sure do like to have a good steak and a great bottle of wine. Who do you find are the most willing to try wines that are “outside the box”? Tech guys and people based in San Francisco, L.A. or New York. New Yorkers are often looking for good Italian reds, particularly the big B’s: Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello. L.A. folks can lean more into funky, natural wines and cultier domestic choices. San Fran-ers might lean towards getting deep on Burgundy, Bordeaux or wines with age. Broad strokes on those for sure.
When it comes to wine, do you notice any buying behaviors that are associated with those particular groups of conventioneers? During any big convention, the sales of the more established wineries like Caymus, Joseph Phelps, Jordan, etc… are going to spike. Some conventions have a crazy spread of what’s being bought. It’s either a $50 bottle or a $500 bottle or sometimes it’s wines from a particular region. When the Washington wines sales spike, you know there’s bunch of Seattleites in the building. During one of our recent October conventions, several guests were buying the pricier bottles at the end of the meal. That’s a smart way to keep your audience captive and hanging out for the good stuff. When these groups do a buy-out, what is your usual process in assisting them with their wine selections? It depends on the event and the client. We are always looking to over deliver and to provide an experience that is seamless, effective and yummy. We have private events lists of differing sizes that we offer, since we don’t publish our full wine list, and that’s the typical starting point. Sometimes we receive requests for personalized recommendations. If it’s a walk-around event with several stations, we build a by-the-glass list around wines that complement the food but that also work well as cocktail wines. Then we throw a monkey wrench or two into that process and offer fun gems for the adventurous wine drinker. We utilize the depth of our list, currently around 2,300 selections, as a framework.
14 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
If it’s a sit-down dinner, we encourage simplicity and familiarity. Do a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Pinot Noir, a Chardonnay and a zippy white, Albarino, has been the one for us lately, and most everyone will be happy. There’s always a few that will want something that’s not being offered, and we reassure the client that if someone asks for just about anything, we have options prepared for them. That’s one of the beauties of working in Las Vegas; there are enough people from enough places that you can build a program that is broad and deep enough to satisfy and excite just about any wine drinker. How do you navigate helping guests reach the minimum spend associated with a buy-out? In-house, we start with the idea that each guest will drink half a bottle of wine. So, 20 guests equals 10 bottles, right? That’s an easy and safe way to gauge it. It’s almost always an over-estimation. Usually, the larger the party, over 40 or more, the less likely it will reach even 75% of this. We always want to be very responsible about how we help our clients and focus first on establishing an event that causes as little stress as possible. Once the client has arrived in the restaurant, we talk to the host about reaching the minimum and see if there is a preferred way to do so. If there’s still money left to spend toward the end of the event, the host might decide to end with Champagne of a large format bottle. Something celebratory to cap the night is always good. Do you find that certain brands or varietals are more popular than others? If so, why do you think that is? Cab is king. Full stop. Ain’t no doubt about it. Napa Cabernet in particular. Why? There’s just such a wide range of styles at such a high level of quality. There’s lush and rich or savory and rustic and all points in between. These wines are also often crafted by the best of the best with no expense spared. It’s a grape great with lots to say. Also, lots of folks really like wines with weight. They want it “big” and “bold” and Cabernet tends to deliver that either with body or with tannin or sometimes both. When, if ever, do small or large formats come into play? We love to use a Magnum to pour for banquets. That’s always fun. If you were to give advice to a new restaurant that is looking to take advantage of convention business, what would it be? Be organized. Be flexible. Be well stocked. Be thoughtful. Be conscientious. www.lvfnbpro.com
Chef Spotlight
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.
Patrick Munster
Twitter: @patevans Instagram: @patrickmevans
How did you start in the kitchen? Well, cooking had always been a big part in my family. Food always had this entertainment feel to it and in my teenage years, it was why not do this as a career? I always liked going out to really great restaurants and picking servers’ and chefs’ brains, and walked into one of the best restaurants in St. Louis [King Louie’s] and got a job. At what point did you know it would stick? I think I lucked out with working at such a great restaurant, one of the first farm-to-table restaurants. The menu changed a lot and there was no defined style of food so we could do all kinds of stuff and the chef put some trust into me creating specials. That was something I could do for the rest of my life; that’s when I decided school would be a good part, why not get some. Why stay in the Southwest? Growing up in the Midwest I never pictured myself in a desert and now I’m in a desert. At first I came here because this was the food scene. I still believe it is one of the best in the country, but 14 years ago, all the big name chefs started arriving. It was the place to go and be. I followed that hunch and I met my wife out here and now we have two kids and a great house, and I can’t picture myself anywhere else. You work at a steakhouse, and I read you like barbecue … what is it about meat? I actually just did three racks of ribs, smoked four hours. It’s just one of those things, especially barbecue. It’s an art form to me because of the time and dedication you put into it. Even though its not $100 a plate, the seasoning, smoke, time. The cool thing with barbecue is you can play around with huge cuts of meat. It’s fun for a chef. What’s your favorite side for steaks? The ones here, our potato gratin is a classic and it’s just awesome steak and potatoes. One of my favorites is our Miatake mushrooms, stepped out of the classic side dish and roasted nice Miatake with a little balsamic and aged goat cheese. Creamed corn is awesome, again not the traditional soupy creamed corn. We roast the corn and don’t use that much cream; we let the roasted corn and poblanos speak for themselves and add Alaskan king crab. How important is wine to the steak experience? I think with the whole steakhouse experience a wine pairing takes it from good to great. If you have a sommelier that will look at a fourtop getting a shellfish platter, salad, and sharing a porterhouse, if a somm comes up and says shellfish, this great sauvignon blanc, sharing a porterhouse, I just got in a great Napa Cab. In my experience it’s just as cool as a chef coming to the table to talk food. www.lvfnbpro.com
photo courtesy MB Steak
Cooking has been part of Patrick Munster’s life since his punk rock youth in St. Louis, but he’s been delivering great food in Las Vegas for 15 years now. The executive chef at Hard Rock Casino’s MB Steak, Munster went from St. Louis to the Culinary Institute of America in New York before ending up in Las Vegas for internship and never looking back. Prior to MB Steak, Munster worked at SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas for 10 years.
Where do you eat in Las Vegas? It’s hard having two kids, you have to somehow plan dinner and make it kid-friendly. We live in Green Valley so Pizza Rock is great for the kids. Growing up in St. Louis, there was a huge Vietnamese population and so when I first moved out here, I hunted all those out. A big bowl of pho is comfort food for me. My wife is obsessed with ramen, so we’re seeking out all those great places. And Downtown has really cool food, all those restaurants. Kitchen at Atomic. Every time I step foot in Sparrow & Wolf, it’s excellent and we’re treated to some of the best food and service in town. What’s new at MB? We have stone crabs right now and we’re working with a vendor in Florida rather than a middleman in Las Vegas, so they’re overnighting from Florida. That’s great, we’ve had some difficulties in Vegas, not being one of the big boys when I‘d order them I wouldn’t get them. So to have a vendor that overnights is great. The season goes to right around March. Then you have the big Christmas rushes, we’re doing a big special. New Years, tasting menus for that. We try to do specials for all those holidays.
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 15
Vegas Embraces Two Unique Asian Spirits By Gael Hancock
Photos by Audrey Dempsey • Infinity Photo & Gael Hancock Many of the millions of international guests that visit Las Vegas each year often take home more than memories and souvenirs. Perhaps it’s a taste for a new food, an addiction to In-N-Out Burger, or a heightened interest in Americanmade films. For others, it might be a deeper understanding of people from other cultures, or perhaps a feeling of awe at the grandeur found in Death Valley, Red Rock Canyon or Zion National Park. Travel changes people. Then again, so does hosting travelers and consumers alike. In Las Vegas, catering to the needs of guests means listening to their requests and making accommodating suggestions, changes or additions, whether it’s to a menu or a level of service. The emergence in Las Vegas of two Asian spirits—Shochu and Baijiu—is an example of a change brought about by the dynamic influence of our many Asian guests. Aaron Diec, has watched these distillates slowly creep into the Las Vegas market, both in his current position as Director of Sales-Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Nevada Asian Product Portfolio, and at his former position as Villa Butler at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort. “We have a unique market here in Las Vegas.
We have guests from all over the world with different ethnic backgrounds and cultural preferences,” said Diec. “At Wynn and Encore, I handled a lot of the parties, working mainly with Chinese and Japanese guests. What I always noticed was that you can wow them with highend whiskies, cognacs and first growth wines, but if they’re staying for an extended amount of time, they always try to revert to something that is more comfortable, more traditional. They ask for traditional spirits by brand name, and this is how the process gets started,” he explained. Shochu is a distilled spirit of Japan and within the country, its consumption rivals that of Sake. A clear, aromatic spirit, it has five different styles or tastes, depending on the carbohydrate used in the distilling process. Mugi is a barley-based version of Shochu, wellrounded and slightly hearty, with a subtle shy sweetness. Shochu made with sweet potato is known as Imo, and has a more rustic mouthfeel and style, with a richer body. Kome Shochu is made with long-grained rice, like that used to brew Sake, with the difference being that Sake is fermented and Shochu is distilled. It has a delicate taste with a bit of a floral aromatic.
16 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
Kokuto is made with black sugar or sugarcane, and has a rich rum-like characteristic with tastes of molasses and caramel, with a suggestion of vanilla. Lastly, Buckwheat or Soba Shochu has a rich, almost nutty taste. But the question is, “are these tastes westerners would enjoy?” And the answer is absolutely, “yes.” The styles tend to relate to the core distillates that many are used to and that are readily available. The heavy lifting would be comparable to vodka, but some of them have nice aromatics and botanicals that translate to gin. Of course, the sugarcane Shochu easily falls into a rum-like style, with heavy, sweeter, sultry tastes. It is thought that Shochu may have originated in the 16th century. The name means “spirit of Japan,” but it comes from the Chinese word shaoji or “burnt liquor.” It is believed that the distillation process originated centuries ago in Asia. Shochu is made in predominately small, compact distilleries throughout Japan. Most manufacture only one style or taste of Shochu, but some are beginning to experiment with blends such as barley and rice, or rice and sweet potato. Usually www.lvfnbpro.com
Asian guests are starting to order these drinks, alongside traditional Asian consumers. The traditional Asian client is not used to seeing a well-executed, multi-ingredient cocktail using Shochu. They’re used to seeing a simplistic approach with a wedge of fruit and pouring over rocks. When they see that there’s more to the category, the more it peaks their curiosity. It is exciting and thoughtful when I have suppliers come into town and we’re discussing Shochu and they give me a short list of cocktail recipes from folks they’ve been working with. It shows you how far we have all come from a very traditional, old-fashioned mindset and adapting to innovation and concepts. When asked how many kinds of Shochu are carried by Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, Diec will tell you that they carry less than a dozen. “This is a category that is built on precision and the style in which folks are looking for are very straight forward,” said Diec. “You have the one venue that is looking for something for cocktails that is more practical in price and another that wants Shochu that is perhaps more expensive, but caters to the more traditional method for consuming the spirit,” he added.
Baijiu
the blend is listed on the package, and some distilleries go so far as to list the percentages. Not only are they experimenting with blends, some distilleries are infusing different fruits or herbs into the Shochu. The most traditional way to drink Shochu is neat at room temperature or on the rocks. Or, you can ask for a chu-hai. You will be given Shochu on the rocks, a piece of fruit—lemon, lime or grapefruit–and a small juicer. In some places, melon juices are brought to the table in a carafe to pour over the distillate. Westerners, however, are mixing it up with more ingredients and different presentations. For example, at SUSHISAMBA at The Palazzo, Yasbert Genao and his team serve up a “Chucumber,” offering Takara Jun Mugi Shochu with fresh cucumber, Ume Sake, bitters and maraschino liqueur, which they shake with lime, and serve it up or on the rocks. Nick Aflague at Sen of Japan, creates a fresh taste with “Beautiful Mountain,” featuring Bizan Imo Shochu along with Japanese Oolong tea and fresh mint served on the rocks. “This is so fun,” said Diec, “because nonwww.lvfnbpro.com
answer is that it’s powerful enough to work well in cocktails, mixed with strong ingredients such as peppercorn or coffee beans. But even in a cocktail, the half-ounce for toasting is plenty and goes a long way. A good example is the drink served by Andrea Boulanger and her team at China Tang at the MGM Grand. “Tiki Five Spice” contains Hong Kong Baijiu with MGM Single Barrel Rum, pineapple, passionfruit and homemade five spice syrup, served on the rocks. To sum it all up Diec has a final word: “The wonderful world of Asian beverages will continue to grow and flourish and we are in a great place to harbor innovation, educate and create opportunity at Southern Glazer’s. Alcoholic beverages or non-alcoholic options/ mixers, let’s share a drink…See you soon! Kanpai, Ganbei, Cheers!” In Las Vegas we have incredible access to the world’s foods, drinks and traditions. We are different because of the people we serve in our restaurants, hotels, theaters, and spas. We lead richer lives because of this. GH
Shochu Bottle size: 750 ml
Baijiu is a Chinese spirit distilled from glutinous rice, herbs and sorghum. Dating back to the 13th century, it possesses an important place in Chinese traditions, often consumed at social gatherings, given as a gift to government officials or people of importance and used to celebrate business acquisitions or special occasions. Like the ritual of a tea ceremony, the pouring of Baijiu is nuanced and specific; in China, the host pours for everyone and it is important to make sure that the guests’ glasses are always higher than that of the host. It is consumed in one gulp, usually accompanied by a toast or salutation. These traditions are carried through to some extent even when Baijiu is used in a cocktail—it is also common for the drink to be served in a beaker or carafe so the host can pour and serve his/her guests. Shochu is smooth and gentle, a distillate that can be sipped all evening. Baijiu, on the other hand, will fool you. The aromatics are flowery, almost whimsical, making one think that it, too, is a gentle drink, but once you have it in your mouth things change. On the palate, Baijiu has herbal almost medicinal notes and the alcohol lingers (and lingers occasionally causing tears and coughing); Definitely not a sipping distillate, with up to 54% ABV (more than 100 proof), it is consumed straight up in half-ounce glasses with or without a stem. Unlike most distillates, Baijiu is classified by fragrance, differentiated as Sauce, Strong and Light. The Sauce-style is highly fragrant, bold in character and has notes of bean paste and soy sauce-notes similar to umami, and causes one to salivate and enhances sensory glands. The Strong-style is on the sweeter side, with more viscosity, and encompasses higher esters that when they dissipate, open the sensory nasal glands. The Light-style is delicate, even dry, soft spoken and mellow with a cleaner finish. The fragrance style is usually noted in the packaging of each specific Baijiu. So why would one even consider Baijiu? The
Price: $15 to $100 per bottle ABV: 20 to 45 Popular brands: Gekkeikan Bizan Imo Kome (sweet potato and rice) Takara Jun Mugi (barley) Nankai Kokuto (black sugar cane) Blends with: fruits, citrus, herbs, some spices
Baijiu Bottle size: 375 ml or 750 ml Price: $20 to $2,000 per bottle ABV: 54 Popular brands: Moutai (most prestigious brand) Wu Liang Ye (very popular) Shui Jing Fang Wellbay (innovative) HKB Hong Kong (good for cocktails) Mianzhu Daqu (lower caliber) Blends with: coffee beans, spices, fruits Need holiday gifts? These unique spirits are available at Asian marketplaces and other liquor outlets.
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 17
Eataly Las Vegas Opens at Park MGM This December
photo courtesy Eataly Las Vegas
Italian Culinary Destination Will Open Its Sixth U.S. Location at New Las Vegas Resort
Eataly, the authentic Italian marketplace, announced it will open its Las Vegas location at Park MGM, in December 2018. Las Vegas marks the sixth U.S. location of the Italybased company, which has more than 35 stores worldwide. The 40,000-square-foot culinary destination, located directly on the famed Las Vegas Strip, will serve as Park MGM’s main entrance and feature unique food counters, bars, cafes and dining experiences offering traditional Italian food in a vibrant ambiance. Eataly Las Vegas will feature al fresco dining, as well as several areas dedicated to live cooking demonstrations. “We are thrilled to partner with MGM Resorts International and Sydell Group for this exciting new venture,” said Nicola Farinetti, CEO of Eataly USA. “With each of their many distinctive properties, both organizations have demonstrated their dedication to quality – something that we value above all at Eataly.”
The Eataly Las Vegas experience will offer authentic Italian dishes, from tried-and-true Neapolitan pizza and pastas to specialties such as regional Italian street food and hand-pulled mozzarella and burrata cheese made in-house, all helmed by Executive Chef Nicole Brisson. A wide variety of Italian desserts and sweets, including beloved favorites like house-made gelatos and cannoli, will round out the Eataly experience. Guests will be able to explore the flavors of Eataly while dining, along with enjoying the opportunity to shop high-quality products to bring the essence of Eataly home. The venue will offer a variety of premium food selections such as cured meats, cheeses and fresh seafood as well as an assortment of artisanal Italian favorites imported from Italy - from bronzeextruded pasta to extra virgin olive oil. Unique keepsake items, gifts and fine housewares that embody Italian design also will be on the shelves for visitors to purchase.
18 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
“Eataly Las Vegas will showcase our continued evolution,” explains Farinetti. “We are integrating our retail store and restaurants further than ever before to create a more immersive and interactive experience surrounding premier food offerings. We can’t wait to share our country’s delicious cuisine and culture with the Las Vegas community – while Eataly will always remain authentically Italian, we are also excited to incorporate the culture and ingredients of the American Southwest throughout the venue.” Eataly Las Vegas will join Park MGM and Nomad Las Vegas’ spectacular culinary program, which includes: Primrose, Roy Choi’s Best Friend (opening Dec. 28), Hogsalt Hospitality’s Bavette’s Steakhouse and NoMad Restaurant by renowned Chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara. For more information, visit www.eataly.com or www.parkmgm.com. www.lvfnbpro.com
Chef Talk The Meat Update
There is a lot of things going on with meat these days. Previously I wrote about meatless Mondays to help reduce the greenhouse effect. Now, I have some other ideas and thoughts about different meats. 80% of the world’s agricultural land is used to produce livestock. The industry produces more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry does. One biochemist from Stanford decided to try something new and he created a product that is vegan made with a plant-based meat substitute called HEME. HEME is an iron-rich component of an oxygen-carrying molecule which is also present in blood, and this replicates the delicious characteristics of beef. His company, Impossible Foods, is taking off. Last year his hamburger substitute was available in 40 locations in the United States; now it is available at over 3,000 worldwide locations. Another cutting-edge invention is lab/petri dishgrown meats. There are many companies trying to create a market for lab-grown meat including fish, chicken and beef and many of them are trying to hit the shelves in the supermarket by the end of 2018. I don’t believe that’s going to happen because there are still a lot of questions and regulations that need to be created. There is no current information about the vitamins and nutrients that this meat would have. As I mentioned in the sustainable farming article, this measure will be very good for the planet by avoiding the greenhouse gases and you can’t control what products are being produced, you have to produce the whole animal. Negative to www.lvfnbpro.com
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.
this is the amount of energy that will be required to produce these meats. In this scenario you would be able to just grow chicken breast instead of a whole chicken and of course there’s no waste that comes from this product. It will also open up land that is currently used for farming. There is some hesitation among consumers: In studies two out of three people were willing to try lab-grown meat but only one out of three said that they would eat it regularly and that also depends on the price point that it comes out at. The question now is how do you make meat in a lab. First, a tiny amount of muscle tissue is taken from the animal and then the cells are isolated from the tissue sample. The cells are then put in a liquid that gives the nutrients they need to grow and in 7 to 8 weeks you can discern the muscle. The cells are fused together into a strand and they continue growing for three more weeks. After the meat has fully grown it takes about 10,000 strands to make a 3-ounce hamburger. The next meat to talk about is veal, which is a baby cow. It usually has to be around six months old and weigh 500 pounds before they go to the market. In the 1960s Americans were eating four pounds of veal per person and then the boycott came due to the inhumane treatment of the calves. Last year on average 1/5 of a pound of veal was consumed per person but they are marketing it as a more humane treatment of veal or five times older and twice the market weight of calves from 30 years ago. Calves are more nutritious now than they were 30 years ago due
to the larger diet and exercise that they now get. They also have a deeper flavor being raised in a mix of milk formula in grain. The last meat I’m going to talk about is pork. Pork production can be traced back to 5,000 BCE and is very popular in parts of Asia. Exports are one of the items that is now in the news due to the tariffs added by China. Pork is the number one consumed meat in the Asian Peninsula. Consumption in China is over 2 1/2 times the consumption in the European Union and five times as much as the pork consumption in the United States. Pork can be eaten both freshly cooked and preserved, as curing the meat extends the shelf life. If you’ve lived in Vegas for any length of time you know that there was a big farm in the center of North Las Vegas that just recently moved up to Apex. The farm was there before any houses were built but the neighbors complained about the smell from the farm. This is a common problem. Pennsylvania and Virginia have the same problem with their pig farms and they’re one of the biggest producers of pork products. A good thing about having the pig farm in our community is the fact that they take food waste from seven casinos on the Strip and cook it and feed it to the pigs which saves a lot of space in the Apex landfill, which is the largest landfill in the country.
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 19
CABERNET
COLOR UP YOUR LIFE! RIEDEL.COM
By Joe Urcioli
The Big Smoke Las Vegas
photos by Joe Urcioli
Joe and Rocky Patel.
An abundance of goodies collected at The Big Smoke.
Sharon with cigar.
I again had the pleasure of covering The Big Smoke Las Vegas event for The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, attending on the evening of Friday, November 9. The three-day event included two Big Smoke evenings, and exciting daytime seminars. Held at The Mirage Events Center, and hosted by Cigar Aficionado magazine, this event was attended by hundreds of cigar smokers from all parts of the US. The cost (per Big Smoke Evening) was $375 for VIP early admission and $325 for general admission. All Access Packages (Friday 11/9-Sunday 11/11) included Daytime Seminars Saturday and Sunday and 2 Big Smoke evenings (VIP) $875, or 1 Big Smoke evening (VIP) $675. Seminars included: Top 3 cigars of 2017, The New King Nicaragua, Cult Cigars, The State of Cuban Cigars, Luncheon presented by Micallef Cigar, Cigar Lovers Breakfast and Roll Your Own Cigar. Cigars was the name of the game on this night. Guests received 36 cigars, a canvas tote bag to hold all the goodies in and a Boveda event humidor bag.
Once again, the longest lines were at the Rocky Patel cigars where Rocky Patel was autographing RP caps and taking pictures with patrons and Alec Bradley. A great smoke was Archetype Crystals Robusto; the cigar has a rich earthy core backed by flavors of leather, espresso and caramel, outstanding construction and a crisp slow burn.
FOOD: Once again, this year the food was catered by The Mirage, and there was no shortage of it! There were a number of carving stations and various other culinary delights to select from, including Rigatoni Pomodoro (vegetarian), Gemelli Smoked Chicken Breast, Artichoke Portobello Mushrooms & Madeira Cream, Carne Asada, Al Pastor Pork Adobo & Pineapple, Grilled Mahi Mahi and Baron of Beef. There were also numerous desserts to choose from.
LIBATIONS:
There were plenty of drinks for all to imbibe. Pouring were: Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select Single Barrel Selection, D’usse Cognac VSOP The premium cigars given to the guests included: Casa Fernandez & XO, John Dewer & Sons Scotch Whiskey, Glengoyne Scotch Aganorsa, Aging Room, Alec Bradley Tempus, A. Fuente Rosado Whiskey, Hennessy VSOP & XO, Westland American Single Malt Gran Reserve, Cohiba, Carrillo New Wave, Diamond Crown Maximus, Whiskey, Chartreuse and Guinness Draught Stout, Blonde American Oliva, Hamlet Liberation, Joya Silver, La Aroma de Cuba, La Aurora Lager and Extra Stout beer. If you couldn’t find something to like on ADN, La Flor Dominica, La Palina Classic Maduro, Macanudo this list then you probably don’t like to drink. Inspirado, Mbombay, Micallef Herencia, Monte by Montecristo, Nat Cicco Liga #4, NUB , Padron, Plasencia Reserve Original, Rocky All seemed to have a great time. Not surprisingly, there were smiles, Patel Maduro, Romeo by Romeo y Julieta, Balmoral Anejo XO, San laughter and the bouquet of premium cigars throughout the center. Lotano, Casa Turrent Series 1901, Archetype Crystals, My Father’s Considering the amount of cigars one received, along with the Cigars La Antiguedad, Herrera Estel by Drew Estate, Oscar Valladares outstanding food and libations provided to guests, the cost of admission 201, Fume en Nicaragua, La Mission L’Atelier, H.Upmann the Banker is well worth it. If you are serious about enjoying cigars, this is one event you will not want to miss next time around. and 2 from Cimarron.
CIGARS:
www.lvfnbpro.com
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 21
By Shelley Stepanek
SUSHI ROKU new fall menu debut! Each season, this fantastic restaurant in the Forum Shops, brings forth a beautiful seasonal menu. And once again, I was there to try it out. A beautiful cocktail called Pacific Scorpion with Svedka Clementin, coconut, pineapple, passion fruit, watermelon, guava and lychee started out the meal. First course was Toro Tartare with caviar. New dishes this time around were Sriracha Shrimp with champagne sauce, housemade potato chips and the Titan Roll: very spicy with scallops and jalapeno, topped with tuna & salmon. Time to try dry unfiltered creamy, sweet sake with another new item, Short Rib Bao, which is braised beef with pickled vegetables; and The Vegan with grilled eryngii, asparagus, jalapeno, butter lettuce and soy paper; and of course, a different flavor of sake. Next up, Wagyu Tataki with sautéed mushroom, which had a heavy smell of smoke as it was uncovered. Next course, Roku Cacio E Pepe, which almost looks like spaghetti, but is ramen with asiago cheese. We sampled White Fish Tempura, which is a skate wing with furkake with lemon zest. And of course, another small glass of sake, this time Homare, infused with strawberry juice. The best-of-the-best course was Lobster Garlic Noodles, a full lobster tail with noodles. Absolute perfection. Dessert consisted of three courses: Carnival P.B.J., which is a magnificent ice cream dish totally covered with cotton candy which is set aflame and quickly burns away; the pumpkin bread pudding with vanilla ice cream; and a lovely poached pear with ice cream followed up. All three desserts went well with the last sake of the night, Mango Nigori, soft and fluffy infused with mango. General Manager Johnny Seo does a marvelous job every day of the year. The view is of the Strip, and the restaurant in on the 3rd floor. A welcome piece of news is that valet parking in the Forum Valet is now free for locals dining at Sushi Roku, giving us yet another reason to visit. Many thanks go out to this great restaurant. Call 702-733-7373 for reservations. Lunch and dinner. SEARSUCKER at Caesars Palace is amazing. Somehow after three years, I finally made it there this week. What a treasure. Great downhome food executed by the very talented Executive Chef Stephen LaSala, everything with a special twist. A special feature is their “Old Fashioned” line up. Hakkasan Group’s master mixologist, Tim Weigel, has created an unbelievable twist on the cocktails. From smoky to spicy and mellow there is one that you will have to have. How about an actual Bananas Foster Old Fashioned for something new? He is a grand master, I can tell you. Along with Constantine Alexander, Director of Beverage for all of the Hakkasan nationwide, they have designed great new drinks and superb food. From Caesar salad, shishitos, super-hot fried small peppers, giant scallops with orange kabocha, pancetta, hen of the woods, filet mignon, twice cooked creamed kale, it was a taste treat for all. The tuna poke, and especially the marvelous bone marrow with a chili bourbon glaze, cannot be missed. Short ribs with horseradish, potatoes and crispy onions are another new item. We ended with one of the most fantastic dessert trays I have seen, totaling six desserts and freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. With each course we sampled a different Old Fashioned. 702-866-1800 for reservations. REFLECTION BAY hosted a culinary feast in November. On the beautiful Lake Las Vegas 25 restaurants and liquor distributors came together for an evening after the 2nd annual Las Vegas Audi Golf Tournament. Assembled on the water were Beauty & Essex, The Capital Grille, Ethel M, Ferraro’s, House of Blues, Lavo, Shake Shack, STK Las Vegas, Tao, Texas de Brazil and Zenshin Asian. Alongside were numerous beers and liquors there to sample. Ferrero’s Italian bites, Shake Shack’s delicious burgers, barbequed ribs, were all there. With over 1,500 attending, buses were furnished for attendees. Great music and entertainment. Nice silent raffle with plenty of golfing prizes. Look forward to next year’s event at $125 per person. 22 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
Shelley Stepanek is President of DSA, the oldest non-profit tourist association in the state, along with being on the board of ticket brokers. Shelley has previously owned three restaurants.
photos by Shelley Stepanek
Best of the Best
www.lvfnbpro.com
By Ben Brown
The Bottom Line
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:
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.lvfnbpro.com
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. December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 23
Turn Ideas to Action By Diana Webber
If everyone agrees that service, selling, quality, value, cleanliness and friendliness are so important, then why are they executed on some shifts and not others? If every restaurant in your company shares identical brand standards and systems, then why do some foodservice teams and managers outperform others while doing the exact same work? How can we become the kind of company that would put us out of business? These questions—and their answers—are the core of what separates successful foodservice brands from failing ones: Execution. Well-done is better than well-said. Let’s examine the strategies and tactics that help successful foodservice brands bridge the knowing-to-doing gap and achieve consistently better results daily. Jason Talbott, General Manager of The Rainforest Cafe in Las Vegas says: “Do the things that count, instead of counting the things you do.” Here are seven execution focal points to improve your aim and generate consistently better results: 1. Strategic clarity. Leadership is pointless without purpose. Managers and crew must be clear on what success looks like and how what they’re doing each shift will lead to that success. As Lewis Carroll famously wrote: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will take you there.” So yeah, details need direction. Teams execute when they’re clear on what goal achievement looks like and how achieving those goals will positively impact both the team member and the customer’s experience. Strategy changes with scale, and as your goals progress, that clarity needs to keep pace, lest your objectives become ambiguous. Ambiguity in goals leads to uncertainty in action and causes employee performance to falter and fail. 2. Brilliance at the basics. One of the keys to exceptional service-giving is to do the ordinary in extraordinary ways. Never get bored with the basics. Coach and direct your teams to master the fundamentals and then inspire them to go beyond. Just because something works doesn’t mean that you can’t improve on it. 3. Define success routines. You cannot “manage” customer experience. Customer experience is an outcome that you can influence but not guarantee. Focus on being habitually consistent in proven success routines, like pre-shift meetings, that aligns the crew’s actions (cause) with a positive guest experience (effect). The problem is that managers will get bored with the basics and fail to communicate their importance to the crew before each and every shift. Result? Habitually inconsistent repeat business.
4. Servant leadership. You have a customer that comes in once a week, 52 weeks a year. You also have the world’s best host or greeter. She’s always on time, greets customers with a smile, suggests appetizers and desserts to every table she seats, and never cancels a shift. Let’s say that tomorrow, for whatever reason, one of them has to go. Who do you vote to save? I’d choose the greeter because their actions generate multiples of repeat business. Having a “people-first” mentality is a job for high-performing managers that consistently get things done. They know the importance of MYTOP: Multiplying Yourself through Other People. A servant leader’s philosophy is as down to earth as home plate: “My customer is anyone who isn’t me.” If you’re not serving the customer directly, you need to be serving someone who is. 5. Over-teach. Why? Because teams tend to both under-learn and overforget. Explanation gaps are the most common cause of execution gaps. A restaurant manager can never communicate enough, and they usually communicate way less than they think they do. It’s is a rare company that has been found guilty of over-communicating. How much time do your managers spend fixing problems versus scaling successes? Document and share best practices, pursue and replicate bright spots of innovation in your company. Cascade learning from manager to crew daily: each one teach one. One step by a hundred people is better than a hundred steps by one person. 6. Size up/wise up. Assess your talent gaps and training gaps every 30 days. Where could teams improve relative to service, selling and costcontrol? What tools or resources do they need? 7. Transformation, not transaction. Most training materials misdirect employees. For instance, they tell how to serve guests, instead of why we serve them, and the value of that service. Teach teams first the value of money and what guests spend at your restaurant relative to their total earnings. Connect that sacrifice in earnings to the value of getting great service in return. Foodservice managers who consistently execute their initiatives do so three ways: • They focus on outcomes and not distractions. • They set/share shift goals daily that are aligned to their quarterly goals. • They apply constant, gentle daily pressure on their teams and processes to continuously improve. They understand that you don’t have to be perfect every shift, just better than yesterday.
24 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
www.lvfnbpro.com
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.
www.lvfnbpro.com
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 25
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. 26 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
www.lvfnbpro.com
By Justin Leung
photos by Travis Tagala
Justin Leung, a Hospitality Management student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, represents the Epicurean Society, a collective of food and restaurant enthusiastic students. As the journalist on their leadership team, Justin desires to share the club’s experiences with the public. He is from Georgia and decided to pursue his passion for hospitality in Las Vegas.
Reaching the final months of Epicurean Society’s fall semester, the team decided to focus on more relaxed, social aspects of being an organization rather than the tight programming or coordination. A core activity of our club is to visit restaurants or food sources. The organization outing for the month of October took place at the ‘Block 16 Urban Food Hall’ on the second floor of The Cosmopolitan. Block 16 in The Cosmopolitan is a novel and unique culinary experience on the Las Vegas Strip which opened on August 31, 2018. There is a wide selection of dishes and sources to choose from: District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, Lardo, Pok Pok Wing and Tekka Bar: Handroll & Sake. Epicurean members stopped at each eatery to understand the distinction among its neighboring snack spaces. District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew began and was developed in New Orleans and its transition to the west coast has established a strong start within the Las Vegas community. Their entire menu is entirely fresh, and all items are made from scratch. Guests will be able to help themselves to espresso drinks, coffee, juices, teas, breakfast dishes as well as items for lunch and dinner. Their entrees combine savory and pastry: for example, their Croque Madame is a donut topped with a sunny-side up egg which sandwiches Applewood smoked ham, cheese, Dijon and béchamel. And, don’t get me wrong: They make amazing sliders (cheeseburger, chicken or pork belly) and just as you’d expect from their brand name. Epicurean members were entranced by the Hattie B’s Hot Chicken menu for quite some time, due to its focus on comfort dishes and the south (Nashville, specifically). Students were drawn to the fried chicken plates and enticing portion sizes with two sides, bread and pickles. Their heat levels, which made several members smirk at the sight, are named: SOUTHERN (no heat), MILD (touch of heat), MEDIUM (warming up), DAMN HOTT!! (fire starter) and finally, SHUT THE CLUCK UP!!! (a burn notice). Their dipping sauces were to be expected, but the Nashville Comeback Sauce caught our eye. As members continued to explore Block 16, our hunger and appetite grew exponentially with the scents and kitchen sounds filling the air. The next visit was with Lardo, a sandwich joint offering larger sandwiches and more flavors. This dining concept was introduced to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas by Portland Chef Rick Gencarelli: He introduced bold flavors and a couple of the sandwiches provide an appropriate insight into perspective. The Bronx Bomber sandwich consists of shaved steak, house provolone “whiz,” roasted and pickled peppers, vinegar mayo and shredded lettuce. Lardo’s Griddled Mortadella takes guests on a flavor journey especially with Mama Lil’s peppers, mustard aioli mortadella and provolone. Several members decided to order from our second-to-last stop, Pok Pok Wing. Created by Chef Andy Ricker, this eatery concept was inspired by Portland influence. The restaurant’s menu contains many sweet, www.lvfnbpro.com
sticky sauces and glazes in supplement to the crispy bites of caramelized garlic and meat. Our team members ordered the Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings and the Ike’s Wing Special. While the taste was stronger than expected, the wings were cooked to an enjoyable crunch and the balance between sweet and savory was well executed. However, the experience with the smell was slightly less pleasant. Epicurean Society made its final stop to the Tekka Bar: Handroll & Sake. Las Vegas’s restauranteur, Takashi Segawa, created this idea after being inspired from Japan’s ancient gaming destination from over 100 years ago. In Japanese, Tekka Ba translates to the old gambling place. Guests are able to order in roll sets (threesome, foursome and highroller) and are provided the option of sashimi and handrolls. Block 16 Urban Food Hall has developed into a hub of novelty restaurant concepts and regionally authentic tastes. With the conclusion of Epicurean Society’s final restaurant outing for the semester, we turned our attention to “Breaking Barriers” which is a Hospitality Student Leaders social event hosted by Eta Sigma Delta. At UNLV, Breaking Barriers is a student-hosted event which invites all of the hospitality clubs on campus and unites them to maintain partnerships and connections. Epicurean Society provided a buffetstyle course for the event which included elote corn off-the-cob, chips and salsa and taco chip cups. The mixer provided plentiful opportunities for leaders to speak open-mindedly about their visions and ideas for their organizations. With December fast approaching, Epicurean Society will host a winter fundraiser during the final exam study week from December 5-6. The fundraiser will be holiday-themed and will provide individuals with goodie snacks for stress relief and energy. The leadership team has agreed to create this program as a way to catapult up from fall semester with a bang.
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 27
photo courtesy Natalie Ruisi
Park MGM Bartender Wins Back Pay After Being Illegally Fired Because of UNITE HERE Union “Pour Card” Scheme
Labor Board settlement reinstates worker to position with seniority and provides $5,000 in back wages following NLRB unfair labor practice charges Las Vegas, NV (November 27, 2018) – A Park MGM casino bartender has won a settlement from Park MGM and Bartenders Union Local 165 officials after she filed federal unfair labor practice (ULP) charges. Bartender Natalie Ruisi, who was fired for not having a union “pour card,” is receiving $5,000 in back wages and being reinstated as a result of the settlement. With free legal assistance by National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Ruisi filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Park MGM, formerly Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, and Bartenders Union Local 165, affiliated with UNITE
HERE International Union. Aramark, the contractor who hired Ruisi, was also charged and agreed to the settlement. In addition to paying $5,000 in back wages, the settlement required Aramark and Park MGM to reinstate Ruisi to her previous position with her original seniority. Union officials further agreed not to process any grievances from other workers who might challenge Ruisi’s position on the seniority list. After Ruisi was hired in November 2016, Aramark management informed Ruisi that UNITE HERE union officials would represent all employees at the Park Theater, located at the casino. Ruisi and a number of her co-workers were fired on January 12, 2017. Ruisi was told that she and her co-workers were terminated because they did not possess a “union pour card.” The bargaining agreement required bartenders, even those who work for subcontractors, to acquire a “pour card” that could only be obtained through union officials at significant expense to workers who exercised their rights under federal law and state law to refrain from joining and financially supporting the union. When Ruisi was hired, a union card was not a requirement or condition of employment, and Ruisi was never even given the opportunity to acquire a union card. Moreover, Nevada’s longstanding Right to Work law makes it illegal for any employee to be forced to join a union or pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. “This victory for Ms. Ruisi serves as a warning to Las Vegas union bosses that union-only ‘certification’ schemes to undermine Nevada’s Right to Work law will not be tolerated,” said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. “Nevada’s Right to Work law means every employee in the state can choose individually whether or not to join and pay dues to a union. Unfortunately, there is reason to believe countless other Las Vegas workers have been similarly victimized.” Workers can contact the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation for free legal aid by calling 1-800-336-3600, emailing legal@nrtw.org, or through the Legal Aid Request form on its website: www.nrtw.org
28 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
www.lvfnbpro.com
By Pat Evans
Chef Keith Norman
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.
Allergies can be a deal breaker for dining out at restaurants and it’s a rare occurrence when establishments make a hardy effort to cater to those suffering from severe sensitivities. One chef in Las Vegas, Keith Norman, has set out to completely change the perception. Norman, the assistant executive chef and food safety manager at South Point Hotel, released Allergen Awareness: A Chef’s Perspective this year as a tell-all guide to help other chefs navigate the allergen waters and help guests understand what chefs can and will do for them. The book is available on Amazon. “I wanted to share the importance with the hospitality group,” Norman said. “But I also want to have the customers, teach them to talk to us when they come in. They need to speak up.” As Norman speaks regularly on the subject and is regarded as one of the foremost experts, he hopes the book eventually establishes an international reach and helps people across the globe dine safely. “Part of the issue in the hospitality industry is not enough people are talking about allergens,” Norman said. He mentioned Serena Williams and former NFL running back Jerome Bettis as two people who have allergies and could be more vocal. “I don’t think we have enough voices,” he said. “We need more voices. It’s not talked about enough. You see commercials about smoking and drug problems, and rightfully so, but 15 million people have life threatening allergies, and you don’t see enough about it.” It all started in 2009 when Norman set out to create a culture of safe meals at South Point, ensuring the customers aren’t viewed just for their money, but their enjoyment. He wants customers to trust restaurants and not have to fear for their, or their children’s, lives every time they come to dine. Norman’s been presenting on the topic of allergen safety for years, and eventually began to write his own book on the issue, taking twoand-a-half years to put it together. The book’s most important message is stressing the importance of building a culture around allergens. Norman explains it all starts with the executives, who can empower the rest of the staff to do whatever it takes to ensure all customers will dine in safety. “Once my team knows I have their back, they buy into it and embrace the guest,” Norman said. “We have systems in place and we now know how to deal with allergen guests and are embracing a life that’s entrusted to them. “We live it here, we breath it here, we do it every day here.” The book also includes recipes and information about Chef Norman, who helped South Point Hotel serve 13,000 allergen-friendly meals last year between 11 restaurants. South Point was named the 2017 Best Overall Food Allergy Program for Restaurants for Outstanding Commitment to Food Allergy Safety and Awareness. Norman has been a chef for nearly 30 years, after spending 10 years in the Marine Corps and moving to Las Vegas in 1988. He’s had the opportunity to open five different properties before finding a home at South Point. Norman doesn’t have any allergens himself, nor do his children, so he doesn’t personally live an allergen-free lifestyle, but his compassion for others has shown him the way that life is lived. He speaks specifically of one customer who has dined with him safely many times, who is 98 percent allergic to most things and has been resuscitated nine times. “How can you not want to do everything in your power to keep those babies safe,” he said. Through the culture Norman’s built at South Point, every person in the front and back of the house is allergen certified. He knows that’s a bit of a tall task. “I don’t expect restaurants to certify everyone, but www.lvfnbpro.com
photo courtesy South Point Hotel Casino & Spa
Twitter: @patevans Instagram: @patrickmevans
I’m fortunate our owner was supportive and allowed me to spend that money,” Norman said. “But I want them to talk through a plan and introduce the idea to a team; it’s step by step. If you stay diligent, and have a plan in place, eventually it gets to the point of, ‘Wow, that was easy.’” In his culture of allergen awareness, it’s zero tolerance. He doesn’t accept risk takers, those who have sensitivities but are willing to attempt to dine. “Risk takers are those who say, ‘I have a diary allergy, but it’s not that serious,’” he said. “For us, our policy says once you tell me, no means no. We have options, but we won’t give them to you.” So much of Norman’s work is driven for care of people. His goal for the book is just to make more people aware and diligent in preparation for meals and he hopes it can help inspire more people with allergens to be vocal in the issue. “There’s no cure and we don’t know what causes allergens,” he said. “We just need more voices.”
December 2018 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 29
EVENTS
AD INDEX
There are several major food & beverage events happening in the coming months. Here is a sampling of some of the events we highly recommend, so if planning to attend you can start booking now.
Audrey Dempsey Infinity Photo infinity-photo.com 702-837-1128
December 10 the Nevada Restaurant Association will hold its 36th Annual Meeting at the ARIA Resort during which the 2018 culinary excellence awards will be presented and the incoming 2019 officers and directors will be inducted. www.nvrestaurants.com/annual-meeting--culinary-excellence.html
Al Dentes’ Provisions sales@aldentes.com 702-642-1100
January 13-15 the 44th Annual Winter Fancy Food Show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco will offer more than 80,000 specialty foods and beverages, thousands of new products and more than 1,400 exhibitors from around the globe and sessions featuring innovative thinkers in specialty food, sustainability, commerce, and food technology. www.specialtyfood.com/shows-events/winter-fancy-food-show/ January 26 Big Dog’s Brewing Company’s Winterfest beer and music festival will be held in the front and side parking lots of the Draft House in northwest Las Vegas, and will feature 45 regional beers, heart-warming winter stews and live music throughout the night. www.bigdogsbrews.com/festivals/winterfest March 4-7 the International Pizza Expo returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center with the world’s largest pizza, ingredients, products, and service expo, including demos and contests plus samplings all day long! www.pizzaexpo.com March 25-27 the Nightclub & Bar Show comes to the Las Vegas Convention Center for the largest beverage and bar show in the world, with unlimited tastes and treats! Don’t miss it. www.ncbshow.com April 26-27 the 9th Annual Universal Whisky Experience will take place at Wynn Las Vegas. Founded by our friend, whisky enthusiast Mahesh Patel, it will feature exclusive tastings of the world’s finest whiskies, classes and other whisky experiences. This event is one not to be missed by any serious whisky aficionado! www.universalwhiskyexperience.com
page 28
page 9
Big Dog’s Brewing Company www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715
page 30
Designated Drivers, Inc. designateddriversinc.com 877-456-7433
page 30
Ferrari-Carano Vinyards & Winery ferrari-carano.com
page 31
Keep Memory Alive Event Center 702-263-9797 kmaeventcenterlasvegas.com
page 2
Jay’s Sharpening Service www.jayssharpening.com 702-645-0049
page 7
Riedel riedel.com
page 20
Roca Patron rocapatron.com
page 32
30 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I December 2018
www.lvfnbpro.com
CHARDONNAY SUMMER
“L s
Please enjoy our wines responsibly. ferrari-carano.com
i f t
Y
u n s h i n e
o u r
& G
G
L a s s
o o d
t
t o i m e s
”
IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO READ THIS AD, WE’VE MADE LITTLE TO NO PROGRESS. We slow-roast the finest 100% Weber Blue Agave for more than three days and then slowly crush it with a two-ton tahona stone wheel. The result is an earthy, complex taste that’s more than worth the wait.
The perfect way to enjoy Patrón is responsibly. Handcrafted and imported exclusively from Mexico by The Patrón Spirits Company, Las Vegas, NV. 42-45% abv.