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Issue 6 Volume 19

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It’s Summer—Take a Dive into Hampton Water!

CABERNET

COLOR UP YOUR LIFE! RIEDEL.COM

June 2019

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CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER WELCOME TO THE SOCAL FOOD & BEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL JUNE 2019 ISSUE, and thank you for your continued support and comments on the publication. We hope to keep all our professional readers updated and informed on what’s happening in the industry, especially focused on Southern California.

Cover OUR COVER FEATURE on page 14-15, written by Gael Hees, invites us to get into the

swing of summer by Taking a Dive into Hampton Water, and tells us of the Rosé wine that is taking the country by storm. Gael details the fascinating story of how Hampton Water Rosé came to be and of how Jesse Bongiovi and his former college roommate Ali Thomas, with the support of Jesse’s father, famed rocker Jon Bon Jovi, created this wine that is perfect for summer or any season.

6 In his What’s Brewing column on page 6-7 our beer specialist David Mulvihill takes us

on the road to Seattle. David shares his expertise and his firsthand experience from his recent visit to Washington, and tells us of several craft breweries worthy of checking out during your next trip to this wonderful city. David does double duty this issue, also reporting on culinary-themed films he viewed recently at the Newport Beach Film Festival, six of which were California focused. Check out his synopsis of the Festival’s Culinary Series food-related films on page 10.

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12 In our Restaurant Editor Ben Brown’s Foodie Biz column on page 12-13 Ben takes us to

two SoCal food festivals he covered recently: the Taste of Huntington Beach and the Taste Walk Glendale. Check out the details on these excellent SoCal food events, as well as his rundown on the Peruvian-inspired Los Balcones in Studio City and the small town vibe of Bricks in Newhall.

17 In his Spirits Confidential column on page 17 Max Solano gives us a rundown on the 9th

annual Nth Ultimate Whisky Experience, held recently at Wynn Las Vegas. Max informs us of the origins of this event, put on by our friend Mahesh Patel, and how it has grown into a unique high-end event that is now considered one of the top whisky events in the world. Read on to also find out which distilleries impressed Max and what some of his favorite pours were.

CHEERS! MIKE FRYER

Page 4 Hot off the Grill!

Page 11 Front & Back of the House A Passion for the Imagination

Page 5 The Bottom Line Will Home-Cooked Food Disrupt the Restaurant Industry?

Page 12 Foodie Biz

Page 6 What’s Brewing

Page 14 COVER FEATURE It’s Summer – Take a Dive into Hampton Water!

Page 8 Product Review

Page 17 Spirits Confidential with Max Solano “Nth 2019 Ultimate Whisky Experience Wows Again!”

Page 9 Twinkle Toast Pink Ocean Rosé Spritz

Page19 Human Resources Insights Having a Sound On-Boarding Process Is Invaluable!

Page 20 Brett’s Vegas View Page 21 The Restaurant Expert Make Yourself a Priority Page 22 Events Ad Index ACF Chefs of SoCal

Page 10 Newport Beach Film Festival 2019

Page 18 Chef Talk Butter

17 www.socalfnbpro.com

June 2019 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 3

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

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HOT OFF THE GRILL!

Mike Fryer

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

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

Juanita Fryer

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

Juanita Aiello

Creative Director juanita@socalfnbpro.com

Bob Barnes

Editorial Director bob@socalfnbpro.com

Ben Brown

Restaurant Editor ben@socalfnbpro.com

Restaurant Editor Ben Brown enjoyed the annual Taste of Huntington Beach festival, where nearly 50 restaurants gathered to serve signature tastes. Check out the other happenings across SoCal in Ben’s Foodie Biz column.

Adam Rains

Beverage Editor adam.rains@socalfnbpro.com

Advertising sales@socalfnbpro.com

Article Submissions/Suggestions articles@socalfnbpro.com

Calendar Submissions calendar@socalfnbpro.com

Website webmaster@socalfnbpro.com

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The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Legal Editorial Advisor Andrew Matney

Journalist What’s Brewing David Mulvihill

Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan

Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett Journalist

Best of the Best Shelley Stepanek

Journalist Spirits Confidential Max Solano

Journalist Dishing It Sk Delph

Journalist Front & Back of the House Gael Hees

Photographer Audrey Dempsey

Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch

Journalist Pat Evans

Journalist The Restaurant Expert David Scott Peters

Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift

Journalist Sandy Korem

Journalists Twinkle Toast Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover

Journalist Lisa Matney

Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein

Journalist Made from Scratch John Rockwell

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The Bottom Line Will Home-Cooked Food Disrupt the Restaurant Industry?

By Ben Brown Benjamin Brown, MBA is Restaurant Editor of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional. A seasoned

writer and consultant, Ben works with Fortune 500

companies and mom & pop shops alike in Marketing, Analytics, Consumer Insights, PR and Business

Development. Contact Ben at Ben@lvfnb.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.

The debate between eating out and having a home-cooked meal has existed for ages, but home cooking now has a platform to rise as an even greater competitor. California recently passed a bill, AB 626, that allows people to sell food cooked from their own residential kitchens. This act opens the floodgates for thousands of home cooks to enter ‘the gig economy of food,’ and compete directly with restaurants for business.

This bill, authored by Assemblymember Ed Garcia, comes roughly five years after ‘cottage food law,’ or the ability to commercially sell numerous non-perishable food products, first went into effect. AB 626, dedicated to legalizing ‘microenterprise home kitchens,’ intends to legitimize the underground restaurant economy and empower an immigrant-heavy population with the ability to generate income through cooking.

So what does this mean for restaurants? Let’s first examine the details behind this new movement.

Requirements for home cooks to sell food commercially

While AB 626 opens the doors for home cooks, it comes with a series of regulatory requirements. Home cooks are required to obtain a permit to sell their food commercially. In order to obtain this permit, their kitchen is subject to inspections that mirror those of standard restaurants.

Of course a home cook isn’t expected to have the same commercial equipment found in a restaurant, but they are expected to abide by general public health standards regarding food storage and handling.

Home cooks are required to pay an annual fee for their permits, which at this point are set to range from nearly $300 to more than $650. They must also obtain a food manager certification. Home cooks are limited to $50,000 in annual food sales, and are capped at selling 60 meals a week, or 30 meals a day.

Additionally, third-party delivery is strictly prohibited. This means that a home cook can’t partner with a platform like Door Dash or Postmates; they must deliver meals themselves, have a family member or a fulltime employee do it, or require customers to pick up their meal.

AB 626 has a few restrictions on the foods that home cooks can sell— for example, no oysters or unpasteurized dairy products—but there’s no question that this is a big step up from cottage food law. www.socalfnbpro.com

Timeline for cooks to begin selling AB 626 was passed in January 2019, though counties across California are required to ‘opt in’ to the law before home cooks can apply for permits. At the time of this writing, no counties have voted to opt in, largely due to minor changes taking place in the law’s wording.

Counties are expected to begin voting on whether to allow microenterprise home kitchens in the coming months, with those passing the law accepting permit applications shortly thereafter.

And while AB 626 appears to target sole proprietors who would otherwise sell home-cooked food illegally—over Facebook, for example—it also opens the doors to technology companies seeking to become “the Airbnb of food” or “the Uber Eats of home cooking.” The law refers to these entities as ‘intermediaries,’ and has its own set of requirements for apps and online platforms that sell home-cooked food.

Several tech startups have already made a splash, seeing great potential in the demand for home-cooked food. DishDivvy, a fully-operational app based in Glendale, is already selling home-cooked meals on its platform. At the time of this writing, DishDivvy takes a commission from the home cook, as well as charging a service fee to customers for each transaction. Appetivo is a similar service currently in development, also based in LA. Shef made media headlines in March, and utilizes a subscription model, delivering home-cooked meals with heating instructions rather than ‘hot and ready.’

So, will AB 626 disrupt the restaurant industry? At this point, it’s too early to tell, but worth keeping on your radar as a restaurant owner.

Numerous counties across California are likely to opt into the law, but the success of home cooks and any potential intermediaries is yet to be determined. Out-of-pocket permit costs and delivery restrictions definitely give restaurants the upper hand in terms of scale, but ultimately it’s customer demand that will continue to shape this movement’s impact on the restaurant industry. *Author’s note: Benjamin Brown also works for Savorly, a home cook intermediary.

June 2019 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 5

what’s

By David Mulvihill

photos by David Mulvihill

BREWING

David Mulvihill strives to experience and write about the ever-evolving face of SoCal craft beer. He also covers Orange County for Celebrator Beer News and provides business and compliance support to SoCal breweries. Contact him at david@socalcraftbeer.com.

Four Generals Brewing Company.

Travel Time With summer almost here, many will be venturing to various destinations for some RR&B (rest, relaxation and beer).

If your travels bring you to the Seattle area this reporter has you covered, at least from a craft beer perspective. Commuting to the area quite often for business, I have become more than familiar with destinations in close proximity to SeaTac Airport, as well as Seattle proper. We’ll cover a few of them here.

SeaTac Airport is located approximately 15 miles southwest of Seattle’s City Center.

Directionally from the airport, Interstate 5 North will take you into the city. To the NE, Interstate 405 circles the east side of Lake Washington, through Renton and Bellevue on its way north.

Due west from the airport is Burien, with Des Moines and Kent south and southeast.

Four Generals Downtown Renton is home to Four Generals Brewing Company. Founded by owner/brewer Ross Hudspeth and his parents, Mary and Mike, this little brewery definitely can. This former homebrewer crafts some amazing lagers and ales in his petite brewhouse. Taking the necessary time and striving for perfection, no beer is tapped until it is ready, resulting in crisp, clean and stylistically spot-on classic styles

Resonate Brewery + Pizzeria.

(like helles, schwarzbier, altbier, English bitter and Mexican lager). Ross also brews a couple of IPAs for the IPA inclined.

Family and community are definitely key components of Four Generals. Regulars and newcomers are made to feel welcome and at home. Ross’ talents as a brewer become evident at the point of first tasting his beer. The classic beer styles that are prominent take both time and painstaking skill and shine in the glass.

Mary wears many hats in the managing of the brewery’s business side and tasting room. Prior to her immersion into the brewery, she was a school teacher. Dad Mike is a former Air Force pilot, now commercial pilot. During his service, Mike was stationed in Germany. Mike’s love for German-style beer may likely have rubbed off on Ross. Mike also has a hand in perfecting the water chemistry for the beers Ross brews.

Food in the area: Melrose Grill, recommended for its aged steaks, is one block south. Other choices nearby include Marianna (Italian) and Cedar River (BBQ).

Resonate In southeast Bellevue, Resonate Brewery + Pizzeria is located in the Newport Hills neighborhood. It deserves notice both for its pizza and phenomenal beer.

Siebel Institute-trained founder/brewer Mike

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Ritzer, also with home-brewing roots, brings much to the table. Mike and his talented cobrewer possess the chops necessary to brew a wide selection of beers. There is always an ample variety of tasty house-brewed IPAs, ales, lagers and Belgian-inspired brews, supplemented by a few guest beers. No matter how selective one’s palate is, there is something to enjoy.

And beer isn’t the only product fermented at Resonate. Resonate’s pizza is unique from a crust perspective. Its pizza dough is old-school fermented for 72 hours. This results in a crust that’s not only healthier than other widely available over-processed gluten bombs, but also imparts a light crisp airiness.

Catering both to adults and families, Resonate’s staff also radiates a welcoming patron-focused at-home atmosphere.

Machine House The Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle, just south of the city, is home to an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, bars and breweries. Housed within the machine house section of the historic Seattle Brewing & Malting complex, Machine House Brewery is Seattle’s real-ale brewery.

Since 2013, owner/brewer Bill Arnott and Alex Brenner have been turning out genuine British-style cask conditioned ales. From seven half-pull beer engines, imperial pints and half www.socalfnbpro.com

Machine House Brewery.

pints of best bitters, dark milds, stouts, porters and IPAs are pulled. An additional CO2 tap is reserved for rotating guest beers. This is one tap in Seattle that you can often find a coveted lager from Chuckanut Brewing.

The Southside Bluegrass Jam happens every first and third Wednesday at Machine House. All-comers are welcome to come and listen or bring their instruments to join in.

For food in the area, consider Fonda La Catrina (just across the street) for excellent home-style Mexican food. Sisters and Brothers bar is the place for Nashville-style hot chicken. Slim’s Last Chance does great chili. A couple of miles north of Slim’s is Seapine Brewing.

Last July, Machine House opened a second taproom in the Central District, adjacent to Seattle University. There, nine beer engines pull Machine House and guest brews. Four non-cask taps are also flowing. The Central District location offers food.

Ballard and Stoup One of my favorite breweries in the neighborhoods north of Downtown is located in Ballard. Stoup Brewing’s beer board typically displays 20 draft beer offerings, inclusive of IPAs, stouts, porters, reds, pilsners, hefes and more. All of Stoup’s beers are well crafted and finished, exuding the utmost in flavor and experience. During my last visit there were 10 different IPAs being offered. Nearby breweries include Obec (within a stone’s throw), Populuxe and Rubens. If you are in the area on Monday night, Tandoozy alternates between Stoup and Populuxe. It is a pop-up serving delicious Indian food (naan, chicken tikka masala, lentil dhal, basmati rice). Come for the beer and Tandoozy, stay for Monday night trivia.

There are many places to eat, both in Ballard and Fremont. Consider The Walrus and the Carpenter for small plates and the freshest shellfish and seafood I’ve ever had, complete with full bar and craft taps. Bramling Cross has wood-fired burgers. In Fremont, Paseo’s counter service Caribbean sandwiches and plates are an appealing choice for picking up food on your way to one of the neighborhood breweries.

Other breweries: Holy Mountain (for Belgian-style creations) and Cloudburst within the city, and on the east side (405 Fwy close), Chainline, in Kirkland. Cloudburst earned a bronze medal for its Easy Breezy Beautiful, American-style wheat beer at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival. Chainline scored bronze at the 2018 World Beer Cup awards for one of its staples, Cerne, a Czech-style dark lager.

No matter where your travels may bring you, beery discoveries will abound. www.socalfnbpro.com

Stoup Brewing Co.

Stoup Brewing Co.

June 2019 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 7

Product Review

By Bob Barnes

Karl Strauss ReGreen Brut IPA IPA continues to be the number one-selling craft beer style and its huge popularity has hastened the proliferation of several sub-categories. A fairly new substyle is the Brut IPA, marked by high carbonation allowing for a very dry Champagne-like drink—a toned down version of the over-thetop bitter bombs of many other IPAs. Such is the case of the San Diego-based Karl Strauss ReGreen Brut IPA, which logs in at 7% ABV and 25 IBUs with a crisp flavor profile. While there are notes of tropical fruit and hints of pine from the blend of Cascade, Citra, Strata and Galaxy hops, it finishes incredibly dry and easy drinking. This brew is part of the brewery’s rotational IPA series and brewed in collaboration with Taylor Guitars to raise awareness for local environmental initiatives; its sales support the Trees to Treasures fund led by Friends of Balboa Park. www.karlstrauss.com

Alpine Distillery At the 2019 Ultimate Whiskey Experience I was pleased to see a greater number of American whiskey distillers, and one that caught my attention was Alpine Distillery, out of Park City, Utah.

Yes, Utah. Contrary to common perceptions, Utah has some stellar distilleries, including this one.

Founder/Distiller Rob Sergent hails from Kentucky and his heritage shows in his products. Alpine Spur is an 88 proof blend of French oak-aged single malt whiskey and bourbon with corn sweetness and American oak flavors with a subtle rye spice. While I tend to not prefer spiced whiskey, the Lafayette Spiced Flavored Whiskey is an exception. Crafted using Kentucky-sourced bourbon with additions of apricot, primrose and cinnamon, it has sweetness balanced by the spiciness of the natural flavors. The Preserve Liqueur is a 40 proof 100% corn spirit with a delightful mix of blood orange, black tea, raspberry, lemon balm and ginger, flavors that work well together. While all three are recommended as additions to cocktails, I find them excellent for sipping by themselves. www.alpinedistilling.com

Tuxton Home Chef Series Sous Vide Stockpot French for “under vacuum,” sous vide is a method of cooking in which food is cooked in a water bath at a regulated temperature to cook food evenly. The 9.8 qt. stainless steel Tuxton Home Chef Series Sous Vide Stockpot can be used for sous vide or traditional cooking and comes with a lid with a 2.4 inch adapter hole to place a sous vide stick (not included) with removable stopper, or to be used as a tasting window during traditional cooking to taste the progress of your dish without releasing heat and energy. The lid can also rest on the side handle without having to remove the sous vide stick while you get your food out or put more food in. Another plus is the pot is oven safe and dishwasher friendly. tuxtonhome.com/collections/all-cookware/products/chef-series-sous-vide-stockpot-9-8-qt-limitededition-launch-special-w-rack

Marble Spirits Hoover’s Revenge and Moonlight EXpresso Reserve The family and friends owned and operated Marble Spirits out of Carbondale, CO in the heart of the Colorado Rockies uses water from the Crystal River, whose headwaters flow through marble and are naturally filtered. All grains are Colorado grown with the majority coming from a local ranch less than one mile from the distillery; Marble was also the first distillery in the US to recycle 100% of its process water and capture/reuse the energy from the distilling process. The 84 proof Hoover’s Revenge is a marriage of five single casks—two bourbon, two rye and one whiskey—and aged a minimum of two years. Besides being a great drink with plenty of character, the name and label image are in honor of an old coon hound that lost an eye after a run in with a mountain lion. Coffee lovers will appreciate the Moonlight EXpresso, a 52 proof coffee liqueur made from distilled vodka, locally roasted dark Guatemalan coffee and Ugandan vanilla beans for a rich, dark coffee profile with a chocolate finish. The Moonlight EXpresso earned a gold and the Hoover’s Revenge Whiskey took bronze at the prestigious 2019 San Francisco Spirits Competition. marbledistilling.com

Kumana Avocado Sauce Who doesn’t love avocado? Well, there are some, but countless are fans and we now can get the beloved fruit in forms of avocado oil, avocado tea, avocado mayo and now, avocado sauce. Kumana markets its products as being avocado in a bottle, and after tasting it, I’d say it’s not far from the truth. The sauces come in flavors of Be Mango, Be Hot and Be Original and contain additions of onion, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic and a splash of vinegar. My preferred use is spreading on a tortilla with cheese and hot sauce (yes, there is the Be Hot version, but it is on the mild side, and admittedly I have a huge heat preference), but the makers suggest adding to eggs, steak, chicken and green beans. www.kumanafoods.com

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Twinkle Toast Pink Ocean Rosé Spritz

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

A voyage into a new category of wine spritz has begun for the crew of Pink Ocean Rosé Spritz. We recently caught up with one of its creators, BJ McCaslin, and he shared with us his vision, tactics and passion for growing this innovative new brand.

What was the catalyst or inspiration for the creation of Pink Ocean Rosé Spritz?

We really liked the wave of convenience in the low ABV space and ultimately, we can only drink so many Coronas. Hard seltzers and non-alcoholic sparkling waters are really trending in the market and although the category is crowded, consumers continue to want options.

We also noticed that no one is really using rosé in an innovative fashion.

We love flavors and always want to have a unique offering when we bring a brand to life, so we took our love of juices and bubbles and then decided that rosé was a unique base for them. It has been about 18 months in the making.

How did you determine where to source the ingredients for Rosé Spritz?

We are beverage innovators by trade, so we teamed up with our favorite food scientists on the formula. We kind of stumbled onto the actual formula, so that was pretty fun. Since we are located on the west coast, we stuck with a California rosé as the base. The one aspect we wanted to be super premium is our sweetener, so elected to use monk fruit for that. photo by Erincooperphotography.com

Who do you consider to be your target consumer?

I think anyone between the ages of 21-50 who is active and likes to have a good time. Our can is pink, so it gives us a more feminine offering from the onset but I see men diving into the “pink ocean” as well.

How has your background in food and beverage prepared you for this new venture?

Nothing can really prepare you for launching a brand in wine and spirits. It has really been our relationships that have been the catalyst to open the channels of distribution. We are blessed to have really good friends we can ask for introductions and then it really boils down to two things: hitting the streets to see at least 15 accounts a day and bringing the liquid to lips. Being able to take “no” and move on from account to account with enthusiasm is also key.

What do you feel has been the most challenging thing about creating a new brand?

The greatest challenge is capital. Beverages are easy to launch because of the low barrier of entry but they are hard to maintain. We are good at hustling and macerating the brand but we didn’t go to Harvard, so doing things like creating financial models or interviewing investors can be difficult. Ultimately, we are committed to staying bootstrapped.

I like that term because I feel like my journey as an entrepreneur is similar to a pirate’s voyage. (You’ll find that everything to me has some sort of private analogy.)

What has been the most exciting or rewarding thing?

The most exciting thing is finally having a good brand after a few years of importing and experimenting with different lines. This is our third concept within the same company, so to have a line like Rosé Bubbles, that we know has legs, is very, very nice.

Approximately how many calories and how much sugar does each can contain?

95 calories and 5 grams of sugar. No added sugar is added. It is all naturally occurring from the juice. We use a touch of monk fruit to sweeten it but not much. We want it to have a juicy but dry finish. www.socalfnbpro.com

What are your current flavors and how did you select them?

Watermelon, strawberry, orange and pineapple. We looked at the best fruits out there as well as what we usually eat with wine or end up putting in the glass whilst we drink wine. One day Drew, our business partner, came up with the watermelon flavor out of nowhere and it is currently the bestselling flavor in the line.

Are you working on developing any additional flavors or formats?

Yes. We will do a non-juice spritz next. We always want to have a few new flavors but these four are the starters on the field and I don’t really think we need 12 SKUs. We might expand to 6 maximum.

Where do you feel is the perfect place or occasion to enjoy a Rosé Spritz?

Anywhere that convenience and activity meet. On the patio, roof, a game, golfing, at a pool, camping, etc...

Where do you see Pink Ocean Rosé Spritz in 5 years?

Hopefully we will still be sailing the seas on this voyage. We would love to see the brand in the beyond beer category as a top 5 contributor. We have some great distribution that we are about to launch nationally, so we hope to keep the wind at our backs and stay positive while getting more liquid to lips daily.

Who should our audience reach out to for additional information?

Feel free to reach out to me at BJ@drinkrosebubbles.com.

June 2019 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 9

photos by David Mulvihill

Newport Beach Film Festival 2019

The Newport Beach Film Festival celebrated its 20th season this past April: 20 years of films, features, documentaries and shorts from around the world, with focus on many different genres.

In 2018, looking to highlight and celebrate the culture surrounding the artisanal creation and presentation of fine food, winemaking, distilling and brewing, in places around the country and the world, NBFF launched its Culinary Film Series as part of the festival. At the forefront is a desire to showcase films that cinematically give the viewer a mouth-watering glimpse into the lives and worlds of those that grow, prepare and passionately create a true experience.

The 2019 festival included nine films in the Culinary category. And, while not technically part of the Culinary Series, another film, The Pollinators, was indeed related and quite compelling. It even received a 2019 Audience Award. I was able to see some of the films covered below.

The Pollinators is a documentary that focuses on a segment of the agriculture industry this reporter was completely unfamiliar with, the dedicated beekeepers who follow the bloom, trucking their bees all over the country. This truck migration is responsible for much of the pollination of fruits and bloom-dependent produce that find their way to our tables.

The film brought to light many of the obstacles growers and beekeepers face, from threats caused by pesticides, to areas where no off-season blooms exist to sustain a local bee population.

Six of the culinary films were California focused.

Tin City Tin City unfolds a story about the many businesses contained within this “tin-sided” light industrial development in Paso Robles, CA, where small winemakers, brewers, cider makers and distillers work hard to craft and distribute their artisanal liquid creations. This is the first feature documentary from female director Dina Mande. She succeeds in both film and story in providing a picturesque glimpse into the drive and passion that is strong within these artisans and the community they continue to build.

When this reporter visited Barrelhouse Brewing in Tin City last summer, he did not realize the number of liquid purveyors within the development.

Located in the heart of Paso Robles wine country, one could spend two or three days touring and tasting without having to drive at all. There are over 15 wineries within Tin City, plus the aforementioned Barrelhouse Brewing, Tin City Cider and Wine Shine Distillers (“Shine from the Vine”). Wineries include Aaron, Al Lago, Benom, Brian Benson Cellars, Desparada, Field Recordings, Giornata, Jacob Toft, Kaleidos, Lefondusac, Levo, Monochrome, Nicora, Onx, Powell Mountain, San Liege, The 10 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I June 2019

By David Mulvihill David Mulvihill strives to experience and write about the ever-evolving face of SoCal craft beer. He also covers Orange County for Celebrator Beer News and provides business and compliance support to SoCal breweries. Contact him at david@socalcraftbeer.com.

Fableist and Turtle Rock. Food choices include Tin Canteen Restaurant and Negranti Creamery.

The Biggest Little Farm The Biggest Little Farm recounts the radical transition filmmaker John Chester and his wife Molly embarked on in their move from city living to 200 acres of farmland in Moorpark; their goal: to transform the land and “bring to fruition a dream of harvesting in harmony with nature.”

Uncrushable Uncrushable, a film by Chef Tyler Florence, is set at the time of the devastating October, 2017 Northern California fires. Filmed in the wine country of Sonoma and Napa when much of the area was still burning, community becomes the scene as its people join together to pick up the pieces and begin the journey of rebuilding their lives.

Funke Funke, a full-length documentary by Gab Taraboulsy and Tastemade Studios, centers on Los Angeles Chef Evan Funke. Years back, Chef Funke rose to fame as the king of handmade pasta, culminating in the opening and closing of his now-defunct Bucato in Culver City. The film catalogues Funke’s reentry into the culinary scene, regeneration of his passion for remastering the craft and the progression of building and opening of Felix in Venice, CA. Well filmed and edited, the viewer becomes part of the cinematic adventure that unfolds.

Harvest Season/The Last Harvest, Two documentary shorts gave props to those that harvest the fruits of our tables.

Harvest Season tracks the vineyard workers and small producers who incorporate the small-scale winemaking process. The Last Harvest: You Can’t Grow Without Change highlights labor shortages that are resulting in farmers abandoning crops.

The three foreign entries into this year’s series include two with focus on regions in Spain and one set in Argentina.

Chef’s Diaries: Scotland In seeing the name, one would think that the film was about a chef or restaurant in Scotland. This film actually trails the path of the Roca brothers of Girona, Spain. It follows their trek to Scotland and embracement of Scottish dishes and recipes, ultimately incorporating their own gastronomic interpretations of the same in their coveted restaurant in Girona.

Virgin & Extra: The Land of Olive Oil As its name implies this film on its surface is about olive oil, remarkable olive oil from the picual olive. It is also very much about the people, life, growth, harvest and craft in the Spanish region of Jaén, which is quickly becoming known as “the mother of olives.”

The Best Sommelier In The World This film from Argentina follows the World Sommelier Competition, where Master Sommeliers from around the world compete for the title of best.

During the festival run, the Annual Newport Beach Film Festival also features the food of many local Orange County restaurants, bakeries and specialty food companies, both at its opening and closing galas, as well as nightly Spotlight after parties.

Mark your calendars for next year’s Newport Beach Film Festival. newportbeachfilmfest.com www.socalfnbpro.com

Front & Back of the House

photo courtesy Boka Group

A Passion for the Imagination

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

Where do you find new ideas for decorative tiles, carpeting, fabrics, bar furniture and more? At HDexpo, the design trade show hosted by Hospitality Design magazine. This year lighting is huge (or small depending on your needs) and comes in every color, shape and material imaginable. Anything green (living plant walls and light fixtures/plant containers) or relating to the outdoors was also trending with innumerable booths featuring fun outdoor furniture, planters and shading, plus the more practical heaters and fans.

Wall coverings were also big, dominated by textured wallpaper and mural walls that take one into mythical regions.

Beyond the trade show floor, there were presentations from design industry experts with one of special interest titled: “Recipe for Success: The Making of a Great Restaurant.”

This panel discussion was moderated by Kevin Boehm, co-founder of BOKA Restaurant Group (BRG) out of Chicago. Kevin, and cofounder Rob Katz (also on the panel), opened 16 restaurants in the Chicago area in less than 15 years. In 2019, together they won the James Beard Award for “Outstanding Restaurateur.”

They have Michelin stars, other James Beard nominations and wins, and many, many other recognitions for their achievements.

Also on the panel were designers Karen Harold, principal of Studio K Creative (MB Steak at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, La Cave at Wynn Las Vegas and Crush at MGM Grand); Adam Farmerie, partner at AvroKO (Rose.

Rabbit. Lie. and Block 16 Urban Food Hall, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas); and Jimmy Papadoupoulas, executive chef at Bellemore, a BRG restaurant in Chicago. www.socalfnbpro.com

One of the main concepts was that imagining a restaurant required a “deep dive” into story and soul. The location, the building itself, and even the chef’s style of food, should start designers and investors alike on a hunt for images, historical references, themes and ideas. Through many discussions, a storyline that resonates with everyone slowly emerges and tangible design concepting can begin.

For Herold, part of that process may include “looking at the classics and twisting it up a bit.” She also likens the process to set design, seeing in her mind’s eye people moving through the spaces.

Boehm suggested that in the past food was the predominant ingredient for a successful restaurant followed by service and décor.

He now believes that these three items attract customers equally, and that possibly décor—read that as ambience—is growing in importance. Katz added that he wanted people to visit one of their restaurants four, five, six times with the hope that they would see something new and different each time they visited.

Boehm and his team at BRG have established a ritual that takes place prior to the opening of a restaurant. They place a table in the middle of the space, and throughout a multi-day period of time, everyone working in the restaurant must serve those at the table, speaking in theater voices so all of the employees can hear.

This way, they start creating the language, the culture of the restaurant. For example, he said that in one of their early restaurants, they were serving food family style, and didn’t really know how to describe that. One of the waitstaff, during his time to serve, described

it as, “the food comes out in waves.” Waves!

That phrasing appealed to everyone and that became the accepted way to describe the restaurant’s style of service.

They talked about expectations that people get from the initial designs of a restaurant space and then having to grapple with the costs.

Katz, looking at the designers to his left said, “They show us our dreams, and then rip our hearts out.”

During one project, the design/construction team kept putting off the “big reveal” for BRG. When it finally came, there was no wow factor. Even though a date for opening had been announced, and staff was hired and in training, Boehm and Katz stopped the finishing processes. They redid more than 20% of the interior, because as Katz said, “You only have one chance to fire the opening canon, and we couldn’t open a restaurant that just didn’t work.”

Finally, Herold shared that one of her initial processes when designing a building is to create a “Not to Do” list. This may include something like “do not use recycled barn wood,” which is one of her standards. She does this to help ensure that each project is new and fresh, and not just a remake of something she has designed in the past.

All of the participants in this panel were passionate about their work, even after completing hundreds of projects. It spoke to the passion of many in the hospitality industry for creating what they imagine.

June 2019 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 11

| Foodie Biz | Photos by Ben Brown

By Ben Brown Benjamin Brown, MBA is Restaurant Editor of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional. A seasoned writer and consultant, Ben works with Fortune 500 companies and mom & pop shops alike in Marketing, Analytics, Consumer Insights, PR and Business Development.

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

Taste of Huntington Beach Welcomes Crowds with SoCal Vibes and Flavors Nearly 50 restaurants and dozens of wineries, breweries and distilleries gathered together to wow guests at the 19th Annual Taste of Huntington Beach. The event, held at the Huntington Beach sports complex amidst the town’s Central Park, was about as SoCal as a food festival can get short of taking place with an ocean view.

Full-fledged food festival on one side and concert venue with open seating on the other was more than enough to attract a jovial crowd, lawn chairs in tow, to enjoy a festive vibe amongst bottomless tastes and pours.

Many local hotspots—some native to Huntington Beach, others spread across Southern California—came out to showcase their signatures. Simmzy’s bleu cheese bacon burgers, flame-grilled to melty perfection and topped with fried onion straws, paid an early hello to the summer BBQ season. Bruxie’s fried chicken sandwich was right on par in its crunchy goodness. The Shorebreak Hotel’s diver scallops and black rice added an elegant touch to the afternoon, and 2nd Floor’s meatloaf added an equal dose of American comfort.

The wide array of food offerings each found a pairing with an equally extensive lineup of wines, beers and other creative libations. Honey Pot Meadery, Boochcraft Hard Kombucha and Tree Branch Cider House highlighted these off-kilter purveyors, with strong takes on their namesake drinks. The Dudes’ Brewing Company, Calidad Beer and Riip Beer Company, as well as Ascension Cellars, San Antonio Winery and Vinemark Cellars were just a few premiere beer and wine selections.

Sweets were of course a critical component to Taste of Huntington Beach. Café Cup’s cinnamon rolls, Whata Lotta Pizza’s dessert pizza, Mangiamo Gelato’s hula pie gelato and TeAria’s Thai tea gave dessert-seekers more than they could’ve asked for.

Live music and a fun display of old-school VW buses rounded out the afternoon. All proceeds from Taste of Huntington Beach go to benefit the children’s department of the Huntington Beach Public Library. For more information, visit TasteHB.com.

Taste Walk Glendale’s Mobile Food Festival Gathers More than 40 Restaurants Taste Walk Glendale is an LA food event like no other. While most culinary extravaganzas take place in remote locations, Taste Walk Glendale has the restaurants serve on their home turf, dishing out bottomless samples right outside [or inside] their doors. It’s the adult trick-or-treating of food festivals, with guests going door to door for the next sumptuous bite…and yes, there’s candy too.

This year’s event drew more than 40 food and drink purveyors from Glendale’s seemingly endless list of restaurants. The half-mile stretch along Brand Blvd, from the Americana at Brand mall to just north of the famed Alex Theater, was teaming with live entertainment and booths emblemizing Glendale’s ever-evolving food scene, featuring timeless icons and new players alike.

The historic Porto’s Bakery & Café served its legendary potato balls, as well as an enticing selection of sandwiches and sweet pastries. Just down the road were Rockbird’s ridiculous chicken sandwiches, coated in a just-spicy-enough sriracha glaze or a just-sweet-enough honey mustard. Mr. Furley’s Bar, new to town, offered up its signature pretzels, which were about good enough to make you rush through the door and order a dozen had it not been for the festival taking place.

Khinkali House served up its famous Georgian dumplings and Gauchos Village made a rich Brazilian chicken stroganoff in garlic rice. The night, however, went to Rainbow Asian Taco Truck, where the panang curry tacos were nothing short of heaven in a tortilla, followed closely by its ‘geisha’ tacos, wrapped in crispy seaweed.

With a route that could easily entail 3 hours of walking, guests could feel a little better about themselves when indulging in custard from Shake Shack, assorted mocchi from My/Mo Mocchi, Sprinkles cupcakes and Lolli & Pops many goodies, ranging from ‘crack cookies’ to bacon chocolate and the one-thought-extinct Jolt Cola.

Proceeds from Taste Walk Glendale benefit Glendale Arts and the Alex Theatre, with a portion of the proceeds going to support youth arts programs. For more information, visit TasteWalkGlendale.com.

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www.socalfnbpro.com

Los Balcones: Peruvian-Inspired Haute Fare in Studio City Adjacent to Studio City’s rustic drag along Tujunga Ave sits Los Balcones, bringing exotic flare and a flash of gourmet to the neighborhood’s otherwise quaint and classic dining scene. Setting up shop in the relatively intimate space formerly occupied by high-end hotspot Girasol, Los Balcones is an expansion from the restaurant’s first location in Hollywood, which has been around for 14 years and counting. But even if you’ve tried the former, this new haute spot is full of surprises.

Guests find themselves in a high-energy room with a modernistic backdrop, where locals go to let their hair down and in-the-know Angelinos venture to try the next great thing. The L-shaped dining room holds maybe 20 tables, with a few more on the narrow heated patio right outside, and every one of them is packed with guests yearning for that elusive Mestizo cuisine, a meld of Peruvian and Spanish flavor rarely done north of the border.

If lomo saltado, a marinated beef dish with vegetables, fries and rice, is your litmus test for Peruvian food [it has the ubiquity that cheeseburgers do in the US], this place has made it about as tender as you’ll find. From there, Los Balcones branches far beyond just Spanish influence, instead covering much of Europe. Take their signature quinotto, which transforms quinoa into Italian risotto, finished with a mix of mushrooms and a mountain of shaved truffle.

Savor over the locro parpadelle, rich with pumpkin ragout, as well as the pan de la chola, a Latin take on charcuterie.

The costilla de short ribs, another Los Balcones classic, showcases melt-inyour-mouth 6-hour slow cooked short rib with a play on classic tacu tacu, a harmonious compilation of rice and beans fried into a pancake, topped with a fried egg. The seco de pato, or duck two ways, yields succulent duck confit with its roasted counterpart alongside.

The bar works an equal level of magic, with creations like the sangre de la pacha, which will turn almost any bourbon hater with a mix of honey, ginger lemon and—what?—beet. They make a mean margarita as well, and of course you’re not going to a Peruvian restaurant without getting a pisco sour [drinking it straight is another story]. For dessert, try the lucama budino.

A meal like this might set you back more than some Peruvian real estate, but for those looking for a culinary adventure, Los Balcones is doing its high-end predecessor justice. For more information, visit LosBalconesPeru.com.

Bricks: Big Taste with a Small Town Vibe in Newhall Bricks is the kind of restaurant you grow up with and the type of place every community needs. It’s where families celebrate little league victories, where friends gather after high school football games, and where the grownups go to get killer burgers and beer on a casual night out. The tiny standalone building along Lyons Ave. sits just out of reach from Newhall’s main drag of increasingly trendy hotspots, creating a bubble of family-owned and operated nostalgia and warm, homey comfort for all who walk in through its doors.

But there’s much more to Bricks than its communal tables, quaint patios and fancifully decorated counter—there’s some serious comfort food to be had.

Burgers, fries and shakes are the name of the game at Bricks, and present one of the best values this side of LA. The bacon bleu burger, practically toppling over from a mountain of onion rings and its namesake ingredients stacked atop a thick patty, puts rivals to shame AND comes with fries…like a good burger should. Same goes for the signature Bricks burger, a savory compilation of bacon, caramelized onion, Swiss cheese, grilled jalapenos and arugula. Each is complemented with a house-made aioli.

Bricks takes it a step further with its add-ons, a plethora of haute customizations to choose from. That 50/50 patty—half beef, half chorizo—is as progressive as any pretentious burger bar, and those skinny fries with parmesan and garlic are right up there too [though they could be served a bit hotter]. Best to complete the experience with a milkshake, just as stellar in their sweet, decadent richness. Sea salt caramel and cookie butter are just two of a long list of tantalizing options. You’ll also find wine and beer, where Bricks has partnered with a locally-acclaimed brewery to step up its draft game.

While Bricks can’t exactly be classified as a small-town diner, it does share the distinct quality of cooking up just about everything under the sun. From gyros to fried chicken, you’ve got an array of salads, sandwiches, hot dogs and meal-sized starters and sides to choose from. The street dog is a soupedup version of LA’s classic curbside bacon-wrapped hot dog, finished with their house-made chipotle aioli. Then there’s the bacon waffle burger, which subs out a bun for a bacon and cheese-infused waffle. For more information, visit BricksNewhall.com. www.socalfnbpro.com

June 2019 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 13

It’s Summer

Take a Dive into Hampton Water!

By Gael Hees

Photo by Jerritt Clark | Courtesy Hampton Water

It’s like a fairy tale. Developing a new wine brand from concept to bottling in 18 months.

Receiving a Wine Spectator rating of 90 for the first vintage in 2017 and being the first rosé to ever be listed in the magazine’s top 100 wines of the year. And like all good fairy tales, this one has a backstory and even an element of learning and instruction. Although no dragons were slain, or ogres won over by kindness, this is a story of family memories, traditions and friendship. It is about creating longstanding relationships and developing a product of value and merit through hard work, creativity, energetic drive and a business-building dose of naiveté.

Jesse Bongiovi and his roommate at Notre Dame, Ali Thomas, spent much of the summer prior to their senior year at Jesse’s family home in the Hamptons. They were enjoying their last summer of freedom. As summer wore on, they affectionately started calling the ubiquitous rosé—served at every party or gathering— “Hampton Water,” in honor of a saying on the East End of Long Island that rosé is the water of the Hamptons.

One evening, rocker Jon Bon Jovi, Jesse’s dad, offered them a glass of rosé or “pink juice” as he (and many others) referred to it.

Bongiovi called him out. “Listen Dad, you’re

sitting in the Hamptons, you’re drinking Hampton Water!” Bon Jovi thought that was hilarious and wondered aloud what people would think if someone put that on a bottle of wine. After much talk, imagining, dreaming and haranguing, Bon Jovi said, “You two figure it out, and if you’re serious, you’ll bring something back to me.”

For the next six months, while in school, Bongiovi and Thomas met with anyone related to the wine industry who would give them the time. Like typical college students, they had certainly raised a glass or two, but had almost no knowledge of, or vocabulary for, the world of wine. They talked to liquor store owners, wine distributors, importers and wine makers.

As a vision of what this could look like started to grow, they put together a business plan, designed the label and bottle and developed an entire marketing strategy. In their minds, they wanted this wine to really reflect the nature of the Hamptons—the summers spent there with family members and friends; the water, and sun, and sand; the activities they shared with buddies on the beach; and the feelings of comfort and safety that come from living in a small community.

The next step was inevitable. With Bon Jovi’s support, they started looking for a vintner.

Through mutual friends, the team was introduced

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to Gerard Bertrand, a winemaker in Languedoc, France with many brands and types of wine to his credit—including rosés. He has almost 40 years of wine-blending experience and owns multiple estates with different terroirs, making his blends some of the best in the world.

When the opportunity was presented, Bertrand was cautious. “I was careful to assure that this wine wouldn’t just be a big commercial brand,” he said. For him, it had to be an exemplary wine within its category.

During the early discussions, Bertrand suggested several ways he could be of help. If he liked the idea, after more discussions, he could be their importer or their supplier. However, as the relationship developed and trust grew on both sides, he became a full partner with his name on the label.

When it came down to actually creating the wine, the conversations centered around the types of rosés that they liked. Bon Jovi had always been a domina drinker and claims that he brought rosés to the United States (his son is not sure he believes this). Bongiovi and Thomas liked rosés with great red berry notes and peach and pear. Eventually, they came up with a taste profile: light; crisp, very fresh; dry; fruit forward.

Another item of importance to the young men www.socalfnbpro.com

www.socalfnbpro.com

Photo courtesy Hampton Water

was low acidity. They had observed that some of the less expensive rosés were very acidic and often didn’t leave a person feeling well by the end of an evening The team worked with Bertrand for a week in a lab-like setting tasting, talking and working to develop a taste that everyone agreed upon. “So much of winemaking is an art and having an amazing palate, but there is so much of it that is also a science,” Bongiovi said. “By the last day, we were in a white room with eyedroppers and test tubes putting one drop of a certain varietal into a blend that we had come up with and adding three drops to another test tube of the blend and asking, ‘which one do you like more?’ Literally one eyedropper of the varietal would dramatically change the taste of the wine.”

And then they had it! The blueprint for Hampton Water was created.

When Thomas and Bongiovi realized this was really going to happen, they both quit their jobs to dedicate themselves to the business full time. “We literally shot this thing off the ground and quit our jobs the next day,” said Bongiovi.

Thomas had graduated from Notre Dame with a major in consulting and was working in commercial real estate finance. Bongiovi had a major in political science and a minor in business economics and was working for a startup company, making cold calls.

“My mom was a lot happier about it than his, because he had a lot more serious job than I did,” said Bongiovi. “It all worked out in the end. She’s very happy with it now,” he continued, “but for a while there were some late-night calls with her saying, ‘now let me get this straight again, you quit your job to do what?’”

When it came time to actually preparing the label, there were a few more decisions to be made. Thomas and Bongiovi had designed the label using a diving figure from Google Images with the concept that she is diving from water into wine. They pictured shrink wrapping the bottle with the top half white and the bottom half clear, revealing the color of the wine. The shrink wrap didn’t happen.

“When we went to work with the French production team, they basically shook their heads at us and said, ‘You stupid Americans, you guys don’t know how to make a bottle of wine,’” said Bongiovi. “They quickly educated us to the challenges of using plastic on a glass bottle and how it changes the color.”

However, the original image is on the label as well as a letter, penned by Bongiovi late at night that reads in part, “Dearest friends, you’ve just picked up your new favorite bottle of wine.” Bongiovi said that it was the company’s mission letter designed to, “invite people into the Hampton lifestyle that revolves around good weather, good friends, good music and sharing a good bottle of wine.”

Finally, with bottles in hand, Bongiovi and Thomas began selling Hampton Water.

One of the first restaurants that adopted the wine was with the Altamarea Group headed by Michael White.

We walked in and said, “Hey what’s up?” said Bongiovi. “We’re Jesse and Ali. Want to try a new bottle of wine? And they were like, ‘who in the hell are you two?’” But the casual friendliness of the two young men won out, and the wine was tried, and enjoyed. The wine director got into it, and suddenly Hampton Water was being introduced in a two-star Michelin restaurant.

This success—and the Wine Spectator rating— helped open other doors and quickly Hampton Water could be found in restaurants in the Four Seasons in New York, The Plaza in Manhattan and the Fountainbleu in Miami. People were drinking—and enjoying—Hampton Water.

Las Vegas was among the first markets that the sales team considered. They realized that anyone visiting Las Vegas would be an ambassador for Hampton Water when they returned to their homes. Their first contact was Allan Carter, executive director of sales, fine wines at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Nevada.

Carter was impressed: “Their enthusiasm was so infectious, it immediately made me want to work hard for them,” he said.

Carter also said that the timing was right. He explained that Las Vegas is behind the rest of the country in relation to rosés, because people visit Vegas and want a bigger taste, perhaps a big cabernet and a steak, than the rosés and other lighter wines they may have been drinking at home. However, in the past two years, rosé sales have picked up substantially in the Vegas Valley.

Not only were Bongiovi and Thomas involved, Bongiovi’s father participated in special events

and promotions, even signing the bottles in 20 cases of Hampton Water to use as giveaways.

Bongiovi and Thomas have since spent a lot of time in Vegas, visiting restaurants and liquor stores, promoting Hampton Water. “We want our wine to be served where people want to be,” said Bongiovi.

Carter has enjoyed watching the three men work together, and seeing the pride and pure pleasure they take in their work. “These people really understand that it is about creating relationships, especially here in Las Vegas,” he said. “As young as they are (Bongiovi and Thomas), it’s amazing that they get that.”

He also speaks to their marketing skills.

“Everyone is trying to figure out how to market to millennials—they ARE millennials. They speak that language and the way they present the wine, their social media, it’s all right on.”

You are invited to Dive into Hampton Water and try this “nicely crafted rosé, with a hint of creamy richness lining the strawberry, melon and white cherry flavors. A dash of minerality imparts depth through the long, mouthwatering finish. A crowdpleaser (Wine Spectator).”

Currently Hampton Water is available in Las Vegas at Rosina Bar and Smith & Wollensky at The Venetian, The Unknown Bar (shark bar) at The Palms, Tableau and Jardin at Wynn, The Palm Restaurant at Caesars Forum Shops, Marche Bacchus and numerous others.

For more info visit https://hamptonwaterwine. com or to inquire about purchasing Hampton Water for your bar or restaurant contact Allan Carter at allancarter@sgws.com.

June 2019 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 15

SPIRITS CONFIDENTIAL with Max Solano “Nth 2019 Ultimate Whisky Experience Wows Again!”

Without question, whisky across the globe continues to experience an incredible ascent into all-time popularity. I’m not even sure if we’re even close to having it reach its pinnacle, but this brings me to the subject of this year’s Nth Ultimate Whisky Experience which was held, once again, at the majestic and beautiful Wynn Resort on April 26-27. It was approximately nine years ago when I had first received a call from a gentleman by the name of Mahesh Patel telling me he was thinking of putting on a unique high-end whisky event in Las Vegas. Little did I know that Mahesh was not only the owner of a very successful commercial development and construction company in Atlanta, Georgia, but was also an extreme whisky enthusiast and one of the largest private collectors of whisky in the world.

When I first met Mahesh and his lovely wife Nina in 2010, they kindly took the time to sit down with me and describe their new concept in detail. In my mind, I already knew this was going to be a game changer and Las Vegas was the perfect setting for something of this caliber.

This idea had stemmed from Mahesh having hosted some of his closest friends over the years at his house and occasionally, he would open some of his very high-end whiskies from deep within his vault and offer them up. At some point, it was suggested to Mahesh by one of his closest friends that he should consider creating an experience such as this, but on a larger scale.

It was during this time that the largest and hottest of the North American whiskey events such as Whisky Live and Marvin Shanken’s Whisky Fest were the must-attend events for all whisky enthusiasts, old and new. Whereas these popular events catered to large crowds, Mahesh’s vision was to create an exclusive and quality-focused event where the world’s most renowned whisky brands would showcase their whisky personalities (whether it was the master www.socalfnbpro.com

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

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

distiller, blender or some other high-profile name), and their high-end drams in a very limited and intimate setting. Hence, the Nth Ultimate Whisky Experience was born.

This year marked the Nth’s ninth year of existence. And, once again, it did not disappoint! Over the years, the Nth has continued to grow and expand its offerings into additional nights of smaller intimate events for those who can’t get enough whisky pampering as a precursor to the show’s two main nights of tastings. For example, a couple of years ago Mahesh held a very exclusive whisky tasting on one of the nights at the Grand Canyon where an extremely limited of individuals were flown out via helicopter. This year, there was a very cool and intimate crawl for only a dozen or so enthusiasts which included a special interactive experience and tasting at the Mob Museum, dinner at Pierro’s hosted by former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and a special dessert that followed at The Golden Steer. Fuhgeddaboudit!!!

If you are not already familiar with the show’s format, the first of the main tastings took place on Friday evening 4/26 and is known as the High-Roller event. About 100-125 very hardcore aficionados attended this event with the purchase of a hefty fee that will gain them admittance to not only this evening but the next evening as well. Only super high-end drams of ultra-rare whiskies and other aged spirits are offered during Friday’s night’s exclusive tasting, with no limit as long as stock remains.

Simply put, there really isn’t another forum in North America that will provide you with this kind of tasting experience and one-on-one interaction with the whisky celebrities. There were just way too many highlights to name this year, but the one pour that stole the show for me was the independently-labeled Crabbie 40-year-old single malt Scotch, which was from an undisclosed Speyside distillery aged in

both ex-Bourbon casks and ex-Spanish Oloroso sherry butts. We also got to sample the newlyreleased and super rare MaCallan M Black using some very old stocks that were made from peated maltings as old as 70 years of age in the vatting (only 800 released worldwide).

Other amazing standouts were the Chivas Regal 62 Royal Gun Salute, Craigallachie 23 and 33 year and Gordon & MacPhail single malts (practically, every one of them) just to name a few.

The Grand Tasting, which was held the next evening, was included with the purchase of the High-Roller ticket package or could be purchased on its own under the Connoisseur ticket price. This evening hosted between 400-450 spirits fanatics and featured quite a few more distilleries pouring their mainstay offerings, including some magnificent craft distilleries such as Park City, UT-based Alpine Distillers, Garrison Brothers Bourbon based in Hye, TX and Woody Creek Distillers located in Basalt, CO just to name a few. Also, everyone who attended were given two tickets in their bag that they could redeem for any of the ultra-rare high pours from the evening prior (if available). Attendance was strong once again this year. But, even more impressive was the growing number of female consumers in attendance this year!

As usual, I have way too much information to provide and just not enough column space to fit it all! So, I will leave you with this. Mahesh has already promised me that next year’s 10th showing of the Nth will be something truly special and not to be missed ... Not that for a second I was ever actually contemplating whether to attend. So, hopefully, I will see you all at the end of April 2020 at next year’s show.

For more information please feel free to go to www.universalwhiskyexperience.com. ~ Cheers!

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By Chef Allen Asch Feel free to contact Chef Allen with ideas for comments or future articles at allena@unlv.nevada.edu

Chef Talk

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.

Butter Last month I started my article saying that I wanted to write about butter, but I didn’t even reach butter, because there’s so much about milk which is used to make cream, which is used to make butter. Butter comes in many forms for both the commercial kitchens as well as home kitchens. Some of the variables are salted versus unsalted and the sizes of containers that are available including a 30 pound block, 1 pound block and 4 oz sticks or butter pats.

There are also many variables that change the flavor and color of butter. Some of the differences will change the flavor, color, consistency, saltiness, sweetness and acidity of the butter. Most of those variables will be based on the beta-carotene in the diet of the cow as well as other environmental factors. One great example of that is Irish butter, which has a very different color than any other butter based on the amount of rain that is received, creating more beta-carotene where the cows graze in Ireland.

When salted butter was first created in 1850, they used 8 ounces of salt for every 10 pounds of butter, but now the standard is 5 ounces, which helps create longevity in the storage of butter.

The reason that salt was introduced into butter was to help preserve it for the wintertime when farmers weren’t able to produce as much milk.

In the late 1800s they would soak the butter in pickle brine but usually that created too much salt so it had to be desalted before using.

One of the earliest conflicts around butter happened in 1766 at Harvard University. The students protested the food that they were getting was not of good quality. This was a decade before the American Revolution and the economics of our country weren’t in such good shape, so the acquisition of fresh food was difficult. The administrators of Harvard did finally admit they were serving rancid butter.

Margarine came about in 1869 in France when Napoleon was worried about the amount of supplies in preparation for going to war with Prussia, so they had to find an alternate for fat.

In 2005 the United States produced 1.35 billion pounds of butter in a year and that went up to 1.89 billion in the year 2018.

Another big variable in butter is the difference between European butter and butter produced in the United States. In Europe they have laws called Protected Designation of Origin, PDO’s, which controls the content and growth places for certain products. The European butter is required to be made up of at least 82% butterfat, but some of them are up to 85%, as compared to what is produced in the United States which

has to be 80% butterfat. This may not seem like a big difference but the mouthfeel of the European butter has a marketable difference.

Be aware of American made “European Style” butter because it does not have the laws that make sure that it’s the right fat content.

Butter is made by taking heavy cream or whipping cream and overmixing it; the liquid that separates from it is what we buy as buttermilk. The truth is, buttermilk now is mostly made by souring milk rather than from this method because we use more buttermilk than is produced from the butter. General rule for what kind of butter to use is if the recipe is from Europe use European butter because that’s how the recipe was formulated. If the recipe is an American recipe no need to spend the extra money for the European butter because the recipe was designed using American butter.

The article that started me thinking about butter claimed in a tasting the two aluminum foil-

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wrapped butters were the winners as compared to the parchment paper-wrapped butters.

Cheese is another product made from milk.

There are many theories on how milk was turned into cheese the first time; the most common story is that nomads were carrying milk in bags made from the stomach lining of cows, which have an enzyme called rennet, and the agitation from traveling made the milk coagulate into curds. The curds are than pressed and 85% of the liquid, called whey, is removed. The whey is usually used for feeding livestock, but it can also be used in food for humans. Cheese in the United States needs to come from either pasteurized milk, or if it’s from unpasteurized milk, also called Raw Milk, can only be sold after being aged for 60 days.

The oddest thing I learned was that canned butter is produced, but is mostly sent to places like Alaska because of the extended shelf life. www.socalfnbpro.com

Human Resources Insights

By Linda Westcott-Bernstein 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

Having a Sound On-Boarding Process Is Invaluable!

What is on-boarding? It is the steps that a company takes to ensure successful hiring, acclimation, and transitioning into the job, culture, and company for newly hired employees. The entire recruitment and hiring effort takes a significant amount of time and expense, and consists of several important steps, and then putting some emphasis on the secondary hiring processes; the importance of proper on-boarding, can make a huge difference in the overall success of your employees in the long run.

Why is good on-boarding important in the first place? In order to better understand how and why it is essential to have good steps for this important effort, you have to first put yourself in your employee’s shoes. You have to remember and embrace what it was like to come into a new company, join a new team, and then to feel a part of that team. Acceptance is what each and every one of us want and need when we start a new job and meet new people. We imagine and expect that we will be treated with respect, patience, and empathy, as we learn the ways, procedures and expectations of our new role. Without these important attributes of proper on-boarding present; respect, patience, and empathy, we are less likely to be successful and in turn thrive in our role.

Here are a few of my key components of a sound on-boarding effort…

1. Effective hiring steps with good communication to candidates on next steps after a job offer.

2. Clear outline of and communication with your hire of the documents and requirements for employment.

3. An introduction to the Company culture, structure, operations, and philosophy.

4. A detailed, thorough new hire orientation process not just for paperwork but also for job expectations.

5. Clear and timely notification of new hire availability for starting employment after orientation.

6. Detailed and appropriate orientation to the workplace by the management team.

7. Partnering and/or coaching support at initial start in the position as well as ongoing input/feedback.

8. Ongoing and timely contact with the new employee within key intervals to ensure their progress.

9. Open door policy - for management to ensure that questions are answered and concerns addressed.

The overall goals of sound on-boarding practices and efforts are to reduce turnover and the costs associated with that turnover. If you set your new employees up for success and work to create and maintain a process which will enable individual success at your organization, these steps will lead to essentially more satisfied employees and better team work. Both of these outcomes will also ultimately lead to higher employees satisfaction and in turn to increased and improved guest service efforts and results. Happy and well adjusted employees will provide better service to your customers!

As we all know, those final outcomes lead to increased revenue and improved levels of customer satisfaction. Isn’t that what we all really want in the long run? So, taking the time at the start of the hiring process to onboard effectively can have a significant value and return for organizations in the end!

10. Support for the company culture and a respectful work environment which is emulated by leadership!

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.socalfnbpro.com

June 2019 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 19

Brett’s

By Jackie Brett Jackie is a freelance public relations specialist and writer specializing in the Las Vegas entertainment and travel scene. Her writings have appeared in magazines and newspapers nationwide and on numerous websites.

Email: jackiebrett@cox.net

ENTERTAINMENT

Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group’s new show “R.U.N.” will open at the Luxor Oct. 24 and be the company’s first live action cinematic thriller following two clans and exploring the world of stunts.

Paula Abdul will headline her new Las Vegas residency “Paula Abdul: Forever Your Girl” at the Flamingo with dates Aug. 13 through Jan. 4.

British music icons Duran Duran will return to The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan for two nights Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 7–8.

Future mega-stars lined up for The Colosseum at Caesars Palace include: Sting headlining a residency, “My Songs,” opening on Friday, May 22, 2020; rock band Journey with a nine-date engagement Oct. 9-26; and Madonna, who will be announcing her “Madame X” tour stop after her album release June 14.

Reggaeton’s leading global ambassador J Balvin’s fall North American tour “Arcoiris” will visit The Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Saturday, Oct. 19 with Puerto Rican music stars Lyanno and Eladio Carrión opening.

Future acts at The Joint at Hard Rock include: Stone Temple Pilots and Rival Sons with their first ever co-headlining tour on Sunday, Oct. 6; as well as Cedric The Entertainer returning Saturday, July 27.

Diana Ross will return to the Encore Theater with six performances of her “Diamond Diana” residency Aug. 14–24.

“Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel in Concert” at Harrah’s approaches the superstar’s life and music in a different manner.

“Rock of Ages” producers have created a chronological storytelling concert experience with a multi-talented band and backup singers presenting 18 songs.

Terry Bradshaw returns with “The Terry Bradshaw Show” at the Luxor in the Atrium Showroom Aug. 1–4 and will be joined on stage by bombshell vocalists Lorena Peril and Anne Martinez from the resort’s resident show “Fantasy.”

MAGIC! quartet will appear with an all-ages show in The Toyota Yard at Topgolf Saturday, June 29. The band toured with Maroon 5 over the past five years.

Golden Nugget debuts a new monthly summer pool party, Honky Tonk at The Tank, with local country rockers The Rhyolite Sound through September.

Comedian Mo’Nique continues her residency “Mo’Nique Does Vegas” at SLS with more Thursday-Saturday dates in June inside The Sayers Club.

“The Naked Magicians,” who began their first Las Vegas residency in February inside Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club at MGM Grand, are continuing through June.

Heavy metal band Judas Priest will stop at The Joint at Hard Rock on his “Firepower” tour Yelp named Oak & Ivy in Container Park “#2 Whiskey Bar in the U.S.” Saturday, June 29.

The Broken Yolk Cafe opened its first Las Vegas location at Town Square with hours daily 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hank’s Fine Steaks & Martinis inside Green Valley Ranch Resort is now officially certified and serving Kobe Beef.

Smoked Burgers & BBQ at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace launched the Strip’s first AllYou-Can-Eat BBQ available daily at 11:30 a.m.

Established in 2014, CraftHaus Brewery is constructing a secondary tasting room in the Arts District downtown.

Acrobatic equestrian production “Gladius The Show” will stop at South Point Arena and Equestrian Center Sunday, July 21 with 1 and 5 p.m. performances.

Comedian Sinbad will headline the Grand Events Center inside Green Valley Ranch Friday, July 5.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club at The LINQ Promenade opened last month.

The Super Summer Theatre held at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park returns for its 44th year with productions including: “Into the Woods,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Chicago,” “Annie” and “Noises Off.”

DINING

The new two-story Smith & Wollensky steakhouse opened inside the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian.

Hakkasan Restaurant at the MGM Grand launched the new concept “All That and Dim Sun” 10 p.m. dinner happening every Thursday with a specialty menu.

Kids Eat Free under age 10 at House of Blues Restaurant & Bar in Mandalay Bay July 2– Aug. 31 from 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m. daily with the purchase of an adult entrée.

In late July, James Beard Award-winner Bricia Lopez will celebrate the culture and spirit of Oaxaca with the debut of Mama Rabbit Bar at Park MGM.

20 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I June 2019

ABOUT TOWN

Lucky Dragon, shuttered since last year, has a new owner planning to change the boutique resort’s name, reopen it as a nongaming hotel and turn the casino building into conference space.

The Mob Museum’s newest artifact in The Underground, Prohibition exhibition, is a phone booth from the Four Deuces, which served as the Chicago Outfit’s headquarters.

The STRAT unveiled a stainless-steel sculpture titled “LOOK!” comprised of three ascending figures at the main entrance.

The Welcome to Las Vegas famous sign is celebrating its 60th anniversary.

Jon Bon Jovi and son signed their names below the recently added caricatures on the wall at The Palm inside The Forum Shops at Caesars.

Dr. Fred Sigman is author of Motel Vegas mapping out the rise and fall of Las Vegas’ vibrant and historic motels.

Will Roger, cultural co-founder of Burning Man’s aerial and drone photography, has a new book Compass of the Ephemeral with written essays by central figures.

The Burlesque Hall of Fame provides free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families through Monday, Sept. 2, Labor Day. Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp will culminate in a live performance with Lou Gramm (Foreigner) at Vinyl on Saturday, June 29. www.socalfnbpro.com

The RESTAURANT EXPERT Make Yourself a Priority

Independent restaurant owners tend to be the nicest, most generous people on the planet (even the grumpy ones). Think about it. They put others ahead of themselves all of the time. They will bend over backward to take care of guests’ needs. They will run all of their credit cards to the max in order to make payroll. They’ll even go for years losing money, while their guests tell them how to run their restaurants and their employees drive nicer cars than they do.

So stay with me and listen to what I have to say, even if it’s not the first time you’ve heard me say it.

“You Have a Responsibility to Run a Profitable Restaurant…”

Responsibility to your customers. You have a responsibility to run a profitable restaurant for your customers. Look, there is a reason they dine in your restaurant. You provide an obviously much needed service to your community and guests, otherwise you would not be in business.

You must be profitable to stay open for them.

Responsibility to your employees. You have a responsibility to run a profitable restaurant for your employees. This is how they are gainfully employed. This is how they pay their bills, feed their families and live.

(Yes, half of them may drink their paycheck away, but that’s another story.) You must be profitable to stay open for them.

Responsibility to yourself. You have a responsibility to run a profitable restaurant for you, your family and any investors you might have.

This third area of responsibility is where the lesson begins. A great majority of restaurant owners run their businesses as if they were a charity. Taking care of everyone else first and if there is anything left over that “would be great.” www.socalfnbpro.com

By David Scott Peters David Scott Peters is a restaurant coach and speaker who teaches restaurant operators how to cut costs and increase profits with his trademark Restaurant Prosperity Formula. Known as the expert in the restaurant industry, he uses a no-BS style to teach and motivate restaurant owners to take control of their businesses and finally realize their full potential. Thousands of restaurants have used his formula to transform their businesses. To learn more about David Scott Peters and his formula, visit www.davidscottpeters.com.

The reality is you must make you the priority!

Think about it; without you, there is no restaurant for the customers.

Without you, there is no restaurant that employs people to work. Without you, there is no restaurant. So you see, YOU are the priority. Without you everyone suffers.

What do you do with this revelation? How does it affect your life? Well, that answer is easy to understand, but sometimes very difficult to execute.

First, you have to start making yourself and your family the priority. You need to create a budget, which ultimately shows you how much money you want to make. You need to put into place the systems you know will help you achieve your budget. And most importantly, you will need to manage your business to that budget, which often means making the tough call.

To get you started, here are the key areas we focus on when we start working with a new restaurant: • Cutting labor cost • Reducing food cost • Expecting more from management This is where we start, but the list goes on and on. It’s a process and lots of tough calls have to be made. But when you change your mindset to “You have a responsibility to run a profitable restaurant,” you’ll never go back to the way it was. Instead, you WILL make money without sacrificing your independence.

Just remember YOU have to make YOU a priority. Without YOU, there is no restaurant. “You have a responsibility to run a profitable restaurant!”

June 2019 I The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional 21

EVENTS

AD INDEX

Check out some highlighted food, beverage and industry events happening in June/July:

Big Dog’s Brewing Company www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715

6/22: San Diego Wing Fest. This third annual festival focuses on all-things wings, with $1 wings available from a series of vendors. Craft breweries, wineries, distilleries and additional drink purveyors will also be in attendance.

Broadway Pier, San Diego www.facebook.com/wingfestsandiego/ 6/28 – 29: Nat Diego. This third-annual event celebrates natural wine, or wine made without chemical additives. The two-day event includes seminars, parties and a grand tasting on 6/29. Downtown San Diego NatDiego.com

page 22 Roca Patron rocapatron.com

World Tea Expo Keep Memory Alive Event Center page 16 WorldTeaExpo.com kmaeventcenterlasvegas.com 702-263-9797 Riedel riedel.com

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6/29: LA Food Fest. One of LA’s largest and longest-running tasting events, LA Food Fest will take place on the infield at Santa Anita Park. More than 100 food and drink purveyors will be in attendance. Santa Anita Park, Los Angeles LaFoodFest.com 6/29: Uncorked: LA Summer Wine Fest. More than 200 wineries will be serving bottomless pours at LA’s historic Union Station. Food available for purchase. This event benefits local nonprofit MOSTe, dedicated to college access for young women. Union Station, Los Angeles UncorkedWineFestivals.com/uncorked-la-summer-wine-fest 7/12 – 13: OC Brew Hee Haw. Now in its sixth year, this event features bottomless pours from more than 80 breweries and other drink purveyors.

Orange County Fairgrounds OCBrewHeeHaw.com

American Culinary Federation Chefs of SoCal

The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional is proud to be associated with these fine organizations: ACF-American Culinary Federation Chef de Cuisine Association of California Chapter Culinarians of San Diego Chapter Chefs de Cuisine Association of San Diego Chapter 22 The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional I June 2019

www.socalfnbpro.com

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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.

June 10-13, 2019 | Las Vegas Convention Center

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