Issue 4 Volume 20
US $3.95
Culinary Heroes on the Frontline Helping the Community During the COVID-19 Shutdown
April 2020
CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER
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This is a very difficult time for all of us, amidst the pain, hardship and grief caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus and subsequent shutdown, with repercussions surely to last for quite some time. And, especially so for the food and beverage industry, which has been one of the hardest hit, with restaurant and bar employees making up 60 percent of jobs lost in March. So in this issue we are offering some messages and advice from experts and those involved in all aspects of food and beverage, including supply, employee morale and overall survival of small businesses. In addition, our cover artwork Together Las Vegas logo, designed by acclaimed local artist Ed Rivera, brings a note of positivity, pointing out that Las Vegas always pulls together in times of crisis. This issue we have two cover features, one written by Editorial Director Bob Barnes and the other by Columnist Sk Delph, both of which offer some uplifting portrayals of how organizations and members of our local culinary community are taking steps to help others during these difficult times. Bob shares the stories of four Las Vegas culinary leaders—Elizabeth Blau, Brian Howard, Pete Mastrioni and Giovanni Mauro—who are shining their lights as culinary heroes making a difference for the betterment of our community during this time of crisis; and Sk reports on the outreach by Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits of Nevada in providing a food bank for its employees and a $1 million donation to the United States Bartenders’ Guild by Beam Suntory and Southern Glazer’s. Our Assistant Editor and wine columnist Alice Swift delves into the challenges facing everyone by the COVID-19 coronavirus and what businesses such as distilleries and restaurants are doing to help out and what everyone can do to help do their part. We can always count on our Restaurant Expert David Scott Peters to offer words of wisdom, and this month his timely column offers tips to see your restaurant through this crisis. Our columnist Shelley Stepanek reports on restaurants she was able to visit before the shutdown, which brings back memories of happier times and what hopefully we will be able to look forward to in the near future. Shelley fills us in on La Cave, Charlie Palmer Steak and Magnum Coffee Roastery. This report from the Nevada Restaurant Association provides details of the Federal Coronavirus Relief Package which applies to restaurants and other small businesses throughout the US. Read on to get info on what steps owners need to take to obtain small business loans. Lastly, we wish that all will remain safe and healthy during these difficult times and remember, we will get through this together! CHEERS! MIKE FRYER SR. EDITOR/PUBLISHER
COVER FEATURES
Page 16 On the Frontline Helping the Community During the COVID-19 Shutdown
Page 28 Dishing It with Sk Delph Secrets of a Chef: #LovinLasVegas Starring Chef Hubert Keller on Vegas PBS
Page 19 A Message from Allan Carter
Page 30 Best of the Best Page 31 Product Review
Page 7 Cannabis Cooking Class Is in Session!
Page 20 Beam Suntory and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Together Donate One Million Dollars to Coronavirus Relief
Page 8 Brett’s Vegas View
Page 22 UNLV Epicurean Society
Page 10 The Bottom Line Lawry’s Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Talks Fine Dining
Page 24 The Restaurant Expert Tips to See Your Restaurant Through this Crisis
Page 12 What’s Brewing
Page 26 JING Downtown Summerlin Offers an Elevated Experience Featuring Global Asian Cuisine
Page 4 Hot off the Grill! Page5 Human Resources Insights The Power of Positivity & Faith Page 6 What’s Cooking
26 www.lvfnbpro.com
Page 13 Wine Talk with Alice Swift COVID-19 and Its Impact on the F&B Industry Page 14 Twinkle Toast Seresin Estate: Achieving Natural Balance Through Biodynamics
Page 32 Nevada Restaurant Association Details on the Federal Coronavirus Relief Package Page 33 Spirits Confidential with Max Solano Twenty Years of San Francisco World Spirits Competition Page 34 Events Ad Index
Page 27 Front & Back of the House Embracing the Opportunity
April 2020 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
A week before the mandatory shutdown of sit-down dining by Nevada Governor Sisolak, our Editorial Director Bob Barnes made his way to Sparrow + Wolf to experience the very innovative cuisine of this very popular restaurant. General Manager John Anthony took us through the new menu and updated décor, which will be featured in our May issue.
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
Alice Swift
Assistant To Sr. Editor ACF Chefs Liasion/Journalist juanita.fryer@lvfnb.com
Assistant Editor alice@lvfnb.com
In early March, Sk Delph conducted a video interview with renowned culinary icon Chef Hubert Keller, who in addition to owning several restaurants (including Fleur de Lys and Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay), hosts his own TV show on PBS. In the video interview, Chef talks about his Secrets of a Chef program and the early days of his career. Read Sk’s synopsis on page 28 or to view the video in its entirety visit youtu.be/xWdEjqf912Y.
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 USBG Adam Rains
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 Nicholas Bilt
Journalist May I Recommend... Blake Myers
Journalist The Restaurant Expert David Scott Peters
Journalist USBG Las Vegas Terry Clark
Journalist Front & Back of the House Gael Hees
Photographer Audrey Dempsey
Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch
Journalist Don Chareunsy
Journalist Dishing It Sk Delph
Journalist Spirits Confidential Max Solano
Photographer Bill Bokelmann
Journalist Pat Evans
Photographer Joe Urcioli
Journalists Twinkle Toast Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover
Journalists Elaine and Scott Harris
Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein
4 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2020
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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
The Power of Positivity & Faith Even during the darkest of times, I choose to find and hold onto a spark of hope regardless of the challenge(s). There are and will always be challenges we will face in life, and it is how we deal with them that defines who we are or who we may become. Maybe like me you are an eternal optimist and can find that there is always something to learn from every challenge and a reward in mastering every hurdle. I choose to look at the glass as half full and think “yes, there is water in that glass and I am able to drink it to sustain me.” How can we all do that—see the glass as half full? By digging down deep and finding strength in those things that are important to us and have meaning in our lives. My strength comes from my faith, family and friends. Where does your strength come from? From what do you derive your internal power of faith? It usually comes from deep inside us and is a product of how we perceive ourselves as well as what we believe our role is here. But our strength also comes from other essential parts of our being, such as the foundations of our faith, our soul (an internal component that helps us decipher between good and bad decisions) and from our unwavering faith in the power of our deity and the overall goodness of mankind. So how does one stay positive through the ups and downs and many adversities? By using those strengths that we have to their fullest. And by harnessing the power of positivity and possibilities. The most strength we’ll ever have or find comes from our faith, no matter what our beliefs are. Our faith is the foundation of who we are and what we stand for. When that faith is based in kindness, respect of others, compassion and caring, it typically results in behaviors or actions that reflect those tenets. Strength of our conviction as well as compassion are meaningful and all powerful too. My definition of conviction is that we believe in something so strongly that it impacts the decisions we make and the person we become. A solid conviction also means that we find comfort in the knowledge that we will always do things for all the right reasons and stand by our beliefs all along the way. But strength also comes from the solidarity of the family unit. A sound support system in your family circle means that most of us can count on someone that we love and loves us to be there to bolster us, to be compassionate, and to not be critical of our choices or decisions. It provides a mechanism for fears and concerns to be voiced without judgment or reprisal. But family also has the tough job of telling us when our decisions are not good ones, could have poor or dangerous outcomes, or are not ethical or legally sound ways to act or behave. Sometimes strength comes unexpectedly from a friend or by being a friend to others. This strength, I believe, comes from our very heart and soul, because it is based in our desire to help others and relieve pain, suffering or fear through our actions and even words. It is made up of some very basic precepts such as being available for others in times of need, listening well
without judgment and offering solutions and ways of looking at things to those in need without needing to get one ounce of credit for the support. This kind of strength can provide the best relief to those in need and have the most precious result for them as well—them being heard, being loved and you being present in the moment for the ones you care about. It can also provide the giver with a profound sense of pride and new found faith in our ability to give more to others than we expect to ever receive back. Finally, we should also believe in the strength that as a father, mother, sister, brother, co-worker or manager, we can provide strength and support to family, friends and others by just being there, remaining calm, being informed, offering aid or assistance, listening without judging, providing good advice and by looking for the positive in everything regardless of the situation. During your times of challenge and adversity, always remember that you are not alone and that there are family, friends and situations where faith can help you overcome any obstacle, only if you truly believe in the power of positivity and faith. Bless you!
HR Question of the month:
Please send your HR questions and concerns, or share your thoughts on your human resources challenges via email to the following address. Send input to vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com. Your comments, questions or concerns will help determine the direction for my next month’s column and earn you a copy of my book. Include your mailing address when sending your responses.
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April 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 5
By Bob Barnes
He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
photo credit: Madison Freedle and Shiraz
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.
Shiraz: a Premium Dining Experience in which You Will Encounter Fare You’ve Never Enjoyed Before Most of us are aware of and have experienced Indian fare, but how about a restaurant that offers the best of Indian, Pakistani, Persian and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine by an award-winning chef? The answer is Shiraz, and the chef is none other than Jainine Jaffer. Located at 2575 S. Decatur on the southwest corner of Sahara, Shiraz took over the Habib’s space, opening in May, 2018. The décor is much the same, with tile floor, cedar wood walls, large window, an industrial ceiling and a long bar with granite top, but I’m told there may be extensive changes in the coming months. Owner/Chef Jainine Jaffer, who is the newly-crowned 2020 Silver State Award recipient for “Best Female Chef,” is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Las Vegas, where she mastered the art of French cuisine and technique along with the ability to refine and expand her current versatile culinary skill set. Chef Jainine shared, “Being a chef was always in my blood. I’ve always been fascinated with being creative with food, and knew from the time I was a teenager that I would own my own restaurant.” As for her cuisine at Shiraz, she says, “It’s Indian-inspired, instead of traditional, and is a playful take on Indian seasonings and aromas. There are nuances of flavors and meats not typical of Indian, with more beef and seafood.” (For more on Chef Jainine see our Jan. 2019 issue lvfnb.com/articles/chefspotlight-f048d1d81d3b) Shiraz is one of the few restaurants in Southern Nevada that is halal, which like kosher-certified, follows strict guidelines, allows no pork and requires the humane slaughter of animals; but unlike kosher allows the consumption of any aquatic animals. The menu is quite varied, and as referenced above, there are seafood offerings, including shrimp masala— spicy marinated shrimp finished in a tomato-based curry; jumbo shrimp marinated in yogurt, carom seeds, herbs and spices; salmon with lemonchive butter sauce; and Amritsari fish pakora with crispy fries (fish and chips). The meat dishes offered are mainly chicken, lamb, beef and a 6 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2020
protein not found on many menus: goat, which is listed on the menu as mutton, with variations of korma (slow simmered in a rich sauce of yogurt, spices and nuts) and biryani (marinated and stewed in spices). Vegetarians and vegans will find much to choose from here, with a large section of the menu offering the likes of bindhi masala (okra sautéed with cumin seeds and dry spice mix), palak aloo (spinach puree and potato simmered in a cream sauce) and bhagare baingan (baby eggplant tempered in a zesty curry of nutty spices). As for my experience, I let Chef Jainine cook for me, and was quite happy I did, as everything she brought out was very much to our liking. We began with Persian appetizers of borani—sautéed eggplant with onion, a touch of herbs and garlic served with yogurt; and full hummus, which unlike traditional versions, is made from stewed fava beans instead of chickpeas. Our main courses were lamb shank made with Persian spices including saffron and cumin; mixed grill with tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, malai chicken tikka, beef seekh kebab and lamb chops; chelo kabob koobideh—ground filet mignon served with rice and charbroiled tomato; and my favorite of the day: mutton biryani—goat layered with rice— which Chef Jainine said is the restaurant’s 2nd highest best-selling dish. Our desserts Chef selected were kheer, her grandmother’s recipe, which is Indian rice pudding with rose-infused milk; and gulab jamun—similar to a doughnut hole, an Indian milk dumpling soaked in cardamom-flavored syrup and rolled in coconut. A full bar serves an extensive selection of vodka, brandy, single malt whiskey, bourbon and rum; wine from France, Italy, Napa, Australia, Chile and Germany; and Indian beers such as Old Monk 10,000 Super Beer, an 8% malt liquor. I don’t say this all the time, but I can’t wait to return to Shiraz, as there is no doubt that the quality will be outstanding and I’ll be able to enjoy something I’ve never had before. Shiraz is open seven days a week for lunch from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and dinner from 5-10 p.m. shirazrestaurant.com www.lvfnbpro.com
Cannabis Cooking Class Is in Session!
Rachael Heffner is a certified hypnotist of 6 years who helps people with challenges such as smoking cessation, weight reduction and stress management and is livestreaming free hypnosis sessions online with the help of her partner Troy Wenzel. Along with serving as the channel's technical producer, Troy streams gaming and cooking and is a chocolatier with Ethel M Chocolates. Email them at ctconjurers@gmail.com or visit heffnerhypnosis.com.
Photo credit: Rachael Heffner
The How-To for Hashish Happiness
By Rachael Heffner & Troy Wenzel
There aren’t many places in the world where you can go to buy legal cannabis products, and even when you do, do you know exactly what everything on that label means? What if you’ve never experienced cannabis before, or you have and don’t necessarily understand what you are ingesting, and the effects it might have on you? If you’re in Las Vegas, you’re in luck. Not only can you buy medicinal and recreational cannabis here, but you can now learn exactly what those long names on the labels mean, and even how to create your own products—in true Vegas style, with the help of a celebrity chef! Chef Dee Russell is a cannabis consultant whose work has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, High Times and CNN, among others. She also has countless television appearances under her belt, including on Netflix’s Cooking on High and Snoop Dogg’s MERRY JANE Smoke in the Kitchen. She was the first chef to have her edibles distributed here in Las Vegas, and now she’s bringing another “first” to her home city with “The Happy Chef Cooking Series.” Students learn how to create their own cannabis edibles, dishes and topicals directly from a well-known and seasoned expert in the field. The series takes place at Acres Dispensary, which will soon rebrand as Curaleaf Western Boulevard, and it also features celebrity guests as well as other leaders in the cannabis industry. Vegas is the perfect place for the series, as it’s not just a class; it’s a full presentation. Chef Dee delights the audience with a lively performance, with the help of a DJ and guest hosts, and gives an informative yet entertaining lesson on some of the chemicals used in cannabis products. And just like in class, some of the highest achievers are rewarded for their efforts, so you’ll want to make sure and pay attention! But keep in mind that every student still walks away with Chef Dee’s cookbook The Happy Chef, which will help you take your canna cooking to the next level. Entertainment aside, the series serves a vital purpose: teaching consumers about what they are actually consuming in a still-emerging industry, where testing standards and labeling rules are ever-evolving. Many people who use cannabis products don’t always understand what goes into them; they just know “this will make me feel better,” or “this will get me high.” Ed Gehres, President of Curaleaf Nevada, says this new series aims to address that challenge. “Curaleaf believes in the right of all medical patients and recreational users to consume cannabis with confidence,” www.lvfnbpro.com
said Gehres. “By collaborating with someone like Chef Dee Russell, who brings years of knowledge and experience in the cannabis industry to her work, we can further bridge the gap between assumptions and real, fact-based information to help our customers be more successful with the products we offer.” As a cannabis consumer myself, I thought I knew what to look for at a dispensary that would elicit a particular feeling or sensation—until Chef Dee taught me exactly what chemicals were most important on labels, and even left me with the empowering feeling that I could create my own cannabis products at home. That, Gehres says, is the whole point. “We would like people to leave these sessions with an enhanced understanding of how cannabis might help improve their lives in different ways. Chef Dee is both highly experienced and entertaining, which makes her an especially skilled messenger. She is adept at demonstrating how to make the most of what cannabis has to offer and is an extraordinary resource regarding tips for consumers’ own at-home cannabis preparations.” For anyone wanting to attend “The Happy Chef Cooking Series,” it is held a few times per month at Acres Dispensary (soon to be Curaleaf). This is the perfect venue for the class, as it offers the state’s only open-view cannabis extraction kitchen, where customers can catch a glimpse of the process involved in creating cannabis oil. In addition to that, connoisseurs may also want to check out The Underground: Marijuana Farmers Market on Fridays and Saturdays, which helps spotlight local growers and producers by featuring products like flower, edibles, tinctures and more, with vendors rotated on a weekly basis. As you might have guessed, some of Chef Dee’s live shows for audiences at the dispensary have been postponed to a later date in April, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. But Chef Dee says the show must go on, and she will still perform a live show for her YouTube subscribers on the dates and times posted on her website, www.EdibleDee.com. You can also catch the full shows on her at www.patreon.com/edibledee. If cannabis cooking is in your future, you will not want to miss this class. Students come away with a better understanding of not only the chemicals found in cannabis and what their individual impacts are, but they’ll also know what to look for to suit their personal needs. I definitely did, and I’m looking forward to going back! April 2020 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
LAS VEGAS IS ‘ON HOLD’
Over the years, Las Vegas has had to conquer many challenges, but the Coronavirus pandemic is by far the most overwhelming. In just one week in March, the city went from being a fun party town to closing shows, resorts, casinos, restaurants, etc. Locals, like the rest of the country, are trying to hunker down with the eerie feeling you’re waiting for a tsunami you can’t even see. The closures are too numerous to list making it necessary to call before you head out. The irony is Las Vegas’ main attraction is holding events which attract huge crowds and now everyone is asked to not be in groups. While this experience will end, no one can predict a date or time. Thus, the closures being made will be executed on short intervals until there is an “all clear.” For that reason, this month’s column will focus on headliners booked later this year hoping we’ll be over the hump.
Comedian-actor Gary Owen is set to return to the Pearl Theater inside the Palms on Saturday, July 11. Poison will follow with its original lineup featuring Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett on Friday, Sept. 4. The Beach Boys marking more than a half century of making music will pull into town to perform at the Palms on Saturday, Nov. 7. Neo-soul singer-songwriter Jhené Aiko with the release of her third album titled “Chilombo” will stop at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan Saturday, May 30 on her 2020 “The Magic Hour Tour.” Opening performers will be Queen Naija and Ann Marie. EGOT winner John Legend will visit there on Saturday, Sept. 19 as a stop on his “Bigger Love Tour” with an opening act by soul duo The War and Treaty.
Golden Fog Coffee will open in Downtown Las Vegas’ Arts District new 63 one-bedroom units, three floor residential apartment complex shareDOWNTOWN, which is supposed to open in May, and be its first retail tenant. The 30- to 40-seat venue is a new venture conceived by husband and wife, Derek and Juliet Douglas, and will merge the couple’s individual passions for art and dining. Las Vegas native Derek is an artist professionally known as SNIPT specializing in pop culture mixed media mashups and murals. Golden Fog Coffee will exclusively carry Sightglass Coffee, an independent, siblingowned coffee company based in San Francisco making its Las Vegas debut, and feature numerous plant-based items.
ABOUT TOWN
ENTERTAINMENT
Garth Brooks will be the first concert/nonfootball event on Aug. 22 at the new $2 billion, 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium and home to the Las Vegas Raiders. Tony Bennett, the 93-year-old,19-time Grammy Award-winning artist, will return to The Venetian for an exclusive engagement, “I Left My Heart in Las Vegas,” Aug. 12, 14 and 15 with his daughter Antonia Bennett opening. Sarah Brightman will follow bringing her “HYMN: Sarah Brightman In Concert” tour to The Venetian for three dates Oct. 7, 9 and 10. “HYMN” is Brightman’s 15th full-length album.
Comedy legend Sinbad will make a return visit to the Grand Events Center inside Green Valley Ranch on Friday, July 3. “The Ladies of the 80s” show at Texas Station in the Dallas Events Center on Saturday, July 11 will feature international pop superstars Taylor Dayne, Jody Watley and Lisa Lisa. Multi-Latin Grammy Award winner Alejandro Fernández will make a stop in Las Vegas in celebration of Mexican Independence Day at Mandalay Bay Events Center Tuesday, Sept. 15. His “Hecho En México’ World Tour” coincides with the release of his new album of the same name. While Cirque du Soleil has had six successful original shows featured in major showrooms on the Strip before the virus, they finally hit a roadblock with “R.U.N,” which opened at the Luxor last October and closed on March 8.
The Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino 13 months after breaking ground topped out on its expansive third hotel tower. The announcement came in conjunction with newly released room renderings highlighting the design of the studio king and one-bedroom suite offerings for the seven-floor, 495-room tower. The Mob Museum ranks No. 4 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award rankings for Best History Museum. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, this award is the museum’s most recent accolade. Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, the world’s largest and longest-running helicopter tour company, is the recipient of two prestigious Diamond Awards from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for excellence in DINING Chef Guoming “Sam” Xin, renowned for maintenance and compliance. his hand-pulled noodles and as founder of the The AVN Show has signed a three-year extension For the first time ever, Grammy Award-winning, popular Noodle Man restaurant concept, has with Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, formerly the Hard multi-platinum global superstars Enrique joined the Sahara’s culinary team. In his new Rock, to exclusively showcase the GayVN Iglesias and Ricky Martin are hitting the road role, he will sit at the helm of an all-new Chinese Awards, AVN Adult Entertainment Expo and together. They will visit Las Vegas on Saturday, culinary concept being launched there later AVN Awards at the newly renovated property in January 2021. this year. Sept. 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
8 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2020
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•Wholesale distributor of exceptional quality dried spices and specialty foods to the finest hotels and restaurants •Owned and operated by a former chef with over 20 years of experience •Custom packed Herbs and Spices •Custom Spice Blends •Private labeling •Now Certified Kosher
The Bottom Line Lawry’s Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Talks Fine Dining
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
Photo credit: Lawry’s
follow him @Foodie_Biz.
Ryan Wilson is a fourth-generation Lawry’s executive, leading the brand’s marketing, strategy, finance and operational growth. Beginning his career as an entry-level cook, Wilson has risen up the ranks through his decades with the company. Now, the Stanford grad is looking to continue expanding his family’s illustrious dining empire with the same attention to detail, care for the customer and devotion to the legacy of the Lawry’s dining experience that’s been the lifeblood of the brand for nearly a century. But don’t think for a second that Wilson simply walked into success at the family business. His journey to the top and strategic outlook on fine dining sheds insight on the passion and innovation needed to command success in hospitality.
Your great grandfather, Lawrence L. Frank, founded Lawry’s. You stated in previous interviews that you weren’t pressured into joining the family business, so what inspired you towards culinary arts and eventually led you to join Lawry’s? I grew up in Northern California and would brush up against the restaurants 2-3 times a year, unlike my cousins, who grew up in Pasadena and would go all the time. My mom was an amazing cook and would spend a tremendous amount of time cooking dinners from scratch, and yet I was a very picky eater. I stuck to ‘shades of beige’ until I was in college. But every Saturday morning, I would wake up and watch cooking shows instead of cartoons. I loved the chemistry of food
10 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2020
and what made a dish taste great. I love the cultural influence that makes a cuisine resonate with any given population. When I was 10 years old, I would make vinaigrettes but wouldn’t eat the salad. I’d grill fish but wouldn’t eat the fish. I went to a liberal arts college in California. My junior year, I had to cook for myself while studying abroad in Australia. That’s when things clicked. I began actually eating the food I cooked and the floodgates opened. When I returned to college in the US, I remember making simple vinaigrettes in a Dixie cup in the dining hall. After college, I began to pursue professional cooking. I spent time at the Five Crowns as an entry prep cook. I made the decision to leave, though, because I knew I needed to learn the craft outside of the family business. I spent time working in Michelin 3-star restaurants, then came back to [Lawry’s] to learn the trade, as well as spend time with my grandparents. I saw the opportunity to get to know them better as people and as friends… that’s a time in my life I look back on and truly cherish. I returned as the culinary development chef, where I got to develop new concepts and do two openings, in Asia. I went on to become Executive Chef, then Director of Operations, and then VP. Then, in 2016, as I was looking at my future and the trajectory of the company, my wife told me this was the time to take a break and go back to business school. I spent a year earning my MBA at Stanford, then returned as Chief Marketing Officer, and now I lead operations, finance and strategy as well. You manage multiple different concepts as well as overseas locations. Talk about how you differentiate these experiences, as well as ensure consistency internationally. It's not an easy task. Domestically, the markets are different across each of the cities we serve. We rely on our general managers to give us insight on what each market demands. We’re always looking for information on the best beverages and menu items to offer. All of our brands are legacy brands. From a marketing perspective, we’re always having a conversation about the right way to drive traffic through loyalty and repeat business vs. new customers. There’s certainly not a playbook on how to do this. You have to market in a much more dynamic fashion than you’ve ever done before. Our restaurants abroad are all licensed, so we don’t operate them. Depending on the market overseas, part of what that guest wants is some Americana. They want the www.lvfnbpro.com
tradition, the heritage of the meal, they want to feel that legacy we’ve built over 81 years. It’s about staying true to that dining experience and hospitality. The feel of the restaurant carries the brand there. Many of your restaurants provide an iconic fine dining experience that’s not as prevalent as it used to be. Do you see the pendulum swinging and more restaurants moving back to the type of ambiance and service you create, or will the trends go in a different direction? I believe confidently that timeless hospitality is always going to be that: timeless. People are always going to want to walk into a place like ours. I want to give guests great memories and a great time at the table. Our restaurants break out of the ubiquitous, jeanwearing server at just another gastropub. The prevalence of gastropubs grew out of the chaos of the recession, with people pushing back on the cost of fine dining. But I feel like guests are starting to experience a bit of fatigue around that kind of menu and experience. Operators are starting to see a challenge in small plates as well, which involve a lot more labor to reach the same average check as you’d get with far fewer dishes at a traditional restaurant. As a chef by training, I also think there’s only so much international flare that the broader population can consume before it just starts to get confusing. Too many menus are pulling from so many cultures and cuisines that there isn’t any authenticity to it. When you have Vietnamese spring rolls next to ricotta ravioli with egg yolk on top, there’s just too
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much dissonance at that point. Also, all this look at restaurants at a nightclub model, ‘stunt food’ has reached a peak. What else where you operate for 3-5 years and then get can you even put on a hamburger? Can you out. Or, you could look into building a legacy that operates for decades. This means taking even eat it now? your time to make strategic decisions when I know that pendulum is swinging, but not opening a new place, and spending money on sure where it’s swinging to. I don’t think it’s going to go back to classic fine dining details that the 3-5 year operator wouldn’t like we had in the 90s, but it’ll probably be choose to do. Everything from upholstery something in between what we had and what and wall coverings to making sure that your glasses are polished. It’s the little things we have now. that people notice and remember, and what Talk about some of the new items you’ve ultimately helps build a legacy. added to your menus? How do you test these The tradeoff to that is that we’re a fully items and what do you feel gives them the owned and operated family business. That ‘modern touch’ you’re looking for? can pose budgetary restraints to growing We’ve conducted what we call the the business in the way we’d otherwise want. ‘revitalization of the Lawry’s the Prime Rib’ Additionally, the whole leadership team has brand, and that’s taken about 5 years. The either grown up with the company or been brand hadn’t been given any attention in with it for such a long time that sometimes we about 30 years before that. We did a ton of needed a third party to shed new light. work with focus groups, staff and our VIPs. Where do you see Lawry’s 10 years from now? We asked them about what we’re doing well I see Lawry’s The Prime Rib continuing and what we could do better. This gave us to grow domestically and internationally. great perspective on how to shape our menus We’ve had to pause on international and ambiance. growth for a bit because we’re focusing on We went about improving the Beverly Hills revitalizing our brands here in the US, but location, shaping what we see as the template since the revitalization we’ve placed greater for our locations moving forward. We focus on finding new markets to expand to worked with The Culinary Edge, who helped internationally, as well as domestically. I’d us shape Lawry’s Carvery in 2002, to create love to see our restaurants on the east coast. new menu items and experiential elements Beyond that, I want to get to the point of being for us. able to create new concepts. Possibly casual, What are the advantages to Lawry’s being maybe more fine dining. I also want to build a family-owned company? Conversely, are a concept that doesn’t revolve around red there scenarios where this makes business meat. There’s tremendous potential in that more difficult? space, and it’s an opportunity we should We look at restaurants differently. You can capitalize on.
April 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 11
By Bob Barnes
what’s
BREWING
The coronavirus crisis has been a catastrophe for nearly all sectors of our society. Nevada Governor Sisolak’s 30-day shutdown of nonessential businesses, which as I write this is less than halfway through running its course, has ceased operations of most of our beer-related businesses, resulting in great uncertainty as to what will happen next month and beyond. Along with the shutdown are cancellations or postponements of beer festivals, including two of the major Southern Nevada fests: Boulder City Beerfest and Motley Brews Great Vegas Festival of Beer. On Feb. 29 I attended the Beer Zombies Craft Beer Festival, an outstanding event, and one the best I’ve ever experienced, and unfortunately it may turn out to be the last fest I get to attend for who knows how long. In this column I had hoped to give details on two new breweries that were readying to open in the Downtown Arts District—Nevada Brew
Works and HUDL Brewing—but alas, like so many facets of our lives, that will have to wait. One news item I can pass on, is that as of a few months ago, PT’s Brewing had shut down its brewing operations. Rumor is that they are now having their PT’s brand beers contract brewed by a brewery in California, for the reason being it was cheaper for them to do so. Before the virus shutdown the brewpub on Tenaya was still open, but the brewing equipment was sitting idle. Amidst all this gloom and doom, it’s worth noting that we can and should still support our local beer-related businesses. As of March 25, Aces & Ales remains open for takeout and is even offering growler fills and sales of bottles, and at greatly reduced prices for both beer, appetizers and pizza. Just check out the available beer lists and food menu on their website (www.acesandales.com) and call in
12 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2020
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
your order. In addition, Big Dog’s Brewing (https://www.bigdogsbrews.com) and Chicago Brewing (www.chicagobrewinglv.com) have takeout of food and beer, CraftHaus Brewery (www.crafthausbrewery.com) has cans and growler fills and Mojave Brewing (www. facebook.com/MojaveBrewingCo) is offering growler fills. To support local breweries, look for their beer at grocery stores and buy some. Furthermore, once the businesses are allowed to reopen I encourage you to patronize them, as the current shutdown is without a doubt an incredible challenge to all and they will surely need increased business once they reopen in order to survive. It’s my sincere hope that our craft beer community will weather this storm, but it’s up to beer-loving people like you and me to help them do just that, once our lives return to some semblance of normalcy. www.lvfnbpro.com
Wine Talk
with Alice Swift
By Alice Swift Alice Swift, Assistant Editor and Journalist for The Las Vegas and SoCal F&B Professional, is passionate about hospitality/F&B, education and instructional design, with 15+ years of experience. In 2016, she moved from Las Vegas to Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, working for the UH System as a multimedia instructional designer, while maintaining her hospitality/F&B ties through writing, teaching and consulting (Swift Hospitality Consulting). email: alice@lvfnb.com | website: www.aliceswift.com
COVID-19 and Its Impact on the F&B Industry In December of 2019, the first COVID-19 case appeared in Wuhan, China. A mere 4 months later, the severe respiratory disease caused by the virus has now traveled to the United States and at least 145 other countries/territories spanning six continents, and was declared a Pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. This is the world we live in now. Things are now changing. At the time of this article (midMarch), a domino effect on our daily lives began to appear, causing a ripple effect across the United States. Aspects of life that we take for granted have slowly been evolving... from work, to school, to leisure time and vacations, and now to restaurants and other F&B establishments... things will never be the same again. News stations have been reporting all the devastating statistics, so there is no need to continue reiterating these facts. It’s been quite disheartening to see the extreme measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 (e.g., hotel and F&B closures, corporate layoffs), but ultimately it’s for the right reasons, to try and slow the virus to a stop. Education is another majorly impacted industry. In many school districts and higher education institutions across the country, inperson courses have been transitioned to online courses. While actions like this have really resulted in the exponential need for my position as an instructional designer to support online teaching faculty, the closures to mega-tourism or urban epicenters like Las Vegas, New York, Hawaiʻi, etc. have really negatively impacted the food & beverage, hospitality, travel and tourism industries (among many, many others). Knowing all this, it becomes difficult to see the positive outlook. However, in reading through various current events across the nation, I am inspired by some of the actions being taken to try and give back during this crisis. Here are some of the stories I have been reading about in Hawaiʻi, Nevada and California; I hope that these stories will give you some hope during these tough times. Distilleries Shift from Hard Liquor to Hand Sanitizer It’s no surprise that residents globally have been hoarding items like masks and hand sanitizer, causing price hikes that result in massive shortages for those who need them www.lvfnbpro.com
the most: healthcare professionals and medical facilities. The World Health Organization (WHO) published a guide for local production: www.who.int/gpsc/5may/Guide_to_Local_ Production.pdf. Surprisingly, guess who answered the call for help? Distilleries! To help with the shortage of hand sanitizer, local distilleries from coast to coast across the country (and even internationally) have been converting their spirits distilleries to hand sanitizer production facilities. AMASS (www. amass.com), based in Los Angeles, originally produced premium botanic gin and vodka. They now make a 16-oz and 2-oz alcohol-based botanic hand wash. Even larger producers, such as Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Anheuser-Busch and Pernod Ricard SA are jumping on the bandwagon. The TTB has allowed distillation businesses to produce hand sanitizer without authorization, and many businesses in fact are donating rather than selling to those in need. Closed Restaurants Donate Perishable Foods During this COVID-19 crisis, many school districts have gone so far as to extend spring break, transition courses to online learning, or even shut down schools for the school year. However, there are many students who rely on school lunch programs for assistance, and without school, there are many who are food insecure and in need of meals. Throughout the country, there are many restaurants, businesses and other generous people who are helping support those in need. In Las Vegas, you’ve probably heard about the temporary closures of hotels up and down
the Strip, along with the growing number of reduction in workforce. This was a huge decision that had to be made for the health and safety of the people of Nevada, despite the opposing consequences. However, due to the closure of MGM Resorts properties, and the connected food venues within their portfolio of hotels, they decided to donate their food shipments to Three Square Food Bank along with other food donation facilities and community partners. Want to Help? Would you like to do your part and help others during this crisis? Check out these resources to learn more: • Donate to your local blood bank, food banks, and shelters. • Donate to the United Way COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund (https://secure.unitedway.org/j/step/ covid19-donate). • Help those in need! Why not be a good Samaritan and offer to pick up groceries for any elderly neighbors you might have on your next trip to the grocery store? • Check out this PBS article for more ways to support: How to Help Others in the COVID-19 Crisis (www.pbs.org/newshour/ health/how-to-help-others-in-the-covid-19crisis). Our world is changing, and it is up to us to make the world a better place. Despite the craziness our world is going through right now, try to see the positive in the situation. We can only hope that this crisis will begin to subside in the near future and our F&B industry can move towards recovery from this life-altering period. Until next month, Cheers~! Alice
April 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 13
Twinkle Toast
By Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover
As the month of April brings focus to the ways in which we can nurture the planet that gives us so much, we thought it would be a good time to get better acquainted with a winery that lives in harmony with the Earth 365 days a year. We were fortunate enough to speak with Michelle Connor, General Manager, and Tamra Kelly-Washington, Chief Winemaker, of Seresin Estate in Marlborough, New Zealand to discuss biodynamics and why these practices breathe life, elegance and refinement into their wines. What inspired the creation of Seresin winery? Owner Michael Seresin’s first up close and personal look into the world of wine was in the early years of having a home in Tuscany. Wine is a part of culture in Italy and this resonated with Michael. He loved how wine, as a common interest, united people from all walks of life. How large is the Seresin Estate? Raupo Creek is just under 90 hectares in total, 52 of which are planted in vineyard. We also have established preparation plant and vegetable gardens, olive groves, pinole trees, grazing areas for our farm animals and large native plantings to encourage native birds. As biodynamic farmers, we also keep a portion of our property fallow each year. How did Michael Seresin determine which vineyard sites to produce wine from? When Michael was looking to purchase Raupo Creek, he completed some intensive soil sampling to establish a clear picture of the soil profile in order to make very informed decisions on which varietals would perform best in the different areas. Raupo Creek is a unique site in Marlborough in that it offers a number of aspects and soil types from north facing clay slops to more free draining flats. What have you found to be the most surprising thing about the wine business or winemaking process? So many things, but the one in my mind is how small a global industry it is. This is fantastic as you get the opportunity to work with people from all over the world who each bring their unique skills and experiences. It is a young industry in New Zealand and I particularly enjoy how open the New Zealand wine community is to sharing knowledge and experiences. There is a feeling of all being “in this together,” and I rarely feel any sense of competition. This in some way may also be because Seresin is such a unique producer in the New Zealand industry. What prompted the decision to have the Seresin estate farmed biodynamically? This came from Michael very early on when Seresin was being developed. Michael established wonderful connections with some
amazing producers in the Old World by spending time with them and asking questions. Michael is very curious by nature. He talks about the time he spent with Anne Claude Leflaive who said to him, “if you can grow grapes and make wine without chemicals, why wouldn’t you?” It is from this that Seresin’s biodynamic journey began. How are biodynamic farming practices different from farming organically? Are all biodynamic wines essentially organic as well? Essentially they are, yes. I often describe biodynamics as an elevation of organics. Quite simply, the big difference is that in biodynamics we produce our products to be applied for health and nutrition ourselves on the property from manure and homeopathic plants that we have grown ourselves. The concept of biodynamics is largely about farming in a sustainable way in a closed unit, so everything you need for the health of your property and crops is produced on that same piece of land. Why do you believe biodynamic farming is important as it relates to producing great wines? You only have to look at the list of who are considered to be the best premium boutique producers in the world to see there is a correlation between biodynamics and producing truly exceptional wines consistently. Biodynamics looks at the health of your property on all levels, from well below the ground surface to the atmosphere. There is no question that this holistic approach to farming builds greater resistance and encourages balance as nothing is being forced. If you could ensure that all of the vineyards in New Zealand were to implement one or two biodynamic practices, which would you choose and why? If your question was about organics, my first response would be to make the use of glyphosate illegal. In relation to biodynamics, for me it would be preparations 500 and 501. 500 is horn mature—cow manure fermented in a cow horn or porous vessel over a period of 6 months. This preparation is dynamised in water and applied to the property. It encourages root growth and humus and it also brings incredible life to the property. You can feel it and we see it in our animals who are often very playful after we have applied 500. 501 is horn silica—made from finely powdered quartz crystals and buried in cow horns or porous vessels for 6 months (spring/summer). This is applied as a foliar spray and it encourages growth. I love watching it be sprayed on the property in a super fine mist. Because the tiny particles of quartz refract light, you see rainbows everywhere. This preparation also has benefits in managing disease as 501 has drying qualities. What do you feel is the greatest differentiator between Seresin wines and others produced in the region? For me, there is an ‘Old World’ energy that runs through all of the wines. The wines feel alive, and yet are very refined and elegant. This is what defines Seresin wines and comes about partly from the way the vineyard is farmed and partly as a result of the minimalist, careful handling of the grapes and wine in the winery. The wines are not rushed and are left to achieve a natural balance on their own time schedule with a bit of love and nurturing from the team! If you had to select a grape varietal that best represents your personality, which would it be and why? Chardonnay—a variety that has great depth and structure and is not afraid to be its own self. It can show many different shades but is always a wine to inspire and create many conversations.
Photo credit: Justyna Hrabska
Seresin Estate: Achieving Natural Balance Through Biodynamics
Erin Cooper and Christine Vanover have been residents of Las Vegas since 2007. Vanover is also a UNLV Alumnus. Cooper is a Territory Manager for the Resort Wine Team at Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits. Both women founded Twinkle Toast in 2017. info@twinkletoast.com • www.twinkletoast.com Facebook: @TwinkleToast Twitter: TwinkleToastLV Instagram: TwinkleToastLV
14 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2020
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On the Frontline Helping the Community During the COVID-19 Shutdown By Bob Barnes
Clark County Commission Chairman Marilyn Kirkpatrick and community partners have launched a pilot called Delivering with Dignity to bring highquality meals directly to the most vulnerable families in the Las Vegas Valley including the elderly with health problems, those struggling with poverty on a daily basis and other vulnerable residents who cannot leave their homes in the midst of the pandemic. Shown here are some of the 800 meals prepared by chefs at Honey Salt which were delivered free of charge to the homes of nearly 100 of the most vulnerable families identified by Foster Kinship. The restaurant is generously providing meals at cost with private donations helping to cover the cost of ingredients, production and distribution.
With a Plate Full of Their Own Issues, Culinary Heroes Shine Bright Photo Credit: Bill Milne, Honey Salt, Mastriani's, Naomi Mauro and Sparrow + Wolf
These are surely tough times, with daily reports of dire hardship, grief and pain, but it’s not all bad news. Time and time again the Las Vegas community has rallied to help each other during a crisis, and the response to reach out during the current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has been no different. There have been countless heroes and previous unsung champions coming to the forefront helping to keep us safe, healthy and fed, including delivery drivers, grocery store workers, first responders and healthcare workers. In addition, numerous organizations and businesses have made donations and set up accounts to benefit those being affected financially by the economic disruptions. The food and beverage industry also has its share of heroes, including chefs and restaurateurs who have supported the well-being of their staff and donated food and prepared meals to the community and their staff, or stayed open during the shutdown to meet the needs of the entire Las Vegas community. We checked in with a select group of leaders of the Las Vegas food & beverage industry— Brian Howard: Chef/Owner of Sparrow +
Wolf; Giovanni Mauro: Chef/Owner of Pizzeria Monzú; Elizabeth Blau: Owner of Honey Salt/ Founder CEO of Blau + Associates; and Pete Mastrioni: Chef/Owner of Mastrioni’s—and asked what they have been doing to help their staff and the community, what motivated them to do so, advice they have for other restaurateurs and what they see as the future for the industry.
Helping Out Staff and Those in Need
Elizabeth Blau: As a business owner and philanthropist I wear several hats. First and foremost, is to protect our business, because that is not only my family, but the lives and families of all the people that work for us. We started in the early days by drafting a letter to Governor Sisolak to make sure voices were heard of small, local, independent businesses who don’t have lobbyists; that we, because of the shutdown, were going to have to lay off a tremendous number of employees and are going to need help. The second thing was to start a Facebook Community page, so I started
16 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2020
the Save the Local Las Vegas Restaurant Community page, now with close to 2,000 members, to quickly share information. Brian Howard: Our focus has always maintained the same during this whole process and it’s been to keep our team and guests safe while spreading as much positivity and happiness during these tough times. We have run a few initiatives that focus on putting money into our staff’s pockets, and all of the proceeds from our gift card sales have gone to them. Our inventory has been divided up to ensure they keep food in the fridge while offering them access to our supply chain as well. We have a group chat that focuses on sharing positivity, quotes of the day, fun challenges, what we’re cooking and more. It’s important we keep everyone’s spirits high and we all have each other’s back as mental health is number one for us. Our #sparrowandwolfchallenge cocktail campaign has been a great success and has reached countries all over the world; every cocktail that’s made equals a meal for a first responder and we are moving into our second week of feeding first responders. Most importantly, we want to do our www.lvfnbpro.com
Elizabeth Blau & Kim Canteenwalla Giovanni & Naomi Mauro
part by keeping everyone safe and providing them an outlet to create and share happiness. Giovanni Mauro: I'm grateful that I immediately recognized even before the official shutdown that this was going to be a problem, so we shut down our full service restaurant Monzu, right away. Our Old School Pizzeria location was predisposed for this situation in that it was primarily a take-out/delivery concept, so we were able to keep operating fairly normally, implementing major health precautions of course. Monzu has three times the employees and kitchen staff, so to keep everyone safe we closed and went to baking bread only, because that takes one person at a time and isolates each employee. I think reassurance is the thing I’ve focused most on for my employees. In the sense that, “look guys there is a really horrible situation where there is a complete shutdown of the food system. The restaurant is here. It is your safety net. What does everyone need?” We are fortunate to have access to things like bulk supplies, a freezer full of sustainable food. So we check on everyone to make sure they have basic necessities. www.lvfnbpro.com
Pete Mastrioni
Brian Howard (bottom right) and staff
Pete Mastrioni: Regarding COVID-19, we have reached out to our employees by updating them on regulations and making sure we stay within the health guidelines to better serve our community. Employees have been offered shifts to service the restaurant by operating using curbside and delivery options. Employees are reminded to wash/sanitize their hands and take payment over the phone. For our community, we offer them safe and delicious food at their fingertips.
Staying Open or Closing
Pete Mastrioni: Our motivation for staying open is to continue to serve our customers and assist our community concerning the elderly and those in need. Giovanni Mauro: I kept on seeing picture after picture on social media of “no bread products” and empty bread shelves. To me bread is a fundamental need. When things are good we forget about it, we even demonize it because it's a
complex carbohydrate, but the truth is that bread is an essential part of life. The phrase comes to mind, “You got 99 problems and...” My thing is bread shouldn’t be one of them. On a personal level, offering our customers something as simple as bread, something wholesome and delicious, there is no greater feeling for me. Elizabeth Blau: The decision to keep Honey Salt open was three-fold. We had to lay off most of our front-of-house staff but remaining open for takeout allowed us to keep almost 30 people employed. We got together with the entire management team and took a vote and it was unanimous that everyone wanted to keep working. Secondly, our food is comfort food, a menu of family recipes, so in this situation that kind of food is what people want to be eating when quarantined at home. The third thing was, we realized there was a huge crisis in our community for those who were low income or at a high physical risk of leaving their home. With Three Square having to close their kitchen and convert to a grocery model, there was more of a need for the community to have hot prepared meals so we are working with the program
April 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 17
Delivering with Dignity, providing meals at cost and delivered directly to those in need. Brian Howard: We chose the opposite of the spectrum; Sparrow + Wolf closed temporarily the Monday before the governor’s mandate. We saw what was coming and it’s always been our first decision to do our part and try to mitigate putting anyone in danger. We looked at all the opportunities of curbside pick-up, delivery, etc. We even have a retail beer and wine license and still decided that the financial portion was not as important as the safety of our team and guests.
Words of Wisdom/ Advice for Restaurateurs
Giovanni Mauro: Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Don’t get in “do or die” mode, and make 180 degree pivots. Simplicity is the answer. Pick one thing you do well. Focus on that and do that. The less moving parts the better. Lean and mean is what gets us through the hard times. Overtaxing your psyche and your emotions is not the answer. Challenging yourself to be extraordinarily disciplined is. Pete Mastrioni: During the shutdown, we would advise to keep your doors open, limit your staff and provide take-out food options. Upon reopening, we are going to continue with some of these options. Brian Howard: I think it’s a learning curve for all of us, but I know it’s time to adapt. The uncertainty of what’s coming is scary for all of us. I feel if you stay positive and are able to revisit the areas that will make the most impact on your margins while keeping the integrity of your brand and staff morale you can have a fighting chance. Elizabeth Blau: I think the most important thing is you don’t deplete your cash supply. In order to reopen and create jobs and be effective you have to keep that nest egg.
about wanting to bounce into recovery with a lot of people. I don’t have a crystal ball, but unfortunately the reality is this recovery process is going to be painfully slow. Pete Mastrioni: Our customers are looking forward to the opportunity to enjoy our food again while being served. We see the food and beverage industry in Southern Nevada picking up once we get past the shutdown. Giovanni Mauro: My aunt had a saying: True damage to the crops is seen after the snow melts. We are in the middle of the snow phase. We don’t really know the impact that this crisis will bring economically. However, my prediction is that it is going to be a slow but steadfast climb to normalcy. I do believe the psychological conditioning that we’ve done with social distancing will have an effect. I believe people will be afraid of crowded rooms for a while. A lot of places will throw in the towel and not because they can’t recover financially, but from the sheer exhaustion that
this crisis has brought upon them. I do believe that a lot of people will be more thankful to our profession and the immense amount of work it takes to provide not only food, but food at its highest level. I’m hoping that maybe people will have a deeper appreciation for independent restaurants, and food service in general. My hope is that this brings awareness to the fact that we are a true “service” industry, and that our trade is honorable and valuable. Delivering with Dignity delivers hot meals to the doorsteps of our community’s most vulnerable and has more than 100 volunteers. For info on how to donate to Delivering with Dignity visit www.moonridgefoundation.org. For requests for service or volunteer inquiries, email COVID19@uwsn.org or call United Way of Southern Nevada at 702-892-2300. To join the Save the Local Las Vegas Restaurant Community Facebook page visit www.facebook.com/groups/569786930296031.
Predictions for the Future
Brian Howard: Well, hard to predict and for how long is the question. This could be a hard reset for the dining world as a whole. You will most definitely see more spatial awareness, less shared dining, more takeout and food designed to be delivered better; and marketplaces added into programs and less expensive protein options to start. Elizabeth Blau: I think it’s going to be a tough year to 18 months ahead of us. We’re very resilient and when the community needs support, whether for the arts, or hospitals or museums, the restaurant industry is always the first to get in there to support others, and we are definitely going to need others to help support us after the crisis. It’s been absolutely devastating to anyone in the industry, like for us to close seven restaurants and lay off hundreds of people without any kind of certainty as to when the future is going to look bright. It’s tough for a city like Las Vegas that is built on sports arenas, conventions, concerts, nightclubs, restaurants and 7,000 room hotels and having to get on an airplane to get here, anybody that’s spent a month in quarantine is really going to think hard
One of the pasta dinner packages prepared by Honey Salt for Delivering with Dignity, which consisted of beef ragout pasta, mixed greens and vegetable salad, oranges and bread rolls.
18 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2020
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A Message from Allan Carter Executive Director of Sales, Fine Wine Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Nevada
I'm scared. But not of the things you might assume.
I have the pleasure and honor to work in the hospitality industry in the most exciting city in the world. I’m the middleman, so I don’t make anything or provide direct service to consumers. I buy what I think is a good product and sell it to folks that I think can benefit from passing it on to their customers. That means that my happiness and peace of mind rest on the shoulders of the owners, chefs, GMs, AGMs, servers and sommeliers of restaurants all over this town. Now, as fear of the unknown pushes all of us further and further into uncertainty, these great people need us more than ever. This is not a political issue, it’s a human one. It’s about compassion. I saw it after 10/1 and I hope I see it now. Casinos are empty, conventions are cancelled, people are cancelling vacations and business trips and locals are hunkering down. Those with the resources to close down and wait it out are doing so. But independent restaurants don’t have this option. What they do every day is what they love and what they need to do to provide for and protect their families. Margins are thin, hours are long, and they depend on our patronage … just like a lot of us depend on them. So what can we do? It’s simple. If you have the means to do so, spend money at restaurants that you’d like to still be here when the sun finally comes up again. Order carryout locally a little more. Leave a slightly bigger tip if you can. If you have a friend in the industry who is furloughed or laid off and hurting, buy them lunch or get them a gift card for things they might need. If you’re worried about contact, get curbside pick-up, or buy gift cards (directly or even on-line) from restaurants and then treat yourself later when things get better. And believe me, if we look out for each other, things will get better. Good people need our help. And I know these folks. They’ll be too proud to ask. And you know what? They shouldn’t have to. For every chef at a local bistro who made your birthday dinner special. For every server who went that extra mile for your anniversary night out. For every restaurant manager who got you a hard to get table on a busy night. For every bartender who stiffened up your drink or lent you a friendly ear. For every sommelier who recommended that special bottle of wine that made you look good at the table. It’s our turn to show them that we noticed it, we appreciated it and that we care. Help if you can. Stay safe. Take care of each other.
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April 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 19
Beam Suntory and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Together Donate One Million Dollars to Coronavirus Relief
by Sk Delph
Together we are facing an event unlike anything we’ve experienced in our lifetime. Despite the hardship that many people are experiencing throughout the world, it’s truly inspiring to hear about those who are making a difference. The brave and dedicated men and women of the medical community are the frontline heroes in this war against the Coronavirus. And while we are understandably focused on those who are fighting for their very lives, there are countless millions, in this country alone, who are suffering financially… and the beverage community has rallied to meet this challenge to help those whose need within our industry is most urgent.
Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS) and Beam Suntory have stepped up to answer the call in a big way with a one-million-dollar donation to the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) Foundation Emergency Assistance Program. The program was founded specifically to support the bar and restaurant community and provide financial aid and other resources for workers who are most impacted by COVID-19, with the closure of bars and restaurants across the country. Beam Suntory President and CEO Albert Baladi explains this generous act of philanthropy: “The people of Beam Suntory and our colleagues at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits are passionate about helping support the bartenders, restaurant workers and their families whose lives have been turned upside down by the global pandemic. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary actions. We are proud to support the trade community and their livelihoods, as they are part of our extended Beam Suntory family, and we are fortunate to be part of an industry where so many companies are uniting to assist our communities in this unprecedented battle.” Regarding how the idea of donating a million dollars between Beam Suntory and Southern Glazer’s came about, a Beam spokesperson added: “As we actively manage the response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Beam Suntory (and SGWS) determined to support the communities where our people live and work. During this challenging time, we are
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working to support our extended family in the trade community. Suntory’s North America Leadership Team (along with the top brass at SGWS) decided to respond to the precipitous closure of restaurants and bars, and redeployed expenditures to support their on-trade partners. “The United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) Foundation Emergency Assistance Program and the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation (who collectively have the network in place) support the bar and restaurant community and are providing financial aid and other resources for workers who are most impacted by COVID-19 as a result of restaurant and bar closures across the country. We felt that these two organizations covered the broadest reach of hospitality professionals in the US.” No horn tooting or self-congratulatory pats on the back. Just a commitment to give back during this time of crisis. This deserves effusive praise in and of itself, but that isn’t the end of their efforts. Beam Suntory is working with its other distributors across various states, to provide donations to local organizations that will further help support the trade in their respective communities during this challenging time. Other independent suppliers and distributors have also stepped up with significant contributions of their own. Aviation Gin, partly owned by Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds, has made a commitment to forward 30% of their proceeds to help bartenders throughout the crisis. Another example is Constellation Brands, whose portfolio of wine and spirits is expansive. They have committed a whopping $2.5 million, mainly to help the restaurant and bar industry
get back on its feet amid massive closures wrought from COVID-19. Kim Haasarud, Board of Directors Charity Foundation Chair for the United States Bartenders’ Guild, talked about the grants and selflessness of many of the USBG members: “We are so grateful for all of the donations we have received thus far, including the significant donation from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Beam Suntory. It will go to help so many bar industry folks in need during this crisis. Our grants will give some assistance to put some food on the table, offset rent, and that can make a huge difference. “We do need to keep the fundraising going to be able to keep up with the demand. We have received over 200k applications. While it’s heartbreaking to see so much pain and hurt right now, it’s also heartwarming to see how much togetherness there is … One thing I can tell you is the number of people that have rescinded their grant application, knowing that they may be taking it from someone who needs it more than them. And some of our application screeners rescinded their application because they wanted to help and that was more important to them
than getting a grant themselves. The amount of selflessness I'm seeing is moving. While sometimes tragedy can bring out the worst in people … it can also bring out the best.” Here in Las Vegas, one of our most important trades, the food and beverage industry, has been perhaps hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the other half of the $1 million donation to the USBG Foundation Emergency Assistance Program and the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation, Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS) is considered an essential business, and as such they’ve been charged with keeping their doors open. SGWS has taken extraordinary measures to make sure their employees remain safe and healthy while continuing their mission to service the Las Vegas community. Shaina Graham, Special Events Director for Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits of Nevada, was instrumental in helping to organize a food bank for their staff members to minimize risk of exposure while shopping for groceries. “We’re calling it the Food Pantry and the idea behind it is to get with our local vendors like Sysco Foods and Brady Industries, and provide
staple foods for our employees. We also want to provide them with those foods that are constantly being depleted at local grocery stores and providing them with the fundamentals where they otherwise might not have access. “On first day of pick up, we had eighty-six people come through. The response to this program validates its need. We consider the citizens of Las Vegas part of our extended family. It is critical that we keep our team members healthy in body and mind so that we can continue to provide for the people of this great city.” Similar programs have been implemented throughout Las Vegas, including among others, Caesars Entertainment, which donated 250,000 pounds of food, the equivalent of 208,000 meals and thousands of items including gloves, masks and hand sanitizer to local hospitals and local charities; and Silverton Casino donated pallets of food equivalent to about 3,500 meals to local food banks and 1,000 cases of bottled water to hospitals and first responders. We are proud of our community and continue to call ourselves #VegasStrong.
BEAP grant application usbgfoundation.formstack.com/workflows/beap_online_application_screening USBG National Charity Foundation www.usbgfoundation.org/beap USBG www.usbg.org/home April 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 21
By Nicholas Bilt
Photo credit: Alfred Tsai, Nicholas Bilt and Savannah Reeves
Nicholas Bilt, a Hospitality Management student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, represents the Epicurean Society, a collection of food and restaurant enthusiasts. Nicholas is the journalist for Epicurean Society, and is sharing the club’s experiences with the public. Coming from an arts high school for culinary arts and hospitality, Nicholas looks at food and service from an artist angle.
February was a busy month for us in the Epicurean Society. We had the chance to work the Women’s Hospitality Initiative, then had one of our restaurant tours at Tao Las Vegas and finished up our month with Eta Sigma Delta’s Breaking Barriers. On February 18 we had the opportunity to work at the Women’s Hospitality Initiative in Hospitality Hall. We were at the door of the event with charcuterie boards consisting of Swiss cheese, turkey, cheddar cheese, salami, pepper jack cheese and roast beef. On the same table, Rebel Grounds was serving green tea and black peach tea. This event was super cool, and it was awesome to see all the different businesses tabling at the event serving all sorts of delicious food, with all promoting diversity in the workplace and highlighting the hard work and talent of these women. Being a part of Epicurean Society not only did we, the leadership, get to work the event passing out food and drinks, but also got to walk around and experience all that was offered, which means we got to try some of the incredible food all the businesses brought. It was an amazing showcase of the hard work of some very talented and creative individuals and the bits of flare they add to the culinary world. Then on February 21 Epicurean had another one of our restaurant tours. We had the amazing opportunity to tour Tao Las Vegas. Raul Ceron, the general manager, and Rizwan Lakhani, the restaurant manager, led us through the tour. We began in the lounge and got to try some shishito peppers and edamame and two members of Tao’s
marketing team told us about what they do. Mr. Ceron shared with us about Tao’s history and values, and how Tao creates a meaningful and one-of-a-kind experience for its guests and makes itself a top destination for dining at the restaurant and the partying up top at the nightclub. We were walked through the dining area and got a look at the art they have all around. They have all the artwork perfectly displayed, and it all looks so beautiful; they look at all the little details making sure everything is perfect. Next we got to walk up to the nightclub and got to learn about how they approach running the nightclub versus the restaurant. Then we got to walk through their kitchens and saw how they make all the food they serve every night. They finished off our visit with a little surprise. We got to have a sweet treat: Tao’s famous giant fortune cookies, and they do not disappoint—a giant fortune cookie filled with chocolate and vanilla mousse, served with a side of fresh fruit. In addition to dessert they provided us a drink, non-alcoholic of course, and goody bags with some cool merchandise from Tao. I asked what dishes they would recommend to guests and Mr. Lakhani told us that the sushi and sashimi menu is the best, specifically the yellowtail! Also coming highly recommended is the Peking duck. And of course, a meal is not complete without dessert and it is not a true visit to Tao unless you end your meal with the aforementioned giant fortune cookie, which I can attest is awesome. Thank you to Mr. Ceron, Mr. Lakhani and the whole team at Tao for the tremendous tour. It was
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a memorable experience and very educational. Lots of good advice and insight was given about how to run a restaurant, but also how to get yourself started in the industry and how to create opportunities for yourself. Never be afraid to get your foot in the door somewhere; you never know where it might take you. We finished up our month with Breaking Barriers on February 25, an event put on by Eta Sigma Delta, UNLV’s international hospitality honors society. Breaking Barriers is an event for the leadership of all the different hospitality clubs and organization within the college of hospitality. In addition to us Epicurean and Eta Sigma Delta being there, also present were UNLV National Society of Minorities in Hospitality, UNLV Hospitality Toastmasters and UNLV’s Human Resources Student Association, who are affiliated with the Society for Human Resources Management. This event does exactly what it says it does, it breaks down the barriers between the different student organizations at UNLV. This way we can all spread awareness of what we do to the other organizations. We provided food for the event: some Greek vegetable sandwiches, Greek salad and Greek butter cookies. We did several different ice breaker activities to get to know each other better and network. I got to meet some really awesome people and Epicurean Society got to forge more relationships with other clubs, looking forward to the different events and collaborations that will happen after we were all brought together. It will be great! www.lvfnbpro.com
CHARDONNAY SUMMER
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The RESTAURANT EXPERT Tips to See Your Restaurant Through this Crisis
This pandemic, COVID-19 virus, is crippling our industry. My heart goes out to you as you worry about your employees, your vendors, your family and your community. I know one of the biggest questions you have is will your restaurant survive this crisis. What I have to tell you here should help you make some clear decisions. Before you get too far into this, let me first be clear that the advice I’m offering here is for the week of March 16, with many cities and states shutting down eat-in options for restaurants and putting curfews in place. The advice you’re getting here right now could change drastically as new guidelines and/or city/state mandates are rolled out. First things first. If you’ve been resisting or avoiding delivery apps like Uber Eats, Grubhub, Postmates, etc., you can’t fight them anymore. You need them because you’re not in a position to hire delivery drivers. As you bite the bullet or look at how to expand your reach, be sure to sign up for all four of the top delivery services in your marketplace. Looking at it nationwide, the top services are Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates. You need all four because every customer is not on all four. Preferences vary for your guests. If you use all four of them, you’ll reach more guests. The nice part is they are reacting to our industry. As of March 17, Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats had all waived their fees.
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.
Next, you have to make it easy for your guests to order, to run in to pick it up and get out of there. Something that will help is to get your online ordering up and running if you haven’t already. Call your POS dealer and ask what application/service they recommend. You want something that integrates with your POS system and simply kicks out a ticket so you know it’s going to be pickup and it’s done. The other benefit is online ordering requires payment up front, so you’re not exchanging cash and guests aren’t touching keypads. This creates a little more safety for your guests and employees. Hot Tip: If you’re going to have guests pick things up, make sure you’ve got somebody visibly washing door handles on a routine basis and sanitizing hard surfaces. I don’t care if that person for eight hours in a day is standing there and all they do is continually wipe down surfaces. You want to keep your employees safe and you want to show your guests that you take this seriously. The next piece is marketing what you’re doing. In a good economy, in a good situation, telling your guests that you have curbside pickup or delivery, or anything, is hard enough. But today you must reach out, which means you have to bombard them on a daily basis—preferably multiple times per day on all your social media platforms. Let them know, “Hey, we’re here. We’re open. We’ve got curbside. We’ve got pickup. We’ve got delivery through these
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apps.” Ask your employees to share the posts and ask guests to share the posts. For those of you who have been collecting emails over the years, that’s your best path for reaching your guests. Blast messages to your guests through an email or loyalty service. One of those messages should be what you’re doing to keep you and your employees safe: handwashing protocols, cleaning services, adding labor to just sanitize, whatever you’re doing. An email list is also a fast-track to finding your guests on Facebook and Instagram, and any other key platforms for your guests, with ads that say the same things. People are stressed. They don’t know they need to know, you need to tell them. If you’re not sure how to do any of this and no one on your team can help you in a pinch, I regularly recommend the following companies, none of which I get any kind of commission or kickback from. • Repeat Returns • Moving Targets • GoDaddy Social The next thing to look at is proper packaging. If you’re new to delivery and pickup, you have to have the right packaging. I can tell you when I was a franchisor for a 30-unit restaurant and sports bar, we had the most amazing hand-cut French fries and pastrami sandwiches. They www.lvfnbpro.com
were perfect for dining in. But because we used Styrofoam containers for takeout, if somebody took it home, it was like a rainforest inside by the time they got home. The fries were soggy, the bread was soggy and it was disgusting. It wasn’t the same incredible product we put out in a basket. So, look at your packaging. It doesn’t matter how good it is in the restaurant, if it sucks when it arrives at the guest’s door. That still represents you and your restaurant. Also, when it comes to packaging, think about your demographic. If you have an environmentally-conscious customer base, order biodegradable containers and paper straws and such. The next important topic is your menu. If it were me, I’d be reducing my menu down to 10, 15, 20 items max. These items should be things that you know your guests want, things you can make over and over again. It allows you to reduce the amount of inventory you have on your shelves because you’re shrinking what you need to have on hand to fulfill the limited menu. This reduced inventory also saves you money because you won’t have food spoiling on your shelves. If you can get your inventory down and order on a more routine basis, when the product goes out it’s fresh. You’re throwing away less product and whatever you put out is excellent. Another idea is meal replacement options. Create and sell complete meals for a family of four or so and make it available for pickup to cook or warm at home. It’s also known as catering to go. Could you offer something like a lasagna and a Caesar salad that feeds four and has all the things necessary to put the meal on the table? Or a brisket with rolls and cole slaw and beans for four? What are some shelf-stable things that don’t have to sell in one day? Another business stream is drop-off catering. There are businesses that are still operating that still have employees in their building. Can you provide them with some catering options, such as boxed lunches or a buffet with aluminum chafing dishes? Could you offer packages that www.lvfnbpro.com
allow them to quickly throw together a meal for a good number of people? If the minimum group remains numbered at 10, think about how you could break it up for 10 at a time. Next on the list is budgets, and probably most important. I know it’s a scary time and the last thing you want to think about is creating a budget. But the truth of the matter is how do you know whether you can weather this storm, whether you should stay open or not, that this isn’t going to literally be the last day you operate if you don’t have a budget? Right now you need a 12-week budget. Forget about the year. You must lay out the next 12 weeks. Set it up with your new reality including sales from this week, minimum staffing and anything that is a fixed expense. What your costs of goods sold was running last week is not what you’ll see this week or the weeks ahead. All of a sudden your sales have dramatically tanked. You have fewer categories to manage and still have a lot of labor. Even if you make huge cuts now, you’re going to have to make some adjustments and decisions. When is rent due? When are utilities due? How much do you owe the distributors? How much do you owe for payroll? Put it all in your budget and then create scenarios. If you remain open and your sales are X, what does it look like if you remain open and your sales are even lower? What does it look like if you close your doors? Even temporarily? When do you start deferring bills? Can your CPA help you decide if there are taxes you can defer? Employer portion of payroll taxes, sales tax? Is your state offering deferment options? You may work something out with your landlord for rent, assuming you’re not behind already. Ask yourself if you can dig yourself out if you make adjustments or if you’re in a bigger hole than you can handle. I’m hoping for you that there’s a chance to restart and that this is an opportunity to put systems in place. I hope it’s an opportunity to cut the dead weight and look at everything you do in your business. I also
hope the government comes through for you. When I wrote this article, I went on online and saw that there are talks of a $1 trillion package for the hospitality industry. I’ve got to believe in my heart of hearts for the first time I’ve ever seen, that the government will help the hospitality industry, the number-one employer in the United States. We may actually get a bailout. But you can’t count on that. When it comes to borrowing money, whether it’s a no-interest loan through the Small Business Administration, or some other resource, ask yourself if that will really make it any better. The only way to know is to plug it into your budget based on your current reality. I hope you are able to weather this. I hope you and your families are safe. I hope that you can keep as many employees employed as possible. I hope the economy jumps back in place. In the meantime, I’ll keep producing resources to help you.
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By Elaine and Scott Harris
Photo credit: Elaine and Scott Harris
JING Downtown Summerlin Offers an Elevated Experience Featuring Global Asian Cuisine
Elaine and Scott Harris are full time journalists for over a decade covering resorts, spas, fine dining, wine, spirits and luxury travel. The husband and wife writing duo are sommeliers through the Court of Master Sommeliers and their work has appeared in the LA Times, Travel and Leisure, Google Travel, Modern Luxury, French Quarter Magazine in France and Monaco and Lausanne Tourism City Guide. Visit their website at Cuisineist.com to read articles and view over 400 videos featuring celebrity chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and Food Network stars.
Downtown Summerlin is fast becoming a soughtafter gathering place to enjoy entertainment, luxury shopping and a plethora of dining options. One of the newest additions to the culinary line up is JING. For over a decade JING has been one of the most recognized and highest rated restaurants in Denver and Aspen and now Las Vegas in Summerlin. The menu concept is what they describe as Global Asian Cuisine, featuring prime steaks, high grade sushi and seafood— using products from locally sourced and organic farms. The ultra-chic setting includes compelling design details and imposing fire and water features combining for perfect chi or energy in this exceptional dining experience.
At the helm of JING you will find Executive Chef Joseph Elevado, who is no stranger to Las Vegas. Elevado had previous stints at Andrea’s and Social House. His first position after graduating from New York Restaurant School was at NOBU in New York City, where for nine years he was mentored by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa himself. It was at NOBU where he garnered his passion for creating a modern take on classic dishes using traditional Japanese techniques.
JING’s Menu combines elements of the world’s great flavors and fresh ingredients, featuring alluring dishes such as fresh house-made dim sum, king crab tempura, Hamachi sashimi and wagyu hot rock for sharing. JING’s wok-fired favorites such as all white meat chicken, beef tenderloin and seasonal vegetables keep guests coming back to try each tempting dish.
In the center of the restaurant the large wraparound bar offers full-service dining and a spectacular cocktail and wine list. Pull up a seat and enjoy a signature JING Martini with Nue Vodka, Cinzano Dry Vermouth and hand-stuffed blue cheese olives. In addition to the martini, the JING Old Fashioned with Bulleit Bourbon, Barley Shochu, brown sugar and Angostura
Walking into JING one can’t help being impressed. Its sleek, modern design and large patio seating makes it a standout in Downtown Summerlin. The atmosphere and décor invoke a fine dining feel but convivial all at the same time.
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Bitters affords an excellent take on a famous classic cocktail. If you desire to keep things simple, the American Kobe Burger with lettuce, tomato and topped with rich avocado is the answer to a serious burger craving. JING is known for their sushi and the Alaskan King Crab Roll with crisp cucumber and creamy avocado certainly showcases a perfect bite. Elevado has been lauded for his outstanding creativity for years, demonstrated with his own riff on classic Japanese cuisine. JING’s Famous Peking Duck with traditional flour wraps, leek and cucumber or the Kobe Beef On The Rock, directly from Hyogo Prefecture, set the stage for culinary seduction by enticing the eye and the tongue with sumptuous flavors and artful presentation. Elevado’s expertise at skillfully and artfully preparing dishes that are simple and flavorful while using quality ingredients are sure to elevate JING as “THE” place to go, on and off the famed Las Vegas Strip for years to come. www.lvfnbpro.com
Embracing the Opportunity
Induction cooktop and battery in booth 252 at Catersource.
Days before voluntary self-isolation was requested, I attended the last day of Catersource and The Event Show at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. I have attended these conferences off and on for more than ten years. The classes are on point, the feeling on the trade show floor is celebratory and there are always great ideas to take away and apply. This year was different. The tradeshow floor was almost empty of attendees. I even said “jokingly” to myself, “Perhaps this is the last hurrah,” not knowing how prophetic that would be. I realized I would have rather been waiting in line to get the tasty potato waffle with barbecue and slaw, than walking right up and being offered seconds and even thirds. I missed all of the people, the energy that comes from a group enjoying themselves and each other, laughing, talking, snacking… Those of us in the hospitality industry are people people. We like the crowds and the energy and the talking and laughing. That’s why we do this. And now to some extent we’re shut down, limiting contact and missing coworkers and guests. I’m going to be redundant here (you’ve read it in blogs and heard it on television), but first use this time to reset and relax. Take care of yourself— after all, it is your own immune system that will get you through it if you do contract the virus. Rest, eat well, and above all, try to stay calm. BUT, at the same time, think about what you’re going to do differently when things pick back up again (because they will). Spend some time thinking about your philosophy about your place in the hospitality industry. How do you want your place of business to be perceived? Review the customer experience in your head. What needs to be different? Make plans, change up menus, test dishes. We can choose to see www.lvfnbpro.com
By Gael Hees Gael Hees is a Las Vegas freelancer, and founder of the blog, The Steamy Side of Vegas, Living the Spa Life. She writes for national publications and has won numerous awards for printed materials and videos. Follow her at steamysideofvegas.com or email, gael.hees@icloud.com with questions, suggestions or comments.
All-terrain storage/moving cart at Four Seasons Hualalai.
this time as a gift. Planning doesn’t cost any money and can reap unimagined rewards. It’s not about spending lots of money, it’s about being creative and reflecting the soul of your company. In light of that, here are some ideas to think about that I took away from Catersource/The Event Show: Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what is being sold at a booth. I was struck by the beautiful tables by Live Edge Design, but was confused because a man was cooking something, so maybe this was a food purveyor? I was right the first time; it was the tables. Live Edge Design creates handcrafted foldable tables for the hospitality industry in addition to desks, coffee tables and counter tops—many from re-purposed woods. Imagine a solid wood table with three infusion burners that could be used for table side cooking, outdoor bar-b-ques, a carving station and more. It’s a possibility! Spiceology is a fun company that features freshly ground herbs, spices and blends with fun color-coded packaging that resembles the entries of the periodic chart. Chef-owned, Spiceology has a grand array of chilis and a number of blends for both savory and sweet for baking. Tablescapes are continuing to evolve. Colors, textures, and shapes seemed to be trending this year. But don’t think you need to order an entire set of china to be in vogue. Consider adding an irregular-shaped blue dessert plate to accent your white china, or a red stoneware salad/appetizer plate to your black china set. Check out Sophistiplate, LLC for ideas. So, what would an interesting charger add to the experience? Look at the offerings from Artisan Tableware Co. and think about ordering just a few for special guests or even
Photo credit: Gael Hees
Front & Back of the House
consider using one at every other chair. Serving tiny bits for dessert or sharable appetizers? Sterling Risers has stunning display surfaces with interchangeable legs that will elevate your table side and buffet service. Now, let’s talk about flowers. Be creative with containers and mix it up with both fresh and dried flowers. You don’t need a huge bouquet on every table. You can get unique fresh flowers from Fifty Flowers, and you’ll find fun ideas at Stinko’s Las Vegas for both large and small displays. Take care! Live Edge Design liveedgedesign.com 1-866-748-0763 Spiceology Spiceology.com 509-241-3040 Sophistiplate, LLC sophistiplate.com 541-205-0508 Artisan Tableware Co. artisantablewareco.com 833-251-1500 Sterling Risers sterlingrisers.com 331-625-9264 (Special offer for F&B Professional Readers—$175 for a ten-pack, just reference Catersource) Fifty Flowers fiftyflowers.com 877-507-6737 Stinko’s Las Vegas stinkoslasvegas.com 702-722-2494
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DISHING IT
By Sk Delph
with Sk Delph
Photo credit: James Hsu: Instagram.com/hsujames
Secrets of a Chef: #LovinLasVegas Starring Chef Hubert Keller on Vegas PBS
Sk Delph knows her way around food and wine, not necessarily in that order, having lived and traveled from Sonoma, California to Boston and back to Vegas for the last fourteen years with her chef husband, turned GM here in Vegas. She has been published in various short story anthologies and is currently working on her first novel.
If I told you I had the great pleasure to interview a top Las Vegas D.J., a Studio 54 alumnus, who was spinning discs at Vegas nightspots such as Taboo and Wet Republic, would you for one moment imagine that I was talking about celebrity Chef Hubert Keller? Surprise! On March 7th, I had the great pleasure to
interview culinary icon, owner of Fleur de Lys and Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay and the star of his own television show on Vegas PBS, Chef Hubert Keller. The highly successful show Secrets of a Chef: #LovinLasVegas showcases many of the most exciting restaurants on and off the Las Vegas Strip. They’ll also be going
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into the next season with the first episode taking place in Brazil. Chef Hubert explains, “We’re keeping the idea of Secrets of a Chef, but basically featuring my favorite cities in the world and their secrets. We started with Rio de Janeiro. It’s about the cities I have lived in, right? So (next) we went back home to Alsace, the east part of France where I’m from, and that was an amazing show.” This season of Secrets of a Chef: #LovinLasVegas is all about what Chef Hubert calls his adopted hometown. “I feel like Vegas, since I live here, is also my city, so we’re showing Las Vegas, but the ‘secrets’ of Las Vegas.” What Hubert meant was when a viewer from somewhere else is watching the show and visits Las Vegas for the first time, they will be introduced not to the Google top ten best restaurants, but to the real insider’s secrets of what restaurants Vegas has to offer. Hubert then told me about his Brazilian experience and with relish. “Brazil was an interesting experience, right? ... I was working with star chefs like Paul Bocuse, Gaston Lenôtre and Roger Vergé and those were the trio of chefs who really exported French cuisine.” It was revelatory to hear the story of how it was this trio of chefs who together with Hubert Keller in Brazil, were such an intrinsic part of introducing French www.lvfnbpro.com
cuisine to the world as early as 1979 and 1980. Chef Hubert was a young man in those days and he, together with those chefs, showcased what France had to offer. Hats off! Chef Hubert expressed with joy bringing everything full circle and it was awe inspiring to hear. “What I really wanted to show were those (persons) with a personal connection.” He told me about Jean Joho, chef/owner of Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas: “We worked together in France in 1970 so can you imagine who would’ve known we would have ended up here in Vegas together. So, every restaurant I visited (for the show) had a connection.” This coming together of so many of the greatest chefs that France had to offer and how it has all culminated right here In Las Vegas says so much about the culinary experience and greatness of what Las Vegas has to offer. What makes Secrets of a Chef: #LovinLasVegas extra special? I would say that’s Chef Hubert’s main mission with the show. He explains: “Often, I would ask the chefs, where do you go out when you eat out late at night? Who are your friends and who are you drinking with? That’s what’s featured in the show.” With that kind of insider secret information, the only thing better is living in Vegas as a local, and may I add that the show is great for our local population as well? If you live in Vegas and you haven’t tried each of the restaurants featured in Secrets of a Chef: #LovinLasVegas, I heartily encourage everyone to take some time to watch the show to get familiar with these great restaurants and then go out and experience them for yourselves. Chef Hubert spoke highly of Vegas PBS and their generosity and how they have embraced him over the years. “They were so generous that they literally gave us a studio (for the set and cooking staff) and at the end of the season, we didn’t have to break down the set. They left the set in place and for the new season. We just went back in (and worked). We had professional lighting and it was soundproof and everything. It made the show so much better. So I think I owe a lot to Vegas PBS.” They treat Chef Hubert like family and that speaks volumes to the wonderful things that Vegas PBS has done and continues to do for our community here in Las Vegas. Chef Hubert owns Fleur de Lys and Burger Bar, both located at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Maybe the most intriguing story Hubert shared was about his restaurant the Burger Bar, which is the original burger concept by a chef. Hubert explains, “When we talk about Burger Bar today, we’re kind of smiling about the way everything happened because it was literally an accident in that sense. It was not a plan … Burger Bar is really that little place that started the whole gourmet burger mania here in America and it started here in Vegas. It’s probably the only concept that was born in Vegas and has blown up because sixteen years ago, there was not a single chef that would have put (a burger) on their menu. Why?” Chef Hubert Keller took a huge risk in the gourmet restaurant industry. Let’s listen to him tell the story. “(Sixteen years ago) in our industry if you’re www.lvfnbpro.com
a loser, we would say, ‘just go and cook burgers.’ Right? So it was not the sign of success. And then Daniel Boulud, a French chef from New York, (developed) one burger in his very upscale restaurant … it was like a brushfire and within months everyone was talking about that expensive burger a French chef made in New York and everybody loved it because it was the perfect burger with great ingredients and not just a fast food burger. I sensed that and I thought about putting a concept together, chef driven … an entire concept (of burgers). I still remember the morning I opened up the electric gate to Burger Bar … I thought to myself, seriously, that was the stupidest thing I have ever done.” I laughed with a tear or two, because Burger Bar, as we all know, is so much more than just successful! Chef Hubert continues: “I had no experience with burgers at all. And like I said, I was concerned that the critics would knock me down more than actually help me. I was afraid the critics would say, ‘he only knows five star restaurants, white table cloths, fancy restaurants and French cooking, what does he know about burgers?’ … And sixteen years ago every casino had of course an upscale restaurant, French or Italian, a buffet and a steakhouse. Nobody had a Burger Bar and
today in Vegas, every single casino has a burger joint signed by a chef and that was after a little place (the Burger Bar). We see now in the US, every restaurant, every fancy place has at least a slider. We used to make fun when Wolfgang Puck was on TV in the past years, he used to say how many kilos of caviar he used in one night and everybody was so impressed! Now, he talks about how many sliders he has served, because people got so into it and it’s on a big social level … It’s pretty fun.” I told Chef Hubert Keller, not only is he a great chef, he’s a trendsetter with such a background. His humble answer was “I got lucky.” What a truly remarkable man, a great talent with star power, a celebrity with undeniable wit and warmth. I was impressed. Thank you, Chef Hubert Keller, for sharing with me and our readers your wonderful stories in a very entertaining discussion about Secrets of a Chef: #LovinLasVegas. To see the interview with Chef Hubert Keller in its entirety, please follow this link: https://youtu.be/xWdEjqf912Y
April 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 29
By Shelley Stepanek 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.
Photo credit: Shelley Stepanek
Best of the Best
LA CAVE, an elegant restaurant in the WYNN Hotel, has a stupendous Sunday brunch. They have remodeled since I last dined here, and now there is an open-air section overlooking the pool with a great breeze. Starting off the brunch is the optional bottomless bloody Mary bar, with unlimited mimosas, sparkling wines or beer if you prefer. Brunch is served butlerstyle, with trays brought to your table. There are endless things to say yes or no to, starting with scrambled eggs, mini bagels & lox, a to-die-for veal short rib hash, hot chicken wings, Snickers pancakes, bacon & egg flatbread or French toast. Take a short break and taste the creamy yogurt parfait, the heirloom tomato caprese, small angus burgers and marvelous truffle mushroom grits. How about a cinnamon apple waffle, filet mignon eggs benedict or a purple cream cheese pancake? Brought to your table are Applewood sliced bacon & chicken sausage links. If you still have room for more, there is a full assortment of desserts. $49 adult, $28 child and the bottomless bar is $29. The Sunday brunch is served from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Parking is free. Coming in April, is the highly-anticipated BUGSY & MEYER STEAKHOUSE at the Flamingo. Does the name give you a hint? Plenty of intrigue coming here, right across from the Flamingo enclave. CHARLIE PALMER STEAK, that terrific chain of five restaurants, just wrapped up its series of country dinners. I attended the first one at the Las Vegas Four Seasons location, featuring Argentina,
and came back for the third one featuring Japan. With a lovely private room that can hold up to 24, the group started out with ASAHI beer. The first appetizers prepared by Executive Chef Eduardo “Lalo” Saavedra were a toro tartare with misolemongrass sauce and Osetra caviar. We had a taste of Kaiyo Japanese Mizunara Oak Whiskey and went straight to a fantastic seaweed salad with scallop and edamame, followed by chicken yakitori with steamed matcha rice and a tasting of Kurosaw, Junmai Sake. Some of these Japanese names are hard to pronounce, much less spell! The main course was Turf & Turf: AF Miyazaki Wagyu strip with Kurobuta pork short rib, carrot and daikon radish and spicy Kofuki potatoes, with a glass of Manzairaku, Junmai Daiginjo. Topping it all off was shibuya honey toast with green tea macaroons, yubari king melon and ginger ice cream with some yuzu-flavored Sake. The restaurant plans to do a different country quarterly, according to General Manager Phil Hajos. Be sure and sign up on their website to get their special offerings. The beautiful RAMPART CASINO had a grand opening of a new room called THE BUFFALO BAR. They feature all new slots with most of them having the favorite brand Buffalo on the front, including Buffalo Keno, Buffalo Gold Revolution, Buffalo Stampede, Buffalo Diamond and Buffalo Grand. There is 1,095 square feet of gaming along with nine bar seats and the bar featuring a "Hairy Buffalo" cocktail. You can order from a bar menu, with plenty to pick
30 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2020
from including wings and regular bar food. The Rampart features plenty of dining, with Hawthorne Grill, Jade Asian, Spiedini, Earl Grey Cafe, Waterside Cafe and Market Place Buffet. What’s the first thing we want when we wake up? The perfect cup of coffee. MAGNUM COFFEE ROASTERY at 1335 E. Sunset can certainly do that. With over 70 years of experience in coffee, this giant warehouse roasts thousands of pounds of beans daily. When Magnum buys a particular coffee bean, whether it be from Costa Rica, Guatemala or Indonesia, etc., they have the capability to purchase beans by the container for their customers! Now that’s a lot of beans. Every batch of beans is cupped by professionals at the coffee origin and then retested for flavor and consistency again when it arrives to their facility in the US. The Las Vegas location started three years ago, to supply people in the western part of the country. Run by Victoria Kihnke, Christian Kihnke and Amy Johnson, these three knowledgeable people gave us a tour. Plenty of great coffees and cold drinks to pick from along with marvelous muffins & pastries. Sit down and linger in one of the comfortable chairs. The walls are lined with bags of various flavors and grinds. They private label for numerous companies ship all over the world so if you are looking, this is the place to call. Favorite flavors are Vanilla, Hazelnut and Salted Caramel. Magnum can package bags of every size, from a pillow pack to a 5 lb bag. 702-848-3080 www.magnumcoffee.com www.lvfnbpro.com
Product Review By Bob Barnes
Sierra Nevada Strainge Beast Everyone knows Sierra Nevada as a pioneer of US craft brewing, which has produced nearly every beer style in the past 40 years, but this drink marks its first foray into hard kombucha. Created by the Chico Fermentation Project, a newly formed innovation offshoot of Sierra Nevada, the first flavor released is its Ginger, Lemon & Hibiscus, an unpasteurized tart, 7.0% ABV, bubbling blend of USDA Certified organic black and green tea with organic lemon, ginger and hibiscus and live cultures. Two additional flavors will follow later—Blueberry, Acai & Sweet Basil—and Passion Fruit, Hops & Blood Orange. Sierra Nevada Founder and President Ken Grossman said, “I’ve been drinking kombucha for some time, and the team has done a fantastic job of coming up with really nice flavor and balance. Like beer, kombucha allows you to become an alchemist, morphing natural, raw ingredients into something amazing to drink.” Look for Strainge Beast in select markets and eventual release nationwide later this year. www.straingebeast.com
Zodiak Black Cherry This limited release from Zodiak Spirits is a 35% ABV gluten-free, potato-based vodka infused with natural black cherry extract and finished in American oak barrels. While most vodkas aren’t made in one place, this one is: from start to finish in a quiet town along the majestic banks of the Snake River in eastern Idaho using 100% local ingredients including water from the Snake River Aquifer. The resting process allows the spirit to acquire the taste similar to smooth and mellow whiskey with soft cherry and spice overtones. It’s also made with all-natural ingredients with no high fructose corn sugar added. It’s suggested to be enjoyed mixed with your favorite cocktail or straight, which is my preferred way to drink this fine sipper, to appreciate all the soft flavors of the cherry and slight alcohol burn in the finish. www.zodiacspirits.com
Vibrant P’Ocean Two iconic breweries, one American and one Belgian, have come together to create a beer masterpiece that matches the almost 25-year-old Delaware-based Dogfish Head Craft Brewery with the nearly 200-year-old Roeselare, Belgium-based Brouwerij RODENBACH. The 4.7% ABV blended sour ale combines two unique base beers—one developed by RODENBACH, a two-year, foeder-aged sour from its legendary, standing oak casks—and the other by Dogfish Head, a kettle sour brewed with pilsner malt, malted wheat, elderberry, elderflower, sliced lemons and Belgian fleur-de-sel. The resulting blend presents flavors of jammy berries and floral lemon with just the right amount of tartness that will not be enough to put off those that don’t prefer an in-your-face mouth-puckering taste experience. www.dogfish.com
Long Drink This citrus soda with gin has roots that trace back to Finland, where the country’s national drink is a top-selling category of alcohol. The drink originated in 1952 when the government needed to come up with a new beverage that was able to be served quickly to the many visitors during the Summer Olympic games hosted in Helsinki. It’s now available in the US and comes in four flavors: Traditional (5.5% ABV, natural grapefruit and juniper flavors), Cranberry (5.5% ABV), Zero (5% ABV, 0 sugar, 0 carbs and 99 calories) and Strong (8.5% ABV). I found the flavors of all four to be delightful to the point of becoming my new favorite drink and is a unique drink unlike other flavored hard beverages. Long Drink is available in NY, CT, NJ, MA, GA, PA, NV, TX, OH and will be in more markets soon. www.thelongdrink.com
Laws Whiskey House The Denver, CO-based Laws Whiskey House proudly proclaims to make its whiskey using no shortcuts, as each batch is milled, cooked, fermented, distilled, aged and bottled onsite, and is making use of its own “terroir,” as it is utilizing grain from nearby farms. I had the pleasure to sample the limited release 100 proof San Luis Valley Straight Rye Whiskey, which happens to be the first to be bottled-in-bond in Colorado history (which requires the whiskey be a product of grain grown in a single season, made by a single distiller and aged at least four years in a federal government-bonded warehouse). It has a mash bill of 95% heirloom rye and 5% heirloom barley and is aged in new 53 gallon charred oak barrels for sixplus years. The aroma is sweet grass with honey and tasting notes include flavors of wild mint, fennel, sea salt, tea and brown sugar with a finish of tobacco and a rich, buttery mouthfeel. lawswhiskeyhouse.com
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April 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 31
Details on the Federal Coronavirus Relief Package By: National Restaurant Association
On Wednesday, March 25th, congressional leaders released the final text of their $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package. The agreement includes a dramatic expansion of unemployment insurance, a rescue fund for state and local governments, immediate cash for hospitals and a huge pool of grants and loans for small businesses. To see the National Restaurant Association's full analysis please visit www.nvrestaurants. com. Passage in both chambers is all but assured—the only question is one of timing. The Senate is on a path to pass the bill this evening. Timing of a House bill remains murky. A vote Thursday night or Friday morning is likely. President Trump is likely to sign the bill very soon thereafter. Overall the bill is very strong, with many provisions that specifically reflect the National Restaurant Association’s asks from last week. Here are the highlights of the deal: SBA Loans The measure creates a $349 billion program for the SBA to offer unique loans to small businesses (500 or fewer employees). The loan amount is based on 250% of the borrower’s average monthly payroll cost for the preceding year (provisions for seasonal employers are included), up to $10 million. Collateral requirements are waived, and the “credit elsewhere” requirements (which have slowed down the process) have been waived as well. The loan is forgiven if used for payroll costs, mortgage interest or rent/utilities. exception was made to the small business requirement for • An restaurants, food service, caterers and hotels. The 500-employee
number is based on the number of employees at each physical location. So these types of businesses with 600 employees over multiple properties would qualify for these loans. This ensures that a number of larger independent restaurants and franchise owners can participate.
small businesses that employ less than 500 employees • Only are eligible for Paycheck Protection Program and SBA Loan Forgiveness. However, restaurants, foodservice, caterers and hotels that employ not more than 500 employees per physical location of the business are also eligible to receive a single loan.
Tax Benefits The agreement offers restaurant owners relief in the form of Net Operating Loss (NOL) carrybacks, delay of payment of employer payroll taxes and an Employee Retention Tax Credit. Qualified Improvement Property At long last, restaurants can immediately write off costs associated with improving facilities. The QIP fix is complete. Next Steps Congress is likely to draft subsequent recovery bills. We are working on what industry-specific provisions should be included. Thanks to You In an era of chronic dysfunction in Washington, Congress broke modern speed records in developing comprehensive legislation to address a national pandemic that has devastated many businesses—particularly ours. Amidst the disruption of shuttered congressional offices and a cacophony of industries asking for assistance, the restaurant industry spoke with a clear, unified voice. We achieved unprecedented levels of grassroots engagement at every level of government. Once this bill has been enacted, we are planning a Virtual Town Hall to answer your questions. Call-in information and how register to follow. For questions, contact info@nvrestaurants.com or (702) 878-2313. 32 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I April 2020
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SPIRITS CONFIDENTIAL with 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.
photo credit: Max A. Solano
Twenty Years of San Francisco World Spirits Competition
By Max A. Solano
Without question, this is one of my favorite times of the year! Why? Because, for me, March usually brings many bounties that I thoroughly enjoy … The start of spring, MLB baseball pre-season, St. Patrick’s Day, NCAA March Madness, and my favorite, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The latter is a threeday spirits event (March 13-15) that usually hosts some of the brightest spirits minds and experienced palates; basically, the who’s who from our magnificent spirits industry. So, it’s no surprise why it is the most coveted, highlyrespected and largest competition of its kind in the world. And, this year, marked SFWSC’s 20th anniversary. Please understand one thing. For me, it’s a tremendous honor to be a part of this elite judging panel and completed my 8th year as a judge, so, I take this very seriously. For many of us, it’s the only time of year that these judges get to spend time with one another and thoroughly enjoy the amazing camaraderie. And, coincidentally, this all takes place in one of my most absolute favorite cities in the world. There was no question that this was going to be the biggest and best competition year, yet. Then, just like that, COVID-19 arrived! In late January, as we began receiving accounts of COVID-19 cases in different parts of the US, many planned trade events, seminars and conventions slowly began to cancel, including WSWA and the Nth Whisky events, among many, many others. I suspected that it would just be a matter of time before conversations would take place about whether this competition would be postponed or worse yet, cancelled. And, sure enough, as California began cracking down on large group gatherings, I knew it was inevitable. First, we received word that the celebrity cocktail competition taking place the day before the start of the competition was cancelled. Then, the annual judges dinner the evening of the first competition was also nixed. So, where did the actual competition stand? Just two weeks prior to the start of the competition, an email went out asking this year’s judges to decide whether we press on or cut our losses. www.lvfnbpro.com
And, of course, I began to immediately lobby to move forward with the competition with it already being so close to the date. The next day, we received the announcement that it was indeed moving forward! Then, as we were just days away, I began receiving word that some of the judges were beginning to rescind their participation per their companies’ immediate implementation of a no travel policy due to the Coronavirus. This, of course, posed a last-minute scramble to secure the judges that had been on the waiting list! So, needless to say, there were quite a few first-year stand-in judges, but even with that, many of these guys and gals were rock stars in the industry. The morning of the first day of the competition we were all gathered when we were welcomed by our long-tenured Director of Judges and good friend, Tony Abou-Ganim. However, due to precautionary measures, the founder and CEO of SFWSC, Anthony Dias Blue, was not in attendance for the first time ever so, it just did not have the same feel. As the individual judging panels were posted, I had noticed that I was chairing panel “E” for the very first time. Two thoughts came to mind: How cool is this? And, secondly, I really must be getting old! Our panel seriously lucked out as we had a great volunteer team solely dedicated to us led by Sr. Volunteer, Doug Salin. As we sat down at our table Friday morning, we were given Panel E’s flight syllabus for the first two days laying out the categories and size of the flights. Looking down, we were starting off with vodka, which was unfortunately, underwhelming, followed by gin, “flavored” gin (don’t ask what constitutes this since gin is already flavored) and mezcal. There were a couple of standouts from the gin categories, as well as the mezcals but the rest were a mixed bag, mostly of average or lesser quality. However, the next nine flights were mostly American whiskey, consisting of bourbon of different age groups, some craft distiller whiskeys and single malts. We simply lucked out! Aside from the first flight of straight bourbon, which
did not put out anything exceptional, the next few, well … EUREKA! It was one stellar flight after another. One of my closest friends and American Whiskey savant, Fred Minnick, whom was not able to attend this year, would have even been very impressed. And, I will tell you that the craft distillers’ flight was also quite impressive! Most were excellent quality distillates, although a few would definitely have benefited from additional barrel maturation time, but the future looks very bright for the state of craft spirits. As we completed our two days of tastings, we were now ready for Day 3: Sweeps! When I have written about this competition in the past, I had made it abundantly clear that this is everyone’s most exciting part of the weekend... hands down! Per usual, there were close to 100 double-gold medal recipients that made it to sweepstakes and not sure how many other double-gold medal winners that did not make it. But, as we went through each category and voted as a group, there was a consensus developing in my head. This was most likely the least memorable sweepstakes in terms of exceptional finalists I have been a part of. Do not get me wrong, there were some marvelous representations from some of the categories, such as American whiskeys, other single malt whiskies (Asian), some brandies and gins. On the other hand, there were several spirits that I pondered over how these were the best representations of their respective categories, and how they even received double-gold medals. As the old cliché goes, “It is, what it is!” Despite all the unseen obstacles and challenges that this organization faced this year, they still did an amazing job and had an unprecedented 3,000+ spirits entries! I know that six months ago, or even three months ago, this is not what they had envisioned for being such a milestone year. But, rest assured, barring any other world pandemic, they will absolutely more than make up for it in style. I look forward to being there and covering it, once again. Cheers!
April 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 33
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