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Issue 10 | Volume 20
Keeping Memory Alive Help Us Make November a Month to Remember
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SC URRE OU NT I NT SSUE LIQ S AT UO R
The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7442 Grizzly Giant Street Las Vegas, NV 89139 www.lvfnbpro.com
HOT OFF THE GRILL!
In loving memory of our Sr. Editor, father and friend.
If this looks good enough to eat, it’s because it is! Pictured here is Elaine Harris getting ready to dig in to the culinary gems at Hedary’s Mediterranean Restaurant. Shown here are Tabbuli—parsley mixed with burghul (crushed wheat), onion and fresh tomato dressed with fresh lemon juice and olive oil; Labni—smooth, dry yogurt sprinkled with olive oil; and Hummus made with garbanzo beans, lemon juice, garlic and sesame oil. For a full reporting on Hedary’s, see Elaine and Scott Harris’ Dining Destinations column on page 7.
Mike Fryer Founder, 1949-2020
Bob Barnes
Editorial Director bob@lvfnb.com
Juanita Fryer
Alice Swift
Publisher juanita.fryer@lvfnb.com
Assistant Editor alice@lvfnb.com
The Fallon, Nevada-based Frey Ranch Distillery, featured on our Feb. 2020 cover with feature article, continues to distinguish itself by earning accolades. In the recent 2020 Whiskies of the World Awards, both its Straight Bourbon and Straight Rye were awarded Gold medals, the top awards in the competition. In addition, the Frey Ranch Straight Rye Whiskey was honored with “Best in Class” in its category. Congrats to Frey Ranch!
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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 HR Insights Linda Bernstein
Journalist The Restaurant Expert David Scott Peters
Journalist Front & Back of the House Gael Hees
Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch
Journalist Dishing It Sk Delph
Journalist SoCal Craft David Mulvihil
Journalists Twinkle Toast Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover
Journalists Dining Destinations Elaine & Scott Harris
DISTRIBUTION You can pick up printed copies of our monthly publication at the following locations: Lee's Discount Liquor locations: 7752 N El Capitan Way 1450 W Horizon Ridge Pkwy 10935 S. Eastern 9355 W. Flamingo
4427 E. Sunset Rd 3480 E. Flamingo 1780 S. Rainbow 4421 N. Rancho 9110 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
2 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I October 2020
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October 2020
Contents and Comments from Editorial Director Bob Barnes
7 Cover
8 9
18 19
As the fall season has finally arrived, we can now turn the corner on the hot days of summer, as this is one summer (and spring) we are happy to move on from. As we look forward to the coming months, we are hopeful that the food and beverage industry recovers and those struggling to survive will find the help needed. Our cover feature, written by Gael Hees, is also about a topic of finding and giving help where needed. As next month is “The Month of Memories,” it’s a fitting time to spotlight the enormous gifts that the Keep Memory Alive organization provides to those suffering with Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases and the caring caretakers who also render the gift of their time and effort. This reporting gives us info on ways we can help support this very worthy organization and also informs of the admirable accomplishments of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health since its founding by Larry Ruvo in 2009. In my What’s Brewing column this month Las Vegas’ newest brewery—Nevada Brew Works—is spotlighted. Read on to find what amenities will be sure to make this familyowned and family-friendly business a success, and how the purchase of one of its beers will help those who have Cerebral Palsy and Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder. In the Nevada Restaurant Association column, written by the NvRA Director of Government Affairs Alexandria Dazlich, she tells us, “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the restaurant industry, many establishments have been forced to quickly adopt new business models or die.” Check out her article to learn about how adapting to include delivery can help restaurants survive amidst restrictions such as 50% capacity limitations and social distancing requirements. More help is on the way via the always wise advice from The Restaurant Expert David Scott Peters, who this time around guides us on “Three Tools to Lower Food Costs Overnight,” and how his Restaurant Checkbook Guardian purchase allotment system can help restaurant owners have a little freedom from their restaurants. Our Human Resources expert Linda Westcott-Bernstein can always be counted on to provide us with insights on how to create and maintain a healthy work environment and this month she once again comes through on that account. She explains how grounded, compassionate individuals on a human resources team are in a position to act as a gatekeeper to observe and assess telltale signs of crisis or other issues as they arise and surmise what are the best next steps to take. Cheers! Editorial Director Bob Barnes
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Page 2 Hot off the Grill! Page 4 What’s Cooking Page 6 Wine Talk with Alice Swift Corks: The What, Why, When and Who Page 7 Dining Destinations Hedary's Chef Joseph Davey Consistently Cooking Wholesome Cuisine Page 8 What’s Brewing Page 9 3rd Party Delivery Alternatives
22 www.lvfnbpro.com
Page 10 The Bottom Line Kiwi Restaurant Partners CEO Troy Hooper Defines the Formula for Modern Restaurant Success Page 11 UNLV Epicurean Society
COVER FEATURE
Page 12 Keeping Memory Alive – Help Us Make November a Month to Remember Page 14 Brett's Vegas View Page 15 USBG Las Vegas Jake Davenport Page 16 BOOK REVIEW Star-Studded NYC Chef Leah Cohen Launches First Cookbook
Page 17 Twinkle Toast Somm Spotlight: Kat Thomas Page 18 The Restaurant Expert 3 Tools to Lower Food Cost 2-3 Points Overnight Page 19 Human Resources Insights Human Resources as Your Gatekeeper Page 20 Product Review Page 21 Chef Talk Pizza 101 Page 22 SoCal Craft Openings in the midst of COVID
October 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 3
By Bob Barnes
Photo Credit: Honey Salt, Bill Milne and Anthony Mair
What’s Cooking
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com. He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
When people find out I’m a food writer usually the first question I’m asked is what my favorite restaurant is. While I can’t narrow it down to just one, Honey Salt always seems to find its way to the top of my lists in most categories. One area I hadn’t experienced until recently was their weekend brunch. We chose to begin with the Monkey Bread— brioche made delectable by a bourbon caramel sauce—which to my thinking is more of dessert. So, we committed the sin of eating dessert first, but who cares about rules! I always find it hard to turn down pizza, and the Breakfast Pizza with scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, broccolini, peppers, fromage blanc and fresh mozzarella did not disappoint, and was a large enough size to easily share with our party of four. Another winner was the Biloxi Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich with creamy slaw and house Durkee’s dressing and an added bonus being that it came with a Caesar salad that was so good (and a sizeable portion) it would have been worth ordering if that’s all you got. The Biloxi in the name is worth noting, as it’s this city in Mississippi where Honey Salt’s owners—husband and wife Kim Canteenwalla and Elizabeth Blau—first met and fell in love. As Honey Salt recently came out with an expanded vegan menu, I wasn’t at all surprised
to see many options, such as The Mighty Kale Salad, which I would call a vegan kitchen sink, loaded up with Tuscan kale, cherry tomatoes, hearts of palm, apples, grapes, Thai basil, crispy chickpeas and tom yum vinaigrette. There’s no doubt chef Kim Canteenwalla and restaurateur Elizabeth Blau continue to excel in every aspect of the restaurant game, including offering a brunch that has something for everyone. The brunch is served Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m.-3:15 p.m. And, now that the temps are coming down, we can make good use of the restaurant’s outdoor patio. To view the whole menu visit www.honeysalt.com.
Island Casino right behind the Rainbow Club Casino.” One of Scott’s first tasks was finalizing the menu and getting Triple B (a new burger concept which opened last month) up and running. Chef is sure to bring some of his New Orleans Lagasse flair to the new venture, as I’ve already spotted a creole burger and a fried shrimp po-boy on the menu. rainbowhenderson.com/
Chef Scott Pajak Appointed Executive Chef of Rainbow Club & Casino Our good friend Chef Scott Pajak has been appointed executive chef of Rainbow Club & Casino on Water Street in downtown Henderson. A graduate of UNLV’s hospitality and management program, Chef Scott spent 18 years with the Emeril Lagasse organization, including almost 10 as executive chef at Lagasse’s Stadium at The Palazzo before its recent closure; and won an episode of Season 13 of Food Network’s Chopped. Chef said, “I'm excited to be a vital part in helping to re-open the nostalgic Rainbow Club Casino on Water Street and am thankful for the opportunity to help the Brooks brothers (owners of Rainbow Club) with their second casino, the Emerald
4 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I October 2020
Photo Credit: Scott Pajak
Honey Salt Excels in Several Areas, Including Brunch
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Photo Credit: Forscher German Bakery & Café
Forscher German Bakery & Café Creating an Artform in the Oven When is baking bread more than just breadmaking? In the case of the Forscher German Bakery & Café it’s an artform and also a craft, deftly performed by Owner Chris Odekerken. Odekerken is a 3rd generation baker from the Netherlands and lays claim to having introduced the tortilla to Europe. He moved to the US in 2004 and opened a bakery in Orderville, Utah. Still open and situated between Bryce Canyon and Zion, it draws several tourists visiting the parks, quite a few of which hail from Europe and can appreciate his authentic breadmaking techniques (although in the era of COVID most of the visitors are currently from the US). In May, 2020 Odekerken opened a 2nd location at 10880 S. Eastern in Henderson, and after closing briefly reopened on Sept. 3. As soon
as you enter the shop you are rewarded with the wonderful aroma of baking goodness. The store offers an array of Danish pastries, bread, rolls, doughnuts, cakes, pizza and sandwiches. According to Odekerken what makes his creations stand out are the use of the finest dough, which is made by Baeckerei Brinker in Germany and flash frozen before being shipped. The dough goes through a lengthy process, and as Odekerken says, “These prepared bakery items are finished to perfection in Henderson. Our philosophy is slow baking exactly the way it was in the past. We take 18 hours of dough preparation before any of our breads and rolls hit the oven.” As for the sandwiches, as bread is one of the main ingredients, it makes sense to begin with an excellent base. Choices have a European flair, with the likes of Black Forest ham & aged cheddar, turkey with gouda and a delightful cranberry/horseradish sauce, German bratwurst with sauerkraut and liverwurst and apple spread.
The spread is unlike any I’ve ever tried, as it is both sweet and sour, and the recipe was created by Odekerken’s grandfather! Several of the customers are from Europe, who appreciate finding items they won’t find elsewhere in town, such as liverwurst. Also uniquely Old World, are pastries such as butter crumble, apple cake and German cheesecake, which are of special interest to Europeans, but as they taste great will be enjoyed by anyone. Odekerken takes pride in what he is offering and claims that quality, freshness and flavor are his prime components and the saying at the top of the menu board says it all: “The quality of food is not about the complexity of the food item, but the quality of its ingredients, just about all authentic from Europe.” Do yourself a favor and take a trip to Europe via S. Eastern in Henderson, Nevada. Forscher German Bakery & Café is open Tue.Sat. 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. You can view the menu at www.forschergermanbakery.com.
By Shelley Stepanek
Best of the Best
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.
Authentic Japanese beverages of Yakult, Calpico or Ramune are available and side dishes include gyoza, chicken karaage, Japanese spring rolls, fried wontons and a Hawaiian-style fried rice, created with 3 different meats, including spam, bacon and braised pork belly.
Photo Credit: Northstar
Located at 1311 W. Sunset Rd. #120 in Henderson. 702-848-2884. Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week.
There seems to be a huge growth in casual ramen noodle restaurants, and a new one has just opened in Henderson. RAMEN BELLY has now hung their sign with its own unique twist that lets all diners customize their order, whether it be a bowl or salad and up to 30 different toppings. Ramen Belly is replacing Pei Wei restaurant at the Retail Shops at Sunset, close to the intersection of Stephanie Street and Sunset Road. The familyowned Ramen Belly prepares all its own noodles and broths daily, so you get fresh to the minute. You can dine in or take it out. The ramen bowls, soba salads and rice bowls can add a multitude of toppings, with pork belly, chicken cashew, baby bok choy, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, tofu, egg and truffle salt, plus a choice of broths: miso, shio, tonkotsu, shoyu or vegetarian. www.lvfnbpro.com
A favorite for locals for over 30 years, NORTHSTAR BAR AND GRILL in Vegas is a great place to dine. One of the best locals place around with a sports bar, TVs and a dog-friendly patio. Great food no matter what you order. Calzones, linguine, salads, steak and eggs, burgers, breakfast, everything is done to a T!! The prices are incredible. So, let me say the service is absolutely the best!!! Nicole is an awesome host/bartender. The food!!! 1 word—BURGERS. Raul is the cook and can he serve up a really "best" burger. The food NEVER disappoints. The staff here is always happy, smiling and fun to be with. Drinks are perfect. Everyone I know would give them a 5-star review. Always an amazing place!! The waffles are so fluffy, their steaks are juicy, their chicken and veggie bowls are yummy and fries are the crispest. Steaks are only $9.99! Carved and cooked to perfection. James, the owner, has been a restaurant owner for years. He loves a friendly crowd and welcomes everyone. Located at 5150 Camino Del Norte in North Las Vegas. 702-675-9524. Open 24-7. October 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 5
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
Corks: The What, Why, When and Who
Natural Cork versus screw cap (alternative closures)… this debate has been around for a long time. Let’s look at the Who, What, When and Why about wine bottle closures and you can evaluate for yourself. What There are many varieties of wine bottle closures, and they each have their place in the beverage industry. Let’s look at a few of the major types of closures. Natural Cork: While natural corks have been used since the ancient Greeks, it wasn’t until the 17th century (after the advent of glass bottles) that it became a standard sealing method. The material comes from the Cork Oak (Quercus suber), primarily coming from Spain and Portugal. Granulated Cork: This type of cork uses granulated pieces of natural cork, forced together to form a composite cork shape (think particle board, recycled plastics, etc.). Obviously, these corks generally cost less, and are generally for wines that should be consumed sooner rather than later. Technical Cork: This type of cork is kind of a hybrid of granulated and natural cork. The top and bottom discs of the cork are made with natural cork, but the in-between filling is made with granulated cork (e.g., Champagne corks). Screw Cap or Screw Top: This is exactly what it sounds like. The most well-known brand of screw cap is called Stelvin, which is currently owned by Amcor. These metal caps have a plastic disc interior that seals tightly again the mouth of the bottle, reducing oxidation, and are a less expensive alternative to natural cork. Synthetic Cork: These corks are made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, rubber or other composite materials. Capsulated Cork: This type of cork is also known as T-cork (named after its shape), and is primarily used in beverage categories of fortified wine and
other spirits. It is again another type of hybrid closure. The bottle part of the cork is made using natural cork or synthetic materials, and the cap on top is made of a separate type of material (e.g., plastic, wood, glass, metal). Fun Fact! Other than these primary categories of closures, there are other unique products out there! Vino-Lok is a stopper made of glass (or plastic), and has an airtight seal that prevents oxygen or bacteria from entering the bottle. Zork is another unique type of closure that seals like a screwcap, but “pops” like a cork. Why Wine closures affect the way a wine tastes. Different materials result in varying levels of cost, sealing capability, protection against oxygen, etc. In recent years, winemakers and consumers now consider carbon footprint and environmental impacts. Natural cork does tend to be the best form of bottle sealing, as it provides the ideal amount of oxygen entry into the bottle to help wines age. Cork has the ability to maintain the tight seal and resist moisture. Unfortunately, the major factors that negatively affects the cork market is 2,4,6-trichloroanisole compound (TCA), more commonly known as cork taint. Later research reveal that TCA is also found in water, wood, soil, etc., so the wine could have been exposed to TCA before even entering the bottle, but the initial discovery had damaged the cork reputation. Today, the percentage of TCA presence in corks has reduced significantly (from ~10% to now less than ~4%) due to extensive research and testing. When During the 1980s, screw caps were still new, and tied to the idea of being “cheap.” Up until that time, the vast majority of bottles were being sealed with natural corks. After the 1990s issues when cork was connected to TCA, the cork reputation was damaged to the point where a wine
6 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I October 2020
affected by TCA was considered “corked.” Entire countries like Australia and New Zealand traded natural cork closures for screwcaps instead, and the majority of producers remain loyal to screw caps today. Who In general the latest trend towards preferring environmentally friendly, sustainable products have taken the world by storm. This trend applies to the cork market as well. In 2008, Amorim, the world’s largest cork producer, published a report showing that natural cork performed better than plastic and aluminum closures for environmental impacts. This year, Amorim revealed new research advancements that uses a specialized form of gas chromatography (GCMS) to detect TCA in corks. The technology allows Amorim to offer “guaranteed and insured corks.” This is unheard of, and surely is exciting news for natural cork wine bottlers everywhere. Some winemakers have begun to shift back to using natural cork, not only because of advancements of natural cork and environmental impact, but also to increase market share in places that continue to have the classic perception of quality wines that natural cork has. Fun Fact! Two countries that heavily prefer the natural cork (due to perceived quality) are China and the U.S. The next time you purchase a bottle of wine to drink, think about all the different factors and considerations that go into only one decision point during the winemaking process. For the wine industry professionals, it’s perhaps time to re-evaluate wine closures and the recent technology and research revelations that have come to light. Until next month, Cheers~! Alice www.lvfnbpro.com
Dining Destinations
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.
Photo Credit: Elaine and Scott Harris
Hedary's Chef Joseph Davey Consistently Cooking Wholesome Cuisine
By Elaine and Scott Harris
Julia Child once said, “People who love to eat are always the best people.” She also added, “No one is born a great cook. One learns by doing.” Upon meeting Executive Chef and owner of Hedary's Mediterranean Restaurant Joseph Davey in Las Vegas, we quickly concluded that Davey possesses the culinary prowess and affable personality of one who has taken his love and passion for food to an astute professional level through the process of doing. For his first work experience, the original owners hired Davey when he was just 15 years young. Throughout college Davey also worked in Italian food restaurants. “I loved that every day was such a different and new experience,” said Davey. He trained alongside Frank Hedary, the original owner who had established restaurants in Texas during the 1970s and then opened the first Las Vegas location in 2003. “I worked alongside Frank for several years and soon realized that it is such a clean, healthy cuisine that I wanted to stay and well, here I am today.” Everything is made in-house. The bread is prepared daily and baked in the pizza ovens per order. All the produce is picked up fresh three times a week from local producers. Specialty spices come from an outside vendor and Hedary's does market its own sauces and spices that can be purchased upon request. “I stay inspired as a chef because I simply love food. As I prepare food, I have found that just by changing the flavor profile slightly, I can create an entire new experience. I do like to have people try things that they may never www.lvfnbpro.com
have been interested in,” said Davey. As far as suggestions for those who have never experienced Mediterranean cuisine, Davey’s first point of inquiry is to discover what they insist on avoiding, since there are so many who struggle with allergies and food sensitives. The menu is largely vegetarian-focused with items such as classic Baba Ganoosh—delicately layered eggplant, combined with roasted garlic, tahini and zingy lemon juice all topped with the freshest olive oil. Davey recommends trying the fresh hummus. “We soak our garbanzo beans overnight and then add garlic, tahini and salt and pepper. We want to get the freshest hummus to the plate,” added Davey. “We also do a really great gyro sandwich here, which you don't see on a lot of menus, and our Labni, a smooth dry yogurt sprinkled with olive oil is a popular appetizer. One of my favorite dishes and that of our guests, is the Chicken Frarei: a half chicken baked to a golden-brown pan-roasted with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, potatoes and tomatoes. We also offer beer, cocktails and imported wines at good price points. My personal favorite is a Lebanese red blend wine, Reserve du Convent Chauteau Ksara. A lot of our wines are from Lebanon, which are actually made by French winemakers and are aged in French oak barrels for 5-10 years.” Davey and his parents, alongside girlfriend Allison Colarusso, have put their creative forces together during COVID by donating food to essential workers during the shutdown. “Although operating at 50% capacity as per state guidelines, we have seen a pickup in our
takeout orders, but have stayed away from delivery. We stayed open due to our loyal customer base although we have had to furlough a few workers,” said Davey. As far as the future, Davey is optimistic, but realizes that all of us must adhere to what mandates are implemented by the state. Creativity and flexibility are the two things that help propel Hedary's forward. “We do have some exciting things coming in the future but one thing that is a part of our restaurant promotion is the mini vial of Gold Bar premium blended whiskey finished in Napa Wine barrels. The Gold Bar brand won double gold medal in San Francisco,” said Colarusso, who formally worked in sales and marketing in the Las Vegas beverage industry before joining Davey in the business. “The product will also be represented by the Golden Knights hockey team for the next 5 years. It is the perfect gift size as it is literally in the shape of a gold bar with liquid whiskey gold inside. This is a real draw for Vegas Golden Knights fans and really anyone looking for unique Vegas memorabilia.” Learning by doing, doing despite great challenges and moving forward in a positive manner while maintaining strong customer service is what Chef Joseph Davey attributes to his on-going success even in the time of COVID. Davey and his supportive family are doing what they can to keep the doors open and the lights turned on while cooking up their delectable Mediterranean cuisine at Hedary's.
October 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7
By Bob Barnes
Photo Credit: Dave Canela
What’s Brewing
Nevada Brew Works Now Open We have another brewery in the Arts District: Nevada Brew Works (1327 S. Main). It’s easy to spot, just look for the grain silo on the NE corner of Imperial and Main. The opening has been a long time coming with delays due to COVID and usual government red tape. Last month I attended the soft opening and Brewmaster Ken Hallyburton showed me around their 10-barrel Alpha Brew Ops system equipped with a steam system to allow for step mashing. Ken has been homebrewing for 20 years and to get ready to turn pro took the Siebel Institute 2-week Concise Course in Chicago. The operation is also owned and operated by Ken’s daughter Lauren and son-in-law Jason Taylor. The family-friendly space is very fun and I especially like the graphics on one wall detailing the brewing process. There’s also TVs, an expansive whiskey and spirits list, a large outdoor patio and small brick pizza oven. The pizzas are quite good, and at only $12-$14 are large enough to feed two. Also on the menu are burgers, wings, tenders, cheese curds and large pretzel. Upon opening, they weren’t quite ready to brew yet, but wanted to get the doors open as soon as possible, so I will have to wait to try Ken’s beers, but he tells me his first beers will be a Bavarian Hefe, Ariana Rye Pale Ale (named for Jason and Lauren’s daughter, with a portion of every purchase going to the Ariana RyePA Foundation to help purchase medical supplies for children that have Cerebral Palsy and Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder) and either a Kolsch or a Stout. At press time, HUDL Head Brewer Joe Cuozzo informs me that he is days from brewing his first batches, so next month I’ll be sure to update readers on the brewery’s opening. HUDL is situated in the same complex as Nevada Brew Works and with the addition of these two new
breweries, the Arts District is hopping (pun intended), with the total of breweries and taprooms now at 6, along with a handful of craft beer bars now pouring or opening soon.
What’s on Tap Tenaya Creek Head Brewer/Director of Brewing Operations Anthony Gibson has a couple of special beers worth checking out. His Singing Frog was brewed in collaboration with Wynn Las Vegas for sale in both Tenaya Creek's taproom and the Wynn. In addition to being a Japanese-style lager (Anthony says this style is known for using rice in the mash to keep the color and body light), what’s also special it is that proceeds from the sale will be donated to Three Square food bank through the month of November. His other special offering is the 9% ABV Smoke Wagon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, which was aged in local H&C Distilling Smoke Wagon bourbon barrels for 8 months, with the aging process lending flavors of oak, vanilla and a touch of sweetness.
8 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I October 2020
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com. He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
Kyle Weniger, A.K.A. JuxtaNomad/Brewer without Borders, since launching his brand has been working with Able Baker, Scenic Brewing and Astronomy Ale Works, sprinkling the valley with sour barrels, which generally take a while, in hopes to have sours/wild ales at prime maturity by the time the market gets back to normal. Two at Able Baker are a golden sour base that should be ready for fruit in the next month, and one with a slightly darker base with some dark fruits added early on for heavier tannin production. Over at Scenic he has a slightly different golden sour base, 100% barrel fermented on his “house” blend of wild yeast and bacteria, and plans on blending some with a milkshake IPA and adding toasted coconut, graham cracker and macadamia nuts at finishing. Look for it around late October/ early November. Over at Astronomy he took a portion of wort from their Citra IPA and added it into cultivated barrels, making what he expects to be much more on the wild/funky side of the spectrum, rather than melt-your-teeth sour. We’ll have to wait a bit for this one, as it will likely be in process for another 4-8 months. 7Five Brewing, the company NHL Vegas Golden Knights star Ryan Reaves co-founded with longtime friend and business partner Adam Coates, last month released Shiver Giver IPA. I had the pleasure to sample this Red IPA and found it to be very citrus-forward with a touch of malty sweetness and not overly bitter. You can find it on draft at Able Baker and PKWY Tavern, and in cans at Lee’s Discount Liquor and Total Wine locations. 7Five is named for Reaves’ number and the beers are contract brewed by Able Baker. This IPA is the company’s third beer, joining Training Day Golden Ale and Dawn Breaker Lager; next up will be the Grim Reaver Imperial Stout. As always, great beer happens in Las Vegas!
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3rd Party Delivery Alternatives By Alexandria Dazlich Director of Government Affairs for the Nevada Restaurant Association
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the restaurant industry, many establishments have been forced to quickly adopt new business models or die. For restaurants in Nevada and many other states, in-person dining capacity has been limited to 50% on paper, though in practice, this is often closer to 30% due to social distancing requirements. In response to these limitations, restaurants have turned to third-party delivery apps to provide delivery and takeout options to make up for lost business. In a time where every single cent means the difference between staying open or closing for good, many restaurants are reevaluating their relationships with Silicon Valley and their ubiquitous 3rd party delivery apps. But what does it look like for operators to use third party delivery service apps like GrubHub, UberEats, Postmates and DoorDash? For many small and independent restaurants, their lack of negotiating power results in being charged up to 30% per order between delivery, marketing and numerous processing fees. While each delivery app provider varies in their classification of pricing percentages, their exorbitant costs cut equally into the business’ bottom line and take away what little revenue they currently make. Third-party delivery apps have a reputation for not disclosing a breakdown of the commissions they charge, claiming that the totals are based on several outside factors that are included in their negotiated contracts. In some cases, restaurants have been listed as partners with 3rd party apps without giving explicit permission to do so. Due to the lack of billing transparency, excessive processing charges and unauthorized listings that are associated with 3rd party apps, operators are looking for www.lvfnbpro.com
delivery alternatives that are more economical and straightforward. Some restaurants have developed their own in-house delivery options; however, the challenges that accompany small businesses providing their own delivery comes at a high price. In-house delivery is often too great a cost and many restaurants do not have the scale to manage it efficiently. This is why more operators are choosing to look to local delivery alternatives that charge more reasonable rates or deciding to join collective groups of restaurants to construct their own delivery cooperatives. There is a growing focus on localized delivery options among restaurant communities across the country to fill the increased demand for delivery service. These concepts are not revolutionary. In fact, they often mimic many aspects of the third party delivery app models, but run as collective ventures that are coowned and managed by area restaurants or are hyper-localized and tailored to the restaurant community. The local delivery business alternatives are highly customizable and their pricing is determined by the community that creates them. The variation that mirrors the needs of the particular restaurant market is what many operators say is part of the appeal of these delivery alternatives. In Los Angeles’ Koreatown, a business called Runningman provides a delivery alternative to local Korean restaurants, many of which are family-owned by first-generation immigrants. Modeled after the delivery services in Seoul, South Korea, Runningman charges the customer a fee based on the distance the food travels from the restaurant instead of a commission determined by the price of the
food or additional marketing fees. Although the service is highly localized and small in scale compared to the traditional apps, it has built a symbiotic relationship with local restaurants and has grown to meet the needs of Los Angeles’ Koreatown community. Iowa City restaurateurs, meanwhile, built a food delivery cooperative called CHOMP where each restaurant owner contributing to its establishment becomes a partial owner. This collective of local restaurants charges no more than a 15% commission, less than half the cost of traditional app-based delivery. According to their website, drivers are independent contractors who earn up to $25 per hour. This locally-based delivery approach allows restaurants to recirculate the money charged for delivery fees back into the community. This is an opportune time for restaurants to reevaluate their delivery models and decide if 3rd party companies continue to serve their business well. As the demand for delivery remains increasingly important, restaurants are beginning to create more options that suit the needs of their businesses. Independent and collective delivery models that foster cooperation and community among local restaurants and encourage a commitment have made the delivery alternatives a success. Whether through a communal co-op or by a highly localized delivery approach that values sustainability and community over pure profit, more restaurants are taking this opportunity to decide what delivery model works best for them. Sources: www.chomp.delivery www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/dining/losangeles-food-delivery-runningman.html
October 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 9
The Bottom Line
Photo Credit: Troy Hooper
Kiwi Restaurant Partners CEO Troy Hooper Defines the Formula for Modern Restaurant Success
Troy Hooper’s Kiwi Restaurant Partners have seemingly cracked the code for how to get a restaurant up, running and scaled for multiple locations. He and partner Mark Bailey have teamed up with huge names such as Jim Mizes, founding CEO of Blaze Pizza, and Massimo Noja De Marco, founder of Kitchen United, to execute a new type of launch process that integrates technology and experiential dining for innovative, quick service restaurant concepts. “We want to take 5-8 concepts and launch them on 2-3 platforms,” Hooper said. When asked to elaborate on what he means by launching on different platforms, Hooper was quick to note that restaurants now have multiple avenues where they can serve customers, in both virtual and physical locations. He made it clear that Kiwi Restaurant Partners’ focus is on QSR and franchising, and his team has outlined a plan to take their concepts from the idea stage to the franchise level as quickly as possible. Simply put, open the restaurant as a virtual kitchen, where all business is done through delivery platforms such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. If the business does well, give it its first brick-and-mortar location in a food hall, which requires lower overhead and receives
more natural foot traffic than a standalone property. Successful concepts that “graduate” from the food hall then leave the nest for a pilot location, ready for scale. This formula for explosive growth has caught the attention of quite a few players in the field. “We’ve been approached by several prominent regional brands who want to license out their growth to us so we can scale their model,” Hooper said. Kiwi Restaurant Partners has made some big moves, growing its internal staff and partnering with investors and restaurateurs on the East Coast. Among Hooper’s larger projects is Mangia Organica, an organic Italian concept that incorporates “clean eating” into traditional favorites such as pastas, salads and flatbreads. Mangia Organica launched in Bloomfield, New Jersey, with the goal of expanding to LA, where Hooper resides, and beyond. Food halls play a critical role in the business growth model. Hooper refers to them as “the center of the spoke,” where his team can test how physical aspects play into the customer experience as well as continue to leverage the property’s central kitchen to continue its delivery business. He’s looking at food halls
10 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I October 2020
By Ben Brown Benjamin Brown, MBA is a seasoned writer and consultant. Ben works with Fortune 500 companies and mom & pop shops alike in Marketing, Analytics, Consumer Insights, PR and Business Development. Contact Ben at Ben@lvfnb.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.
in Hollywood, New York, New Jersey and additional locations in prominent markets. “We’re working on 4,000-5000 square-foot spaces with 5-6 kiosks that focus on the customer experience,” Hooper said. “We’re designing it to have glass windows, cameras and screens so guests can see back-of-house production. It builds a trust factor to enhance connectivity between the customer and provider.” With customer experience playing a more important role than ever in dining, Hooper is working to create a multi-sensory approach to each restaurant he develops. “When you walk into Mangia Organica, there’s no line. There are kiosks where you can place your order. You’ll be educated on the concept via a roaming ‘dining concierge,’ who will help can experience the menu via your phone or tablet. We’re working with an augmented reality program on this feature,” Hooper said, only just getting started on visual appeal. “We have one Instagram wall with a Vespa mounted to the floor so you can take a photo there. We’re looking to do a virtual 3D mapping projection on another wall. There, we’ll render classic Italian art into a 3D model that creates another incredible interactive and photo opportunity. And, of course we’ll have an open kitchen, where you can see the food sautéed in front of you.” “When you walk in, there’s a vibe. It starts with the sound, then there’s the smells, then the sight of the food. It’s a multi-sensory experience,” Hooper said. Growing up as the son of a nightclub owner in Miami, Hooper had the joys of creating experiences for others instilled in him at a very young age. He started working in restaurants as a teenager and found himself running his first kitchen at 18. After obtaining his culinary certificate and business degree, Hooper worked with several hotels, resorts and country clubs to revamp their F&B programs and hospitality operations, in some cases turning around brands from 7-figure annual losses to 6-figure profits in as little as 18 months. He made the move back into restaurants for their scalability potential. “I wanted to give myself opportunity to build a bigger business,” Hooper said. “[Kiwi Restaurant Partners] has the vision of being the next Danny Meyer group [Union Square Hospitality] or Fox Restaurant Concepts.” As for advice for others on how to grow their own business, Hooper is all about telling an authentic story to as many people as possible. “Tell everybody what you want to do and that you have a phenomenal idea. LinkedIn message 1000 people, tell everybody,” he said. “People invest in people and the belief that you can pull this off.” www.lvfnbpro.com
By Nicholas Bilt
Photo Credit: Nicholas Bilt
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.
Since the semester started a bit has happened. UNLV hosted a virtual involvement fair on September 2. In order to increase our online presence and interaction, on day one, we posted the first episode of our new Instagram series. This series is known as Dorm Chef, and we wanted to reach out to our members who are living in the dorms and have limited equipment to make food. So, for the first Tuesday of this month, I will be posting a short 15 second (or less) video on Instagram making a dish that could be made by a college student with limited budget and equipment. I have challenged myself to try and only use a mug, fork/spoon and microwave, college cuisine at its finest. When developing Dorm Chef, the goal was not just to have digital content to keep up the presence of Epicurean on social media, but to inspire our www.lvfnbpro.com
members. We want to encourage creativity with our general members, inspiring others to try and see what they can do with limited equipment and keeping spending down, or make the dishes we post and modify it and post what they make on Instagram. We want to expand their knowledge and experience with food. Dorm Chef’s first episode was mac n’ cheese in a mug. We wanted something that was easy to make, modify and get creative with. We are still discussing and testing next month’s dish. All I can say now about it is that it will be “pretty sweet,” and also that it’s made in a mug. On Thursday, September 15, we had our first general Epicurean meeting over Zoom and it was great! There were some familiar faces from last year, some people I knew from last year who are joining for the first time, and tons of
new students. We were a little nervous for our turnout. All student organizations have been on edge about attendance so we were prepared for the worst (e.g., all seven of us on leadership talking to 3 students), but at a point on the Zoom web conference, we looked at the guest count and saw we had about 60 people on. The switch to digital meeting format was a grand success, as we had one of the biggest meeting turnouts in the history of the club. This meeting functioned as an intro to the leadership board and what we do in the club under normal circumstances, such as restaurant tours and outings, and our end of the year pop-up. Then we transitioned into what we are doing now, with virtual Zoom socials, guest speakers, Dorm Chef, EpiCuisine and virtual watch parties. Then we did a Kahoot, which is an online group quiz activity, to make sure everyone was paying attention. The prize was a $10 Amazon gift card, so the competition got pretty heated at some points. We also had a drawing for everyone who came to the meeting for another $10 Amazon gift card. The first virtual meeting of the fall semester 2020 was a great success. Next meeting, we are having our first EpiCuisine, hosted by Alejandro Sandoval. He will be doing a cooking demo for chicken carbonara with caprese salad. With EpiCuisine, we are planning on it to be a fun hangout for our members. Sit back, relax and watch the cooking demonstration, or follow along with it. We are releasing the ingredient list and a recipe before the meeting in case they want to follow along at home. We want to make this event educational, however we want to make sure it is still a social event and that our members are having fun with this event. We plan on making EpiCuisine a monthly event, each month with a different guest, most likely keeping it a studentled cooking tutorial, to show off different styles of cuisines and different culinary techniques. In addition, the series will introduce people to new flavors and potentially new foods all together. For our future meetings, we are figuring out some ice breakers we can do online so we can learn more about each other. Emphasis will be on pushing the more social aspects of our organization, providing a way for people to socialize since we do not have the restaurant outings. We are planning a food debate, calling it “Epicurean’s Culinary Clash,” or “Crash,” as we are still debating the name. This will be a fun and friendly activity for our members to talk about food. We will be discussing topics like does pineapple belong on pizza, is a hot dog a sandwich and is cereal a salad. I know that last one sounds, and is crazy, but I knew some people in high school who had pretty convincing arguments about that one. We are also working out scheduling with a guest speaker. Things are looking bright for the future of Epicurean for this unconventional semester.
October 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 11
Keeping Memory Alive Help Us Make November a Month to Remember By Gael Hees | Photos courtesy Keep Memory Alive When Larry Ruvo founded Keep Memory Alive (KMA) in 2009, he simply wanted to honor the memory of his father, Lou Ruvo, a victim of Alzheimer’s disease, by helping others who have the disease. It is possible that in his wildest dreams he never could have imagined that this organization would serve hundreds of thousands, build an award-winning building and support extensive research on Alzheimer’s and other memory-related diseases. He might also not have imagined how his own industry—that of hospitality—would play such a far-reaching role in supporting the organization’s goals throughout the years.
Hospitality’s Contribution to KMA
According to Anna Robins, senior director for KMA, “It was really born out of hospitality. We immediately started doing events and fundraising. We partnered from the beginning with different chefs like Wolfgang Puck, creating intimate dining experiences. Our winemaker partner has supported us through this whole mission!” The organization is known for its Power of Love® gala that promises an evening of spectacular
food and drink, and amazing entertainment! Such notables as Neil Diamond, Paula Abdul, Tony Bennett, Frank Marino, Andrea Bocelli and others have graced the gala stage. Many of them have dealt with Alzheimer’s on a personal basis in their own families. One of the organization’s fundraisers, Month of Memories, is coming up in November. It dovetails with two national occasions: National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and Family Caregivers Month. “Month of Memories is a great way for us to build community partners throughout Las Vegas,” said Robins. “It’s not just a way to raise money, it helps us spread the message of what’s happening in Las Vegas. This is about reaching a greater audience to share the services we have available and what’s going on in our building.” Restaurants and retailers can participate by donating a small percentage of the cost of specialty cocktails, smoothies, coffees or other items, or create their own unique promotion or activation. It’s a good way to give since KMA’s in-person fundraising events are on hiatus. But the question becomes, “What do the millions of dollars, raised by KMA over the years, actually pay for and support?
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Marwan Sabbagh, MD
Support for Patients and Caregivers
Initially, the fundraising supported research initiatives and that is still where much of the money is currently spent. But then the idea of actually grounding the organization with a building became a reality, and the concept of providing services for Alzheimer’s patients and their families began to take shape and grew into Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Today, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is a word-class facility dedicated to the expert diagnosis, research, treatment and education of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases, providing an astounding number of free support services for patients and their caregivers. www.lvfnbpro.com
of Memories “ isMonth a great way for us to build community partners throughout Las Vegas
“
“Our campus here at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is very unique,” said Robins. “We have a different approach. We don’t just treat a patient and a disease. We really wrap our arms around the entire family and support that family through their journey with these diseases.” At the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, you’ll find “Unleashing the Inner Van Gogh” art therapy classes and “Touching the Chord of Memory” music therapy classes. Social workers hold weekly support sessions for patients and caregivers spanning the many different memory-related diseases treated and studied at the center. And because memory-related diseases aren’t restricted to any one socio-economic level, there are even social workers who help with issues such as respite care, food stamps or transportation. Before the onset of COVID-19, many patients were at the center several days a week with their caregivers, not to see their physician, but to partake in a class or activity. Larry Ruvo tells the story of being on an elevator at the center with a very young man, perhaps in his 20s, and his father. The young man asked if he was Mr. Ruvo and went on to say in so many words, “I just want to thank you, because I have MS. My dad and I come to this building every week, not to just see my doctor, but we come for therapy and physical therapy. Thank you for creating this building so people like me have a place to go.” Many of the comments about the center include, “This place is our life.” “I don’t know how I would survive this without being able to come here.” “We’ve found friends here.” When Alzheimer’s or any other memory-related disease comes into a family, the lives of that family gets smaller, and things they once enjoyed are no longer an option. Linda Loane is the single caregiver for her husband Jim, who has Lewy Body Dementia. She describes it this way: “We have always enjoyed going to dinner at one of the casinos. But all of that noise and the lights and trying to hear people…as your loved one diminishes, so does your ability to have that sociability. The people at the center have become my husband’s friends. When waiting for the next song to be played in music therapy, everyone starts joking with each other. These people are his friends and he’s just happy to be together (with them).” Loane has also found friends of her own in the caregiver support sessions that she calls and texts back and forth with. These people know exactly what she is going through and have provided untold amounts of support and care. The amazing thing is that all of these support opportunities are free to the patients and their families thanks to funds raised by KMA.
~Anna Robins Senior Director Keep Memory Alive the others, “didn’t have the excitement, didn’t have the dream to do more.” Dr. Sabbagh still has that energy and drive. “I'm excited about a lot of things going on in our center,” he said. “I could talk about it for the whole day. I'm one of those people who can't wait to go to work every day because I know exciting, important and consequential things are happening here in Las Vegas at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.” Like the fact that the center got a $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study disparities of people with dementia in rural Nevada. This includes determining if people in rural areas are at more or less risk, and what factors may be contributing to their risk levels for dementia. The center has selected rural communities where it already has relationships and will essentially have pop-up clinics so they can assess people in their own areas. Long term, the researchers will look at virtual options for doing assessments and possibly even treatments and physician visits. The Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health was one of the first places to study aducanumab, a drug that has a good chance of being FDAapproved for the treatment of early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The center was also one of the very first sites testing to see whether blood tests can be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s.
This may become an accepted method thanks, in part, to the center. The Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is a world-renowned test center for other drugs and technologies, but it is also doing research on its own. It recently received another NIH grant to study a cancer drug to reduce the inflammation in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease that is undergoing a clinical trial right now. It is also testing a new technology, a PET scan with a twist, using a different kind of agent that can look at different markers. In 2020, on June 18, the Center launched a major Alzheimer’s prevention program specifically for women: The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic. It is the first of its kind in the country and was developed in conjunction with Maria Shriver’s organization, the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement. There were no doors to open, but success is in the number of women who have gone online and expressed interest and support. In the past 12 years, the center has had more than 200,000 patient visits, with people coming in from 43 states and seven countries. It is considered to be one of the top memory-related research clinics in the world. All of the 5.8 million Americans who have Alzheimer’s or other memory-related diseases and 10-plus million caregivers are benefitting from the work being done at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. “We want to be in the center of innovation,” said Dr. Sabbagh. “We want to lead the charge, not be simply an observer of it.” Restaurants or retailers interested in participating in Month of Memories can visit KeepMemoryAlive.org, call 702-263-9797 or scan the QR code below to sign up.
Take a look at your favorite retailors and brands contributing to Month of Memories in November and help us make November a Month to Remember!
Research
Research has always been part of the mission of KMA, but with the new building and the association with the Cleveland Clinic, the research grew in scope and vision. Dr. Marwan Sabbagh is the director of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, having come to the Las Vegas facility in May of 2018. According to an article in the Review-Journal (March 4, 2018), Larry Ruvo said he was chosen out of a field of 10 candidates because www.lvfnbpro.com
Jim Loane at home
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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
RESORT NEWS
Caesars Entertainment, Inc. entered a multiyear agreement with ESPN, which includes link integrations to sportsbooks from Caesars’ exclusive betting partner, William Hill. The partnership opened a new three-studio marquee location at The LINQ Hotel + Experience beginning with producing segments for SportsCenter, digital platforms and ESPN’s Daily Wager. Following The Mirage, Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas reopened Sept. 30, completing reopening of all the MGM Resorts International’s properties globally and becoming the Strip’s first fully smoke-free casino resort. New dual-branded Hilton property comprised of a 150-room Hampton Inn & Suites and a 100-room Home2 Suites opened under one roof across from the south end of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Every stay includes a free self-serve hot breakfast. Station Casinos North Las Vegas properties, Texas Station and Fiesta Rancho, have plans to remain closed for one year. Fiesta Henderson and the Palms remain in question. The Flamingo launched a new partnership with famed potter-designer Jonathan Adler elevating the resort’s style elements, including an exclusive bird lamp inspired by the resort’s namesake in renovated rooms and a handbeaded piece in newly opened Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse. Adler also created a line of retail items available for purchase at the Flamingo Promenade store. Downtown Grand secured the first two artists for its new interactive art program, which will be featured throughout the resort’s new Gallery Tower and property: multimedia artist Camila Magrane and muralist Josef Kristofoletti. Magrane’s “Virtual Mutations” series will utilize augmented reality to create an interactive experience exclusive to certain rooms. Kristofoletti will lend his talents to a large colorful exterior mural. After their names magically lit up The Mirage marquee for nearly 14 years (1990-2003), the street leading into the resort has been renamed Siegfried & Roy Drive to honor the Masters of Illusion.
Privately-owned Circus Circus has unveiled a new prize redemption system at its familyfriendly Carnival Midway. Guests playing games may use an all-new cashless Midway Playcard to rack up ticket points, which can be redeemed for premium prizes at the newly renovated prize redemption center. MGM Resorts International unveiled “Viva Las Office,” a home-away-from-the-home office experience at Bellagio and Aria. Three-tiered packages offer elevated amenities and benefits for a working traveler’s needs, and four-legged coworkers are welcome. Gaming-free Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, formerly Mandarin Oriental, launched a new wedding Elopement Package experience for couples and ideal for two to five guests. Boyd Gaming Corporation revives its legendary Stardust brand with the debut of the new Stardust Social Casino free mobile app.
DINING • BEVERAGE
Nevada Brew Works, recognizable with a grain silo, opened in the Arts District at 1327 S. Main Street. Open daily, entrepreneur Jason Taylor’s project started back in 2018 and construction began in January 2020 with no turning back after COVID-19. Back in June, The Buffet at Wynn was the first buffet on the Strip to reopen with almost 90 allyou-can-eat dishes served at the table instead of the buffet line. The experiment didn’t work; it closed last month. Big Sur Oyster Bar inside South Point is now open noon-midnight daily and debuting a new menu with updated pricing and an expanded seating area. Golden Steer Steakhouse, a dining destination since 1958, is introducing a series of culinary options including direct-to-home shipping of its signature USDA Prime meats, complete home meal kits and Virtual Private Dining cook-alongs conducted by a chef via webinar. Forced for the first time in 34 years to cancel this October, the Nightclub & Bar Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center is scheduled June 2830, 2021.
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ABOUT TOWN
Immersive art and entertainment complex AREA15 opened in September. This fall, Chris Wink, current director of content and Blue Man Group co-founder, will open “Wink World: Portals to the Infinite.” The 1,500-square-foot experience will have six infinity-mirror rooms with the last containing 30 stunning new Aliume kinetic artworks.
The historic Moulin Rouge sign, designed by Betty Willis who created the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, has been reilluminated at The Neon Museum Boneyard as it was displayed in 1955. The Moulin Rouge was the first major racially integrated casino. Fergusons Downtown added The Market Shop to its roster in the cozy plaza. The store will feature a rotating selection of goods from more than 30 local makers with products available online at Market in the Valley. Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters founded in 1965 was named Best Helicopter Tour in North America with the No. 1 ranking in the 2020 USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest. For the third year, the D won for “Best Las Vegas Casino.” Michael Boychuck, colorist to the stars, opened his fourth salon at The Stirling Club where the spa has been renovated. The Real Bodies at Bally’s reopened with the addition of new science-based COVID-19 content including 3-D printed virus models, short film and interesting facts. The Nevada-based Dam Short Film Festival is accepting late film submissions until Nov. 1 for the 17th annual event taking place in historic Boulder City Feb. 11-15, 2021. Local artist Lee Lanier, Dam Short Film Festival co-founder-president, opened his first art gallery, Lee Lanier Paints, at The Arts Factory, featuring more than three dozen paintings. A professional computer animator since 1994, he began painting professionally in 2015 and has done a series of public murals in Boulder City and Las Vegas. www.lvfnbpro.com
By Adam Rains Adam is lead bartender at The Golden Tiki and a member of the Health & Wellness Committee for the Las Vegas USBG. He has studied at SDSU, USBG, BarSmarts, International Sommeliers Guild, Certified Cicerone Program and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Academy.
Photo Credit: Jake Davenport
J AKE DAVE N PO R T
Jake Davenport is Las Vegas. Before making it here, this skateboarder/ punk rock/Kansas native, spent a decade in Florida honing his hospitality skills. Jake has been behind the stick in various roles for over 17 years and has worked in a plethora of venue types from casino resort, pool, lounge, casual all the way to fine dining. After landing in Las Vegas to continue his bartending journey, here is where he found a home. Luckily for us, he is now lending his beverage prowess to the delicious and iconic Pizzeria Monzú where you can find him nightly. Go see him soon and raise a glass! Salute! www.lvfnbpro.com
What do you love about the food and beverage industry and about bartending? Making people happy is at the core of it. It’s all about the hospitality. What is your role at Monzú and please describe Monzú for the reader? I handle all things beverage and a bunch of other stuff at Monzú. Pizzeria Monzú is a fantastic way to experience authentic traditional Sicilian food. We have a unique wine list that is exclusively Italian with small independent producers and loads of indigenous varietals. Extensive selection of Amari as well. We also have live entertainment. How has the crisis affected business and what are you doing creatively to stay viable economically? I was hired post-Quarantine so I can only speculate the details of the transition. However, from the looks of things, it has been an opportunity to explore alternative ways to enhance guest experience. The creativity has been in no short supply. We have had the fortune of Chef Nicole Brisson collaborating with chef Gio on our Chef’s tasting menus. These are a big hit, a four-course meal where you get to choose options for each course. Desserts designed by Nick Forte, who is an amazing pastry chef. Only $49 and add a wine pairing that is only $35! Along with a bartending, cocktail, beer and spirit experience, you have an excellent wine background; please tell me about what you are excited about on your list. We just added this white wine that is very interesting—Guiseppe Roagna Favorita—a fresh floral fun wine with a touch of effervescence. For red all things Etna Rosso. A fascinating region in eastern Sicily, that is on an active volcano. We have a few Etna options on our list; Tenute San Lorenzo “Campore” is one I am fond of. Come in and have it with our Porchetta! How do you keep yourself educated? For alcohol, books and friends. I read a book, take some notes, grab another book. Right now, I am reading The Mixellany Guide to Vermouth & Other Aperitifs. For my non-alcohol studies, I like YouTube and PBS Digital Studios has some amazing content for history, philosophy, cosmology and biology. They have more but for those subjects they do exceptionally well. Who are the people that you look up to in the industry? No one. But to be fair, I don’t look down on anyone in the industry either. I find the concept of a role model unappealing. That being said, there are so many people that have educated and inspired me. So, let’s give a shout out to some great authors in the beverage industry: Tony Abu Ganim, Karen McNeil, Amy Stuart, Garret Oliver, John Gauntner, David Wondrich, Kevin Zraly and Michael Jackson. How long have you been in USBG and what are some of its benefits? I joined in 2013. I love the events and the social range it offers. I have learned so much from the seminars and events. I’ve had the chance to taste things I never knew would have existed and have friends that will remain for a long time. What inspires you outside of food and beverage? Advancements in technology and stuff like that. So many amazing advancements lately. We just figured out how anesthesia works, after using it for 200 years. I get a big kick out of that. October 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 15
By Ben Brown
Star-Studded NYC Chef Leah Cohen Launches First Cookbook
Chef Leah Cohen made her way into the national spotlight as a Top Chef contestant years ago, and is making waves yet again in an entirely new fashion. Her first restaurant, Pig & Khao, has attracted a never-ending barrage of patrons clamoring for one of its 74 seats since its opening in 2012. Asian street food turned modern chic is [oddly] nothing new nowadays, but it’s the personal story behind each dish that makes Pig & Khao so alluring, and now, Lemongrass and Lime: Southeast Asian Cooking at Home, so captivating. “The food [at Pig & Khao] is inspired by my travels,” said Cohen. Born to a Filipino mother and a Jewish Romanian father, Cohen holds close family ties [and a second home] in the Philippines, which she joyfully describes as “her happy place.” “My husband and I go on an R&D trip every year for new tastes in Southeast Asia,” Cohen said. “The food in Lemongrass and Lime has been inspired by those trips.” Lemongrass and Lime brings flavors from The Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore and Indonesia to the everyday home cook through novel yet approachable recipes. Dishes can be prepared using ingredients commonly found at your friendly neighborhood grocery store. Cooks of all levels will find a myriad of dishes that suit their palate and skillset. “It can be intimidating cooking a cuisine you don’t know anything about. I try to break it down and make it approachable for novice cooks,” Cohen said. “There are recipes that are very simple, but also recipes for people
Benjamin Brown, MBA is Restaurant Editor of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional. A seasoned writer and consultant, Ben works with Fortune 500 companies and mom & pop shops alike in Marketing, Analytics, Consumer Insights, PR and Business Development. Contact Ben at Ben@socalfnbpro.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.
who have more experience. There [are] the familiar dishes like Pad Thai, but also dishes people might not have heard about if they haven’t traveled to that part of the world.” Cohen took her first trip to the Philippines at age 4 to visit family, and has effectively split her time between the US and Southeast Asia ever since. Every recipe in Lemongrass and Lime is a product of her own personal travels and selected from an overwhelmingly long list of contenders. “People may know 4-5 dishes from a country, but not much more unless they’ve taken a deep dive into that place themselves. This gives them more knowledge and more information about that part of the world. Even if you’re not as into cooking, but are into traveling, this is kind of like a travel book as well. It gives you an idea of what dishes to look for if you’re visiting that country,” Cohen said. Immersive imagery carries Lemongrass and Lime’s secondary role as a travel publication. Cohen and her husband, who led the styling for the food photography, went so far as to take a travel photographer on their most recent trip to Asia to capture the perfect moments at street food carts, hawker stands and other muses for the book’s recipes. As distant as some of these recipes’ origins may be, the secret ingredient of Lemongrass and Lime is its ability to incorporate ingredients commonly found in grocery stores across the US. “Trying to stay authentic to the recipes but being able to have swap-outs for easily accessible ingredients is challenging,” Cohen said. “That’s something I’ve had to do when I cook for GMA and The Today Show.” The food community may know Cohen from her time in the national spotlight, but her journey as a chef holds a depth no camera could capture. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, she spent a year in Sicily, working at the Michelin-starred La Madia in Licata, Italy. Her career took her back to New York, where she worked at the illustrious Eleven Madison park and then at Centro Vinoteca under Celebrity Chef Anne Burrell. But it was the continued trips to Southeast Asia that affirmed Cohen’s identity as a chef. She spent a year traveling across the region, opened Pig & Khao upon returning, and hasn’t looked back since. “I had no real connection to European cooking beyond my living there for a year. I always had a palate for southeast Asian food, I just didn’t have the knowledge,” she said. “The best way to cook Southeast Asian food was to immerse myself in those countries. So I packed a suitcase and went on a culinary journey. I knocked on restaurants’ doors, asked people if I could work for free. Staging is not as common in Asia as it is in Europe, but some great people took me in.” Needless to say, her hard work has paid off. Lemongrass and Lime: Southeast Asian Cooking at Home can be found on Amazon.
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www.lvfnbpro.com
Photo Credit: Pig & Khao
BOOK REVIEW
Twinkle Toast Somm Spotlight: Kat Thomas
By Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover 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
physically and emotionally devoted myself to for the last ten years, but the biggest challenge I ever had was finding balance and responsibility while working. It is a fun challenge now and always will be. What surprised you most about your role as a wine educator for Hakkasan Group? The biggest surprise was when they accepted the job position Constantin Alexander created for me. That was shocking as they hadn’t had a dedicated individual or position to train on a corporate level before. With some of our flagships carrying extensive and beautifully challenging wine lists, I felt it was a true benefit to the company. What is the best piece of advice you’d offer young people who are interested in becoming wine professionals? Make sure you enjoy humans. Sound too simple? It is not. When I say enjoy humans, I mean enjoy being a social persona, one that likes to engage and talk to others in public settings. Make sure you are open to learning about culture and history, traditional customs and design, food and beverages. Make each job purposeful and it will make sense and flow with more ease and benefits than you ever imagined.
Photo Credit: Erin Cooper Photography
When it comes to learning, absorbing and studying wine, stop comparing your knowledge to that of others and take care of your guests. Learn the menu you are working with. It doesn’t matter if you have ten wines total on your list. Stop always looking over your shoulder at someone else’s menu to get better. If you don’t know your own menu, food included, inside and out then you are not present in your own world so nothing else will really make sense when studying. Please trust me, foundation is everything! Study and find a pattern of how you enjoy learning solo and make habits out of those patterns. Next, find a group that challenges you in good ways by going outside your normal patterns. Embrace the struggles and ASK FOR HELP! Kat Thomas is an industry veteran who describes herself as “a tiny giant” and is as committed to her growth and achievement in the wine industry as she is to promoting the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of herself and of others. We were fortunate to catch up with Thomas recently and speak with her about her beginnings in hospitality and how yoga and meditation practice can influence or enhance one’s abilities as a wine professional. How long have you been working in the hospitality and wine industries? I started my professional approach to service and hospitality when I opened Bellagio as a banquet server, and I feel so fortunate to have those thirteen years on my resume. From there, I opened Aria and that is where I was strongly nudged to try out the world of sommelier. Who has been your greatest mentor or motivator within the wine industry and why? I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Rob Bigelow for thinking I could do this job 9 years ago and strongly encouraging me into a job as a sommelier. Daniele Tavernaro and Jeff Eichelburger were so caring and patient with me when I was given a chance on the floor as a sommelier at Sirio, Aria. From there a constant is Jeffrey Bencus, my group of wine sisters who inspire and challenge me in personal and professional development and my most current badass mentor is one of the founders of TEXSOM, Mr. James Tidwell. What has been your greatest challenge professionally to date? I thought it would have been my worry and fears of being able to continue in the profession I have fallen in love with and mentally, www.lvfnbpro.com
Don’t worry about rushing to get your certifications but work hard at getting them if you’re going that route. No matter when you get the certificate, the journey to get it will have been more worthy and instrumental in your practice and skills than the ticket itself. Certifications only mean you proved something to yourself. How do you feel yoga and meditation practice can influence or enhance your abilities as a wine professional? Meditation is more than beneficial, it is the reminder of how alive we are in each moment, in each single breath. With that simple acknowledgment we can shine our brightest. A quick breath in breath out moment when you’re about to take a test, start an interview or take that troubling guest to the next level of contentment is the difference between purpose and complacency. Yoga as the physical aspect creates more oxygen and blood flow pathways to keep the insides juicy while the outsides stay strong. It also promotes flexibility both in the mind and body which increase your ability to serve and succeed. If you had to choose one grape varietal that best represents your personality, which would it be and why? I thought for sure I would have settled on an intense and sassy grape, probably Italian, but I am still smiling and honored by the response given when I asked a mentor and friend of mine which grape best represented me, so I have to repeat it. This was their response: “Sercial, Noble for Madeira. Beloved by those who know. Dry and crisp. Sweet but not always obvious. Real with no pretense and demonstrating how it came to be what it is.” October 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 17
The RESTAURANT EXPERT 3 Tools to Lower Food Cost 2-3 Points Overnight
Are you looking for proven restaurant solutions to lower your food cost? I bet you are, since food costs are through the roof with COVID-19. Lower sales, higher costs. It's crazy. But I have a set of three restaurant solutions that can cut your food cost 2-3 percent overnight. Food cost has been a number one challenge for independent restaurants as long as I can remember. And I'm old! I have more than 30 years in this industry and there have been three key national crises that have resulted in higher food cost: • 9/11 • 2008 Recession • COVID-19 Right now, COVID-19 is driving sales down, food cost up and labor cost up. How can you control your food cost? With what I’m about to teach you, I'm going to guarantee you a two to three-point drop in your food cost. No heavy lifting is required. No recipe costing cards are required and no shelf-to-sheet inventory. While those are critical to your success, and they're in the top five of the restaurant systems I teach, you can use the three restaurant solutions I’m about to teach to have an immediate impact on your restaurant’s bottom line. (Your prime cost is a factor here, which is the combination of your total COGS and labor cost. Visit my website davidscottpeters.com/blog and search for prime cost to learn the complete prime cost formula). The first solution is a purchase allotment system, something I call the Restaurant Checkbook Guardian. I named it that because most of the owners I work with are scared to authorize their managers to place orders because they think they’re going to go wild with the money and there won’t be anything left in the bank. But with my Restaurant Checkbook Guardian, you
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.
will still have control of the checkbook and the money in the bank. This purchase allotment system also stops the common practice in independent restaurants of writing checks to solve all the missteps, under-orders, over-orders, etc. The Restaurant Checkbook Guardian allows you to give your managers a budget that tells them exactly how much money they can spend. It's five minutes of work a day using your sales forecast, your daily sales report, a budget where your food cost should be and tracking purchases on your invoice log and paid-out log. With all of this information, you can tell your managers how much money they can spend on the next order. With the purchase allotment system in place, you can give up ordering. You can have a little freedom from your restaurant. Enjoy a little dinner out with family. Maybe even go to a restaurant show (when we can travel and do that again). As you gain more confidence in management’s abilities, you will even give them a little leeway to order a bit over if they can justify it. Not only can you give up the ordering and get some freedom back, your management team will start to become more judicious with your product, wanting to scrape out every last ounce in a jar and rotate products as they come in so they’re using what’s already on the shelves first. While they’re doing this, they’re going to discover waste and theft. That's where the Key Item Tracker comes in to prevent theft. A key item report, or Key Item Tracker as I call it, is where you track your high-dollar items, maybe filets, or things you don't want stolen. It could be just French fries because you sell so many of them, and you have cooks prep them, put them in 5-ounce portion bags that you use order by order by order. You can keep track of
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them on the Key Item Tracker. All you have to do is take five to 15 items on a daily basis and track them every shift. How many do you start with, how many prepped or purchased and what your ending inventory should be. Go to the POS system and find out how many you sold. Subtract that number from the Key Item Tracker to find out how many should still be in the freezer. Take your clipboard, go back there, open up the walk-in and count. You should have the same number and if you don’t, you need to find them. Where should they be? They were either wasted or stolen. That leads us to the Waste Tracker, the third solution. With this system you are tracking everything in the kitchen that gets thrown away. It allows you to look for patterns and problems. If tomatoes are going in the garbage every Thursday because you’re over-ordering them on Monday, maybe you should reduce your par level. You can stop that dumb mistake, see it today and fix it today. The same thing can be happening with staff—front and back. Are you throwing out burnt burgers? Maybe a line cook needs to be taken off the line for retraining. Or maybe the new server keeps running back to the kitchen yelling, “Don’t make, don’t make,” after the order’s been made. She might need some training on the POS system. And back to the possibility of theft. If items are missing from the Key Item Tracker and not showing up on the Waste Tracker, you could have theft. Train everyone to use the systems and then verify. The theft will virtually disappear. Once a thief knows you’re paying attention, they stop. When you put your management team on a budget, hold them to that budget, prevent theft and track waste, not only can you fix mistakes when they’re discovered, you take control of your food cost. Use these three systems, and I guarantee you will see a 2–3-point drop in your food cost.
www.lvfnbpro.com
By Linda Westcott-Bernstein
Human Resources Insights
Linda Westcott-Bernstein has provided sound human resources advice and guidance to Fortune 500 companies and others for over 25 years. Linda has recently re-published her self-help book entitled It All Comes Down to WE! This book offers guidelines for building a solid and enduring personal work ethic. You can find her book on Amazon or Google Books. Phone: 702-326-4040 Email: Vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com
Human Resources as Your Gatekeeper It is a time for watching, listening and caring about your business environment and your team. We are all feeling challenged and possibly struggling with significant issues due to our current, new reality. It can feel overwhelming at times. That is why you need a grounded, compassionate individual on your human resources (HR) team to take the reins and watch your “gate.” To my mind, this gate is a metaphor for your environment, atmosphere or even the mindset of those on your team in your organization. I found the following definition of gatekeeper and liked it: A Gatekeeper is an attendant at a gate who is employed to control or monitor who or what goes through it as well as what goes on at your facility. HR staff have typically always operated as the eyes and ears of the organization because they meet with and hear directly from your team, at all levels. They are in a position to observe and assess, and ultimately can notice trends as they occur and recommend steps to take. They also may see the telltale signs of crisis or other issues as they arise and surmise what are the best next steps to take, as well as where problems might be brewing and if they are on track to become serious. A good HR professional is always monitoring
and assessing what is going on in your organization. It is easier for them because they have the 1,000-foot view and are frequently able to look at things more objectively from the outside than those closer to it. HR can monitor and maintain your “gate” in the following ways… • They are a trusted, confidential source for complaints. • Monitor types and frequency of complaints from a location. • See trends in dissatisfaction and frustration among team members. • Notice subtle trends such as complaints, absenteeism and disputes among staff. • Monitor frequency in turnover, especially under certain management styles/teams. • Hear and weigh in on both sides of an issue because they can take a neutral position. • Offer solutions which are unique and beneficial, but not always under consideration as options. As you’ve heard me talk about, if you’ve read my articles over the years, the best
organizations put a high value on this valuable internal resource and use their HR team to the fullest. Allow your HR staff to set the tone for your culture, leadership expectations and your internal communications during this time. As we all know, it is essential to maintain business rules and policies; however, a strong, engaged HR team can help you do this in a positive, beneficial and healthful manner for everyone involved. This is critically important during this time where patience is strained, employees are on edge, fears are heightened, and personal challenges (family/finances) are at an all time peak. It is essential to remember that these issues arise out of our current strained reality— but to also remember that we are all dealing with the same types of challenges and need to work together and support one another. It really comes down to needing to pay attention to the needs of your team, your employees, and exercise a little bit of compassion and understanding each and every day!
HR Question of the month:
Please send your HR questions and concerns, or share your thoughts on your human resources challenges via email to the following address. Send input to vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com. Your comments, questions or concerns will help determine the direction for my next month’s column and earn you a copy of my book. Include your mailing address when sending your responses.
www.lvfnbpro.com
October 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 19
Product Review
By Bob Barnes Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com. He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
Vegg More and more we are seeing vegan alternatives to just about everything that comes from an animal. Other than in a restaurant, this was the first product I had tried that substituted a plant-based product for eggs and I found them to be every bit as flavorful and satisfying as the animal versions. This company offers a range of products designed to replace anything that uses eggs while not replacing the flavor. The Vegg offers four products that are all 100% plant-based egg substitutes: Vegg Yolk Mix—the company’s signature product. Add water and it replicates the taste and texture of an egg yolk. Vegg Power Scramble—packed with protein, is meant to replace a regular egg and is a stand-alone product. (Worth noting is that an egg contains 6 grams of protein while the Vegg Power Scramble one egg
equivalency provides 10 grams.) Vegg Uncaged Baking Mix—is used as a binding agent in baking. Vegg French Toast Mix—makes the fluffiest French Toast with fat-free and cholesterolfree plant-based egg substitute that is high in Vitamin A and B12. There’s also a Vegg cookbook filled with 80 pages of 100% vegan recipes using the Vegg products. The cookbook is easy to use with detailed directions and color pictures of each recipe. Although the Vegg was originally created for the vegan market, it appeals to a broad range of customers, including those with egg allergies. Other advantages are that Vegg is certified kosher, low in fat and since they are all plant-based, are cholesterol free. https://thevegg.com
By Drew and Lisa Matney Drew and Lisa Matney represent the East and West Coast, as Drew is a New York transplant and Lisa was born and raised in SoCal. Together the husband and wife team explore and discover what’s new and trending in the culinary scene of Southern California’s San Diego and Orange County communities.
Ranch Rider Spirits Co.
Ranch Rider Spirits’ ready-to-drink cocktails are made with sparkling water, freshly squeezed fruit and no added sugar. The lack of added sugar is a real bonus for those who are health-conscious and like to enjoy a cocktail without the guilt. The recyclable nature of aluminum cans doesn’t hurt either. With two tequila options and a vodka option, Ranch Rider Spirits has an offering for everyone in your social circle. The first flavor we tried was “Ranch Water.” This delicious libation is made with reposado tequila, sparkling water and real lime juice. This was a refreshing summer classic and didn’t disappoint. At under 120 calories and with premium tequila as its base, Ranch Water was a perfect introduction to Ranch Rider Spirits’ ready-to-drink cocktails. Of note, Ranch Water was equally good right out of the can or served over ice.
a wonderful mix of fresh squeezed grapefruit, lime, orange, and of course, reposado tequila. The fresh fruit juice mixed with the agave flavors of Jalisco, Mexico provided a third delicious cocktail to enjoy. Tequila Paloma comes in at only 123 calories and with only 1.4 grams of sugar, it continues Ranch Riders’ streak of health-conscious options. We are thoroughly excited that Ranch Rider decided to bring a taste of Texas to Southern California. These healthy and delicious cocktails are sure to be enjoyed in backyards, by the pool and at the beach for as long as the 1700 cases last. We’re betting this delicious product will sell out fast and can only hope Ranch Rider Spirits Co. ships San Diego and Orange County some more. Summer lasts all year here in SoCal. www.ranchriderspirits.com
We moved next to “The Chilton,” Ranch Rider Spirits’ vodka-based varietal. This cocktail, mixed with real lemon juice and sea salt, was an instant hit. The mouthwatering combination of classic cocktail ingredients provided the feeling of being at a high-end bar near the beach. Being able to enjoy this quality offering at home was a real treat. The final flavor we tasted was Tequila Paloma, which consisted of
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Photo Credit: Brian-Closs
With most of the bars in California closed, there could not be a better time for Ranch Rider Spirits Co. to make its way to the San Diego and Orange County markets. The Austin-based company is bringing its delicious offerings to SoCal in three flavors: Tequila Paloma, Ranch Water and The Chilton. Each brings a refreshingly unique taste of Texas to California.
www.lvfnbpro.com
By Chef Allen Asch
Chef Talk Pizza 101
Welcome to a three-part series on pizza. This month and next will lead to a follow up in April or May, after the Pizza Expo, which hopefully will be held in Las Vegas. I don’t know if I agree with this list but TripAdvisor created the top ranked pizza cities in the country. Number 10 Miami, FL Number 9 Phoenix, AZ Number 8 San Diego, CA Number 7 Las Vegas, NV Number 6 Washington, D.C. Number 5 San Francisco, CA Number 4 Orlando, FL Number 3 New Haven, CT Number 2 New York City, NY Number 1 Chicago, IL I think a lot of people would feel that the exclusion of Detroit-style pizza is a big mistake. The Las Vegas pizza scene has grown exponentially in the recent past. There always was a pizza shop in every neighborhood but the attention to detail that’s coming out now is much more making us a stop on the pizza tour. Everything started changing in Las Vegas thanks to Metro Pizza. Cousins Sam Facchini and John Arena came to Vegas from New York in 1980. One thing that brought out the pizza in our city was when the Pizza Expo, in its 37th year and currently held in Las Vegas, became the world’s largest pizza show with over 13,000 people attending. Of course, everyone knows that pizza originated in Italy, but the pizza in the United States is www.lvfnbpro.com
Feel free to contact Chef Allen with ideas for comments or future articles at allenasch1@gmail.com. Chef Allen Asch M. Ed., CCE is a retired culinary arts instructor who has earned degrees from Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales University and Northern Arizona University and taught at UNLV. He earned his Certified Culinary Educator Endorsement from the American Culinary Federation in 2003.
much different than the types of pizza you would find in Naples or Rome. Tomatoes came to Italy in the late 1500s and it didn’t take long for the pizza to be created. When Europe had huge amounts of emigrants and the United States had huge immigration, southern Italians were one of the major groups to come. This region is in the Mediterranean, which is conducive to the tomato plant being grown, while in the north tomatoes weren’t grown, but dairy was plentiful. Tomato pie, as it’s called in New Jersey, originated in the southern part of Italy, especially Sicily. The white pizzas that we know usually originated in the north. As time went on and travel between the north and the south became more efficient the cheese and tomato got together. When the immigrants came into the United States they mostly settled in the large eastern cities and that created a desire for the pizza there, but it was after World War II when American soldiers returned and brought a lot of different food they ate in Europe to hometowns all across America. Different dough recipes, different amounts of heat and different oven styles make each pizza unique. The most prominent pizza that we know has three main ingredients: flour-based dough, tomato-based sauce and cheese. When learning about the dough, I was amazed at how many varieties of flour there are and the different recipes and cooking styles that are affected by the flour. Since a typical Neapolitan pizza is around 60% dough and since the pizza dough is 60% flour, the variety of flour will certainly change the outcome. White flour has the germ removed and this extends shelf life, but it creates less flavor then whole wheat flour. The whole wheat flour has
different flavors due to all the nutrients and the oil that is in the germ. Another variable in the taste of the flour is how fresh it is. This effects the smell and the newer it is the more flavor it will have. Another variable is the milling technique. Modern methods of milling the grains heat the grain which changes the flavor as compared to stone-ground or home-milled flour. Another variable is the amount of gluten in the wheat. Gluten is a protein that holds the dough together. Bread flour has the most gluten, so if you think of the texture of bread compared to a cake flour, which has the least amount of gluten, all-purpose flour is in the middle. Each of these flours will work, but are ideally used with different amounts of water in the dough and different temperatures of cooking as well as methods of cooking. Woodfired pizza ovens can get up to 900+ degrees and a home oven with a pizza stone can only reach 500° while commercial pizza ovens reach in the middle of the two. Another huge variable in different pizza doughs is the fermentation method as well as the type of yeast that is used. Many people use an instant rise yeast which only needs a short time to develop, while others use a regular yeast which takes hours to ferment. Some recipes ask for heated fermentation and others prefer a sourdough starter. For a refrigerated fermentation, the longer the fermentation the deeper the flavor. Many unique pizzas are made with dough that is fermented in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The three main factors in the fermentation process is time, moisture and temperature. All of these affect the flavor of the dough and the ideal method of cooking. Stay tuned for Pizza 102.
October 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 21
By David Mulvihill
SoCal Craft
Photo Credit: Coastal Bear Creative (@coastalbearcreative)
Openings in the midst of COVID
David Mulvihill experiences and writes about the ever-evolving Southern California craft beer scene. He also covers Orange County for Beer Paper and provides business-side support to local breweries and brewers guilds (SoCalCraftBeer.com). david@socalcraftbeer.com
Bearded Tang Brewing Team (l-r): Brandon Smith, Jen Sullivan, Jon Chiusano, and Jerrod Larsen.
Despite the increased restrictions imposed by California’s State, County and Municipal leaders during this pandemic, new Southern California breweries have been opening. Relative to the recently revamped State of California imposed Blueprint for a Safer Economy, at writing time San Diego County had been in Tier 2 for about two weeks. Tier 2 allows breweries to open for onsite service outdoors, and indoors at 25% of normal capacity, with distancing requirements and food purchase required. Orange County had just entered Tier 2. While Los Angeles County remained in Tier 1, its COVID-related numbers were continuing an improving trend. On the State level, breweries in Tier 1 are allowed to open for onsite consumption outdoors, as long as the meal requirement is met, either via an onsite restaurant or 3rd-party provider. Unfortunately for L.A. County, its Board of Supervisors hasn’t, to-date, allowed breweries without in-house restaurants to open. All L.A. County stand-alone breweries remain open only for to-go purchases.
This month, our focus will be on the new five new brewery openings in Orange County. Next month’s edition will cover Los Angeles and San Diego Counties.
Orange County
Bearded Tang Soon to also be open for onsite consumption, Stanton’s Bearded Tang Brewing began its introduction to the brew-thirsty community via a couple of weekends of drive through sales, beginning on September 3. Enthusiasts came out in record numbers to get a taste of Bearded Tang’s first brews. They included (Cali)bration, a crisp and refreshingly hopped blonde (the first beer brewed on the new system); Tank’d West Coast IPA, a hazy IPA; and Peach Blvd fruited wheat. Saddletail, a hoppy red ale, was added for week two. The Bearded Tang team includes co-founder Brandon Smith, Director of Brewing Operations Jonathan Chiusano and Head Brewer Jerrod Larsen. OC beer fans likely know Jon and his award-winning beer from his
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years as an integral part of the TAPS brewing team. Larsen comes to Bearded Tang from his tenured post at Tustin Brewing Co. With 24 taps to fill, this winning team plans to provide a wide assortment of quality lagers and ales. Bearded Tang is located in the Rodeo 39 Public Market, on Beach Blvd., just north of the 22 Freeway. Once open onsite, Bearded Tang brews will be able to be enjoyed alongside an assortment of artisanal food vendors that also occupy the market. 12885 Beach Blvd #23, Stanton. The Dog Pawrk San Juan Capistrano’s man’s best friendthemed The Dog Pawrk Brewing Co opened its new tasting room’s outside patio for onsite consumption on July 3. The Dog Pawrk is teaming with an assortment of food trucks to meet its meal-component requirements. Initial plans, which were postponed, called for opening the main tasting room in September. For now, enjoy Dog Pawrk beer on the temporary patio or in cans and crowlers to go. 27122 Paseo Espada #904, San Juan Capistrano. Broken Timbers Within the space formerly occupied by Hoparazzi Brewing, Broken Timbers Brewing Company opened in early May. It is located within the same complex as Asylum Brewing and in close proximity to Bottle Logic. Be sure to check the brewery’s website or social media for current limited hours (Thur through Sun at press time). 2910 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim. Flashpoint Pat & Christy Anderson began brewing in early June and opened their Flashpoint Brewing Company on July 27. It is located in Huntington Beach, just around the corner from Four Sons Brewing. Flashpoint’s current tap list shows a variety of ales, lagers, IPAs and seltzers, with 20 taps to eventually fill. 7302 Autopark Drive, Huntington Beach Modern Times Anaheim After four years and numerous delays, Modern Times Leisuretown, in Anaheim, finally opened in late July. Billed as Modern Times Brewery, Restaurant and Aquatic Party Palace, the sizable (33,000 square foot) compound includes fullscale production brewery, onsite restaurant (with plant-based cuisine) and even a mini-mart for items to-go. Outside spaces include poolside bar (and yes, a pool), beer garden and elevated lounge areas. An additional focal point is the renovated Craftsman home. 549 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim www.lvfnbpro.com
Photo Credit: WestBrew
L.A. County
Part of WestBrew's new tasting room.
San Diego County
WestBrew Vista is home to the new WestBrew. WestBrew’s soft opening was scheduled for late September, so its new tasting room should be open by the time you are reading this. WestBrew is the brainchild of Joshua Schreer, an avid homebrewer for many years with familial brewing roots. Schreer’s Carlsbadbased EvergreenCali construction company is very active on the commercial front in San Diego County. Head Brewer duties are in the capable hands of Cody Gagnon. Gagnon is a graduate of UC San Diego’s Master Brewer program. His previous professional brewing stints include Pizza Port, Mother Earth, Black Market and Karl Strauss. Look for new beers to begin occupying the tasting room’s 28 taps. They will include pilsners, lagers and ales (blonde, pale, IPA, etc.), as well as hard seltzers. 1061 La Mirada Court in Vista. Craft Coast Craft Coast Beer and Tacos in Oceanside has also recently opened. This new brewery and taco stand’s main focus is on serving up the best in beer and hand-made tacos. Utilizing fresh and from-scratch ingredients on both fronts, the www.lvfnbpro.com
buzz of positive feedback continues to build. At press time Craft Coast had three house-made beers available: T.H.B. (Tasty Honey Blonde), Pierside Pale and Galactic Dolphin, a hazy double dry-hopped IPA. 275 Mission Ave, Oceanside.
Despite L.A. County’s added restrictions, at least two new breweries are making a “to-go” of it during the pandemic. We are hopeful that L.A. County numbers continue to improve so that taprooms can soon be opened. Paperback Housed in a restored Quonset hut in Glendale (on Magnolia, just south of San Fernando Road), Paperback Brewing Company opened for online orders on July 3rd. Brewery stats: 6,000 sq. ft. brewery space includes sizeable taproom, 15-barrel Premier Stainless brewhouse, six 30 and two 60-barrel fermenters. This reporter looks forward to meeting founders Chris Sesnek and Brandon Monroe, and tasting through their catalogue of brews. The beers have fun names and colorful vintage paperback-inspired labels, such as Fancy Pants (German-style kolsch), Hollywood Hellcats (West Coast IPA), Bunny with a Chainsaw (double hazy IPA) and One Night with Nora (blonde ale). Heading up their team as head brewer is the well-seasoned David “Zambo” Zamborski. Zambo began his professional brewing career with BJ’s before seasoning his craft at 21st Amendment, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers and Santa Barbara Brewing. 422 Magnolia Ave, 91204, Glendale, CA, US Cervecería Del Pueblo Cervecería Del Pueblo, a South Americaninspired brewery, situated not far from Old Town Pasadena, began beer sales for offsite consumption at the end of March. Three years in the making, founder Martin Quinones looks forward to the day when his brewery and taproom can open on-premises. 16-ounce cans available to go include: Gaviota, a coffee blonde ale conditioned on Jones Coffee Roasters coffee; Ámbar, an amber ale; Curuba, a South American-style fruited tart beer; and Colonia, a Kölsch-style ale. 141 W Bellevue Dr #100, Pasadena.
Paperback Brewing can and label samples.
October 2020 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 23