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Issue 9 Volume 16
US $3.95
Lee’s
Discount Liquor Celebrating
35 YEARS
in Las Vegas
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W HOT .LV OS FN & BP STO RO RIE .C S VIS OM IT
August 2016
CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER
13 Cover
9 13
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WELCOME TO OUR SEPTEMBER 2016 ISSUE where things are cooling down after another long, hot summer, which means Las Vegas opens its doors and starts moving outside for more food & beverage activities which we always enjoy, like the San Gennaro Feast, Aki Matsuri, New Vista Wine Walks and Epicurean Charitable Foundation’s M.E.N.U.S. 2016, just to mention a few. (Check out our Events Calendar.) This also happens to be the 35th Anniversary of Lee’s Discount Liquor here in Las Vegas, and is celebrated with Mr. Lee and Kenny Lee where we have dedicated the September cover feature to Lee’s contribution to the food & beverage industry and the growth of Las Vegas itself! This feature will give you the opportunity to learn more about Lee’s past, present and future outlook while continuing to support the industry here in the Las Vegas Valley. On page 9 in Chef’s Talk Chef Allen Asch brings up very common but little known facts on ethnic culinary and the religions that created them. Chef Asch takes us through the stages and beginnings of Halal laws created in conjunction with the Islamic religion, Jewish Kosher laws as well as Christian, Buddhism and Hinduism to show the differences and the likenesses of the ethnic culinary facts. Check out Chef Asch’s article and be better informed on these international cuisine influences. Page 13 reintroduces our very own Las Vegas Chapter of the USBG (United States Bartenders’ Guild) back to our publication after too long of an absence with our continuing commitment to totally support them. FYI…The USBG Las Vegas Chapter is the largest in the United States and is always looking for new and active mixologists to join, contribute, learn and grow! This month our Beverage Editor, Adam Rains, is highlighting mixologist Bryan Bridgman from The Cosmopolitan and his specially created “Winter Is Coming” cocktail. You’ll also find USBG information and a calendar of upcoming events. CHEERS! Mike Fryer
Page 4
Page 13 USBG Las Vegas
Hot off the Grill!
Page 14 UNLV Epicurean Society
Page 5 Wine Talk Mergers & Acquisitions: The Way of Beverage Distributors in 2016 Page 6 What’s Brewing Page 8 West Eats East Coffee in a Can Page 9 Chef Talk Religion and Food Customs Page 10
Page 16 COVER FEATURE Lee’s Discount Liquor Celebrates Its 35th Year in Las Vegas Page 20 Product Spotlight Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips More New Summer Releases Page 22 Summer Sushi Fresh New Recipes with a Wonderful View
Page 25 The Bottom Line Telling an Honest Story About Your Ingredients Page 26 What’s Cooking Page 28 Dave & Buster’s Opens Powerful Brand at Downtown Summerlin Page 29 Product Review Page 30 Events Ad Index
Page 23 Dining out with the Harrises
Food for Thought Cool Weather Is Coming...
26 www.lvfnbpro.com
Let’s Cook Page 12
Page 24 Human Resources Insights Building a Culture of Respect and Caring!
Brett’s Vegas View
September 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 3
The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7442 Grizzly Giant Street Las Vegas, NV 89139 www.lvfnbpro.com
HOT OFF THE GRILL!
August 2016 Mike Fryer
Sr. Editor/Publisher
FNBPro Editorial Director Bob Barnes recently attended the monthly wine tasting at Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas featuring the wines of Miner Family Winery, the Napa Valley winery that was named “Winery of the Year” by Wine & Spirits Magazine. Pictured here are Miner Family Winery Western Regional Sales Manager Ashleigh Hutchison and Eiffel Tower Beverage Director Jennifer Szychowski. The monthly wine tastings are paired with passed appetizers from the stellar kitchen and the stunning view from the restaurant’s expansive windows.
Thank you for joining us in this issue of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional. For any questions or comments please email mike@lvfnb.com
Juanita Fryer
Assistant To Sr. Editor ACF Chefs Liasion/Journalist juanita.fryer@lvfnb.com
Juanita Aiello
Bob Barnes
Editorial Director bob@lvfnb.com
Once again Atomic Liquors provided an educational and informational beer experience for our local beer geeks. Pictured here are Jeffers Richardson of Barrelworks and Firestone Walker Brewing Company and LVFNBPro Editorial Director Bob Barnes. For our coverage of Jeffers’ presentation on the art of brewing and aging in oak barrels, see Bob’s What’s Brewing column on page 6.
Elaine & Scott Harris Editors at Large harris@lvfnb.com
In the August issue the directions for Les Kincaid’s Summer Orange Avocado Salad recipe were from the previous month’s recipe. To view the complete recipe visit www.lvfnb.com/index.php/pages/article/food-for-thought-0816. In the What’s Cooking column in the August issue Chef Geno Bernardo’s name was misspelled. Our apologies to Chef Geno! The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional corrects mistakes. Bring errors to our attention by emailing bob@lvfnb.com.
Adam Rains
Creative Director juanita@lvfnb.com
Beverage Editor adam.rains@lvfnb.com
Advertising sales@lvfnb.com
Article Submissions/Suggestions articles@lvfnb.com
Calendar Submissions calendar@lvfnb.com
Website webmaster@lvfnb.com
Press Relase Submissions news@lvfnb.com
General Information info@lvfnb.com
@lvfnb
The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Journalist Aimee McAffee
Photographer Joe Tholt
Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan
Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett
Journalist Shelley Stepanek
Journalist Food for Thought Les Kincaid
Journalist UNLV Epicurean Society Matthew Cairo
Journalist Mitchell Wilburn
Photographer Justin McAffee
Journalist Good for Spooning LeAnne Notabartolo
Journalist East Eats West K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.
Photographer Audrey Dempsey
Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch
Journalist Al Mancini
Journalist Heidi Rains
Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein
Journalist Green Restaurant Association Michael Oshman
Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift
Journalist Latenight Megan Nicolson
Journalist The Bottom Line Ben Brown
Photographer Bill Bokelmann
Photographer Joe Urcioli
SoCal Journalist Margie Mancino
Journalist Lisa Matney
4 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I September 2016
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Wine Talk
with Alice Swift
By Alice Swift Alice Swift has been a resident of Las Vegas since July, 2011, and is currently an instructor as well as a Ph.D. student at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. She also works as Learning Design & Development Business Partner for MGM Resorts University. Check out her website at www. aliceswift.com for the dish on wine, technology, or even both! She is happy to take suggestions for article topics or inquiries.
Mergers & Acquisitions:
The Way of Beverage Distributors in 2016 Having been a resident of Las Vegas for the past five years, when I think of mergers and acquisitions, I think of the hotel industry. Major events such as MGM Resorts International purchasing the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Red Rock Resorts, Inc. acquiring Palms Casino, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority purchasing the Riviera Hotel are what come to mind in recent years. When it comes to the beverage industry, since entering the food and beverage field in Las Vegas in 2011, I quickly learned about a couple of the major players in the state: Southern Wine and Spirits and Wirtz Beverage Group (also known as Wirtz Beverage Nevada). Now, five years later, as of January 2016, both companies have re-emerged as Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Breakthru Beverage Group, respectively. It looks as though beverage company mergers are a growing trend in the past couple years, with Nevada being no exception. This month, I am taking the time to recap the details of both mergers, as the nation’s beverage industry is definitely affected in many ways. the largest beverage distributor, it surely is now, from coast to coast and beyond! With this alliance, Southern Glazer will now “distribute more than 150 million cases of wine and spirits annually, [and] cover nearly 90% of the legal drinking age (LDA) population in the U.S.” 1
Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (Formerly Southern Wine and Spirits) If you are even remotely in the beverage industry, you know Southern Wine and Spirits. Despite Wirtz Beverage having now merged to become the second largest distributor in the nation, Southern still rises above as the largest beverage wholesaler, and now has become even stronger with the merger with Glazer’s (based in Dallas). The major benefit of the Southern and Glazer merger was the increase in distribution footprint. Together, the now Miami-based Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits spans 41 of our 50 states, in addition to Canada, the District of Columbia and the Caribbean. If it wasn’t
Breakthru Beverage Group (Formerly Wirtz Beverage Group) This Chicago-based beverage distributor, owned by Rocky Wirtz, ranked sixth in distribution sales. A partnership was formed with New York-based distributor, Charmer Sunbelt Group, which ranked third. This merger resulted in a new company called Breakthru Beverage Group (based in New York) which will form the second largest beverage distributor in the United States. Initially, Breakthru Beverage will distribute to 16 markets, which significantly increases the market share of the former Wirtz Beverage Group. 2
So why the increase in mergers, and what does this mean for the beverage industry as a whole? The ultimate goal of many large distributors is to increase market share that spans across the nation. Due to strict legal limitations making it difficult to enter new states, a merger essentially makes it happen because both companies are already legally in several states. It is all about strategy, as there was very few states overlapped in distribution between Southern Wine & Spirits and Glazer’s. The increase in distribution size equals increased marketshare, and leads to increased efficiencies. For the wine producers, this means that their product can reach several markets without having to partner with different distributors in different states. In Nevada’s F&B industry, this means that wine outlets and restaurants will have a much larger portfolio to choose from. Partnerships and consolidation of beverage distributors means new opportunities and the evolution of the industry. It already exists in other hospitality industries, like hotels, restaurants, airlines, etc., so don’t expect this trend to die down anytime soon. I am excited to see what evolutions take place in the beverage in years to come! Until next month, Cheers~
www.southernglazers.com/articles/southern-wine--spirits-of-america-and-glazers-to-combine-creating-the-only-comprehensive-north-americanwine-and-spirits-distribution-footprint/ 2 www.breakthrubev.com/news/breakthru beverage group launches 1
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September 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 5
By Bob Barnes
what’s
He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
photos by David Canela
BREWING
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com.
Southern Nevada Beer Events On August 18th I attended a beer seminar hosted by Atomic Liquors. The class was a unique opportunity and extremely special and rare treat to explore the art of brewing and aging in oak barrels, presented by Jeffers Richardson of Barrelworks and Firestone Walker Brewing Company. Jeffers did a masterful job imparting a wealth of knowledge on pretty much every facet of oak and its influences on beer fermentation and maturation barrel aging, while relating the voluminous info in terms a layman could understand.
The presentation included three Firestone beers: a very creamy Double Barrel Ale on nitro, 19th Anniversary, 18th Anniversary and a special pour of Bretta Rosé, a very yummy raspberry sour from Barrelworks and the Proprietors Vintage series. The two anniversary beers are very limited release beers and were nearly a vertical tasting, as both are a blend of several of the brewery’s barrel-aged beers including Parabola, Stickee Monkey, Velvet Merkin and Bravo. Most of us preferred the 18th, which had noticeably more sweetness and complexity. Cheers to Atomic’s GM Rose Signor for continuing to offer such quality beer events on
6 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I September 2016
a regular basis. CraftHaus Brewery will celebrate its 2nd anniversary with its Hop Bomb Party on Sept. 17 from 5-11 p.m. The celebration will include several beer stations pouring more than 20 beers, including CraftHaus’s triple IPA “Hop Bomb,” a Brett IPA and a dry hopped saison; special guest taps; live bands; and food trucks galore. General admission tickets are $25 in advance and $32 at the door and include a logo pint glass and six 4-oz beers. VIP tickets are $55 and include six 4-oz beers, logo pint glass, VIP-only access to the brewery with four taps and one exclusive beer tap and food provided by JoJo’s Grill. www.lvfnbpro.com
On Oct. 1 at its Tenaya location Aces & Ales will celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Ballast Point by serving 20 rare kegs from the brewery’s R&D Little Italy Brewery along with other Ballast Point favorites. For more info visit acesandales.com. Time to mark your calendar for the Motley Brews 5th Annual Downtown Brew Festival, set for October 22. The fest will again be held at the Clark County Amphitheater in Downtown Las Vegas. Expect a wide range of beer styles with more than 200 beer choices from 60 breweries, including several from Nevada. Motley Brews fests typically sell out, and purchasing in advance gets you a reduced rate, as well as availability of VIP and early admission tickets, so consider purchasing your tickets at downtownbrewfestival.com, where you’ll also find the line-up of breweries that will be pouring.
What’s on Tap Jeffers Richardson of Barrelworks and Firestone Walker Brewing Company explaining brewing and aging beers in oak barrels at Atomic Liquors.
Designated driver tickets are $12. To purchase tickets visit http://crafthaus2ndanniversary. brownpapertickets.com. Although the name suggests an October date, traditional Oktoberfest celebrations begin in September, and Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas’s festivities run from Sept. 16 through Oct. 31. Celebrating their 13th year of Oktoberfest, the Vegas Hofbräuhaus is the only authentic replica of the brewhaus in Munich, Germany. A highlight is the unveiling of the Oktoberfestbier, the very same beer brewed by the Hofbräu brewery for the Munich Oktoberfest. Celebrity guest keg tappings take place every Friday and Saturday night and bands from Germany and Austria are imported, providing nightly entertainment.
Great to see that the family-owned and -run Lovelady Brewing is doing so well with only six months under its belt that it is adding four more 20-bbl tanks, which will allow for more special project beers; and a Wild Goose canning line, which will be needed now that their beers are being distributed throughout Southern Nevada, beginning with the OUTBOCK! and Pineapple Sour. A cool program is the Brothers Series, a
rotation in which the Lovelady brothers come up with an idea for a beer each month, which Brewmaster Richard Lovelady then crafts the recipe for. The latest was requested by Mike (best friend and investor who is an honorary brother), a 5.75% ABV, 18 IBU Hazelnut Pumpkin Brown Lager made with real pumpkin in the mash and hazelnut extract. Turns out Mike is a fan of Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown, and Richard convinced him to let him add a little pumpkin to fit in with the fall season.
Fittingly, since the brewery moved to the Downtown area last year, Tenaya Creek has created a beer to honor the importance of Downtown Las Vegas. Only available in the Downtown corridor, it’s called Native Wit and was a true Downtown project, as several hospitality staff working in the area came down and helped brew this 4.9% ABV, 18 IBU traditional-style Belgian Wit made with 2-row un-malted wheat, rolled oats, coriander, orange peel, locally-grown pluots, Tettnang and Czech Saaz hops and Belgian Wit yeast. All work together to provide a floral aroma, flavors of citrus, a touch of tartness and a complementary fruit character. Also, in September the brewery will have its Oktoberfest ready, a 6% ABV lager using traditional German ingredients; the rebranding of cans using new images for the Pilsner and Bonanza Brown; and adding 702 Pale Ale, Hop Ride IPA and Hauling Oats to its canning line. Lastly, in the planning stage at press time is a beer dinner in the brewery area on Sept. 19 with Justin Hall from SLO-Boy Foods.
As always, great beer happens in Vegas!
ON TAP AND IN BOTTLES THROUHOUT SOUTHERN NEVADA LAS VEGAS’ ORIGINAL BREWING COMPANY ww.bigdogsbrews.com Beer and cheese pairings offered at Atomic Liquors’ beer seminar.
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September 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7
By K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.
West Eats East Coffee in a Can “Beer in a can” Navy sailors laughed at. It was told by one of my dear in-laws in his experience when he was hauling living supplies by a standardized supply cargo ship to military locations in the Pacific. Don’t you remember a movie Mr. Roberts (directed by John Ford, with Henry Fonda, James Cagney, Jack Lemon) showing a typical cargo ship during wartime? Anyway, beer had been always in a glass bottle. Canned beer was delivered much easier without worrying about breakages or heavy weight loads to the locations where our soldiers and officers were. That laughing matter about 70+ years later has become just the routine today. “Coffee in a can,” another laugh, this time, by home office executives of the number one global soft drink business in Atlanta, GA. Coffee had been always brewed fresh and occasionally carried in pots. Coffee should be brewed fresh, that has been a must. Coffee in Japan, though, was a different matter and still is somewhat today. Green tea is a routine drink at breakfast and coffee has been an exotic, fancy, a little bit snobbish, western, imported matter. It was served only at western-style hotel restaurants or coffee shops. Coffee has been with extra charges for extra pleasure among ordinary citizens. Then coffee became popular in iron cans. Despite of the laugh at the home office, the local Japanese branch management pushed hard through and launched its own version in Japan during the late 70s. Their canned coffee became one of the major brands there. No laughing matter for the home office people any more. Whenever I visited to Japan, I asked for freshly brewed coffee at a train station kiosk or convenience store. Coffee never existed at these easy stop-by locations. I was always encountered with a reply that we served canned coffee. “Coffee in a can,” crazy isn’t it? All kinds of coffee, either with milk and/ or sugar, American, and cold or hot, are available in cans at a counter or through a vending machine. I suspect canned coffee was developed firstly for selling through vending machines. That was an innovation by the Japanese. Crazy or innovative?
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Mike Masuyama is a bi-cultural science-technologybusiness consultant. He earned a Ph.D. in Food Science at Cornell University, is involved in teaching, research and business in major-beer, micro-beer, soft drinks, sake, sea salt, rice, white soy sauce and other areas both in Japan and the US., and has published several books and dozens of articles. “Ask Doctor Sake” was his last series in this journal.
Canned coffee is still being sold at convenience stores, which are located almost every corner in urban areas, and vending machines all over the place there. As canned coffee and other soda drinks became routine in drinking in the place of plain water, two issues emerged: the over-intake of sugar and litter of empty cans. Particularly with empty coffee cans, truck drivers were blamed as culprits for littering them while driving; this was found at roadside litter surveys. Canned coffee is in an iron can but not in an aluminum can, and both are not subjected to picking up cans for deposit cash in Japan. The reason for an iron can is its heat resistant nature in selling hot. Then chain coffee stands or small shops came to compete with canned coffee at convenience stores or through vending machines. Soon American fast food chains, McDonald’s and now Burger King and even Taco Bell, started selling good, real coffee at an inexpensive price. The former is my coffee place in Japan for quicker service in a quiet, clean environment. After that, here comes the Starbucks. It expands rapidly into many areas, and serves good freshly brewed coffee and at the same time becomes a symbol of a real civilization. Without the Starbucks, people suffer from uncivilized living, almost, which is similarly said here. Meanwhile the Starbucks has not driven canned coffee out of market and canned coffee is still likely a major player of coffee in Japan. Some Japanese canned coffee manufacturers tried to come to this side of the Pacific for two reasons: exploring the canned coffee market here and contract manufacturing canned coffee for export to Japan. Both objectives un-seemingly took off. Probably as a reminiscent of the business trial, the Starbucks came up with a packed coffee in a bottle but not in a can, I suspect. It did not go with cans because of trying to give an impression of copying the Japanese ones. I have seen milk coffee in a 180ml milk bottle which was sold at train station kiosk stores all over. It was good, sweet and cold on early summer mornings while waiting for a jammed, commuting train, a long time ago. Now Japan has options of coffee, either in canned, local coffee stands-houses, fast food places or at the American coffee giant. In my last trip, I saw convenience stores had started selling brewed coffee. A cup of freshly brewed coffee with lightly roasted beans, is my choice, but not in a can. The latest discovery: espresso and other coffee products in aluminum cans by the Starbucks in my neighborhood supermarket. A new era of coffee in can? www.lvfnbpro.com
By Chef Allen Asch Feel free to contact Chef Allen with ideas for comments or future articles at allena@unlv.nevada.edu
Chef Talk Religion and Food Customs
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kosher
non kosher
One viewpoint of the original Torah guidelines was that it was a way to separate Israelites from their non-Hebrew neighbors. As the Kosher laws evolved it is very clear that the changes were based on keeping people safe from the foods they eat. Many religious dietary laws were formatted because there were no modern day luxuries such as refrigerators. This made products spoil quickly, thus making people sick. Like Halal laws the method of slaughter is very important within the Kosher guidelines. Another big obstacle in Kosher is the mixing of milk and meat products. This dates back to when the body had a hard time digesting both items in the same meal. Our bodies have adapted over time and now we can digest both, but people that practice Kosher do not mix the two. There are many food items that are considered Parve, which means they can be eaten with either food.
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Many religions practice dietary restrictions and prohibitions and many of those laws overlap into other religions. A great example of this is the Kosher Laws and the Halal Laws that are associated with Jewish people and Muslims (people that practice Islam as a religion). Many of these laws date back many centuries while others can be traced only to the 1830s. Buddhists’ diet generally is a vegetarian diet, finding that natural foods of the earth are the most pure. Within the religion there are some exceptions such as monks being allowed to eat meat if the animal was not killed specifically to feed them. If the meat was a by-product from another purpose, then the religion says it can be eaten. This principle is not necessarily followed by the masses within the religion. Most of the Christian religions do not have strict dietary laws; they mainly have fast days and meat restriction on certain days. Fasting days is almost universal throughout the many religions practiced. They are often connected to holidays and most regard the fast as an instrument which disciplines followers, making them humble and leading to spiritual growth. Hinduism is another religion that restricts meat consumption. In the religion the cow is considered sacred so the thought of killing them or eating them is a non-issue, although milk is allowed. Hinduism does not require a vegetarian diet, but many practitioners do practice it under the belief that all life forms are sacred and by not eating meat it minimizes hurting other life forms. Islamic dietary laws are some of the most detailed of all the worlds’ religions. Foods are broken down into two categories: Halal and Haram. Halal translates to lawful, and Haram translates to unlawful. The basis for these categories comes from the Quran, but interpretation over the years has made adjustments to the diet necessary. The basic tenets of the dietary restrictions are: eating is good for health, failure to eat correctly minimizes spiritual awareness, and fasting has a cleansing effect of evil elements. According to the Quran, only the following foods are explicitly forbidden: animals that die by themselves, blood and swine. The Quran does allow for a “law of necessity,” which makes any forbidden practice permissible, such as eating pork if one were starving. Another common practice in dietary laws is the method of slaughter. In Islam, slaughter must be done in a humane method, quickly with a sharpened blade. The animal must not suffer and it must not see the blade. Additionally it cannot see or smell the blood from a previous slaughter. Foods that meet all of the guidelines are given a “Halal” certification. Another restriction in the religion is toward alcohol or other fermented food items. Originally the Quran only stated that it is forbidden during prayer and that grew into “alcohol has good and evil, but mostly evil.” From there it adapted to alcohol is an “abomination of Satan’s handiwork.” The Islamic religion also includes fasting during eight specific holidays and the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month in their calendar, which is based on 12 months and 354 or 355 days. This means that the timing of the month compared to the Gregorian calendar changes every year. It can correspond to any month in our calendar. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Jewish dietary laws, or Kosher laws, are some of the most detailed laws connected to a religion. Although most of the laws can be traced back to the Torah, which was given to the Jewish people in 1275 BCE, from the years 200-500 most of the information was passed down orally from one generation to the next. Many additional adaptations came in 1563 when the Torah was codified. The first recording of Kosher laws in America dates back to 1654.
Chef Allen Asch M. Ed., CCE is a culinary arts instructor that has earned degrees from Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales University and Northern Arizona University. He is currently teaching at UNLV. He earned his Certified Culinary Educator Endorsement from the American Culinary Federation in 2003.
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September 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 9
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Cool Weather Is Coming... Let’s Cook
By Les Kincaid Les Kincaid is a food, wine, and golf expert and cookbook author. He hosts the nationally syndicated wine radio show Wines Du Jour each Thursday from 7 to 8 pm. You can enjoy his website or his broadcast at www.leskincaid.com les@leskincaid.com www.facebook.com/leskincaid www.twitter.com/leskincaid
We all know grocery shopping is already a pretty time consuming task, but not knowing what to buy when you get there can be overwhelming and pricey. However, purchasing seasonal foods is a healthy and cost effective way to approach food shopping. Grocery stores tend to stock up on items in bulk because they are plentiful, making them less expensive for you—especially when they go on sale. So I thought I would choose for this time of year...broccoli—making your weekly trip to the store easier on you (and your wallet). I chose broccoli, since it is one of those poor cruciferous vegetables, that has gotten a bad rap due to poor cooking methods (it’s no wonder kids don’t like overcooked steamed broccoli). I love raw broccoli florets on vegetable platters or in salads. It becomes totally irresistible once roasted with olive oil and sea salt. Like all brassicas, broccoli goes great with garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and other bold flavors. Select small, tightly packed florets with minimal brown spots. Also, did you know that cheddar cheese isn’t actually orange? It’s really white, and they add orange coloring to make it orange. We’ve been duped all along. I know. I opted for cheddar without coloring, so this broccoli cheddar casserole may not look like the kind you grew up eating. It’s also far healthier than typical Midwestern broccoli cheddar casseroles while still being gloriously cheesy and creamy. No cup of mayonnaise, no cream of mushroom soup, no annoying Béchamel sauce to make. Broccoli casserole made better with roasted broccoli, cheddar cheese, creamy quinoa and irresistible, garlicky whole grain bread crumbs. This is my favorite healthy casserole and it tastes amazing!
Broccoli Cheddar & Quinoa Gratin 2 cups vegetable broth 1 cup quinoa (any color), rinsed under running water in a mesh sieve for a minute and drained 16 ounces broccoli florets, either pre-packaged or sliced from 2 large bunches of broccoli 2 tablespoons olive oil ¾ teaspoon salt 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, omit if sensitive to spice 8 ounces (about 2½ cups) freshly grated cheddar cheese, divided 1 cup low-fat milk (cow’s milk tastes best but unsweetened plain almond milk works too) ½ tablespoon sweet butter or 1½ teaspoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 slice whole wheat bread (substitute gluten-free bread for a gluten-free casserole)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. To cook the quinoa: Bring the vegetable broth or water to boil in a heavy-bottomed, medium-sized pot. Add the quinoa, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 17 to 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Cover and set aside to steam for 10 minutes. To roast the broccoli: Slice any large broccoli florets in half to make bite-sized pieces. Transfer the broccoli to your prepared baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, until lightly coated on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and arrange in a single layer. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and starting to caramelize on the edges. To make the breadcrumbs: Tear your piece of bread into bite-sized pieces and toss them into a food processor or blender. Process until the bread has broken into small crumbs. In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, stirring often. Add the bread crumbs and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly browned and crisp. Set aside to cool. (If you cooked your bread crumbs in a cast iron skillet, transfer them to a bowl to prevent them from burning.) Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees F. Add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the pot of quinoa, and stir to combine. Set aside ¾ cup of the cheese for later, then add the cheese to the pot. Pour in the milk and stir until the cheese and milk are evenly incorporated in the quinoa. Pour the cheesy quinoa into a 9-inch square baking dish and top with the roasted broccoli. Stir until the broccoli is evenly mixed in with the quinoa. Sprinkle the surface of the casserole with the reserved ¾ cup cheese, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes, until the top is golden. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Yields 6 to 8 servings 10 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I September 2016
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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. She is also an instructor covering Special Events at CSN- College of Southern Nevada.
Email: jackiebrett@cox.net
Entertainment
Absinthe will fold its tent at Caesars Palace Oct. 21 and open a new production in the former Rose. Rabbit. Lie. ballroom space at The Cosmopolitan in late 2016.
Steve Wynn’s ShowStoppers extended its closing date to Dec. 31 at the Encore Theater. Raiding the Rock Vault ended its residency at The Tropicana July 31. One Epic Night! is a new show through Jan. 4 at the Plaza featuring finalists Megan Ruger, Will Champlin, Jarrett and Raja, and James Durbin from popular television talent competition programs. Tony Sacca’s Vegas The Story will open in the Windows Showroom at Bally’s on Friday, Sept. 23 presenting the city’s history with humor and song. Sin City Comedy & Burlesque featuring a changing lineup of comedians and showgirls moved to The Cabaret inside Planet Hollywood and Tease from the Strip, a competition showcase for rising comedians hosted by comedian John Hilder, shares the room at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. Deepak Chopra will appear at The Smith Center with The Future of Wellbeing on Friday, Oct. 28. His book out this month is Radical Beauty – How to Transform Yourself from the Inside Out. John Rich of country duo Big & Rich will open a second-floor music club with an openair patio at the Grand Bazaar Shops in front of Bally’s with food served from first-floor Wahlburgers. Lionel Richie has three additional dates Dec. 27, 29 and 30 at The AXIS in Planet Hollywood. British R&B performer Van Morrison will headline The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Jan. 13 and 14. Tickets include a CD of his album, “Keep Me Singing,” out Sept. 30. British pop singer Charli XCX will headline the after-party concert at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center following the 18th Annual PRIDE Night Parade Friday, Oct. 21.
Celebrating Nevada Ballet Theatre’s 45th Season Jeff White Custom Jewelry with prima ballerina Cynthia Gregory will debut a specially designed series of ballet-inspired pendants in October. Mike Tyson UNDISPUTED TRUTH – Live On Stage starring the fighter has been extended at Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club inside MGM Grand Sept. 8-Oct. 23. The Festival of Praise tour will bring big name gospel singers to the Orleans Arena Wednesday, Oct. 5. The Golden Nugget’s country lineup during National Finals Rodeo Dec. 1-10 includes Terri Clark, Tanya Tucker, Brenda Leem Charlie Daniels Band, Wynonna & The Big Noise and Trace Adkins.
Tim McGraw will appear at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, Dec. 10. The Weekend in Vegas is a new entertainmentnews program hosted by Flamingo headliner Jeff Civillico. The show takes place in front of a live audience at The LINQ Promenade fountain on Thursday nights.
Assorted Developments
Top Shot Las Vegas is first non-lethal shooting range in Las Vegas where participants can practice realistic scenarios with targets moving. Taco Bell will open a flagship store featuring the chain’s new Cantina-style restaurant with an open kitchen, sharable menu items and alcohol this fall on the Strip at Harmon Corner. The free public Aviation Nation air show and open house will return to Nellis Air Force Base Nov. 12 and 13 with the Thunderbirds and aerial acts performing and static displays. The new photo op Blue Man Wax Shack display at the Luxor with three wax figures created by Madame Tussauds allows visitors to go inside Blue Man Group’s creative world. Tennis greats return for the World TeamTennis Smash Hits at Caesars Palace on Monday,
12 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I September 2016
Oct. 10. John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport will headline the annual charity event co-hosted by Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King.
Fly Fit at McCarran International Airport is the first airport fitness program providing travelers with walking paths located throughout the terminals. After a sold-out sophomore year RiSE Lantern festival will expand to two days FridaySaturday, Oct. 7 and 8. Monte Carlo resort will close its pool, The Pub eatery and other outlets on Oct. 3. This move will start the property’s $450 million transformation into two separate hotels — Park MGM and the NoMad Las Vegas, and Park Theater with completion by 2018. The Roos-N-More zoo in Moapa, 55 miles from Las Vegas, is open again with intentions to receive the public on Saturdays. Spokane Hoopfest will bring Las Vegas 3-on3 basketball tournament to Toshiba Plaza at T-Mobile Arena and the top of the New YorkNew York parking garage Oct. 14–16. After five years online, the first JAECI interactive boutique store will open downtown with a café-style lounge. Curacao, a California-based retail giant, will open its 12th store and first in Nevada at the Meadows Mall this fall. New at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace are Leica’s first Las Vegas camera store and DKNY’s completely redesigned outlet. DC Solar is title sponsor of the track’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and race on Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 15th Vegas Valley Book Festival on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Historic Fifth Street School is a free day-long public event. www.lvfnbpro.com
USBG
Las Vegas
By Adam Rains Adam has a true passion for food, wine, beer & spirits. He is a barman at CarneVino, a brand ambassador for Brooklyn Brewery, long-time cocktailian, and the Social Media Chair for the United States Bartenders Guild in Las Vegas. Adam strives to learn every day and during his career he’s studied at SDSU, USBG, BarSmarts, International Sommeliers Guild and the Certified Cicerone Program. His mantra with both food & cocktails is, “fresh is best.”
The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional would like to introduce a new monthly feature dedicated to the Las Vegas chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild. As a proud member, I couldn’t be happier to strengthen our bond between the Guild and the Las Vegas F&B community.
Bryan Bridgeman
About the USBG The United States Bartenders’ Guild is comprised of spirit professionals dedicated to the art of the craft of Bartending. What was founded in 1948 has now spread all over the US with Las Vegas being the largest chapter in the country. Through events, charity, and education they support and enhance the great American livingart that is Bartending.
Next time you are in The Cosmopolitan late night, go see USBG member Bryan Bridgeman at the Henry for this tasty summer treat. “Winter Is Coming” contains a maven of a vodka, Absolut Elyx. Its single-farm winterwheat vodka has a creamy salinity and tartness that melds amazingly with the citrus, jalapeño, basil and mint in this drink. Domaine de Canton brings a sweet ginger richnesses to balance out the spice of the jalapeño. A Lemongrass Simple is also a delightful contributor to this aromatic summer sipper!
“Winter Is Coming” by Brian Bridgeman
1 1/2 oz Absolut Elyx 3/4 oz Domaine de Canton Jalapeño (just the tip!) Basil (4 leaves) Mint (4 sprigs) 1/4 oz Lemongrass Syrup 1/2 oz Lemon Splash of Ginger Beer Mint Garnish www.lvfnbpro.com
photos by Adam Rains
Bryan Bridgeman has been in the Food & Beverage Industry for more than 15 years, and is currently bartending at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. He is an active member of the USBG, has completed BarSmarts Advanced, and achieved the title of “Spirits Professional” in the USBG Master Accreditation Program. Bryan has a genuine passion for service and for creating a uniquely tailored experience for his guests. When he’s not behind the stick, Bryan spends time with his better half, Heaven, and his three incredible children, Donovan, Lilith and Leah.
For information on how to join, please go to www.usbg.org.
USBG Event Calendar Some events subject to change 9/1
Angels Envy Toast 4 The Trees
9/6 USBGLV Roundtable with Beam Suntory 9/8 Anchor Distilling Tasting 9/15 Leejay Cassis Seminar 9/21 Bacardi Legacy 9/25 USBGLV Founders Day 9/26 SIA Whiskey September 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 13
UNLV Epicurean Society
By Matthew Cairo Guest Writer - Meghan Schoener
Matthew Cairo, a Hospitality Management student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, represents the Epicurean Society, a collective of food and restaurant enthusiastic students, where he is on the leadership staff. Originally from San Diego, he moved to Las Vegas to feed his desire to learn all that he can about restaurants, food, and the tourist industry.
For the last summer break internship spotlight, we have Meghan Schoener, and her experiences working on board an American Cruise Liner ship: Over the summer, I have had the distinct pleasure of working for the American Cruise Lines, a company providing river cruises. Starting in mid-May I participated in a week-long training class where I learned the proper methods for food and beverage service, as well as housekeeping. After I travelled to New Orleans, I went to meet up with the America, the biggest vessel in the American Cruise Lines’ fleet. It has a capacity of 185 passengers, with a putting green, exercise equipment, lounge areas and numerous other amenities. Nervous, but not dissuaded, I quickly picked up the specifics of my job as a Ship’s Stewardess with the aid of my “Boat Family” members’ help.
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we tasted every dish before meal service, which was a great way for me to sample a range of new dishes. Some of the most memorable were a pan-seared skirt steak; pork rubbed with chocolate and espresso and baked; red snapper broiled and plated on top of a bed of brown rice; and my favorite, butternut squash penne pasta. Also included in each meal were decadent desserts and during the pre-meal process we also tasted many of the pastry chef’s desserts that ranged from cherry chocolate cake to key lime pie. These eye-opening tastings illustrated how understanding the ins and outs of the entire meal allowed me to quickly and accurately respond to passenger inquiries. I knew which dishes were spicy, which had garlic and what contained gluten. The ship also hosted specialty meals. Each Friday, the ship had a surf and turf specialty dinner that included lobster and clarified butter paired with tenderloin cutlets topped with gravy. In addition to the Friday meal, the ship hosted a weekly barbeque buffet that boasted pulled pork, dry rubbed ribs, grilled chicken, macaroni salad and a range of other dishes. Over the three months I worked on the America, I visited Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Missouri. During the length of my trip I connected with fellow crewmen and passengers alike. One of the most memorable interactions was during my shift as a Dining Assistant. My manager approached me during prep and informed me that I needed to help set up and service a wedding dinner party. I happily set up for the dinner amused by the day’s surprise because I wasn’t aware that we had a wedding party aboard. The guest party consisted of a wonderful elderly couple who had just got married. It was such a pleasure and it warmed my heart as I interacted with them. By the end of the service a number of the guests thanked me for looking after them and making the dinner a wonderful experience. Each day on my trip I had a new wonderful surprise and something new to learn. I certainly will never forget this incredible summer cruising the Mississippi.
photos courtesy Meghan Schoener
The company’s motto, “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work,” was driven home constantly through the fluid and cooperative efforts the entire crew developed with each other. As I got to know my “Boat Family,” and how to participate and work as a member of that team, I quickly realized how that deep level of commitment to working together enhances the experience of each passenger’s stay. Our “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work” motto is demonstrated in the pre-meals process. The kitchen leadership team of three chefs and one pastry chef would gather the stewards servicing meals to taste and walk through the preparation process. Because the passengers often come to us with questions, it was required that we know the process from produce to plate as well as the final taste of each dish. This meant
This will be the last internship spotlight before a return to our usual pieces about our events and outings as a club. As I write this my belongings are packed into boxes ready for the drive back to Vegas. Ariel Larson and I are busy connecting with local businesses and planning events for the UNLV Epicurean Society to take part in over the next semester. www.lvfnbpro.com
• Wholesale distributor of exceptional quality dried spices and specialty foods to the finest hotels and restaurants • Owned and operated by a former chef with over 20 years of experience • Custom packed Herbs and Spices • Custom Spice Bends • Private labeling • Now Certified Kosher
by Ben Brown photos by Joe Tholt
16 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I September 2016
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Lee’s Discount Liquor Celebrates Its 35th Year in Las Vegas Lee’s Discount Liquor celebrates its 35th year here in Las Vegas. To some, it probably seems like just yesterday that Founder Mr. Lee opened his first shop near Spring Mountain and Jones. Lee’s has truly grown up with Las Vegas, sharing the best of times and the worst of times, and learning every step of the way. What began as a small family owned business has evolved into a retail superpower, practically a household name across the Las Vegas Valley. It’s nearly impossible to drive through this city without passing one of their eye-catching billboards, or one of their 19 locations. But Lee’s is still family-owned and run, and it’s this endearing aspect that’s allowed Lee’s to retain its momand-pop feel even as it continues to expand.
“It’s quite an achievement that my father has earned. It’s hard for a business to survive for 35 months, let alone 35 years. We’ve seen hotels come and go in that time. To have a business that has become a staple to this city, that shows the work ethic of Mr. Lee…I am so proud of him.” ~Kenny Lee
“The community really embraces us. They know we’re the local company and we’ve grown up with them. Lee’s as a brand resonates with Las Vegas,” said President Kenny Lee. Kenny still refers to his father, as Mr. Lee. Lee’s doesn’t do business on the family name alone, however. Lee’s is the largest liquor retailer in Las Vegas, and a critical aspect of its business is variety…often more variety than its customers could imagine. “We have more than 18,000 SKU’s,” Kenny began. “To compare, Costco would carry 500 SKU’s in its beer, wine and liquor section. [Costco] carries around four vodkas. We carry more than 1,000. We try to carry everything. That’s what distinguishes us from the rest.” Lee’s carries more than 9,000 wines as well, sourcing from six continents [Antarctica doesn’t produce wine]. Add in 2,000 beer SKU’s to round out an inventory that people will have trouble finding elsewhere. Kenny called out Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits as a big help in growing their selection. “They are certainly our biggest distributor,” Kenny said. “[Southern] carries all the brands that the restaurants serve, as opposed to just the supermarket brands. Larry Ruvo really cares for us, values us as a local partner.” When asked to reflect on 35 years of solid success, Kenny immediately defers to his father’s hard work and perseverance. “It’s quite an achievement that my father has earned. It’s hard for a business to survive for 35 months, let alone 35 years,” said Kenny. “We’ve seen hotels come and go in that time. To have a business that has become a staple to this city, that shows the work ethic of Mr. Lee…I am so proud of him.” The journey was far from easy. Lee’s was practically born out of necessity—the product of an immigrant entrepreneur finding a way to maneuver around the language barrier. Mr. Lee immigrated to the US from Seoul, South Korea in 1980. He came from a steady job with the Central Government of Korea, but moved his family overseas because he wanted a better education for his children [Kenny and his sisters, Annie and Tina]. His intentions were to settle in New York to open a dry cleaning business, but he made an initial stop in Las Vegas because he had family who lived here. Mr. Lee did complete that trip to New York, but was back in Las Vegas a month later. The laundry business simply wasn’t for him. Knowing virtually no English, he found it very difficult to interact with customers. He made ends meet by doing odd jobs, hindered all the while with face-to-face interaction being such a big obstacle. Then, came the ‘aha!’ moment, in a most unexpected setting. Still in his first year in Las Vegas, Mr. Lee walked into a liquor store to buy a bottle of Johnny Walker Black. “The cashier just told him how much it was and he paid for it,” said Kenny. “[Mr. Lee] couldn’t believe how easy it was to do business like that.” With that bottle of scotch, a business came to be. “He opened his first store on the west side, around Spring Mountain and Jones. He called it A Plaza Liquor,” Kenny said. “He wanted it to be the first one in the phone book.”
Kenny and Mr. Lee in their Flamingo/ Rainbow store warehouse
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The first store got off to a decent start, but Mr. Lee was completely new to running a retail storefront and sought to beat the learning curve. He utilized his small network to find the right kind of business model. “A friend told him about a store in Denver, so [Mr. Lee] flew down to see how the place operated,” Kenny said. “The owner of that store told him that the money was in the discount volume business. He told him to sell cigarettes at cost and have the lowest prices in your neighborhood for liquor, wine and beer.”
September 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 17
Business took off from there. The first store did so well that Mr. Lee opened a second location, on Flamingo and Pecos. More stores opened from there, and then it came time for Mr. Lee to bring Kenny into the family business. “I grew up always helping out with the business. Low overhead was [Mr. Lee’s] key thing. Every break, every holiday I would come to help,” Kenny said. “We had a printing store right next door. The owner there would hand-draw advertising flyers for us and would make hundreds of copies. Me, my two sisters and father would get up at 4 a.m. and hang flyers from door to door.” “Initially I was in college to be an optometrist, but when I was a sophomore my father called to ask me to join the family business,” Kenny said. “I took a few days to think about it, then switched my major to business management. I started from the bottom, from stocking to cashier, then ran a store and became a VP in 1998, then eventually president.” The momentum continues to go strong, with Lee’s set to do more than $100 million in gross sales in 2016. They are strategic in selecting new locations as well—not expanding for the sake of expanding, but growing stores to grow the bottom line. “My father maps out the whole city,” Kenny said. “He works very closely with a realtor. When looking for a new store [location] he sees how many homes are built around the area, the average income and other demographics.”
And once they do decide on a location, it’s built to last. “We buy the land and build our own buildings. We own all of our own real estate except two locations.” Lee’s has since expanded beyond Las Vegas’s borders, with a store in Mesquite and more external locations upcoming. “Our next store will be West Wendover, 5 hours north from here. It’s 80 minutes from Salt Lake City. The West Wendover store will hopefully open in 2017.” Lee’s proximity to Salt Lake City gives them access to an enormous market. Utah’s liquor laws are significantly different from those in Nevada, and Lee’s is positioning itself to take full advantage. Their Mesquite store is currently their best-performing location in terms of volume: proof of concept for tracking areas of high demand and low supply. But it’s far from smooth sailing for the business as a whole. Increased competition threatens to take away from Lee’s market share, but Lee’s is still confident that business will remain strong in Las Vegas. “Total Wine has three locations. Costco and Smith’s are expanding in the liquor business… more supermarkets and big box stores, but as long as the economy stays healthy, there’s plenty of business for everybody,” Kenny said. “We’re also competing with the hotels for employees, and we can’t pay like the hotels do. Finding good people is a challenge, but when we find good people we try to keep them.”
18 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I September 2016
And while Lee’s family-owned feel and extravagant selection are key differentiators, their advertising truly stands out. Their billboards stand out so much, in fact, that Lee’s has been met with some controversy from parties who feel that their jokes on drinking cross the line. “There’s always going to be people who don’t like our ads,” Kenny said. “When KLUC did an online poll about us, 85% of the people said that they knew we were just joking around. When you are in a city where you have mobile billboards with half-naked girls, it’s hard to believe that people would give us trouble for the stuff that we put on our signs.” On the other end of the spectrum, Lee’s has a nonprofit [Lee’s Helping Hand] that has contributed more than $800,000 to local charities. Proceeds come from several tasting events that Lee’s puts on every year. Kenny is also happy to say his family has expanded its business ventures into the restaurant world. “My dad has always had the dream of owning a Korean restaurant. That place [Lee’s Korean BBQ] is packed. We went there the other night and couldn’t even get a table…at our own restaurant!” Kenny said. “He loves talking to people. You can tell how much the community loves him.” The Lee family has paved the way for remarkable transformation over the last 35 years, and Las Vegas is holding up a glass to 35 more.
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Bob’s Beer Bits and Sips More New Summer Releases By Bob Barnes Stone Citracado IPA
Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion No. 002
Someone just had a birthday and that someone is Stone Brewing! The brewery which just turned 20 years old is now one of the largest craft breweries in the US and recently expanded with new production breweries in Virginia and Germany. As it does with every anniversary, to commemorate the momentous occasion the brewery created Citracado IPA, a double IPA whose name has a triple meaning: for its additions of the citrusy and tropical Citra hops and avocado flower honey, as an homage to the citrus and avocado agricultural history of the region and for the flagship San Diego’s brewery’s address on Citracado Parkway. This 9% ABV 80 IBU anniversary beer falls on the sweeter side of IPAs, compliments of the honey it’s brewed with, but is still loaded with hops which in addition to Citra include Nugget, El Dorado and Centennial. Enjoy this one, but get ready for more anniversary beers planned for release, as Stone is re-brewing some of its milestone Stone Anniversary Ales: Stone 5th Anniversary IPA, Stone 10th Anniversary IPA and Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA, which with the Citracado will be available in the Stone Anniversary IPA Collection four-pack, which will start arriving on store shelves in select markets nationwide beginning the week of September 12. Here’s cheers to another 20 years!
It’s no secret that the beer world has exploded with appreciation of the IPA style, which has led to brewers trying out new hops to bring forth unique flavor experiences. Described by the brewery as “an ever-evolving mix of experimental hops, designed to deliver mindblowing flavors that break the rules with each new release,” Firestone Walker’s Luponic Distortion is a series of limited release beers, each with a unique hop twist, that hang around for about 90 days until a new version is launched. Luponic Distortion No. 002 is the second creation of the series and was released in July, so you still have a window of time to snag it, which I suggest you do if you care about and adore hops. The twist in this version is the use of a new experimental hop from the Pacific Northwest that boasts peachy and tropical/ papaya notes, along with two new German hops and two New Zealand hops which bring aromas of gooseberry, melon, lemongrass and tropical flowers. The overall impression leans toward tropical and ripe stone fruits with an underlying spice, and the light malt base of pale and wheat malts let the hops shine for a clean, dry finish. Speaking of the hops in this beer, Brewmaster Matt Brynildson said, “The southern hemisphere hops add these bright Sauvignon Blanc-like accents of grapefruit and gooseberry, and there’s this new variety out of Europe that ties everything together with honeydew aromas and an underlying herbal pine quality.” Brynildson also says this beer is something he’s always wanted: one that is very hoppy with no restraints. If you’re a procrastinator and miss this version, don’t despair; No. 003 is up next and will feature a new German variety hop that Brynildson first encountered in its experimental infancy while traveling through the Hallertau region during the hop harvest three years ago, which he reports is loaded with juicy mandarin orange character and ripe peach character with ample supporting notes of citrus, stone fruit and pineapple.
Unibroue Éphémère Blueberry For several years now the Belgian-style Canadian brewery Unibroue has been dabbling with infusing fruit into its Éphémère line, with previous versions using apple, cranberry, pear, raspberry and currants. Now its latest fruit addition is blueberry, which happens to be a very difficult fruit to brew with due to the fruit’s subtle flavor. The Éphémère Blueberry is a limited release, of which Brewmaster Jerry Vietz said, “The beer wort used for Éphémère Blueberry is made from home-grown blueberries and it is a Belgian-style white ale brewed with fruit, with mid-sized bubbles and bold effervescence. It has a balanced bouquet of berries and citrus, with a dominant blueberry flavour and a subtly spicy finish that’s delightfully refreshing.” I agree with the balance and am happy that it is not sweet but retains the true flavor of blueberry. It’s also a very pretty beer, pouring a luscious red with hints of purple, and is further adorned with a creamy, pinkish foam. For some interesting twists, the brewery suggests it can be used as the base ingredient for a sangria, can replace milk in pancake batter and is a great choice to accompany pork medallions in port sauce or a dessert such as cheesecake or profiteroles. Éphémère Blueberry is available for a limited time throughout Canada and the United States and is packaged in 750 ml cork and cage bottles and in draft format.
20 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I September 2016
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Summer Sushi
By Shelley Stepanek Shelley Stepanek is President of DSA, the oldest non-profit tourist association in the state, along with being on the board of ticket brokers. Shelley has previously owned three restaurants. Photos courtesy The Innovative Dining Group
Fresh New Recipes with a Wonderful View
Sushi Roku threw another wonderful hint of its new menu at a party recently at its location in the Forum Shops. The Innovative Dining Group showcased all new items and recipes for the media. Starting with nine “tastes” just in the appetizer menu, with Brussels sprouts chips with truffle oil and salt, roasted cauliflower with red dates and pine nuts, fried calamari, charred jalapeno flaze, bluefin tuna yuzo ponzu, along with seared salmon sashimi togarashi, toro sashimi oscietra with caviar, tuna tartare, seabream sashimi to seabass & Wagyu sliders, we were all totally full before the tasting was halfway through. Most of the items will remain through the fall, but as time goes by some will be out of season and of course new ones will appear. We moved on to an extravagant plate of sushi, featuring toro, salmon and yellowtail Matsu Style. Each course was tastefully paired with the perfect beverage. The Toro Sashimi had seven distinctly unique rubs, with hempseeds and jalepenos, to show the dedication that goes with each dish.
The sliders were deep fried beef and Chilean sea bass on King’s Hawaiian rolls, with cabbage slaw and two sauces. The meal was eventually topped off with bananas flambe, chocolate filled donut holes and a chocolate volcano. Popular new drinks, the Yuzu Fizz, with Bulldog Gin, fresh Yuzu, and pomegranate and The Last Act, El Silencio mezcal, Ancho Reyes liqueur and fresh orange juice, went with two different courses. One can dine with a beautiful view of the Strip, or just stop by at happy hour after shopping for some appetizers and a relaxing time. Sushi Roku also has locations in Hollywood, Santa Monica and Pasadena, along with a host of other sister properties including the fabulous BOA Steakhouse. All restaurants in the Innovative Dining Group are known for their expertise and taking care of the tiniest details. Located on the 3rd floor of the north end of the Forum Shops. 702-733-7373 • www.sushiroku.com
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By Elaine & Scott Harris
Dining out with the Harrises
Sommeliers and Editor-In-Chief of Nationally Recognized Cuisineist.com and Vino Las Vegas LLC. They are the Las Vegas City Editors for TheDailyMeal in New York City. Cuisinist@Gmail.com • www.Cuisineist.com www.VinoLasVegas.Blogspot.com www.LasVegasDiningTours.com Facebook:ElaineScottHarris Twitter:TheCuisineist.com Twitter: VinoLasVegas • Instagram : Cuisineist
The new and improved atmosphere of the Westgate Hotel and Casino and Las Vegas is now a big draw for the conventioneer crowd and locals alike. The more classic and elegant look of the hotel emerges from a place of old Vegas, where women and gentlemen dressed in semi-formal wear to dine and gamble. Put on something dressy and head into the Edge where the classic steakhouse vibe will have you singing Sinatra and where Chef Steve Young dazzles the taste buds with true steakhouse standards and a few surprises to his summer menu. Love can happen at first sight and when the Seafood Tower arrives at your table with two shelves of oysters with caviar, jumbo prawns, and the stone-crab and lobster claws, you will be smitten with the freshest seafood on the market. That may be enough, but may we suggest that you try the Silk Road Spicy Shrimp appetizer. These Thai-inspired shrimp had us hooked at first bite and you will feel the love with the spicy cream sauce and the sweet chili reduction that lends to the perfect bite of sweet and sour. And now onto centerpiece of the meal, the Waygu Ribeye Cap sourced from Snake River Farm, cooked medium rare, juicy, yet not overwhelmed in a sauce or large pat of butter, letting the goodness of the meat come shining through each bite. Whether your choice is an aged prime steak, the freshest seafood, or Kobe beef, you will be satisfied with any of Chef Young’s menu offerings. Of course, you must leave room for dessert and the seven layer cake with decadent dark chocolate layers that are enough to put you in a chocolate lover’s trance. Overall, Edge will have your hungry appetite hanging over the cliff transformed into dignified and delicious dining.
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photos by Scott Harris
Edge Steakhouse Las Vegas Offers Another Welcomed Venue to the Westgate Chef James Richards Now at Table 10 Emeril Lagasse’s Table 10 at The Palazzo has been a favorite of ours for years. Chef James Richards moved over to Table 10 from Emeril’s Fish House at the MGM, so we decided to catch up with him at his new venue. The menu can best be described as a blend of classic southern cuisine with a regional flare. With Chef Richards well known creativity, we were anxious to explore some of his new offerings. Chef Richards started us off with popcorn. But this is definitely not the popcorn remembered as a young child. This is Maw & Paw’s organic popcorn covered in roasted garlic oil, fine herbs and parmesan cheese that is the perfect way to start off any meal. The Ahi Tuna Tartare with sesame seed tuile, sweet sesame vinaigrette, wasabi clouds and avocado is a must try any time of day. Don’t pass up one of Emeril’s signature dishes, New Orleans BBQ Shrimp— Gulf shrimp with New Orleans BBQ sauce and rosemary biscuit—that will keep you coming back for more. If you are in the mood for something rich, savory and spicy, the Sweet Corn Soup featuring pickled sweet corn, crispy jalapenos and red pepper crema is for you. A traditional Rabbit Pot Pie with rosemary dumplings, locally sourced seasonal vegetables and natural jus provides a classic taste of the south. An excellent way to finish off your dining adventure with Chef Richards is with another Emeril signature dish, Emeril’s Banana Cream Pie. You can’t go wrong with chocolate curls, caramel sauce and house-made whipped cream. The Palazzo has many fine dining venues to enjoy and Table 10 should be included on your next visit.
Libertine Social Partnered with Shawn McClain’s award winning culinary skills, Tony Abou-Ganim— aka “The Modern Mixologist”—is now creating the newest mixology and dining hot spot on the Las Vegas Strip, Libertine Social, located within the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Just as the Libertines of the past put value on physical pleasures, meaning those experienced through the senses, Chef Shawn McClain and AbouGanim are taking social food and drink into the spectacular sensory realm, where a drink is not just a drink and bar food is a culinary creation. Start your feast of the senses with Scotch olives—a take on the Scottish egg—or the house-made soft pretzel with beer, cheddar and Raclette cheese. The Parmesan churros are decadent bites of cheesy addictiveness. McClain’s expertise is here to stay with a woodburning oven for flatbreads such as caramelized fennel and sausage. Abou-Ganim cocktails take time to craft so pull up a chair and a churro as one of the highly skilled mixology-bartenders create a summer refresher with the “Zig Zag,” a lovely combination of Absolute Citron Vodka, Cointreau, watermelon juice and lemon juice; or the Southside, with Bombay Sapphire Gin, lime juice, spearmint and simple syrup. With the dynamic duo of a James Beard Award-winning chef and the acclaimed pioneer of Modern Mixology, Libertine Social is sure to be “the place” for the social adventurous to come eat, drink and mingle.
September 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 23
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
Building a Culture of Respect and Caring!
My values were instilled in me from a very early age by two loving and understanding parents in a small Midwest town. I was raised on a farm where we pretty much lived off the land and we counted on one another to pitch in and do our part to ensure our future together. Everything about this experience told me that family is essential—the most important component of a fulfilled and happy life—and this experience laid the foundation for all that I hold dear in life today: my spouse and children, love, respect, caring and compassion. I truly believe that because of this upbringing I chose the field of human resources. Human resources is founded in the basic principle that our purpose—our team—is there to help others. Sometimes this “help” manifests itself through good communication and clear expectations, sometimes through policies and procedures which create key rules and boundaries, and other times it’s by showing compassion for the challenges that others may face or go through. And all the while we should strive to have compassion—to walk in another’s shoes—and
to better address concerns so they can focus on success. My role in human resources is to indoctrinate our new employees in our culture, expectations and methodology. When a new employee joins the organization, we begin the process of building an understanding of our culture. They hear about the history of the company, the expectations for respectful treatment of co-workers and guests, and we communicate clearly our zero tolerance for harassment, hostile intentions and disrespect of others. All of these components support the very foundation of the culture that is this company and clear expectations help to perpetuate that culture in everyone who joins us. Lastly, to keep a strong culture alive, you must walk the talk and be approachable and have compassion for the needs of your team. That means all of your management team must be onboard with what you expect when it comes to treatment of your employees and keep an open door and open mind when dealing with their staff. It is also about communicating clearly where the company is going, how each person
plays a part, and then being open to ideas, perspectives and opinions that may differ from yours but may also offer insight on a viewpoint that you may not be able to visualize. Building and maintaining a sound culture is not an easy thing to do but with time and practice, you can move your team in the right direction and build the values in your culture that provide a reward in improved satisfaction, longevity and devotion to the company. Every step of the way, and over the many years, by upholding these values, and placing a high importance on respectful treatment in the workplace, you can and will build respect and caring as the foundation for your organizations success.
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. 24 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I September 2016
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The Bottom Line Telling an Honest Story About Your Ingredients
By Ben Brown Ben is an MBA candidate at USC’s Marshall School of Business, specializing in hospitality marketing and analytics. He has served as a food & beverage strategist with MGM Resorts, as well as reviewed more than 200 Las Vegas restaurants with CBS Local and Examiner. com. Contact him at Ben@lvfnb.com.
‘Real Food, Fake Food’is a big hitter in foodservice transparency. In the same way that ‘Fast Food Nation’ exposed questionable practices from some of the world’s most prominent quick service giants, so too does ‘Real Food, Fake Food’ unveil some very unfortunate truths about restaurants and food suppliers that make false claims about their ingredients. The moral of the story: Tell the truth about the ingredients that you use, and make sure that your suppliers are doing the same. Easier said than done, of course. The real challenge comes not with telling the truth, but having your customers believe that you’re telling the truth. Here are a few tips to help garner trust among your customers: Show whole ingredients.
Boast only what you can back up.
Align your food with your brand.
It’s easy to tell that a lobster is real when you see the whole crustacean presented to you before it’s cooked. The process becomes much harder with lobster ravioli, where lord-knows what kind of lobster-flavored combination is actually sitting between the pasta squares. Coffee beans are easy to prove as pure, but coffee grounds can have many foreign agents mixed in. If you’re in the position where you can show something whole before it’s chopped, ground, blended or battered, show it off. Servers presenting steaks and lobsters tableside is no nuance, but is also quite cumbersome for many eateries. Display cases are also common, but mostly among fine dining establishments. The solution can be as simple as a line on your menu that states “We will happily accommodate any requests to see our ingredients tableside.” Few patrons will take you up on this offer— minimizing operational setbacks—but will take comfort in your willingness to show your hand. Another option is to host regular kitchen tours. A weekly or monthly kitchen tour, coupled with a tasting menu or pairing event, could double as a great marketing tactic in addition to buying rapport.
If you charge a premium for cooking with foods of a certain label or status, be sure that clear standards exist whereby your food can truly earn that label. Just about anyone can slap the word ‘natural’ on their packaging without facing legal ramifications. It’s virtually impossible to find olive oil in the US that isn’t extra virgin, where in Italy only a small percentage of olive oil can actually tout that title. Only a handful of restaurants actually serve Kobe beef, and the term ‘American Wagyu’ is meaningless. The list goes on. Thousands of restaurants throw out arbitrary premium terms without walking the walk. Yes, they will win over uneducated customers, but they will ultimately lose the war. All it takes is a core group to call out these shenanigans and the restaurant’s reputation—and revenue— plummets. If your tuna is truly ‘sushi-grade,’ have some collateral around your restaurant, such as a certificate or a brief story about the tuna’s sourcing, to show for it. If you are ‘famous’ for anything, display your awards and depict the story on your menu. The proof is in the pudding, so make sure that you’ve got some killer pudding.
Not all restaurants need to showcase premium ingredients. Sure, trendy terms deliver a good spark, but they don’t necessarily inspire guests to walk in or keep coming back. Greater forces—price point, ambiance, cuisine type, and just plain taste—may very well be the true active ingredients in a restaurant’s success.
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The last thing a restaurant should do is falsely promote certain ingredients to keep up with the Joneses. If you happen to use organic, all-natural ingredients, then do toot your own horn in a way where the guest can see immediate proof behind your claims. Don’t get carried away though, as stretching the truth beyond tangible evidence could introduce a level of skepticism you may not be prepared to handle. More and more restaurants are building their brands around ‘real food,’ and transparency is necessary for these brands to stay afloat. If you are not able or willing to provide that transparency, it doesn’t say anything negative about your restaurant, it simply means that you should think critically about the brand points that your restaurant stands on.
September 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 25
By Bob Barnes
Once you are seated at Don Vito’s, you’ll notice windows looking out into the South Point casino. Otherwise, you’d have no clue of your whereabouts, as this secluded enclave from the bustling gaming area creates a relaxed and elegant Old World atmosphere with floor-toceiling curtains, wall murals of classical Italian architecture, rich earth tones of rust, gold and red and soothing music. Room Chef Matt Rios has headed the kitchen for five years and has held fine dining positions as far back as 1987 at longtime Vegas restaurants The Tillerman, and also at Stefano’s at the Golden Nugget; and before coming to Don Vito’s at Primo’s Steakhouse at the Suncoast. Chef’s menu contains Italian favorites with some creative
The Salted Lime at Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa Continues to Be a Magnet for Both Locals and Tourists
The Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa opened in 2008 and is in the unique position of being situated close enough to the LV Motor Speedway to draw in a fair share of tourists, near enough to Nellis Air Force Base to draw in our honored military and also being the only locals casino in the far north/central quadrant of the Vegas Valley. Located just off the casino, the décor of The Salted Lime is a mix of orange and red hues and wood tables with very comfortable padded chairs. The Mexican restaurant is fronted by a wraparound bar, which turns out specialty margaritas such as the Blood Orange with Patron Silver, blood orange puree, lime and agave nectar; and the El Spicy Pink made with Cazadores Silver, Monin Spicy Mango Syrup, watermelon puree, lime and agave nectar. The star of the appetizer menu is the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, which are skewered and attractively presented to form a teepee shape. A close second goes to the Carne Asada Fries, a huge mound tossed with parmesan, carne asada, jack and cheddar cheeses, jalapenos, sour cream and pico de gallo, a portion so large it could serve as your meal.
touches. Appetizers include Stuffed Mushrooms filled with sausage, spinach and cheese; capresestyle Fresh Tomato & Mozzarella Salad; and my favorite, which is a large enough portion that it could serve as your meal, Grilled Shrimp with cannellini beans, shallots and basil. Entrée winners are Lobster Ravioli, an incredibly rich treat with black ink pasta filled with lobster and served in a saffron cream sauce; Rigatoni Vito—a mix of sausage, peppers, onions, pepperoncini and black olives in a marinara sauce; or you might want to opt for one of the nightly specials, which on the night I visited included a generous 14 oz Rib Eye crusted with espresso and topped with herb butter. You definitely won’t leave hungry, as all entrées come with soup or salad and bread infused with sundried tomato, but if you still have room, several dessert options await, such as Cannoli filled with mascarpone, Bailey’s and Kahlua; Crème Brulee enhanced with Nutella; and S’mores with graham cracker crumbles, toasted marshmallow, caramel and chocolate ice cream. With satisfying Italian cuisine in a comfortable environment and at a price point (appetizers under $10, most entrees under $20 and desserts $5-6) that is a bargain for the high quality you receive, it’s not surprising that Don Vito’s has a large following of loyal customers, several of whom come more than once a week.
Don Vito’s is open nightly for dinner from 5 p.m. 702-797-8075 southpointcasino.com/dining/ don-vitos-italian
The rest of the menu contains traditional items, with an assortment of tacos, enchiladas, burritos and sizzling fajitas (a huge platter, which comes in options of chicken, carnitas, steak or shrimp) along with some non-traditional dishes like chicken or pork chops marinated in a housemade chipotle honey sauce. Another non-traditional item is the Oreo Churros, a new menu item that is stuffed with the inside cream of everyone’s favorite cookie. Judy Ridenour, who has been a server here for five years, says her clientele are a 50/50 mix of tourists and locals. What is surely attracting them are prices that average around $10 with serving sizes so large that many customers split their entrees, which come with rice and beans; and an all-the-time happy hour with mega-shot margaritas for only $4. Also worth mentioning is the resort’s ongoing jazz, R&B and funk concerts held in its state-ofthe-art Access Showroom and poolside during the warmer months. Coming up are Average White Band on Sept. 10, Brian Culbertson on Oct.14-15 and Roman Street on Oct. 16. photos by Lloyd Cutler
Don Vito’s—New World Italian in an Old World Atmosphere
He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
photos courtesy of South Point Casino
What’s Cooking
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com.
The Salted Lime is open for dinner nightly from 4 p.m. 702-692-7777 www.aliantegaming.com/ restaurants/thesalted-lime.
26 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I September 2016
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M.E.N.U.S. 2016
Mentoring & Educating Nevada’s Upcoming Students
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 THE BEACH AT MANDALAY BAY RESORT & CASINO Honoring Bill Foley Benefitting Epicurean Charitable Foundation Please join us for an exclusive poolside dine-around on the golden sand beach of Mandalay Bay. The evening will be highlighted by an array of premium beverages and freshly-prepared dishes from many of the finest chefs and restaurants in the city. This year the event will feature an extended dine-around, live entertainment, and extravagant silent auction, and an after party at Foundation Room.
PLATINUM SPONSOR:
MENUS 2016 IS PRESENTED BY:
GOLD SPONSORS:
www.ecflv.org
/EpicureanLV
#MENUS2016
Email: jackiebrett@cox.net
photos courtesy Dave & Buster’s
Dave & Buster’s Opens Powerful Brand at Downtown Summerlin
ByJackie 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. She is also an instructor covering Special Events at CSN- College of Southern Nevada.
Nevada’s first Dave & Buster’s opened last month at Downtown Summerlin but for the successful Dallas-based chain founded in 1982, it is number 87. The restaurant-arcade franchise company has obviously developed a winning formula, which is “Eat, Drink, Play, and Watch Sports.” As a 34,000-square-foot entertainment destination, strategically located across from Regal Cinema 5, Dave & Buster’s addresses all four formula elements. When you approach the huge austere building looking for one of a couple entrances, a surprise awaits upon entering. The vibrant modern interior is divided into clearly distinct sections. One side is an arcade world appealing to adults and jam packed with more than 180 state-ofart and latest simulators and games including Ghostbusters, Star Trek, Star Wars Battle Pod and Zombie Snatcher, etc. This cave-like Million Dollar Midway bustles with button pushing, virtual images and neon colors. Games surround the Winner’s Circle that looks like a store with prizing including traditional stuff animals, clothing, toys, Xboxes, and iPads. The other area is for dining, drinking and watching sports. For avid sports viewers, massive walls of HDTVs positioned around the big center bar and different dining areas are magnets for fans. Ah yes, food and drink round out the playground’s appeal. The American fare chefcrafted menu combines fun and flavor with
innovative items such as Pepperoni Pretzel Pull-Apart, Legendary Buffalo Wing Burger, and all-new Angry Orchard BBQ Chicken and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Lobster Sauce & Fire-Grilled Sirloin. Equally creative is the cocktail menu with drinks including the Original CoronaRita, tropical Tiki Drinks, Adult Snow Cones, the Strawberry Watermelon Margarita poured over strawberry ice cubes, Glow Kones featuring a multicolored, flashing cube, and the all-new Luxe L.I.T.’s. As a rule, Dave & Buster’s locations are positioned in high-tourist areas but the Downtown Summerlin site is catering to locals. The venue is also available for special events including corporate meetings, teambuilding activities and parties. The Special Event room with capacity for 10 to 50 people, the Sports Lounge or the entire place holding up to 1,600 guests can be rented. Dave & Buster’s offers weekly specials. There are two Happy Hours: 4:30-7 p.m. MondayFriday and 9 p.m. to closing Sunday-Thursday, offering half-price cocktails, $2.50 domestic pints, $1 off 22-ounce drafts, $1 off glasses of wine and $3 off bottles of wine. Another deal is “2 for Tuesdays” featuring $2 tacos, $2 select beers and all-day two free game plays with $10 Power Card purchase or re-charge. On Wednesday, all games are half-priced all day. Hours of operation are: Sunday–Thursday 10 a.m.–midnight; Sunday–Thursday 11 a.m.– midnight; and Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–2 a.m.
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Product Review Niche Import Co. Welcomes Ireland to Its Portfolio! By Bob Barnes Niche Import Co. has added two Irish whiskeys from Barr an Uisce: Wicklow Rare and 1803. Barr an Uisce is a new whiskey purveyor founded by Ian Jones from the small village of Redcross, which lies just below the townland of Barraniskey on the east coast of Ireland. The Irish words “Barr an Uisce” translate to “above the water” and the Irish word “uisce” was used during the time when Irish monks first distilled what we now call whiskey, which they referred to it as the “Water of Life.” Wicklow Rare is a small batched Irish whiskey and Barr an Uisce’s signature blend, matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and finished in Oloroso casks for 6 months. The result is a complex and smooth 43% ABV whiskey with aromas of vanilla, honey and baked fruits with a midpalate of nuttiness with hints of raisins and plum and a long and clean finish with subtle marmalade and caramel notes. 1803 is a 10-year-old single malt Irish whiskey named for the year St. Patrick’s Church of Barraniskey was built. The copper colored cross still stands in the graveyard in Redcross to this day, which inspired the logo for Barr an Uisce. This 46% ABV whiskey reveals aromas of vanilla and white chocolate; a mouthfeel of spice; mid-palate of tropical fruits, cinnamon, ginger and a distinct maltiness; and finishes with hints of toasted oak. Both whiskeys are matured in first-fill bourbon casks and cut with water from the Jones’ family well in Redcross, County Wicklow which gives Barr an Uisce its unique taste and flavor. The Wicklow Rare and 1803 are distributed by Epic Wines in the entire state of California, but Barr an Uisce products are currently not being distributed in Nevada. The suggested retail price of Wicklow Rare is $49.99 per 750 ml bottle and 1803 is $79.99 per 750 ml bottle. For more info visit barranuisce.com.
USDA Certified Organic, Kosher & Gluten Free Tequila El Consuelo Tequila By Bob Barnes
One of the few spirits that is USDA Certified Organic, Kosher & Gluten Free, El Consuelo Tequila is born in the village of Atotonilco el Alto and is made chemical and additive free with USDA certified blue weber agaves sourced from Jalisco in the Mexican region of Tequila, a region with unique climatic characteristics that yield a larger, fruitier agave. Proprietary yeast blends are used and the process is completed using a family-owned distillery and exclusive bottling process. Three types are produced: Blanco—Un-aged, crisp & spicy with tastes of white and black pepper, hint of spice and mint with aromas of sweet fruit with minimum alcohol fragrance, it has a finish of grassy/earthy tones with no burn. Delicate and intense, Blanco is recommended for margaritas. Reposado—Aged for 6 months in Cognac barrels with a hint of vanilla, a touch of caramel and a slight finish of pepper and mint, it has an earthy aroma and a drier finish with notes of cinnamon that pleasantly lingers on the pallet. It is recommended to enjoy neat, in a margarita or as a shooter. Añejo—Aging for 12 months in Cognac barrels imparts an oak-y, wood-sy flavor with light lingering agave fruit notes complementing grassy and vanilla flavors. Connoisseurs enjoy Añejo sipped chilled or neat. Consuelo is currently distributed in CA, NY, NJ and FL by Park Street. MSRP are: Blanco $49.50, Reposado $54.50 and Anejo $59.50. All three are 80 proof and packaged in 750 ml bottles. For more info and a detailed description of the tequila making process, visit elconsuelotequila.com.
E Harlow Magnolia Bitters By Adam Rains Coming soon to Las Vegas, a new style of cocktail seasoning hailing from Tennessee, the E Harlow Magnolia Bitters are the first of its kind, using the aromatic Magnolia flower. With the oil obtained through steam distillation, it has a beautifully pure yet soft concentration. The bitters are also bolstered by another southern flower, the Boneset, which has been used in the region since the Civil War. Be sure to keep this one in mind for cocktails and mock-tails alike, because this brand of bitters has a zero percent ABV. Look for E Harlow Magnolia Bitters from Bevi Beverages. MSRP for a 4 oz bottle is $20. For more info visit www.pourtaste.com/shop/magnoliabitters
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September 2016 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 29
EVENTS
AD INDEX
Welcome back to our Las Vegas edition of Food & Beverage Pro. Now that summertime is winding down and the temperatures are edging down, there is an increase in F&B Industry Shows, Expos, and Events. Here are some local and regional events well worth your consideration for attending.
Aku Matsuri akimatsurilv.com
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Food is Art www.alsnv.com
Al Dentes’ Provisions sales@aldentes.com 702-642-1100
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FORKS: A Quest for page 30 Culture, Cuisine, and Connection www.forksthebook.com
September 15-18 the Las Vegas Food & Wine Festival moves to a new location, this year convening at the SLS Las Vegas, where you can expect three days of events showcasing some of the world’s best culinary talent from several of Las Vegas’s top restaurants. vegasfoodandwine.com September 17 the 6th annual Flavors of the Heart, a brain and heart-healthy epicurean event/fundraiser supporting the American Heart Association Teens Cook with Heart Program, will be an evening of food tasting, wine tasting and music. This year’s event will take place at the World Market Center. www.flavorsoftheheart.com September 22-24 the 11th Global Summit on Food & Beverages will convene at Embassy Suites by Hilton Las Vegas and bring together a unique and international mix of experts, researchers and decision makers both from academia and industry across the globe to exchange their knowledge, experience and research innovations. food.global-summit.com/America September 23-25 the Life is Beautiful food, music and art festival returns to Downtown Las Vegas, held across streets encompassing 18 city blocks. lifeisbeautiful.com September 27-29 finds G2E (Global Gaming Expo) back in Las Vegas hosted at the Sands Convention Center. This is the largest gaming show in the world which includes F&B@G2E in the Food & Beverage Pavilion dedicated to all F&B related food & beverage products and services to the casino gaming industry. www.globalgamingexpo.com
Audrey Dempsey Infinity Photo page 29 www.infinity-photo.com 702-837-1128 Big Dog’s Brewing Company www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715
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Culinary Excellence Awards www.nvrestaurants.com 702-749-6656
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Don Julio donjulio.com
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Designated Drivers www.designateddriversinc.com 877-456-7433
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Flavors of the Heart www.flavorsoftheheart.com
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Jay’s Sharpening Service www.jayssharpening.com 702-645-0049 Major Foods www.majorproducts.com 702-838-4698
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M.E.N.U.S. page27 www.ecflv.org Southwest Gas www.swgas.com/foodservice White Soy Sauce www.whitesoysaucefood.com
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Allan Karl’s best-selling book FORKS: A Quest for Culture, Cuisine, and Connection has been a #1 best-seller in three Amazon categories.
FORKS brings the world to your table: An around-the-world adventure story. A colorful photo book with more than 700 color photographs. A global cookbook with 40 signature recipes. Why would someone sell nearly everything he owns, pull roots, and travel for three years--alone--on a motorcycle? One day Allan Karl woke up to discover that he was unemployed and his marriage had ended in divorce. Allan looked at these forks in the road of his life as an opportunity to both follow a life-long dream and pursue his passions. He hopped on his motorcycle and traveled around the world--alone. After three years and 62,000 miles of riding, through 35 countries on 5 continents, he returned home only to set out on another journey--to share the truths he’d uncovered and the lessons learned during his adventure around the world. Between these pages, Allan shares the discoveries, cultures, and connections he made on this global adventure. Through stories, color photos, and the flavors of real local food, FORKS brings his adventure to life and the world to your table: the kindness of strangers, the beauty of humanity, the colors of culture, and the powerful gift of human connection. Every photograph, story, and recipe in this book presents readers with an opportunity to witness new cultures, taste exotic flavors, or journey into dangerous and unknown territories. Every experience is an opportunity to connect with others.
The second edition of FORKS is widely available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bookstores everywhere. Autographed and personalized signed copies are available on the FORKS website www.forksthebook.com. 30 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I September 2016
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