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Volume 17, No. 3 ■ March 2018
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“The Busiest Year of My Life” A Conversation with Restaurateur/Chef Mike Isabella PRESORT STD. US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #163 DULLES, VA
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March 2018
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News and Information
Columns
Advertisers Index …………………………………………………………………… 28 Advertiser Spotlight | The Electric Motor Repair Company - EMR …………… 25 Association News OCHMRA by Susan L. Jones …………………………… 18 Association News RAM by Marshall Weston ………………………………… 20 Association News VRTLA by Eric Terry ………………………………………… 21 FSM News ……………………………………………………………………………… 2
Balti-MORE by Dara Bunjon……………………………………………………… 28 Bits & Bites by Lisa Keathley ……………………………………………………… 4 Bob Brown Says by Bob Brown …………………………………………………… 6 Food Smarts by Juliet Bodinetz ………………………………………………… 14 Inside Ownership by Dennis Barry……………………………………………… 23 Local Cooks by Alexandra Greeley …………………………………………… 22 Modern Business Solutions by Henry Pertman ……………………………… 8 My Take by Michael Sternberg ………………………………………………… 16 The Latest Dish by Linda Roth ………………………………………………… 24 Whining 'n Dining by Randi Rom ……………………………………………… 26
In the Spotlight Mike Isabella's Busiest Year by Lisa Keathley ……………………………… 10
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On the Cover “The Busiest Year of My Life” A Conversation with Restaurateur/Chef Mike Isabella Photo: Greg Powers Foodservice Monthly is the only publication to be awarded the RAM Allied Member of the Year award and the RAMW Joan Hisaoka Associate Member of the Year award, the highest honor for a non-restaurant member.
MARCH 2018 | 1
FSM NEWS
District Distilling
Eóin Connors
District Distilling taps Ireland native Eóin Connors has been named the new president and CEO of District Distilling, a U Street facility that bills itself as “D.C.’s first combination Distillery + Kitchen + Bar.” A native of Ireland, Connors brings to his
new role international training and expertise in the spirits, wine, and hospitality arena. He joins District Distilling after serving for five years based in Baltimore as vice president of sales in the Mid-Atlantic region for Opici Family Distributing. During his tenure there, Connors increased company sales by $10 million over a period of four years. Prior to this appointment, Connors served as the fine wine specialist for Southern Wine and Spirits in the Mid-Atlantic region from 2011 to 2012 and worked for Slocum and Sons in Connecticut from 2007 through 2010. In addition to training at the Court of Master Sommeliers in Napa, California, where he completed the certified sommelier’s course, Connors has taught wine appreciation at the University of New Haven, Connecticut.
Safeway Foundation helps vets Safeway Foundation in Safeway’s
Eastern Division has awarded more than $132,000 in grants to support eleven local organizations serving veterans. Funds were raised during the grocer’s annual Veteran’s Day campaign. Safeway stores in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Florida asked customers to “Give to Those Who Gave So Much,” collecting customer donations at registers to help fund programs that provide local veterans with assistance in career training, stress counseling, social activities, and rehab programs, along with support for families of fallen soldiers. “We want to thank our customers for generously supporting this important cause,” said Jim Perkins, Safeway, Eastern Division President. “We believe that our veterans’ sacrifice and service should be honored, and we are proud to help support their transition back into civilian life.” Among the grant recipients: Blue Star Families,
Central Union Mission, United States Veteran Initiative, and USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore.
Sprucing up at the Hirshhorn Attention art lovers! The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has just opened its new lobby, with a revamp by Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto. The work is the first redesign in the 42-year history of the Gordon Bunshaftdesigned museum building. The new-look lobby, unveiled in February, includes a coffee bar in its west end from local favorite Dolcezza Coffee & Gelato. The menu offers gelato, espresso drinks, pastries, and cocktails. Housed in a 20-foot metal bar, Dolcezza will be the only locally owned café at a Smithsonian museum.
FSM NEWS cont. pg 3
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FSM NEWS
cont. from pg 2
A Topsy, Turvy History of New Orleans & Ten Tiny Turtles
Local PR exec has a topsy, turvy tale to tell Mardi Gras may be over, but the fun continues throughout 2018 as the city of New Orleans observes its
300th birthday. D.C. public relations executive Simone Rathlé has a novel contribution to the celebrations — a new children’s book! She and illustrator Tania Lee created A Topsy, Turvy History of New Orleans & Ten
Tiny Turtles especially for the 2018 Tricentennial of New Orleans. In picture book style, this magical tale tells of of ten tiny turtles at the iconic New Orleans restaurant Brennan’s, whose lives take a “topsy turvy” path throughout the city’s celebrated 300 years — from the Battle of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina to the first Mardi Gras, “Breakfast at Brennan’s,” and the eruption of jazz in New Orleans. “Being a New Orleans native myself,” said Rathié, “the storied history and traditions of my city have been ingrained in me since before I could throw Mardi Gras beads or sneak a sip of a Milk Punch. I am proud to be a long-time publicist of Brennan’s restaurant in the French Quarter, and I am honored to have partnered with them and my friend Tania Lee to pen this book that we hope will be told for generations. There is no better establishment to share the colorful story of the 300th anniversary of New Orleans than Brennan’s restaurant — and their turtle mascots, of course!”
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foodservicemonthly Volume 17, No. 3 ■ March 2018 Silver Communications Publisher Lisa Keathley Managing Editor lisafoodmag@gmail.com Lisa Silber Sales Manager lisa@foodservicemonthly.com Electronic Ink Design & Production fsm@eink.net Dennis Barry Juliet Bodinetz Bob Brown Dara Bunjon Alexandra Greeley
Contributing Writers Kathy Hollinger Susan Jones Celeste McCall Henry Pertman Randi Rom
Linda Roth Michael Sternberg Eric Terry Marshall Weston
Contact phone: 703-471-7339 email: lisa@foodservicemonthly.com fax: 866-961-4980 web: www.foodservicemonthly.com Foodservice Monthly, a division of Silver Communications, Corp., is owned and published by Silver Communications, Corp. The Foodservice Monthly mission is to provide Mid-Atlantic foodservice professionals with news and information in an informed, imaginative and insightful newsmagazine. Foodservice Monthly assumes no responsibility for material submitted to us. All information contained in this publication is believed to be accurate. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part or transmitted in any form without prior permission from the publisher of Foodservice Monthly.
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MARCH 2018 | 3
BITS & BITES | Lisa Keathley
A Perfect 10 (Years)!
H
undreds of foodies and philanthropists gathered in the nation’s capital the last weekend of January for the 10th Annual Sips & Suppers. This two-day culinary event is designed to create awareness of the pervasiveness of food insecurity and to raise vital funds for two D.C. nonprofit organizations — DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table. This year, Sips & Suppers raised over $650,000, providing significant funding for the two food organizations and their anti-hunger, workforce development, healthy eating, and education programs. The Newseum hosted the Sips event, where over a thousand guests enjoyed food and drinks prepared by local, well-known chefs, restaurants, mixologists, and distilleries. The Suppers event occurred the next evening and included “suppers” prepared by some the region’s most acclaimed chefs in the homes of over 35 generous guests. Radio personality Tommy McFly, of 94.7 Fresh FM, emceed the Sips event, introducing DC Central Kitchen’s Mike Curtin and Caron Gremont, Senior Director of Healthy Eating Programs at Martha’s Table. Also on stage were Sips & Suppers co-chairs Joan Nathan and Alice Waters, who reflected on what fighting hunger over the last 10 years has meant to them. They later autographed copies of their newest books, as did restaurateur Ashok Bajaj and the James Beard awardwinning chef at Rasika, Vikram Sunderam, signing their book, Rasika: Flavors of India. Among the 2018 Sips & Suppers sponsors: MGM National Harbor, FISH by José Andrés, Voltaggio
4 | MARCH 2018
Photos: Ezra Greg
Clockwise, l to r, Caron Gremont of Martha's Table and Mike Curtin, DCCK; Sips fun at the Newseum; Alice Waters, event co-chair, autographs her latest book; Ashok Bajaj and Vikram Sunderam of Rasika sign their book
Brothers Steak House, Ginger, and Bellagio Patisserie, Alta Strada, Hank’s Oyster Bar, Rappahannock River Oysters, Radiator, Oyamel, Coconut Club, Bresca, The Salt Line, RASA, and Congressional Seafood. Other sponsors included Whole Foods, Amalgamated Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Jet Blue, Beveridge Seay, and Lifeway Foods. A complete list of sponsors and partners can be found at sipsandsuppers.org/ sponsors. Sips & Suppers is the brainchild of Nathan, Waters, and José Andrés, who began the event in 2009. Since
its inception, it has raised nearly $3.7 million for the two nonprofits. This investment has helped DC Central Kitchen prepare 22 million meals for D.C. kids and families and equipped nearly a thousand men and women with the skills needed to pursue culinary careers (dccentralkitchen.org). At Martha’s Table, the funds have supported over 5,000 students and families with high quality education and family supports and provided over six million healthy meals (marthastable.org).
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SINCE ITS INCEPTION, SIPS & SUPPERS HAS RAISED NEARLY $3.7 MILLION
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BOB BROWN SAYS | Bob Brown
10 Words to Lose — and 10 Words to Use
7. Don’t embarrass — help guests save face. What strange pronunciations have you heard lately? When a guest says, “I’ll have a glass of the “mare-lot,” you wouldn’t say, “Oh, you mean merlot, stupid?”
8. Don’t blame — take responsibility. Some servers take the easy way out when slamming a prime rib on top of an appetizer by saying, “I’m sorry. There’s new help in the kitchen.” Admit mistakes. Guests are forgiving.
W
hy do guests go out? For romance, get a break from the kids, do business, and treat themselves. They want all the comforts of home without doing the work. Yet, servers note that certain things diminish guests’ expectations of warmth and hospitality. Negative comments, mixed messages, as well as expressions of resentment or indifference can sabotage a great experience.
1. Don’t make excuses — offer solutions. While at a good time grill in Springfield, Virginia, my server said, “We’re out of raspberries because Chef Chiclet’s girlfriend left him. He drank three bottles of Cuervo, and we might need the FBI to find him.” Why not, “We’ve sold out, but we offer a raspberry sorbet which I’d recommend with a snifter of Gran Marnier and a cappuccino.”
2. Don’t start on a negative — sandwich the negative in the middle. At the iconic Magnolia’s in Charleston, South Carolina, a server 6 | MARCH 2018
approached with, “Hi, we’re out of salmon.” Start on a positive, put the negative in the middle, and end with a positive. “Good evening. Tonight, we’re featuring an excellent macadamia-crusted halibut. And, by the way, the salmon was so good, we sold out. But, we do offer a fullflavored sashimi-grade tuna with a roasted red pepper sauce.”
3. Don’t argue — honor your guest’s perception. It’s futile to argue with guests. A guest may insist a steak is rare when, in fact, it’s medium. One evening, I heard a server respond to a disgruntled guest, “That’s not red snapper? How about I take you into the kitchen and show you the whole fish?” Would you rather be right or happy? Because even if you win, you lose.
4. Don’t talk about negative personal preferences — divorce your personal negative tastes from the tastes of the buying public. For years, I sold thousands of
shell bowls at Paulo’s Restaurant in Georgetown in D.C. “Tonight, we’re offering the shell bowls with steamed mussels, steamed clams, and grilled shrimp. It’s fabulous!” I kept my dislike of mussels to myself. Thousands loved the dish, and I made seven bucks on every Shell Bowl I sold.
5. Don’t complain — respectfully communicate. At the Richmond Hill Restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina, I asked, “How’s the free-range chicken?” The server replied, “I wouldn’t know. They don’t let us eat anything here.” Complaining about the ownership, management, or the chef has guests running off to Yelp and Trip Advisor to share the bad news.
6. Don’t fake it — if you don’t know, say so — and then go find out. If a guest asks, “Can you tell me about the Shiraz? And you tentatively respond, “Well…um…it’s kind of fruity and sweet.” Guests are human lie detectors, and they can easily sniff out bogus answers.
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9. Avoid put downs — or get another job. Heard this? “How’s the blackened mahi? No one’s complained about it, yet.” Or, “We’re out of the lasagna, but don’t worry. You’re not missing anything.” Tell the chef, not the guest, or start thinking about a new career.
10: Avoid the “everything’s good” answer — try this: “Everything is good, but there are four things I wouldn’t want you to miss.” Then, describe the items in mouthwatering detail. You’ll be glad you did. BOB BROWN, president of Bob Brown Service Solutions, was the #1 speaker at the 2017 National Restaurant Show. He has worked with hospitality icons such as Disney, Hilton, Morton’s of Chicago, Nordstrom, Olive Garden, and Ritz Carlton, and he works internationally with the prestigious seven-star Burj Al Arab in Dubai. He has appeared on the Food Network and is author of The Little Brown Book of Restaurant Success, selling over 100,000 copies worldwide. Contact Bob for keynotes, breakouts, and workshops at 571-246-2944 ©Bob Brown Service Solutions 2016. www. bobbrownss.com. foodservicemonthly
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MARCH 2018 | 7
MODERN BUSINESS SOLUTIONS | Henry Pertman
Thinking About Opening an Additional Location of Your Restaurant?
Y
ou hear it all the time from your guests, “I wish your restaurant had a location near where I live!” You run a good business, take care of your staff, and they take care of your guests. Your food is better than most, and when you are there, it runs like a well-oiled machine. The best part is that the restaurant makes enough money that you could even consider opening another location. So should you? You could employ more people, make more guests happy, and you would not have to reinvent the wheel. You could just duplicate what you do now and continue the actions that made you successful. So could you?
First, the right question… …to ask yourself is whether the existing restaurant could run without you. What roles do you play, day to day, that could be and would be assumed by someone else if you were not there every day or as much as you are now? Have you empowered managers to make the decisions that you respect, and is your profitability a result of the systems you have in place or due to your regular efforts? If you know in your heart that the place just does not run as well without you, fix that problem before entertaining the notion of opening another location. Sure, that may delay things, but it will also ensure that your original business does not fade while you grow your next location.
Next, ask yourself… …whether it makes more sense to grow the current location than to open another one. Have you covered all of the revenue opportunities that your good name, goodwill, and 8 | MARCH 2018
brand could provide? Do you cater? How about carry-out and online orders and delivery? Could you spend your time, effort, and money to grow or initiate those aspects that you do not currently deploy? Again, if the place runs better with than without you, then this plan would be more under your control and more likely to succeed. On the other hand, if you are satisfied with your business model and are running the revenue opportunities very well and without your participation, maybe it is time to look to grow by opening additional units.
Opening the next location… …of your brand is no small decision, nor is it inexpensive. You will have to devote not only money but a lot of your time. And,
there are options to consider. My best recommendation is to start with a good business broker who specializes in selling hospitality businesses, not general businesses. Restaurants are too unique in what makes them successful to categorize them as retail shops. A good restaurant broker will understand your passion, your concept, and will respect your priorities. A great place to start is with recently closed restaurants, as unfortunate as it may be. Restaurants close for a variety of reasons, and if the reason was poor ownership or management, something resembling a turnkey operation could be possible. If not, then certainly it is easier to remodel a former restaurant than to have to start from scratch.
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Finally, figure out your financing ... ... and your budgets before you start the process. Be certain that you have prearranged, subject to your final decision, adequate funding for the new location. You may need loans, investors, as well as your own money, so proper planning will allow you to go full-steam ahead and with the confidence that this could really happen. Taking on a good hospitality consultant will prove great ROI in all of the discussed aspects, and, yes, I am always happy to help. HENRY PERTMAN is director, Hospitality Consulting at CohnReznick LLP, located in the firm’s Baltimore, Maryland office. He can be contacted at 410-7834900 or henry.pertman@cohnreznick.com.
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MARCH 2018 | 9
IN THE SPOTLIGHT | Lisa Keathley
Photo: Greg Powers
“The Busiest Year of My Life” — A Conversation with Mike Isabella
T
o say that 2017 was a big year for Mike Isabella is a bit of an understatement. Quite a bit of one, actually. Isabella took 2017 by storm, opening not one, not four, but 12 — yes, count ‘em — 12 new restaurants! That’s a feat by any standard! Between April and October 2017, Isabella opened three restaurants. The Spanish- and Moroccan-themed Arroz opened in the Marriott Marquis in Northwest D.C. in March. Another of his Greek-themed restaurants, Kapnos Taverna, opened in College Park, Md. in September. The new D.C. Wharf welcomed upscale haute French Requin (shark in French) in October. 10 | MARCH 2018
Starting in December, Isabella opened nine more. Wait! What? Yep. His latest achievement is Isabella Eatery, an unprecedented ninerestaurant food emporium at Tysons Galleria at Tysons Corner, Va. What is it, exactly? It’s a 41,000-squarefoot, 615-seat dining complex inside a mall, with both new and existing Mike Isabella Concepts (MIC) restaurants.
One of a kind “There’s nothing like it in America,” says Isabella. “I mean there are food malls with different stalls, and different owners, and different things. I kind of looked
at it more as a higher end food hall because there’s full service throughout with servers, and hosts, and managers, and chefs, and pastry chefs, and the commissary kitchen. It’s a one-of-a-kind thing, something I’ve been working on for a while.” Sprawled across a significant portion of the luxury retail outlet’s third floor, the Eatery offers mall visitors everything from a cuppa joe at Nonfiction Coffee to an ice cream sundae at Retro Creamery to a prohibition-style cocktail at Octagon Bar, which is perched on a walkway that connects the two wings of the Eatery. And then, there are the full food options from Graffiato, Pepita, Requin, Yona, and Kapnos Marketa.
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“The most rewarding (thing) is having the Eatery with all the concepts together where people are coming in every day and eating in different areas, whether it’s French, or Italian, or coffee, or Mexican, or sushi, or Spanish…so it’s kind of fun!”
When first approached… …to be part of a food hall in a high-end mall, Isabella was intrigued. As he considered it, he says, “I looked at the renderings and the space, and I talked with the
IN THE SPOTLIGHT cont. pg 11 foodservicemonthly
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT cont. from pg 10
Western Maryland BBQ Restaurant and Bar
developers and owners, and it didn’t make sense for me to be a part of it — it made sense for me to do it ALL. I wanted it to be something special!” Working with the design and architecture firm Streetsense, the Isabella team developed a look and feel for the massive complex that offers a cohesive dining experience. Diners can choose to eat in any of the individual restaurants, or they
York and Philadelphia, where he learned to cook Latin and Mexican food. “Then I started cooking Greek food and kind of stayed in that for a while. Then I went to D.C. and did Greek and Mediterranean, Middle Eastern style. I did a bunch of different cuisines. Then I opened my first Italian restaurant because I’m Italian. Then I went back to Greek because that’s what I trained
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Isabella Eatery at Tysons Galleria
can sit in the open dining hall and order from a single menu that offers the most popular items from five of them — Arroz, Octagon Bar, Pepita, Requin, and Yona. The eclectic range of food options reflects Mike Isabella’s past experiences. “I started rolling meatballs at five, six years old. I’ve loved food all my life. I come from an Italian family. So the only thing I really wanted to do was cook. I never knew what professional cooking was, but when people asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I said I wanted to cook. And that’s what I did.”
Cooking, and then some! “I started cooking at an American restaurant in Jersey when I was young.” Isabella then went to New foodservicemonthly
for years on, Greek cooking, Mediterranean cooking. And I just kind of expanded from there.” Currently, Isabella’s restaurant operation, Mike Isabella Concepts, extends from Bethesda to Richmond. Does he have any plans to move beyond the DMV? “I don’t have an answer for you at this point. Right now, I really enjoy being able to drive to any of my restaurants. I enjoy being able to bounce into multiple restaurants in a day, so for me, I haven’t really looked outside the market. When I was younger, I did. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve kind of been like, I don’t really want to live on an airplane.”?
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT cont. pg 12 The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On
MARCH 2018 | 11
IN THE SPOTLIGHT cont. from pg 11
Work hard, play hard Staying closer to his home base does not make Mike Isabella any less intense. “I’m a normal person,” he laughs. “I like to have fun, work hard, play hard. I’m no different today than I was 15 years ago in the kitchen. I’m always intense, I’m always driven, I always want to work hard, and nothing has changed throughout my career, pretty much. I’m the same person, I feel. I’m more mature,” he laughs, “but the same mentality from a work standpoint
and the drive standpoint. Certain people change with success. I don’t look at things like that from the way I was raised in my life, and where I’ve come from, and the challenges I’ve accomplished.” That said, this dynamic restaurateur is quick to give credit to his team. “You’re only as good as your team. I wouldn’t be able to open up all these restaurants if I didn’t have a strong nucleus of my team that’s been with me for years. It’s consistency, it’s training, it’s a lot of work, a lot of
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Photos by Lisa Keathley
Isabella Eatery's Octagon Bar and the restaurant Requin hours. It’s a lot of time. Six or seven days a week, from when you wake up until when you go to bed, it’s business.” One of the major challenges of the new facility: “Hiring,” Isabella notes. “Opening up something that’s 41,000 square feet where you need 300 employees is not an easy project to do. Hiring, training, I mean those are the toughest things when you are bringing a lot of new employees with a lot of different concepts and a lot of moving parts.”
On awards and recognition Mike Isabella was named 2016 Restaurateur of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. He appeared on Season Six of Top Chef and Top Chef Duels, and he was the runner-up on Top Chef AllStars,“where I made a pepperoni sauce, and the judges went crazy over it because they’d never had it before. These are people who eat for a living so there was a lot of hype behind that for a lot of years!” Have the honors changed him? His answer is unequivocal. “Not one bit. Not one bit. It’s a bonus, and it feels good, but I don’t look to awards. I just look to run a successful business, put out a good product, and build my brands. Those are the main three things that I focus on when I wake up in the morning. When accolades come around, I respect it, I appreciate it, but the next day, it’s back to work again with the same mentality.”
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Looking ahead Mike Isabella’s grandmother, Antoinette Didamo, “was the one who started me with cooking since I was a little kid, before I went to culinary school, with her pastas, meatballs, and sausages.” She was a big inspiration for his cookbook Mike Isabella's Crazy Good Italian: Big Flavors, Small Plates. “I’d like to write another cookbook,” he says. “I don’t have one planned, but I’d like to write another book or two.” What about more malls? When asked if the Tysons concept is transferable to other malls, Mike Isabella is quick to answer. “I do. I do. And I think there are a lot of developers who’ve been coming in to check it out already, and a lot of restaurateurs have been coming in to check it out, so I’m sure you’ll see versions of what we created over the next few years.”
Will he have a hand in it? “That’s a great question. I don’t have an answer for that. It’s the busiest year of my life. I don’t know if I can do that again. Or if I want to do that again! People have talked to me about doing more of these, and right now, my answer is let me just get this thing opened, and get it running, and get it to where I want it to be from a profitability standpoint, and then we can talk!” ISABELLA EATERY: TYSONS GALLERIA, Third Floor, 2001 International Drive, McLean, Va. 22102; www.isabellaeatery.com.
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DIDN'T WE SEE YOU AT ... | Images from our Roving Photographer Lisa Keathley
GUEST SERVICES, INC. held its annual food show in mid-February. A 100+ year-old company with more than 4,000 employees, the firm provides the best in food, hospitality, and recreation management services for over 35 million guests annually at more than 300 unique sites across the country. More than 90 vendors attended the show, which was organized by director of purchasing Bob Douglas and attended by guest services' staff and clients, including President/COO Jeff Marquis and CEO Gerry Gabrys. Marquis and Douglas are pictured top left.
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MARCH 2018 | 13
FOOD SMARTS | Juliet Bodinetz
Hep A? What’s the Big Deal? ….. For Real their hands properly. People with the virus can spread it to anything they touch, and other people can pick it up when they later touch that same surface. When the virus gets on the hands of people who prepare food, they can contaminate the food and spread the virus to people who eat the food.
What to watch out for
T
welve people are now facing misdemeanor charges in El Cajon, California after handing out food to the homeless at a public park. They were in violation of a temporary city ordinance that is intended to help curb a hepatitis A outbreak. Salt Lake County has an ongoing hepatitis A outbreak, too, and, recently, the Salt Lake County Board of Health amended a health code regulation to require the hepatitis A vaccination for all food workers in an establishment when anyone working in that establishment has been in contact with a person infected with the virus. Why are some calling for all foodservice workers to be vaccinated against hepatitis A?
First, a refresher Hepatitis A is a virus that infects the liver. Most people who get hepatitis A feel sick for several weeks, but they usually recover 14 | MARCH 2018
completely and do not have lasting liver damage. In rare cases, hepatitis A can cause liver failure and death. This is more common in people over 50 and in people with other liver diseases. It is highly contagious and can spread from person to person via the “fecal-oral route,” as well as through contaminated food or water. Food-related outbreaks are usually associated with contamination of food during preparation by a hepatitis A-infected food handler, who can unknowingly spread the virus before he or she has any symptoms. According to the CDC, symptoms usually develop between two and seven weeks after exposure.
Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, diarrhea, and yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice). A post-exposure vaccine is available, but it is only effective if administered within two weeks of exposure. Food handlers transmitting the virus because they don’t know that they are sick can be a major problem. Complicating matters further, some people who are infected never develop any symptoms, but they can still spread the disease.
before preparing food. Food handlers should always wear gloves when handling or preparing readyto-eat foods, but remember that gloves are not a substitute for good hand washing. Any food handler with diarrhea or jaundice must be excluded from the operation. Proper cleaning and sainting of food contact surfaces is critical. The virus can be inactivated by heating food or liquids to 185°F (85°C) or higher for one minute or disinfecting surfaces with a 1:100 dilution of bleach in tap water.
And then there’s the vaccine Antibodies produced in response to hepatitis A infection last for lifetime and protect against reinfection, but the better way to go might be the vaccine. The vaccine is administered in two doses, at a cost of between $60 and $300 per person. My research shows that many insurance companies are starting to cover the vaccines, so if your employees have health insurance, consider asking them to get vaccinated.
Adding to the problem…
Bottom line:
…the Hepatitis A virus is able to survive outside the body for months. It can survive for several hours on fingertips and hands and up to two months on dry surfaces. Although hepatitis A cannot grow in the environment, the virus can withstand a wide range of environmental conditions, including freezing, heat, and chemicals.
To protect yourself, your operation, and your guests, practice good personal hygiene and clean and sanitize food contact surfaces. Consider investing in your longterm staff and pay to get them vaccinated.
How does it spread?
What to do?
The virus spreads from the feces of infected people, particularly when infected staff don’t wash their hands thoroughly (or at all) after using the restroom. The virus can also spread when people clean up after an infected person and don’t wash
Proper hand washing is one of the best things you can do to help protect yourself and others from hepatitis A. Food handlers must always wash their hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, changing a diaper, and certainly
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JULIET BODINETZ is executive director of Bilingual Hospitality Training Solutions and has over 30 years of industry and training experience. She and her team of instructors specialize in food safety, alcohol training, ServSafe training in English or in Spanish, and writing HACCP plans in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. metro areas. www.bilingualhospitality.com, juliet@ bilingualhospitality.com or 443-838-7561. For the latest food safety tips, become a fan on Facebook or Twitter: @BHTS. foodservicemonthly
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MARCH 2018 | 15
MY TAKE | Michael Sternberg
…On The Essentials
S
ince selling my interest in what I was sure would be my last restaurant in 2013 and starting my second career as a full-fledged consultant, I’ve been extolling the virtues of my consulting mantra — “No partners. No payroll. No landlords.” to anyone willing to listen. It’s been a great four years of working on my own schedule and mostly on projects that I truly enjoyed, with clients I appreciated, and who, for the most part, appreciated me. Don’t get me wrong. It hasn’t all been peaches and cream. The first couple of years as a consultant were very lean. I knocked on a lot of doors, met with lots of people, and drank a whole bunch of coffee with people who thought that my new job was to give them free advice on their business. Part of my learning curve in creating a profitable consulting business was learning to politely say, “I’d be happy to work with you on a professional basis if you’d like me to provide you with a proposal.” And there was certainly an adjustment period. In the beginning, working from home, my most common dialogue with my wife went like this: 16 | MARCH 2018
Her: “Aren’t you going to work?” Me: (on the couch with my laptop) “I am working.” Her: “You’re lying on the couch.” Me: “I’m reaching out to potential clients.” Her: “You’re still lying on the couch.” After the twentieth rendition of that conversation, I found office space. The last couple of years have been terrific (See honey? Those sessions on the couch paid off!), as I developed great relationships with a small coterie of wonderful clients. There were a few people who wanted to continue to drink coffee with me even after signing contracts. I spent less time in coffee shops, but, when I did, I drank coffee with people who understood that my advice was worth something. Back to my mantra — No partners. No employees. No landlords. It worked well for me. Sure, I partnered with others from time to time (thanks again Bob and Ben!), and I worked with the employees of my clients but had none of my own. I even had a landlord, albeit a most benevolent
one, for my small office but didn’t have worries about big rent or building managers complaining about the trash situation. Now I’ve gone and screwed up my relaxed lifestyle by taking a full-time position that includes all three of the previously banned elements — partners, employees, and landlords. It’s a great opportunity, and I’m feeling good about it! But, as a result of my newly gained responsibilities, this will be my last column for quite some time. And so, I want to leave you all with what I think of as “the essentials.” In one of my roles as an advisor to a restaurant venture fund, I see business proposals and get sales pitches all the time from entrepreneurs seeking investment. I can’t tell you how many of them violate what I think of as the absolute essential #1. It is:
Do not sign a lease or a construction contract until you have all the money committed. The single most prevalent reason for a restaurant to fail is because it is undercapitalized. Don’t let that happen to you. If you start out in a financial hole, you’ve increased the chances of failure immeasurably.
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Being a good home cook, or home brewer, or a great host at parties will not make you a prosperous restaurateur. One of these interests might have made you interested in opening a restaurant, but it will not make your business a success. While restaurants can be more personally rewarding than many other businesses, it is still a business. Thus, essential #2 is:
Learn the Basics Learn basic business accounting and management principles, including understanding a P&L and a balance sheet. Learn how to manage inventory, cash, your time, and most importantly, people, before you open for business. Trying to learn on the fly will cost you dearly and will take you away from the work you want to do, whether that’s cooking, or working the floor, or brewing beer. There is a great saying attributed to famous oil well firefighter Red Adair that I love to repeat, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.” I can’t count how many
MY TAKE cont. pg 17 foodservicemonthly
MY TAKE
cont. from pg 16
With 20+ years of experience raising the standards higher on every new project and client
people have called me for help after they are so deep into their problems that there is nothing that can be done. Essential #3 is:
Hire professionals and listen to them. Check references, go see the work they’ve done, and talk to people who’ve worked with them. Sure, you can do it all on your own, but the learning curve is time consuming and expensive. Yes, your sister-inlaw did a great job decorating your living room. That doesn’t mean she can design a restaurant. It’s never been more expensive to open a restaurant, and time really is money. If you can shorten that curve, you might just succeed. The most common request I get? “My problem is my rent. If you can help me renegotiate my rent with my landlord, I know I can succeed.” My axiom is this: “No business ever went broke because of rent. It went broke paying the right rent for the wrong location or by paying the wrong rent in the right location.” Here’s essential #4:
Don’t fall in love with the space. Fall in love with the right business deal. Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen, doing $17M in sales in Times Square, is now closed. Clearly, a great location but wrong rent. Danny Meyer’s decision to move the iconic Union Square Café is a perfect example of understanding this simple equation. He’d proven the original location for 30 years, but when the landlord asked for the wrong rent, he moved. Simple as that. On the other hand, we’ve all had friends who got such a great deal on rent that they had to sign a lease. And a year later, they are packing up their pots and pans because street traffic never developed the way they thought it would. Which brings me to essential #5:
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Do your homework! Do your homework! DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Yes, you should write a business plan. Yes, you should stand on the street outside your prospective location for many days and nights and count traffic. Yes, you should check references extensively. Yes, you should ask people more knowledgeable than you and with successful track records in the industry for advice. And no, you did not just invent an original, unique, guaranteedto-succeed restaurant concept. There is nothing truly original in the hospitality world. It is all a variation on the many “restaurateurs, boulangeries, traitteurs, trattorias, izkayas, taverns, tavernas, tabernas, inns, and roadhouses (to name but a few of the many predecessors to restaurants) that have existed for thousands of years. One of the most successful people in modern restaurant history was the legendary Norm Brinker, founder of Steak & Ale, Bennigans, Chili’s (and was largely responsible for the creation of the Susan B. Komen Foundation). The story that is most repeated about Norm is that when he opened his first Steak & Ale, he’d stand out front of the restaurant for hours pretending like he was going in and asking every guest that came out about their experience. He’d then reshape the next day’s service based on the feedback he received. That’s a good story to keep in mind as you move forward on your plans. Finally, there is an image of the prototypical restaurant owner that is burned into the collective consciousness of the American psyche. I am pretty sure it started with Humphrey Bogart in
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MARCH 2018 | 17
ASSOCIATION NEWS OCHMRA | Susan L. Jones
It’s GO Time for Expo 2018!
W
e can’t wait to see you at Expo 2018! To make your experience even better, please plan to attend some of the many educational sessions. Here’s the scoop.
Sunday, March 4 Culinary Showcase Stage 11:30 a.m.: Master Chef Season 7 Winner Shaun O’Neale will mix it up with a lively and entertaining cooking demo. A meet and greet and cookbook signing (My American Table) follows. 2:00 p.m.: Where will our seafood
come from in the future? — Join fish expert, biologist, and VP of Congressional Seafood, Tim Sughrue, as he shares samples and explores sourcing sustainable seafood in a protein-short world. 3:30 p.m.: Food on Tap - Cooking with Craft Beer — Sysco Eastern MD Chef Candace Hilger teams up with EVO craft beer to explore developing craft beer-inspired dishes. Room 210, Second Level 12:00 p.m.: P.O.S.: Proven. Organizational. Success. Using technology to achieve better sales and reduced costs. — Think your POS software is just for ringing in
the sale? It’s not! Use technology to manage labor costs, reduce waste and spoilage, inventory management, increase customer turnover, and increase average check values to increase profitability and efficiency. 1:00 p.m.: Grease, Fats & Oils Proper Handling of Waste — Hear more about this important topic from Rich Ballard of Valley Proteins and Scott Brinsfiled of FiltaFry. 2:00 p.m.: Everyone’s a Critic, Deal with It! — Every day, customers are talking about your business on TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook, and others. Explore how to handle negative reviews and manage your online reputation in a presentation by Todd Collins, COO at Restaurant Reputations. 3:00 p.m.: Technology Ideas to
Generate Repeat Guests — Two industry experts discuss using a point of sale system, online ordering, loyalty programs, guest data, and other available technology to help manage and grow your business, as well as keep your guests happy enough to return. The presenters are Henry Pertman, CohnReznick, and Michael Tash, Essential System Solutions. 4:00 p.m.: Keeping Employees Safe and Procedures for Returning to Work — Learn what typically causes accidents and what business owners can do to protect their employees and their companies. Hear the benefits of working with insurance
EXPO 2018 cont. pg 19
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18 | MARCH 2018
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EXPO 2018
cont. from pg 18 providers to reduce exposure, in a presentation by Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company. Show Floor Exhibition 12:30, 2:30, & 4:30 p.m.: Exhibit Booth # 2614 - Chesapeake Cafe by Eastern Shore Coffee & Water — Marvel in the magical creation of latte art.
Monday, March 5 Culinary Showcase Stage 11:30 a.m.: Meet the Makers! — Learn more about craft products & spirits and the makers that produce them. 1:00 p.m.: Ocean 98 Presents MINGO — Join in for Music Bingo, an entertaining and interactive chance to win prizes, featuring food, beverage, and hospitality related songs! 2:30 p.m.: Executive Chef Paul Suplee takes center stage and delves into the Heart of the Kitchen.
Room 210, Second Level 10:00 a.m.: Paid Sick Leave Compliance - MD Working Healthy Families Act is Here, Now What? — Join legal reps from Niles, Barton & Wilmer as they explore the new Maryland law in plain language. (Note: Room 208). 11:30 a.m.: Mine Your Data; Mind Your Business — Learn how to use creative strategies to put data to work to attract new customers, encourage repeat business, and drive direct bookings in this presentation by John Gehrig, D3Corp. 12:00 p.m.: Legionella - What’s in the Water: Assessment, Prevention & Remediation. — This discussion will include what legionella is, how to prevent an outbreak, and water system remediation. The presenter is JP Grimes, ARC Water Treatment (Note: Room 208). 12:30 p.m. Technology Ideas to Generate Repeat Guests — Two industry experts discuss using a
point of sale system, online ordering, loyalty programs, guest data, and other available technology to help manage and grow your business, as well as keep your guests happy enough to return. The presenters are Henry Pertman, CohnReznick, and Michael Tash, Essential System Solutions. 1:30 p.m. Everyone’s a Critic, Deal with It! — Every day, customers are talking about your business on TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook and others. Explore how to handle negative reviews and manage your online reputation in this presentation by Todd Collins,
Platinum Reputations. 2:30 p.m. How to Maximize (okay squeeze) Your Marketing Dollars — Learn numerous ways to create affordable marketing touch points in a very tight economy in this presentation by David Addi, Fired Up Promotions. Show Floor Exhibition 12:00 & 2:00 p.m.: Exhibit Booth # 2614 - Chesapeake Cafe by Eastern Shore Coffee & Water — Marvel in the magical creation of latte art. SUSAN JONES is executive director of the Ocean City Hotel Motel Restaurant Association.
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MY TAKE
cont. from pg 17 “Casablanca.” As the proprietor of “Rick’s Café Americain,” Bogie is seen mostly smoking cigarettes, drinking whiskey, buying drinks, and flirting. Lots of restaurant failures have resulted from that image. Essential #6 is:
Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty When I first started as a manager with Arnie Morton in the late 70s, I went out and bought the most expensive suit (with matching shirt and tie) that I could afford. I realized the folly of that decision within a month when I was crawling under the dishwasher, trying to remove the fork that was keeping the machine from working. From that point on, Syms, Burlington Coat Factory, and TJ Maxx became my best friends, and I never bought a suit or tie at full retail again. So, if you’re not ready to jump on the cooking line, hop behind the bar, or bus tables when things get busy, you are not ready for restaurant ownership. foodservicemonthly
Think about this — you don’t make any money buying drinks. I’ll keep these essentials in mind as I start one more journey in building what I hope to be — and intend to be — a great company. I’ve got great people with me, we’re financed properly, we’ve got terrific leases on good locations, and we’ve done our homework. I hope to write for this publication from time to time, and I’ll tell you about our progress. If I provide some enlightenment for your business, in the end, a successful industry is good for us all. See you in the restaurant! MICHAEL STERNBERG is an award-winning expert in a wide array of foodservice venues, including restaurants, hotels, stadiums, arenas, and airports, with operations ranging from full-service to grab & go. He is CEO of Sternberg Hospitality, a full-service restaurant and hospitality consultancy, and a principal in Mokja Ventures, an investment fund for creative, scalable restaurant concepts. He can be reached at: michael@ sternberghospitality.com or 703-298-2706.
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ASSOCIATION NEWS RAM | Marshall Weston
Maryland Paid Sick Leave Law – Now In Effect Last year, Governor Hogan vetoed the paid sick leave legislation passed by the General Assembly because he felt the law was poorly
written, cumbersome, and unfair to employees and the business community. The governor then began pushing his own version of
a paid sick leave bill that addressed many of these concerns. However, the General Assembly did not take any action on the governor’s recommendations and instead overrode his veto on the original bill as their first order of business this year. Since that time, RAM had supported efforts to delay the implementation of the paid sick leave law until July 1, 2018. The Senate agreed and passed a bill to delay the implementation. However, as of this writing, the House of Delegates refused to vote on this bill, and, therefore, it went into effect on February 11, 2018. Even though this law is now in effect, there are limited regulatory guidelines in place for businesses to follow in order to be in compliance.
The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation has posted some preliminary compliance guidance on its website for Maryland employers to follow; however, final regulations are not expected until June. RAM has been advising our members to begin complying with the paid sick leave law by tracking accrual for all current employees at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. It is also important to know that employers with 14 or fewer employees are still required to track their employees’ accrual of hours; however, the leave provided may be unpaid. MARSHALL WESTON is the president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland.
Basic Summary of Paid Sick Leave Law: • Employers with 15 or more employees are required to offer PAID sick leave. Employers with 14 or fewer employees must provide UNPAID leave. • The law does not apply to employees who regularly work fewer than 12 hours a week. The law does not apply to employees under age 18 before the beginning of the year.
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• Employees may be prohibited from using their earned leave during the first 106 days of employment.
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• Sick leave shall accrue at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. An employer is not required to allow an employee to earn more than 40 hours in a year, carry over more than 40 hours of unused leave into the next year, use more than 64 hours in a year, or accrue more than 64 hours at any time.
• Tipped employees are to be paid the full applicable minimum wage for their leave time, not the tip wage of $3.63/hour. • An employee may trade shifts or pick up shifts (provided the employee and employer agree) in lieu of using their earned leave time. • Employers would be required to reinstate any unused accrued leave for employees rehired within 37 weeks after leaving employment. • Accrued leave may be used for employee or family member illness, and for certain situations involving domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. • This legislation does not apply to employees working in Montgomery County, which has already enacted its own paid sick leave law.
20 | MARCH 2018
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ASSOCIATION NEWS VRLTA | Eric D. Terry
TOGETHER, WE’LL
Bills Struck Down in Virginia General Assembly
A
fter a crazy start in Richmond, the Virginia General Assembly has finally gotten down to business. Here are a few updates for the 2018 General Assembly session; two bills in particular have been a priority of Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association. One of the bills, House Bill 1259 (HB 1259), pertained to the exclusion of any tips by an employee in the determination of wages by an employer. Another bill that was presented during the 2018 Virginia General Assembly session was House Bill 1569 (HB 1569), which dealt with the requirement of employers to give certain employees an estimate of the hours they are estimated to work for the month (predictive scheduling). Both bills were effectively struck down during 2018 General Assembly session, a great benefit for restaurants.
HB 1259: The first bill, HB 1259, was introduced this current session with the argument that tips received by employees should be excluded when determining the amount of wages paid by an employer to its employee under the Virginia Wage Act. HB 1259 also provided that the Virginia Minimum Wage Act also be applied to farm laborers, shoe-shiners, door attendants, taxicab drivers, and any person who is covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, among others. This bill would have provided that employers disregard any tips or potential tips that may be earned by an employee when establishing a base or minimum wage. House Bill 1259 would have placed a burden on businesses that set minimum wages with tips included or factored into wages. This minimum wage bill would have allowed for higher minimum wages while still allowing for the same estimated number of tips to be generated. foodservicemonthly
HB 1569: The second House Bill that failed to move past subcommittee was HB 1569, which required that employers give certain employees, prior to their first day of work, an accurate estimate of the expected minimum shifts per month, along with the days and hours of those shifts, that that employee is expected to work. Additionally, HB 1569 also required that employers provide employees on a bi-weekly basis with at least two weeks’ prior notice of the employee’s expected work schedule over the ensuing two-week period. Violation of the previously mentioned provisions of HB 1569 would have resulted in a civil penalty of not more than $100 for each violation. While the employer may try to dispute any of the alleged violations with the Commissioner, HB 1569 would have nonetheless placed an unnecessary burden on an industry where schedules are always changing, and flexibility on behalf of the employee is integral. This bill would also give more power to the Commissioner by allowing the Commissioner to collect the civil penalties and adopt any necessary rules and regulations needed to carry out the purposes of the provisions provided in this HB 1569. While organization and set schedules play an important role in the success of the restaurant business, HB 1569 placed an unnecessary penalty on businesses over a matter that is always changing. The 2018 General Assembly concludes on March 10, and, as always, VRLTA will be closely watching legislation that impacts our industry.
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ERIC TERRY is the executive director of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association. The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On
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MARCH 2018 | 21
LOCAL COOKS | Alexandra Greeley
For Chef Ann Cashion — An “Eat Place” and More Cashion’s Eat Place
Photo credit: Johnny's Half Shell
Ann Cashion (r) and partner John Fulchino
L
ocal food fans surely have sampled some of the goodies of one of its top chefs, Ann Cashion. This longtime D.C. food icon has really nailed it in the local restaurant scene: she has cooked in Adams Morgan — Cashion’s Eat Place, now Johnny’s Half Shell; on Capitol Hill — the now-closed Johnny’s Half Shell; and in Logan Circle — Taqueria Nacional. Before that, she cooked at Restaurant Nora and was the executive chef of the first Austin Grill that opened in Glover Park in 1987. South Austin Grill opened in Alexandria, Va. in 1991, with an expanded Tex-Mex menu that garnered critical and popular success. Cashion was also the executive chef of Jaleo for two years after opening it, hiring José Andrés in 1993!
22 | MARCH 2018
First, a little background A Southerner from Jackson, Mississippi, Cashion grew up in a food-centric family. “My grandmother was a legendary baker,” she said. “And my mom is a great cook. But I am the only one who wanted to make a living having this much fun.” Cashion earned a degree from Harvard and, for two years, worked on a Ph.D. in English literature at Stanford University before turning to food. After taking a job in a local bakery, she explored San Francisco’s food scene and then spent a semester in Italy. Not surprisingly, that food experience really changed her, especially after she was invited to cook with D.C. chef Francesco Ricchi, who was then located in Cercina, Italy. That was truly a transformative experience, she said.
In 1995, Cashion and partner John Fulchino opened Cashion’s Eat Place in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C. They had met at Austin Grill where she cooked, and he was the bar manager. Cashion’s Eat Place was chosen by Bon Appetit magazine as one of America’s best new restaurants, voted “Best New Restaurant” by the readership of Gourmet Magazine, and was prominently highlighted in Phyllis Richman’s 50 favorites. The restaurant was featured on the TV Food Network, PBS, and on France II television for “the quality of its cuisine and the warmth of its ambiance,” according to one biography. In 1997, Ann Cashion was honored as the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s “Chef of the Year.” In 1999, four years after the opening of Cashion’s Eat Place, Cashion and Fulchino opened Johnny’s Half Shell on P Street in D.C.’s Dupont Circle, naming the new eatery after partner John. The 35-seat oyster bar, chosen by Gourmet magazine as “Best New Restaurant 1999,” was a delight for D.C. fish lovers and helped earn Ann Cashion the prestigious James Beard award for “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” in 2004. Johnny’s moved to Capitol Hill in 2006 before closing nearly a decade later.
Johnny’s 3.0 The new, and third, iteration of Johnny’s Half Shell has relocated to Cashion’s original site in Adams Morgan. Small, chic, yet casual with an active bar scene and an open kitchen, Johnny’s serves up fresh oysters from its raw bar, plus assorted
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seafood and meat-based dishes on the menu. The original Cashion’s Eat Place sign hangs in the dining room. “There are many differences in the operation here,” she said. “The kitchen is much smaller, and we have a more streamlined menu.” That makes it easier for her and the kitchen staff to make more frequent menu changes and appeal more to the Adams Morgan locals. Favorites here? Crab cakes, BBQ shrimp, and grits. The massive, 12,000-square-foot Johnny’s Half Shell on the Hill, she said, was a big part of the power scene there. “I was cooking for and serving private events,” she said. “I also feel like the nature of of the location attracts people who choose to dine with us because they are interested in the food. On the Hill, it was ‘let’s go there because it was close and we can go straight back to work.’”
Johnny’s + tacos In 2007, Cashion returned to some of her earlier cooking roots and created Taqueria Nacional. “I wanted to create a restaurant that is really streamlined, with a menu that did not change very much,” she said. This, in order to help create chances for staff to learn management and ownership skills. The original Taqueria, located behind Johnny’s Half Shell on the Hill, fit that purpose quite well; it was small and attracted a huge, hungry crowd. Bon Appetit magazine honored the restaurant in 2007, naming it one of the five best new Mexican restaurants in the United States. The Mexican Embassy added to that honor in 2009 with a medal of distinction for Taqueria Nacional’s faithful reproduction of classical Mexican flavors, according to Taqueria’s website.
CASHION cont. pg 23 foodservicemonthly
CASHION
INSIDE OWNERSHIP | Dennis Barry
cont. from pg 22 Taqueria moved from the Hill to its Logan Circle location in 2013, setting up in a former U.S. post office. It’s an easy, 45-seat, go-to eatery with such treats as quesadillas, tostadas, and of course, tacos, from refried bean tacos to egg and green chili tacos to carnitas or lamb tacos. The setting is simple, so that customers can order from up front and then eat in or take out, depending on their mood. And locals can stop by for breakfast on weekends, to fill up on breakfast tacos or breakfast quesadillas, plus more.
An unequivocal cooking success Cashion has a serious way with food that has earned her respect in a city rife with toptier chefs competing for the limelight. That explains how she can successfully run and cook for two totally different restaurants with very different types of food. Obviously, she has figured out the way to attract and feed customers, and for all these many years, with all the honors and accolades she has received, she has been a great success. JOHNNY’S HALF SHELL, 1819 Columbia Rd., NW, Washington, DC. 202-506-5257; Taqueria Nacional, 1409 T St., NW, Washington, DC 202299-1122.
ALEXANDRA GREELEY has more than 25 years of experience as an author, editor, reporter, food critic, staff writer, and freelance writer and editor, both in the United States and Asia. She is author or co-author of several cookbooks, including The Everything Guide to Being Vegetarian, Asian Soups, Stews, & Curries, Nong’s Thai Kitchen, and Homestyle Vietnamese Cooking. foodservicemonthly
“I Make Dough” A Conversation with Nikki Bellisario of Bellisario’s Pizza
N
ikki Bellisario (Parker) is a first-generation Italian American and firstgeneration Steelers fan from Steel City — Pittsburgh, Pa. Nikki’s parents emigrated to the United States from Gamberale, Italy. When she moved to Maryland and opened an extension of her family’s business, her father told her three things to always remember: Do not open on Sunday. That is your family day. Don’t deliver. Don’t be greedy! Nikki took her Dad’s advice and, 18 years later, has never done any of these things! Here is my conversation with Nikki.
Q: I believe success leaves clues. People say you have experienced a level of success. Do you agree? A: I do. I have been open six days a week for 18 years now. I have consistent, loyal customers that I consider to be friends. I have a beautiful family! A loving husband, three beautiful children. I am blessed. Q: Define hard work? A: Disciplined to get up each day. “Get up and show up.” Q: Share two “clues” that have helped you succeed. A: One is a strong work ethic. I started in the family business at (age) 11 making $15.00 a week. I still tell my uncle, to this day, he owes me money! He just laughs at me. The other is a consistent, quality product with every order. I have not wavered from the family recipe that has carried me for 18 years.
menu? A: Number one is pizza (It better be! LOL!). Second is the steak and cheese hoagie. Third is the steak and cheese “wedgie.” Q: Other than it being what happened to me in middle school, what is a “wedgie?”
Nikki Bellisario of Bellisario's Pizza
Hmmm, that’s tough. Oh, I know, cleaning. I don’t like doing it, but it gets done. By me! Every single day! Q: What is the easiest part of your day? A: Prep. I enjoy getting here early to do all the prep work for the day. Q: How much do you make on a pizza? A: My cost is right around $3.00. My menu is set at $11.75 for a large. Q: Nikki, in an industry with a high failure rate, what made you think you could succeed when most don’t? A: I do what I know I do best! I make my own sauce and dough, and I have consistency across my menu. There are three Bellisario’s Pizza locations — two in Pittsburgh (50+ years) and one in Maryland (18 years). I agree with you, Dennis, “Success DOES leave clues.” Q: What is your average check size?
Q: Toughest part of your job each day?
A: Dinner is $25.00. Lunch is $10.00. I have a popular lunch special that is $5.00.
A: Besides talking to Rocky (a friend and VP of procurement at FoodPro)?
Q: What are the first, second, and third most popular items on the
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A: (Laughs) OMG, I am so sorry to hear that! For a “wedgie,” take away the sub roll with a steak and cheese hoagie. Replace it with my pizza dough. It’s a Pittsburgh thing that has really found a home in Maryland! Q: Steelers? Really? In an area dominated by Redskin and Ravens fans, aren’t you afraid to alienate people? A: No. I have a great product, and I have been here longer than I was in Pittsburgh. Maryland is my home. Pittsburgh is where my roots are. You never ignore what made you! Q: What is the biggest public misconceptions about the following two topics? Owning your own business? A: That’s easy. People assume I am rich. Q: Owning your own restaurant? A: That, no matter what, they have the best idea for your menu! Q: If you could change one thing right now, what would it be? A: A little bigger kitchen would be nice. When we have a rush, we are bumping into each other. Other than that, nothing else. It continues to be a great ride! DENNIS BARRY is marketing director for FoodPRO. He is a contributor to FSM's occasional artlcles about entrepreneurship in the food industry. MARCH 2018 | 23
THE LATEST DISH | Linda Roth
Mediterranean-focused Alhambra Opens developed Latin menus at Richard Sandoval Restaurants. Danilo Simic of Ambar and BABA is the mixologist for Buena Vida and TTT, too. But that’s not all for Ivan, as he also plans to take over the La Tasca space at 2900 Wilson Blvd. across from Ambar and BABA in Clarendon. It may be modeled after Buena Vida.
Spring, after a two-year recovery from a fire at a nearby restaurant. Taqueria Local plans to open this month at 1627 K Street, NW. There may be a second restaurant in the Mount Vernon ‘hood from Tony and Theresa Velasquez, the folks who brought you Baked Joint, at 400 K Street, NW, and Baked & Wired in Georgetown.
Chef /Wine Director Updates Photo by Greg Powers
Chef Sébastien Giannini of Alhambra
Photo by Greg Powers
A view from inside Alhambra
T
he folks who own and operate Madam’s Organ in Adams Morgan are renovating the space down the block, installing very fancy New Orleans-esque iron grillwork. The new space, next to Amsterdam Falafel Shop at 2425 18th Street, NW, will be called Bad Daddy’s. Susan and Jerry Pnevmatikatos, plan to open Executive Diner and Cafe at 1400 Duke Street in Alexandria by mid-March. They are day care and preschool operators who got creative when they needed more space to prepare the meals needed for all their locations. The original intent was to buy a building to install a large commercial kitchen to handle that. It was more space than they needed, hence, they became restaurateurs, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, with about 115 seats. Alexandria Restaurant Partners plans to open Mia’s Italian Kitchen at 100 King Street in Old Town, Alexandria, where Carluccio’s used 24 | MARCH 2018
Recently Opened
to be. An April opening is in the works. ARP is also buying over 90 percent of Theismann’s Restaurant and Bar, also in Old Town, with owners Vern Grandgeorge and Joe Theismann. ARP also owns Virtue Feed & Grain, The Majestic, and Vola’s Dockside Grill. Ivan Iricanin opens Buena Vida, where 8407 Kitchen Bar used to be in Silver Spring. Buena Vida shares the space with Tacos, Tortas and Tequila, otherwise known as TTT. The kitchen at both places will have Graham Bartlett at the helm, playing to his strength as he previously
Alhambra restaurant at St. Regis at 16th & K Streets, NW in downtown D.C., with Chef Sébastien Giannini at the helm, as maestro for the wealth of cultures that comprise the Mediterranean region. Mayahuel Cocina Mexicana, at 2609 24th Street, NW, plans to open next to its sibling, District Kitchen in Woodley Park. Chef Miguel Pizarroso, oversees the food at both restaurants. Pastry chef/restaurateurs Camila Arango and Tom Wellings opened Pluma by Bluebird down the block from Union Market at 391 Morse Street, NE.
Quick Hits
Ezra Rosenberg is now wine director at Roofers Union and Jug & Table on the lower level at 2446 18th Street, NW in Adams Morgan. Massimo Fabbri, formerly of Tosca, is the chef at San Lorenzo, slated to open at 1316 9th St., NW in Shaw in Q2. Nick Stefanelli of Masseria plans to open Officina by Nicholas Stefanelli at The Wharf, featuring food from the Puglia region of Italy. It will include an artisanal market, a full-service restaurant serving southern Italian food, and a rooftop. A Q3 opening is targeted. LINDA ROTH is president of Linda Roth Associates, Inc., specializing in marketing, promotions, and publicity in the hospitality industry. Contact Linda at 202-888-3571 or linda@lindarothpr.com or visit her website at www.lindarothpr.com.
Opaline Bar and Brasserie is the name of the renovated restaurant and lounge at Sofitel Hotel at 15th and H Streets, NW. Quarry House Tavern plans to reopen at is original location, 8401 Georgia Ave. in Silver
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ADVERTISER SPOTLIGHT | EMR
Commercial Kitchen Equipment Installation Job Process and Pro Tips Installation Start-Up and Review
By Dennis Bartkowiak Commercial Kitchen Installation Operations Manager at EMR
On the day of the equipment install, factorytrained technicians arrive onsite to perform the job. The mechanical aptitude of each technician is an integral element to a quality installation. After the equipment is in place, the technician connects all the utilities and performs the manufacturer start-ups — the instructions prescribed by the manufacturers to confirm the equipment is functioning properly against factory guidelines. The technician then reviews these specifications with the customer and provides detailed instructions on equipment operation, maintenance, and cleaning procedures.
C
ommercial kitchen installation is a specialized service offered at The Electric Motor Repair Company (EMR), one of the industry’s largest service agencies in the Mid-Atlantic region. EMR’s Commercial Kitchen Installation Operations Manager, Dennis Bartkowiak, a 20-year industry veteran, discusses installation job process and shares pro tips from the field.
Quote Preparation The process begins when a quote request is received by the service agency from the customer. This is often followed by a full scope of work, which details the needs of the installation job and outlines general equipment necessities from cooking to refrigeration to warewashing. Customers look to the service agent as the expert in guiding them toward the right purchase to meet their commercial foodservice needs. During this stage, the service agent seeks to discover information such as the following: What application is the equipment needed for? (This gives us a sense of how often the equipment is running, for how long, and what the demands are.) What utilities does the equipment require compared to what is available onsite? What electrical equipment and sizing is needed? What are the space requirements for the equipment? Will the equipment need to go up or down any stairs? Next, an onsite visit is scheduled with the customer to review the scope of work and determine the best approach to the job based on the service agent’s recommendations and the kitchen specifications. Spaces vary kitchen to kitchen. Onsite visits are a key step in the process to ensure the recommendations are sound.
Approval/Ordering With customer approval in hand, a request to the equipment dealer is made by the service agency. The request is oftentimes open ended and includes options at various price points, allowing the customer to make an informed business foodservicemonthly
Warranty Submittals
EMR installers are ready to help
decision. For example, it’s not uncommon to submit one appliance request to four or five different manufacturers at various prices. Once all details have been compiled, the service agency will submit an official proposal for customer review and equipment selection.
Receiving/Scheduling Once approvals are received by the service agency, a tentative schedule for the work is set, and the installation team contacts the dealers to place the equipment order(s). Service agents rely on the dealers’ lead times to manufacture, ship, and deliver the commercial kitchen equipment, making sure all project timelines are met. At EMR, we accept delivery to our local headquarters in Baltimore — the heart of our installation operation. Once the equipment arrives, the receiving department inspects for damage. Once the equipment is cleared, the customer is contacted to schedule a final date and time for the install. All equipment should be received by a service agent, regardless of the customer’s location. At EMR, this is a quality control mechanism.
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Lastly, it’s important to make sure your customers have all their warranty information. At EMR, we have a department dedicated to this, which ensures that our customers are provided with the highest level of service. With all forms housed directly within the warranty department, we complete the necessary paperwork based on the equipment start date and supply copies to the manufacturer for their records.
Additional Tips from the Pros When possible, you should avoid having the customer supply the equipment. This causes lack of continuity and control of the process, which often results in project delays or mistakes, all of which directly affect the customer’s bottom line. It’s important that the service agency is able to complete the full job process, including such critical steps as making equipment recommendations, understanding the necessary utilities needed for hook-up, ensuring the right electrical supplies are available, and conducting an onsite visit of the space before any equipment is purchased. Another way to eliminate unforeseen problems is to receive all equipment to one, central place regardless of your customer’s location. This allows for equipment inspection to take place before dispatching the job and ensures you’re arriving onsite with the right equipment. These tasks are critical to manage customer expectations and guarantee quality of service. EMR, 9100 Yellow Brick Road, Suite H., Baltimore, MD 21237-4704 • 800-879-4994 • www.emrco.com. MARCH 2018 | 25
WHINING ’N DINING | Randi Rom
Open for Biz For all of you Jack’s Bistro fans, it’s time to rejoice! Chef Ted Stelzenmullers’ new venture, Blair’s on Hudson, is open for biz. The new Baltimore tavern is located at 2822 Hudson Street in Canton, just a few blocks away from the Jack’s Bistro property. Blair’s menu will feature some of the classics from Jack’s menu, such as the Guinness filet
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Chef Ted Stelzenmuller of Blair's on Hudson
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mignon and the chocolate mac and cheese, as well as lots o’ burgers and pasta dishes. One popular item is “The Impossible Burger,” a plantbased burger that looks and tastes like ground beef. Prior to opening Jack’s, Stelzenmuller was the exec chef at Gibby’s Seafood and then the original Red Fish Restaurant. Chef Ted is a true culinary artist, and his restaurants have always offered a comfy, casual totally enjoyable vibe. The new spot is open for dinner, and Saturday brunch is coming soon. Check it out! BlairsonHudson.com. French-born Chef Steve Monnier (formerly of Aromes in Hampden) opened Chez Hugo, a 4,000-squarefoot French bistro on Redwood Avenue in downtown B-more. The restaurant is divided into a 60-seat dining room, an eight-seat tasting room, and a 15-seat bar, along with an open kitchen with wood-burning hearth, prep kitchen, baking kitchen, a butcher room, and aging room in the back of house. Monnier’s goal at Chez Hugo is to offer approachable, seasonal French cuisine, staying true to his French roots. After graduating from Reims, where he did a French apprenticeship for two years, Monnier moved to Paris and worked at two- and three-starred Michelin restaurants, Le Carre Des
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Feuillants, Le Laurent, and Taillevent. He then moved to Los Angeles where he cooked at L’Orangerie before moving to Baltimore and opening Aromes four years ago. While Aromes highlighted the experimental side of Monnier’s cuisine, Chez Hugo will be more traditionally focused. ChezHugoBistro.com.
Coming Soon Slated to open in spring/summer of 2018 in the courtyard of Living Classroom’s Frederick Douglass-Isaac Meyers Maritime Park is Ampersea. This new, modern restaurant will roll out in the former Waterfront Kitchen space. To reimagine the restaurant space, owner Chuck Nabit enlisted the help of interior designer Seth Barkman, of MIY Home in Fells Point, and PIKL Studios, the husband-wife architect team best known for their work on R. House, The Room in Mount Vernon, and The Marquee Lounge in the Creative Alliance. To further develop the space, Nabit commissioned local artist Kelly Walker to create two murals as a backdrop to the restaurant’s already very cool view of the Baltimore harbor and the iconic Domino Sugar factory.
WHINING ‘ N DINING cont. pg 27 foodservicemonthly
WHINING
La Food Marketa, Gourmet Again, Wegmans, Krispy Kreme, and Whole Foods. Proceeds will support the Baltimore Hunger Project, a nonprofit charity that feeds hungry children on weekends during the school year, and the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce, which is dedicated to promoting and improving the business community in Pikesville. TasteofPikesville.com.
cont. from pg 26 The restaurant will retain its outdoor seating along the waterfront with the addition of an outdoor café. In the kitchen, Chef Nelson Morton (formerly the chef at Bookmaker’s Cocktail Club) will put a modern spin on Maryland classics using local ingredients from Mid-Atlantic purveyors, in addition to ingredients grown in the Living Classroom’s B.U.G.S. (Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students program) greenhouse. Ampersea.com. Limoncello, a 120-seat, casual Italian trattoria and wine bar, will open this summer in Anthem House, an apartment and retail complex in Locust Point. The flagship restaurant is in St. Michael’s.
Ch-ch-ch-Changes Petit Louis in Columbia closed and will reopen as Lupa, a Roman trattoria with Chef James Lewandowski. He will split his time
between Lupa and Cinghiale, serving as exec chef at both locations. LB Bakery, located in the Lord Baltimore Hotel downtown, expanded its breakfast and lunch menus to offer more diverse selections that will include burgers, crab cake sandwiches, and omelets, in addition to its grab-and-go options. LordBaltimoreHotel.com.
REACH RESTAURATEURS. ADVERTISE WITH US! CONTACT LISA SILBER 703.471.7339
Fare Thee Well Mt. Vernon’s Tavern on the Hill closed. Regulars will miss this great neighborhood spot that featured excellent burgers and a great, dogfriendly patio. Also closed in Harbor East, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, of the Syracuse-based BBQ chain, after only two years in business.
What’s Happening The 7th Annual Taste of Pikesville is set for Wednesday, March 21 at a new location, The Suburban Club. Highlighting Pikesville and surrounding neighborhoods, this casual night of food and fun will feature signature dishes from 45 restaurants and caterers, music, raffle prizes, the People’s Choice and celebrity judge competitions, and other surprises. Some of the participants include: Eggspectation, Ruth’s Chris, Linwoods, Mezcal,
RANDI ROM is a Baltimore special events planner, marketing and public relations maven, freelance writer, and the head of R.J. Rom & Associates. Have a hot scoop? Contact Randi via email at randirom@ comcast.net or phone 443-691-9671.
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BALTI-MORE | Dara Bunjon
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PekoPeko Ramen Fills the Hungry Stomach David Forster was raised in Tokyo and grew up steeped in the language and culture of Japan. When he came to the United States as an applied mathematics student at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University, he missed his hometown comfort food — ramen. The dearth of ramen houses was his inspiration to open a ramen restaurant. After graduation, he did his due diligence and worked at numerous ramen restaurants in New York City, including Ivan Ramen and Sun Noodles, learning the business and preparing for his own ramen restaurant. Partnered with his college roommate, Andrew Townson, the two have created PekoPeko Ramen, which loosely translates to the sound of a hungry stomach. The restaurant is located in Charles Village, just steps from the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus. It’s very “now” place. For one thing, it’s cashless, with payment only by credit card or Apple and Samsung Pay. Tipping is not allowed either. The PekoPeko food prices are set a little higher
PekoPeko Ramen 7 E. 33rd Street Baltimore, MD 21218 www.pekopekoramen.com 410-635-1216 Social media: @pekopekoramen
to allow for staff to earn above minimum wage. Customers order upon entering. Then it’s off to a table where they will find clever table tags that represent certain sounds, tastes, textures, and sensations in Japanese. Kori Kori, for example, translates to firm and crunchy.
Andrew Townson (l) and David Forster, creators of PekoPeko Ramen PekoPeko Ramen is closed on Mondays but open late Tuesday through Sunday, with the last orders taken at 11:30 p.m. There are numerous options on the menu, including assorted traditional Tokyo ramens, rice bowls, and dumplings. Great for hungry students — and anyone else who might enjoy this comfy taste of Japan! DARA BUNJON: Dara Does It — Creative Solutions for the Food Industry, offers public relations, social media training, administration, freelance writing, marketing, and more. Contact Dara: 410-486-0339, info@dara-does-it.com or www.dara-does-it. com, Twitter and Instagram: @daracooks. Listen to her Dining Dish radio program on Baltimore Internet Radio.
FSM ADVERTISERS SUPPORT THE FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY OF THE MID-ATLANTIC WHEN THEY SHARE THEIR MESSAGE EACH MONTH. CONTACT LISA SILBER, SALES MANAGER: 301-591-9822 OR LISA@FOODSERVICEMONTHLY.COM FOR THE BEST WAY TO REACH THE REGION’S BUYERS.
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
Tell them you saw it in Foodservice Monthly Acme Paper................................................... 11 Alto Hartley.................................................... 21 Barter Systems.............................................. 18 Bi-Lingual Hospitality Training Solutions............ 28 Chesapeake Greenhouse Ltd ........................... 1 Ecolab............................................................. 3 FoodPRO......................................................... 9 28 | MARCH 2018
Forrester Construction.................................... 18 Gourmet Kitchen............................................ 15 H M Wagner Foodservice........... Inside Front Cover Holt................................................................. 7 Itek Construction............................................ 17 Keany Produce & Gourmet.............................. 20 Martin Bamberger Co..................................... 17 Maryland Food Center Authority...........Back Cover Meliker Realty................................................ 11 The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On
Performance Foodservice.......... Inside Back Cover Potomac Construction Services......................... 2 R&R Coatings, Inc.......................................... 27 Ram EF......................................................... 28 Singer Equipment Co. .................................... 19 Squire Associates, Inc. .................................. 21 Tech 24 Construction..................................... 26 Virginia Food & Beverage Expo.......................... 5
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