Food Service Monthly

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Volume 16, No. 6 n June 2017

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The Trio Behind

SIREN

BY ROBERT WIEDMAIER

Brian McBride Robert Wiedmaier John Critchley

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insidefsm Volume 16, No. 6

June 2017

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Volume 16, No. 6 n June 2017

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news and information

columns

Advertiser Index……………………………………………………………………… 24 Association News OCHMRA ……………………………………………………… 23 Association News RAM……………………………………………………………… 18 Association News VRLTA…………………………………………………………… 13 FSM News………………………………………………………………………………… 2 James Beard Awards …………………………………………………………………… 7 Meat & Poultry Industry Economic Impact …………………………………… 15 RAR ……………………………………………………………………………………… 24 The Trio Behind Siren by Robert Wiedmaier…………………………………… 20 USDA Beef Grade Lingo……………………………………………………………… 14

Balti-More by Dara Bunjon………………………………………………………… 17 Bob Brown Says by Bob Brown ……………………………………………………… 4 Culinary Correspondent by Celeste McCall ……………………………………… 8 Food Smarts by Juliet Bodinetz…………………………………………………… 22 Latest Dish by Linda Roth………………………………………………………… 12 Local Cooks by Alexandra Greeley……………………………………………… 10 Michael Birchenall Scholarship Fund……………………………………………… 5 Modern Business Solutions by Henry Pertman………………………………… 3 Whining ‘n Dining by Randi Rom………………………………………………… 16

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The Trio Behind

SIREN

BY ROBERT WIEDMAIER

Brian McBride Robert Wiedmaier John Critchley

on the cover

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Brian McBride, Robert Wiedmaier and John Critchley of Siren. photo: Scott Suchman FSM incorrectly credited the cover photographer of our May issue. The photo was shot by Freddie Lieberman, not Freddie Trebbe. Freddie Lieberman has been a valued member of the FSM family for many years. We sincerely regret the error.

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.

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JUNE 2017 | 1

FSM NEWS

National Harbor Shines A great spring tradition returned to the National Harbor Waterfront on the Potomac with the much anticipated 11th Annual National Harbor Wine & Food Festival the last weekend of April.

This year’s festival included over 150 international wines, spirits, and beers, along with local and regional favorites in an all-you-care-to-taste affair. Beyond the drink tastings, there were many other highlights, including a special craft beer tasting Bier Garten experience, a cooking kitchen featuring hands-on cooking demonstrations and wine pairings, live music, and much more.

This year’s organizers turned up the heat on the cooking stage and brought in some award-winning superstar chef talent. Special appearances on the cooking stage included Chef Scott Drewno of

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The Source by Wolfgang Puck, Chef Marjorie Meeks-Bradley of Smoke and Stacked, and Chef Seng Luangrath of Thip Khao. Also featured were Chef Victor Albisu of Del Campo and Taco Bamba and Rock Harper of Rock Solid Creative Food Group.

BBQ and more!

This summer, the inaugural BBQ & Grilling Week presented by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) sweeps metropolitan Washington, DC restaurants with themed menus of grilled, smoked, and spiced dishes from Monday, June 19 through Sunday, June 25. BBQ & Grilling Week culminates in the 25th Annual Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle, which takes place along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June

Volume 16, No. 6 n June 2017 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 Becki Young

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 MidAtlantic 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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25, complete with cooking contests, live music (30 bands performing on three stages!), and beverage gardens.

The full list of participating restaurants will be available before BBQ & Grilling Week at www. bbqweekdc.com, where guests will be able to book experiences and search for restaurants by neighborhood. RAMW will partner with USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore for the inaugural BBQ & Grilling Week, with many participating restaurants choosing to donate a portion of their BBQ & Grilling Week specials to the non-profit. USO-Metro provides programs and services for active duty troops and their families

at area military hospitals, six USO centers, four USO airport lounges, and a mobile USO. Guests will also be able to sign up for RAMW’s Diner Rewards Program before June 19 to enjoy access to exclusive gift card giveaways in the weeks leading up to BBQ & Grilling Week.

The Giant BBQ Battle has been named “One of Five Can’t Miss Summer Festivals in the Country”

by CNN, a “Top 10 BBQ Event” by the Travel Channel, “One of America’s Best BBQ Competitions”

by Saveur magazine, and “An Event Worth Traveling to” by the American Bus Association.

For more information about BBQ & Grilling Week, please contact Joanna Heaney at 202-888-3567 or joanna@lindarothpr.com.

And the Duke Zeibert Award goes to…

Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj was honored with the 2017 Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award at a reception on May 17. This is one of the twenty-one awards presented during the RAMMY awards season and is named in honor of legendary Washington restaurateur Duke Zeibert. The honor is determined by RAMW’s Executive Committee and recognizes an individual whose hard work and outstanding initiative has increased the profile and success of the metropolitan Washington foodservice community and dining landscape. A past RAMW board member, Bajaj has owned and operated award-winning restaurants for over 25 years. He has opened numerous successful DC landmark restaurants, including the The Oval Room and four-star Rasika. Most recently, in August 2016, Bajaj merged Ardeo and Bardeo into one restaurant and bar, giving him the space to open his casual Indian street food and craft cocktails oasis — Bindaas.

Bajaj’s collection of power, neighborhood, and fine dining establishments captured 10

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Ashok Bajaj RAMMY Award Nominations in 2012, resulting in Rasika’s executive chef winning Chef of the Year. The following year, Bajaj won Restaurateur of the Year and was named Washington Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO. His restaurants have also been consistently nominated for prestigious awards by the James Beard Foundation, including Best Chef-Mid Atlantic, Rising Star Chef, and Outstanding Restaurant and Restaurateur of the Year.

“There is no one I can think of more deserving of this award,” said Chef Nicholas Stefanelli, chef and owner of the acclaimed restaurant Masseria. “Ashok has not only had a strong positive influence on my personal development and career, but has been a driving force in shaping the restaurant development we all see and enjoy today.” For more information regarding the Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Reception or the 35th Annual RAMMY Awards Gala held on Sunday, July 30, please email therammys@ ramw.org or call 202-331-5990.

Congressional Seafood Names Berrie as Food Safety Director Matthew Berrie has been been named director of food safety at Congressional Seafood’s new, state-

FSM NEWS cont. on page 6 foodservicemonthly

MODERN BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Henry Pertman

Keep Your Restaurant Profitable with These Best Practices

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appy summer everyone! Every month, I try to offer guidance related to the tough job of running a restaurant efficiently and profitably, with suggestions that come from my 45 years of experience in the hospitality business. Managing a profitable restaurant is certainly no simple feat. This month, I take a slightly different approach and present 10 best practices for maintaining your restaurant’s profitability, compiled from the insights of my CohnReznick colleagues.

1. Start with a comprehensive menu review.

Spend time analyzing what sells, what doesn’t, what is easy to prepare, and what is labor intensive. Can you increase prices on some items and eliminate others?

Check the marketplace — are you competitive?

2. Drill down on the contribution margin of menu items.

Dollars pay the rent, not percentages. If a menu item isn’t generating dollars, should you keep it? Go over recipes with chefs and implement weekly budgets for spending.

3. Look at your hours of operation.

Can you modify the hours you are open? Would it be beneficial to open later, close for lunch, or close earlier at night? A change in your hours of operation may allow you to reduce labor hours and costs. Do this now before new regulations go into effect.

4. Reward top performers.

Create incentive plans for employees who produce better sales.

Keep the best staff and pay them foodservicemonthly

well. This will ensure a more profitable operation and a more successful brand.

5. Control your cost of goods.

Utilize smart purchasing.

Ask vendors to give you discounts for early payment and vet out alternative vendors. Focus and incentivize the kitchen staff, eliminate waste, and count the inventory!

6. Consider delivery.

There are companies that can make this turnkey for you. Curbside has had good success for several of the chains. Will home delivery work for you?

7. Marketing, marketing, marketing.

MANAGING A PROFITABLE RESTAURANT IS CERTAINLY NO SIMPLE FEAT. THIS BUSINESS IS MADE BY WATCHING THE NICKELS NOW MORE THAN EVER. 10. Focus on culture and motivation.

Make sure everyone is rowing the boat in the same direction. From the host/hostess to the wait staff to the

dishwasher — get the whole team involved. This business is made by watching the nickels now more than ever, and your entire staff needs to be more vigilant.

For further insight on fostering the growth of your restaurant business, visit CohnReznick’s Hospitality Industry Practice webpage: www.cohnreznick.com/ industries/hospitality. Stay tuned for next month’s column, which will expand upon best practices for maintaining your restaurant’s profitability.

HENRY PERTMAN is Director, Hospitality Consulting at CohnReznick LLP, located in the firm’s Baltimore, Md. office. He can be contacted at 410-783-4900 or henry.pertman@cohnreznick.com

Review your social media strategies and guest retention programs. It is much easier to get a guest to return more frequently than it is to attract a new one.

8. Can technology be a solution?

Depending on what kind of restaurant you are, technology may be able to help lower your head count. There are robots that flip hamburgers and tablets that take orders and enable guests to pay.

There are machines that can make the perfect cup of coffee. It’s only a matter of time before all of this becomes commonplace.

With 20 years of experience raising the standards higher on every new project and client

9. Re-run your budgets.

Make adjustments for new menu pricing and items and tweak your labor schedule. If you don’t have budgets, you need to build them now. Review flash reports daily and weekly with your management team. These reports are easy to implement and provide a wealth of information to run your restaurant more efficiently.

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BOB BROWN SAYS Bob Brown

10 Tips for Restaurant Training Success 1. Be an expert.

The fastest way to deflate an audience is to not know the jargon and the ins and outs of a business. Know your topic and connect the concepts and techniques to reallife experiences. You’ll be effective, believable, and confident.

2. Set the stage.

Restaurants are less than ideal training venues. Their layout and design create a nightmare of distractions: artwork, phones, booths, romantic lighting, kitchen, etc. Consider your private dining room. Turn the lights up and the music off. Place tables in a crescent shape so no one looks through someone else’s head. Make sure all attendees turn off their phones.

Take it up a notch with a trade for a proper meeting room at a local hotel.

3. Sell.

The word “seminar” conjures images of falling asleep at your desk back in high school. Replace

“seminar” with “workshop.” Post upbeat messages: “Don’t miss Sales Excellence: Learn to boost tips by using brainstickers. Whole Foods snacks included.” Great American Restaurants has GAR State, a universitystyle learning center with a schedule of courses and expected outcomes.

6. Boost with games, activities, and role-play.

4. Tout benefits.

Starting with, “During the next two hours, we’ll discuss...” ensures a roomful of clock watchers. Say, “In a short amount of time, you’ll learn how to...” Stress the positive: less stress, more fun, mega gratuities.

5. Entertain and educate.

Delight with real-life examples.

I tell the story of how personal shopper Keith Beres of Neiman Marcus artfully turned me on to an entire outfit: Armani suit, Zena tie, Boss shirt, Jhane Barnes socks, and Ferragamo shoes — then link it to selling a complete meal. Stories amuse, engage, and provide mini mental vacations.

Don’t tell — show. Use the power of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch with the “Raw, Prepped, Final Food Show.” Have your chef prepare four trays. For the first, use a whole red snapper. Show the clear eyes, red gills, and bounce-back flesh.

From the second, hand out sprigs of rosemary, sage, and thyme. Then whip out the pricey tin of saffron from St. Lucia. Show the uncooked linguini and spinach on the third tray. And, for the last, unmask the final plate. The food show speaks to every learning style: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Add variety with a mix of lecture, storytelling, visuals, role-plays, and stretch breaks. The trick is to make a complex subject simple.

7. Create a safe environment.

Avoid putdowns — a surefire way to get participants to shrink into their seats and wonder, “Am I next?”

Or worse, think, “I can’t stand this dude.” Honor your participants’ insights, ideas, and efforts. In successful meetings, learners get the feeling they’re creating the session with you.

8. Make certain managers attend.

Workshops are mini focus groups that reveal the strengths and weaknesses of your staff. They let you fine-tune skills and recast players in roles that best match their talents. And, when you hire an outside trainer, avoid “popping in and out.” It’s imperative you attend the entire session. Otherwise, how can you keep the skills alive and show you are invested, too?

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9. Measure.

Beyond tracking sales and guest satisfaction, conduct “say/

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do” testing. If you’re training the sequence of service, conduct the “circle” game. Have team members stand in a circle. Then throw a tennis ball to one player at a time to role-play each touch point: the greeting, beverage offering, guided menu tour, taking the order, selling the grand finale of desserts, afterdinner drinks, and goodbye. You never know if training sticks unless you see the behavior played out live.

10. End on a high note.

Celebrate. Hand out tickets for participation. At the end of the session, put the tickets in a punch bowl and draw for prizes. Don’t give out lame rewards like a free dessert.

Energize with a chance to win dinner for two at a well-respected competitor. Thank participants for the courage to role-play in front of their peers. Orchestrate a round of applause for the class clown and class president.

Great training ensures mastery.

Holding a well-executed learning session signals that working in our business is more than just a passing through till-you-get-a-real-job kind of affair. Instead, it tells your team members that they’re worth the investment and that they can build skills and hope for a brighter future.

BOB BROWN, president of Bob Brown Service Solutions, www.bobbrownss. com, pioneered Marriott’s Service Excellence Program and has worked with clients such as Disney, Hilton, Morton’s of Chicago, Nordstrom, Olive Garden, and Ritz Carlton and works internationally with the prestigious Burj Al Arab in Dubai. He has appeared on the Food Network and is author of bestselling The Little Brown Book of Restaurant Success, selling over 100,000 copies worldwide. Contact Bob for speeches, workshops, breakouts, and executive retreats at 571-246-2944. © Bob Brown Service Solutions 2016.

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JUNE 2017 | 5

FSM NEWS continued

FSM NEWS cont. from page 2 of-the-art plant in Jessup, Md. In his new role, Berrie will be responsible for ensuring strict compliance with Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP), Safe Quality Food (SQF) guidelines, and other safety and quality standards. Berrie oversees all of the company’s safety and quality control efforts, which include monthly audits of its warehouse and processing facility, including its state-of-the-art sanitation procedures.

Berrie previously was HACCP/ quality control manager for ProFish, Ltd., of Washington DC, and quality control manager for Seattle Fish Co. of Denver. Prior to his quality control positions, he was an executive chef for Tana Dolce in Castle Rock, Co., and Ciolo Foods in Lafayette, Co. Berrie holds a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management/Culinary from the Art Institute of Colorado.

Soft Stuff Distributors is at it again!

Soft Stuff Distributors, Inc., the Mid-Atlantic’s leading specialty foodservice distributor, is always on the prowl for new, interesting, and on-trend foods to satisfy the ever-evolving needs of its clients.

Owners Lois and Bob Gamerman have just launched their “Savory Muffin” initiative. Imported from France, these muffins are designed to add a new dimension to breakfast catering and the “Handwich” trend. Featured flavors are: three-cheese and chive; mushroom, garlic, and parmesan; feta, spinach, and peppers; and zucchini, feta, and sundried tomatoes.

Soft Stuff says it has also discovered the best frozen donuts.

The firm says it has searched for years to find a donut that would

thaw and taste like it was just made.

The Gamermans are able to innovate and expand at an impressive rate. “We have been fortunate over the years in that we developed a great reputation for variety and selection.

Manufacturers from all over the world are always calling us,” stated Lois Gamerman.

“Additionally, we never know what the next great product line will be, so we go to a lot of meetings and eat lots of samples,” added Bob Gamerman.

Lois and Bob, with the help of their amazing team, have grown Soft Stuff into a major player in food distribution over the last 27 years.

For more information about Soft Stuff, visit www.gosoftstuff.com.

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Local Culinary Stars Shine at the James Beard Foundation Awards

Chef and restaurateur Nora Pouillon with her Lifetime Achievement award.

BY LINDA ROTH

C

ulinary stars walked the red carpet and prepped the haute cuisine dishes on May 1 at the 2017 James Beard Foundation Awards at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. During a ceremony hosted

by Emmy Award-nominated actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, awards in the Restaurant, Chef, and Restaurant Design categories were presented.

Legendary chef/restaurateur, Nora Pouillon, was presented with the James Beard Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award. It is presented to an individual whose lifetime body of work has had a positive and long-lasting impact on the way we eat, cook, or think about food in America. Not only does she own and operate the first certified organic restaurant in the country, Restaurant Nora, in Dupont Circle, she also helped establish the FreshFarm Markets ­— 14 of which now thrive in the DC metro area. She has also helped mold the foodservicemonthly

missions of several environmental organizations, where she serves on the boards: Environmental Film Festival, Amazon Conservation Team, The Ocean Foundation, Earth Day Network, as well as FreshFarm Markets.

Local winners included Mark Furstenberg, who launched the evening with the first award, winning for Outstanding Baker. His bakery, Bread Furst, is located in the Van Ness/Forest Hills section of Washington, DC. Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional went to Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Del. Philadelphia’s Stephen Starr of Starr Restaurants, who also owns and operates Le Diplomat on 14th Street in DC, won Outstanding Restaurateur.

In the Best Mid-Atlantic Chef category, local nominees included Amy Brandwein of Centrolina, Tom Cunanan of Bad Saint, and Cindy Wolf of Baltimore’s

Outstanding Baker, Mark Furstenberg (center) with his sons Francois, left, and Phillippe.

Charleston, Petit Louis Bistro, Bar Vasquez, Cinghiale, and Johnny’s.

Industry leaders from across the country attended the “Oscars” of the restaurant industry, where the theme of the evening was “Powered

by Food,” which celebrated how technology has strengthened our connections through food. The gala reception chefs, consisting of former James Beard Foundation Award recipients and nominees, shared their cuisine with nearly 2,000 attendees.

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This is the third year the awards have been held in Chicago. JBF president Susan Ungaro announced that Chicago will continue to host the awards for the next five years. Presenting sponsors of the 2017 awards gala included: Choose Chicago and the Illinois Restaurant Association, in association with the Chicago Department of Aviation, HMSHost, the Illinois Office of Tourism, and Mariano’s. Premier sponsors included: All-Clad Metalcrafters, American Airlines, Lavazza, S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, and True Refrigeration®.

Supporting sponsors included: Breville®, Hyatt, Robert Mondavi Winery, Skuna Bay Salmon, and Valrhona. Gala Reception sponsors included: Ecolab, Front of the House®, Kendall College, and Windstar Cruises. Additional support came from: Chefwear, Creminelli Fine Meats, Emmi Roth, and VerTerra Dinnerware.

JUNE 2017 | 7

CULINARY CORRESPONDENT Celeste McCall

Half Just Might Be More

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es, dumpsters and garbage bins behind U.S. restaurants are still filling up, but fortunately, with a little less discarded food.

As Foodservice Monthly has reported in previous issues, restaurant food waste is an ongoing problem. The industry is making progress, but we have a long way to go.

According to the National Resources Defense Council, the United States squanders as much as 40 percent of the food it produces, which comes to $165 billion each year. That amounts to more than 20 pounds of food per person every month — enough to fill the 90,000seat Rose Bowl stadium twice every day.

Much of that waste occurs in restaurants where customers leave behind about 17 percent of their meals — “plate waste.” In alleys behind those establishments, stinky leftovers spill out of dumpsters, attracting rats and other vermin.

Moreover, some 80 billion pounds of rotting edibles are hogging space in landfills, accounting for almost 25 percent of U.S. methane emissions, according to the latest stats supplied by the waste division of the EPA.

Combatting food waste on the plate As industry-wide awareness and concern widen, savvy restaurateurs are taking action. Two of the main problems involve kitchen prep loss and food left uneaten on customers’ plates. We are addressing the latter, which is harder to remedy. Since health laws (fortunately) forbid donating those leftovers, other, more creative solutions are needed. If people don’t want to eat that much, why serve huge portions? Why not offer smaller servings, with lower prices? Why not offer half portions 8 | JUNE 2017

of pasta for a first course, as they do in Italy? In addition to the choice between a cup or bowl of soup, ever-popular tapas, and “small plates” menus, Washington/Baltimore restaurants are hopping on the half-portion bandwagon.

“We offer so many options,” said Ashok Bajaj, Washington’s megaentrepreneur who operates 10 restaurants, including Bombay Club, 701, and two Rasika locations. “We have a lot of ways to control waste,” he explained. “Customers can order half portions of certain dishes, including sides. For example, for a salmon, black cod, or lamb chop entrée, a customer may request just one piece instead of two or a half portion of biryani. That way, guests have what they want without over-ordering and wasting food.

Customers and management can be happy!” Bajaj added, “Washington area professionals lead busy lives.

They often dine out for work and pleasure, and it is hard to eat two full meals in a day. That’s why we offer these options.”

Of course, this works both ways, Bajaj explains. “We want to make sure customers don’t take advantage of our half-portion policy. If two people sit down and order two appetizers, drink only water, and order nothing else, no one wins.”

Approaches from across the pond Taking a European approach is Javier Candon, co-owner of Joselito: Casa de Comidas, which opened in January on Capitol Hill. Joselito executive chef David Sierra’s menu showcases the traditional cuisine of Spain, adding creative flair. (Candon and his wife/ business partner Christiana Campos also operate SER in Arlington. That restaurant serves tapas but does not offer the three sizes.)

AT A DELIGHTFUL, IF BREEZY, AL FRESCO LUNCH, my husband Peter and I decided to experience Joselito’s half portion/sharing first hand. Ably assisted by our server Stacey Blomstrom, we shared: roasted sardines with basil and black garlic foam; salpicon de gambas, mejilliones y pulpo (similar to ceviche); fried eggs with crawfish, garlic, chives, and olive oil; and a half dozen seasonal veggies drizzled with asparagus juice. We accompanied this delicious repast with a pleasant Spanish Rosa de Arrocal. We left satisfied — and with no “plate waste!” photos: Andrew Lightman “We are not trying to reinvent the wheel,” said Candon. “Smaller — or half — portions is a tradition in many cultures, especially in casual restaurants. In Spain, meals are served in three sizes: tapas (appetizer), media racion (light entrée), and racion (family size — large enough to feed two people).

“However, varying plate sizes can make things a bit more complicated,” Candon acknowledged, “mostly because the

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kitchen has to pay extra attention to tickets to make sure it’s sending out the right portion of each dish.

We also have to be more thoughtful about the type of food served because not everything is easily adapted to small, medium, or large portions.

“When people eat that way, it is rare for food to go back to the kitchen,” Candon added. “Not only

CULINARY CORRESPONDENT cont. on page 9 foodservicemonthly

CULINARY CORRESPONDENT cont. from page 8 because of the size, but the culture of sharing. For example, two people will order three or four tapas, a larger group might order four or five. They don’t order everything at once, just when and if they want more dishes. Joselito’s top selling (sharable) dishes? Spanish ham with country bread, fried eggs with crawfish, a plate of five artfully presented seasonal vegetables, and grilled Iberian pork shoulder.

When customers ask for less …

providing a healthy lunch. For Wellness Week in May, diners taking leftover protein home with them could have it packed up in a box with lettuce, cucumber, radishes, strawberries, and sherry vinaigrette.

That way, customers could enjoy it as a salad the next day.

The bottom line Lower your prices — and your portions. If people are hungry, they will order more. Tell your guests to order as they go! Instruct servers to suggest that diners start with two dishes, then go on from there.

Encourage sharing. When you share, you waste less.

“In restaurants, food is our gold,” said Javier Candon. “Any waste is like stealing from the earth and is disrespectful to nature. At Joselito, our plates go back to the kitchen completely clean, and this makes it all worth it.”

Another idea is to encourage your wait staff to heed customer requests.

It could pay off handsomely. If a diner requests a half portion, take the extra time to ask the kitchen to accommodate the request. At Fiola Mare, Fabio Trabocchi’s classy Italian seafood restaurant in Georgetown, a woman requested a half portion of Maine lobster ravioli. She got it — loved it — and left a large tip.

Obviously, certain items like CELESTE MCCALL is a Washington, DC T-bone steaks cannot be split in half. food and travel writer. Contact her at 202547-5024.

However, Georgetown restaurant Bourbon Steak is finding a way 1 5/17/17 3:54 PM Page 1 toJune_Meat_2017_v2.qxp_Layout help reduce food waste while

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LOCAL COOKS Alexandra Greeley

Tea for Two … or Twenty … or More!

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ext to water, tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Whether it is green tea or one of today’s composite tea blends, a cuppa’ tea — hot or iced — warms the soul and delights the moment. And one of the most notable area proponents of tea is Laurie Bell, of the Great Falls Tea Garden in Great Falls, Va. A former chef, Bell said she was drawn away from cooking pots to the tea business for family reasons and memories. It started with her grandmother. “She would serve tea every afternoon, and I had it with milk and sugar,” she said, adding that she never had a cup of coffee until she was 35 years old.

oolongs, and blacks — all come from the same plant. What makes the difference in color and flavors is the timing of the leaf picking, the climate and region (terroir) where the plants grow, and the masterful processing of the leaf.

With her pronounced passion for all things tea, it is no surprise that Bell has channeled her culinary energies towards understanding and creating tea flavors. After about 10 years of tea studies and creating tea flavors, Bell started her tea business — including tea seminars for the public and creating customblended teas for restaurants, cafes, and retail sales.

BELL DISCOVERED THAT ALMOST EVERY POPULATION AND EVERY COUNTRY HAS ITS OWN TEA CULTURE THAT GOVERNS HOW IT BREWS AND CONSUMES ITS OWN TEAS. SHE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT EVERY VARIABLE — WHITES, GREENS, OOLONGS, AND BLACKS — ALL COME FROM THE SAME PLANT. And, as she has traveled the world and sipped numerous different teas, Bell came to understand tea on a profound level, beyond just tea bags dunked in hot water. “It’s as varied in its delicious nuances as wine, and you can drink all you want and still drive!” she said. “I studied with the Specialty Tea Institute to become a tea specialist, and I go to tea conferences every year.”

Learning tea culture Bell discovered that almost every population and every country has its own tea culture that governs how it brews and consumes its own teas. Many countries around the world process and drink straight green teas, while other countries process their teas into oolongs or blacks. She also discovered that every variable — whites, greens, 10 | JUNE 2017

Tasting the difference The seminars are structured so attendees can taste a variety of each style and learn how, for example, a black tea grown and processed in China will taste different from those grown and processed in India, or Sri Lanka, or Kenya. Or how a lightly oxidized oolong will taste quite different from a heavily oxidized oolong. “Tea tasting seminars are like a wine tasting,” she said, “once you start learning the nuances and identifying types and learning how to brew them.” So many people don’t like green tea, she said, because they do not brew it properly. It should be steeped in 175-degree water for two to three minutes.

“The sweetness comes out with a lower water temperature, like the difference between lightly browned or burnt toast,” she said.

Monica Thomas, left, and Laurie Bell at this year’s Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance (OCRFA) fundraiser gala, ‘Women Chefs Turn Up the Heat.’

As more and more people have learned about her business, Bell says she has gotten busier with public seminars, private tea tastings, and an increased number of tea orders from restaurants and cafes. “I am just starting with a restaurant in Ohio,” she said.

When asked by a restaurant or cafe for tea sample, Bell gives a mini lesson in tea history, botanical considerations, and proper tea brewing. Then she has them do

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their own tastings to brew at their leisure. “I have about 20-odd teas,” she said, “and most places use only six to 10 different teas. I want them to taste them all and decide which teas they would like to offer their customers.”

For more information, contact Laurie Bell, Great Falls Tea Garden, Great Falls, Va.; 703-757-6209; greatfallsteagarden.com.

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JUNE 2017 | 11

THE LATEST DISH Linda Roth

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ormer chef at The Source, Scott Drewno, Mandu owner/ operator Danny Lee, and Drew Kim, one of the founders of matchboxfoodgroup, have formed Fried Rice Collective (get it?). They will open Chiko on Barracks Row at 423 8th Street, SE where DC-3 used to be. Half the menu will be Chinese (Chi) and half will be Korean (ko). No fusion. The format will be a fixed price tasting menu. It will open this summer for dinner and brunch only for the 28-seat restaurant. Carry-out, delivery, and lunch to come later.

NY-based Michael Dorf plans to open City Winery in Ivy City where Love nightclub was on Okie Street, NE, next door to Ivy City Smokehouse. The plan is for it to include a 300-seat concert venue, winemaking operation, restaurant, bar, and rooftop bar. A Q4 2017 opening is planned. Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and New York currently all have a City Winery.

Mark Ridley and his wine aficionado wife, Sharon, will open The Brass Tap, a craft beer bar, at National Harbor at 164 Fleet Street.

The Ridleys are franchisees of the

Tampa-based brewpub operation. It focuses on local beers and will offer more than 60 lines of beer on draft and more than 100 bottles, that are national, regional, and from DC, Maryland, and Virginia. There are 108 seats with a long bar that seats 16 and a patio that seats 26. And what goes best with beer?

Sports viewing, so there will be 13 TV screens throughout the brewpub.

The couple also opened The Brass Tap in Baltimore.

Quick Hits Reid Shilling, former sous chef at The Dabney, will open Shilling Canning Co. in the Capital Riverfront’s Arris Bldg in Q 2018.

Habit Burger Grill will expand into Prince Georges Co. at Riverdale Park Station, then at the Shops at Waldorf Center in Waldorf, Md. The Burger Joint will open at Monroe Street Market in Brookland’s Michigan Ave., NE in Portland Flats apartment building. Hummingbird by Cathal Armstrong opens in The Hotel Indigo in Old Town, Alexandria.

Risky Ricky’s will open at Junction Square Town Center in Herndon. It’s a wine bar, piano bar, and restaurant.

The Conche is a chocolate-themed restaurant (a la CoCo Sala) on Village Market Blvd. in the Village at Leesburg. Owner Santosh Tiptur comes from Coco Sala. Adam Stein of Red’s Table will open The Eleanor in Ivy City. It will be a complete entertainment place, with bowling, movies, a stage, an outdoor patio, and lots of parking spaces.

Ch-Ch-Ch Changes Big Bear Café in Bloomingdale will expand upwards — with a rooftop with 49 seats and a second floor with 65 seats in its current building at 1700 First St., NW. It will quadruple its size to 194 seats. The Bar at the St. Regis Washington, DC has been renovated and has re-launched.

Just Opened Milkboy Arthouse is a restaurant, performance space, and gallery in College Park Md. Atlanta-based Breakers Korean Grill & Barbecue opened in Fair City Mall in Fairfax, Va. by Maryland businessman Bobby Kim. Siren by Robert Wiedmaier opened in The Darcy hotel with John Critchley as chef de cuisine (see this month’s FSM cover story.)

Capo Italian Deli opened in Shaw at 715 Florida Ave., NW.

Chef Update Cable Smith has taken over the chef reins (reigns!) at The Royal.

He previously was chef de cuisine at Requin in Mosaic District in Fairfax. Jay Caputo is the chef at The Riggsby in the Kimpton Carlyle Hotel. The restaurant is operated by Michael Schlow Restaurant Group, with which he has history. Kevin Ettenson takes over chef duties at Red’s Table in Reston. He was most recently at the Sky Dome Lounge at the Crystal City DoubleTree.

Pastry chefs Tom Wellings and Camila Arango will open Pluma

by Bluebird Bakery, a cafe and bakery in The Edison building at 391 Morse Street, NE, near Union Market. The 30-seat cafe will offer outdoor seating as well for its morning-through-night service.

Openings Update The Salt Line will open near Nats Park in early June. True Food Kitchen in Bethesda will open midJune; Capo Delicatessen in Shaw in early June.

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

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ASSOCIATION NEWS VRLTA Eric D. Terry

Three Big Announcements!

We’ve moved I am pleased to report that, effective May 15, 2017, the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association relocated its office to 5101 Monument Avenue, Suite 206 in Richmond.

The move was a longtime goal for the Association. We hope the move will help us to better

submit a nomination (or five) for the staff members in your organization who hold the place together!

ServSafe launches new manager book The ServSafe Manager book and ServSafe Coursebook have been updated to the ServSafe 7th Edition.

The new edition reflects a new job

RESTAURANTS ■ MULTI-FAMILY ■ REMODELS ■ INTERIORS ■ TENANT

connect with our membership and the hospitality and travel industries.

We are still unpacking the boxes and getting the furniture in place, but we invite you to visit us next time you are in Richmond!

2017 Ordinary Awards nominations open Save the date for the 2017 Ordinary Awards and Dinner on Monday, October 2 in Richmond.

At the event, we look to honor the unsung heroes of Virginia’s hospitality and travel industry. So head on over to OrdinaryAwards. com, check out the 2017 nominations information, and foodservicemonthly

task analysis (JTA) and is based on the 2013 FDA Food Code and the Supplement to the 2013 FDA Food Code.

The updated ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Exam, based on the new JTA, will not be released until later this summer. Until the new exam is available, VRLTA will teach 6th Edition (6R) content with the use of the 7th Edition textbooks.

ERIC TERRY is president of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association.

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JUNE 2017 | 13

Can You Talk the Lingo About USDA Beef Grading and Yields?

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he more you know, the better buying questions you can ask and the better buying decisions you can make.

After meat and poultry are inspected for wholesomeness, producers and processors may request that they have products graded for quality by a licensed federal grader. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (www.ams.usda.gov) is the agency responsible for grading meat. Those who request grading must pay for the service. Grading for quality means the evaluation of traits related to tenderness, juiciness, and flavor of meat.

USDA grades are based on nationally uniform federal standards of quality. No matter where or when a consumer purchases graded meat, it must have met the same grade criteria.

The grade symbol and wording are no longer copyrighted. However, according to the Truth in Labeling Law, it is illegal to mislead or misrepresent the shield or wording.

USDA Grades for Meat Beef is graded as whole carcasses in two ways: 1. Quality grades for tenderness, juiciness, and flavor; and 2. Yield grades for the amount of 14 | JUNE 2017

usable lean meat on the carcass.

There are eight quality grades for beef. Quality grades are based on the amount of marbling (flecks of fat within the lean), color, and maturity.

Quality Grades Prime grade is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (broiling, roasting, or grilling).

Choice grade is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime.

Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and are, like Prime, suited to dry-heat cooking.

Many of the less tender cuts, such as those from the rump, round, and blade chuck, can also be cooked with dry heat if not overcooked.

Such cuts will be most tender if braised — roasted or simmered with a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan.

Select grade is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but, because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only the tender cuts (loin, rib, sirloin) should be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should be marinated before cooking

or braised to obtain maximum tenderness and flavor.

Yield Grades They range from “1” to “5” and indicate the amount of usable meat from a carcass. Yield grade 1 is the highest grade and denotes the greatest ratio of lean to fat; yield grade 5 is the lowest yield ratio.

Veal/Calf There are five grades for veal/calf: Prime, Choice, Good, Standard, and Utility. Prime and Choice grades are juicier and more flavorful than the lower grades. Because of the young age of the animals, the meat will be a light grayish-pink to light pink, fairly firm, and velvety. The bones are small, soft, and quite red.

Lamb There are five grades for lamb.

Normally only two grades are found: Prime and Choice. Lower grades of lamb and mutton (meat from older sheep) — Good, Utility, and Cull — are seldom marked with the grade.

Lamb is produced from animals less than a year old. Since the quality of lamb varies according to the age of the animal, it is advisable to buy lamb that has been USDA graded.

Prime grade is very high in tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. Its marbling enhances both flavor and

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juiciness.

Choice grade has slightly less marbling than prime, but still is of very high quality. Most cuts of Prime and Choice grade lamb (chops, roasts, shoulder cuts, and leg) are tender and can be cooked by the dry-heat methods (broiling, roasting, or grilling). The less tender cuts — breast, riblets, neck, and shank — can be braised to make them more tender.

Pork Pork is not graded with USDA quality grades as it is generally produced from young animals that have been bred and fed to produce more uniformly tender meat.

Appearance is an important guide in buying fresh pork. Look for cuts with a relatively small amount of fat over the outside and with meat that is firm and grayish pink in color.

For best flavor and tenderness, pork should have a small amount of marbling.

Pork’s consistency makes it suitable for a variety of cooking styles. Chops can be prepared by pan broiling, grilling, baking, braising, or sautéing. Ribs can be braised, roasted, or grilled. Slow cooking yields the most tender and flavorful results. Tenderloins are considered to be the most tender and tasty cut of pork. source: USDA foodservicemonthly

Meat and Poulty Industry Economic Impact

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2012 Meat and Poultry Industry Economic Impact study measured the combined impact of the meat and poultry processing and hide, skin, and offal production industries (meat and poultry products). The industry is defined to include not only the production of meat and poultry-based products, but meat distribution and retailing.

It is estimated that there are approximately 1,385,000 employees whose jobs depend on the sale of meat and poultry products to the public.

The production, wholesale, and retail sectors, defined as the direct industry, combine for a total of 2.1 million jobs, generating $68 billion in wages and providing more than $278.9 billion in total economic output.

The industry contributes approximately $894 billion in total to the US economy, or just under 6 percent of total US GDP and, through its production and distribution linkages, impacts firms in all 440 sectors of the US economy, directly and indirectly providing 5.9 million jobs in the US.

Production The production process begins in one of four ways. In the case of slaughtering, livestock (including cows, pigs, sheep, goats, etc.) are purchased from farmers and brought to slaughterhouses for conversion into raw meat sides.

Meat and poultry packers use either live animals (like chickens) or raw meat products and convert these to either fresh or packaged meat.

Alternatively, hides and skins are purchased from slaughterhouses and converted to raw (untanned) leather or fur products. The 8,433 firms that convert livestock to meat, poultry, and other products or directly import meat into the United States are denoted as producers.

All told, these firms employ over 543,500 people in production or importing operations, sales, packaging, and direct distribution.

Wholesale Once meat and poultry products foodservicemonthly

have been produced or imported, they enter the second tier of the industry — the wholesaling tier.

Wholesalers are involved in the transportation of meat and poultry products from the producers or a bonded warehouse operated by importers, and the storage of products for a limited period of time. This study takes into account the fact that dfferent types of wholesalers sell different amounts of meat and poultry as a percentage of their total sales. Estimates show that there are approximately 168,000 employees at wholesalers whose jobs depend on the wholesaling of meat and poultry products.

Suppliers Other firms are related to the meat and poultry industry as suppliers. These firms produce and sell a broad range of items including livestock, fuel, packaging materials, sales displays, or machinery.

In addition, supplier firms provide a broad range of services, including personnel services, financial services, advertising services, consulting services, or even transportation services.

Finally, a number of people are employed in government enterprises responsible for the regulation of the meat and poultry industry. All told, we estimate that the meat and poultry industry is responsible for 2,084,100 supplier jobs, with these firms generating over $363.3 billion in economic activity.

Induced Impact While it is inappropriate to claim that suppliers to the supplier firms are part of the industry being analyzed, the spending by employees of the industry and those of supplier firms whose jobs are directly dependent on the meat and poultry sales and production should surely be included. This spending on everything from housing, to food, to educational services and medical care makes up what is traditionally called the “induced impact” or multiplier effect of the industry. In other words, this

spending — and the jobs it creates — is induced by the production, distribution, and sale of meat and poultry products.

It is estimated that the induced impact of the industry is more than $252.1 billion, and generates 1,755,600 jobs, for a multiplier of about 2.2. The broader economic impact flows throughout the entire economy, generating businesses for firms and companies seemingly unrelated to meat.

An important part of an impact analysis is the calculation of the

T IGH ING RE RAIN F T EE FR UP & TAR ST

contribution of the industry to the public finances of the community. In the case of the meat and poultry industry, this contribution comes in two forms. First, the traditional direct taxes paid by the firms and their employees provide over $95.8 billion in revenues to the federal, state, and local governments. In addition, the consumption of meat and poultry generates $3 billion in state sales taxes.

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CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! JUNE 2017 | 15

WHINING ’N DINING Randi Rom

What’s On Tap

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on and Gail Furman’s Max’s Taphouse in Fells Point will host Union Craft Brewery’s 5th anniversary party on June 29 at 5 p.m.

It’ll be hu—uge! Max’s is the logical choice for this celebration b’cuz it’s one of the top beer bars in the world!

The bar stocks over 1,000 bottles, 102 taps, and five casks and offers some great menu options, too!

Fried pickles anyone? Ron and Gail, along with partner Charley Gordon, also own Max’s Waxhouse, which offers very cool craft wax candles in repurposed beer bottles. The candles come in a number of fragrances, including Imperial Chocolate Stout.

A percentage of candle sales proceeds benefit the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s Foundation, which provides hospital and respite housing services to critically ill children and their families. We’re talking candles with a cause! Maxs.com.

MaxsWaxHouse.com

Tidbits

The Fells Point Farmer’s Market has moved from the square, which is being renovated, to 950 South Caroline Street, just a few blocks away. FellsPointFarmersMarket.com The River Hill Sports Grille in Clarksville is now…the River Hill Grill! Primarily known as a sports bar, this neighborhood spot has evolved into a fave restaurant for guests of all ages, featuring a casual dining atmosphere with an open, homey feel. The Grill just rolled out a new comfort food menu (think gourmet burgers and home-made desserts) created by executive chef

Fabio Mura. RiverHillGrill. com

By The Docks Restaurant in Middle River is known for seafood, steak, pasta, and specialty sautéed dishes. It’s recently renovated and is adding a new, upstairs bar…with live music on Fridays.

ByTheDocks.com.

Nickel Taphouse in Mt. Washington rolled out a new menu with some seriously tasty menu options. Dishes include duck fat fried chicken skins, Buffalo brussel sprouts, and Nashville fried chicken with French toast. The menu was designed by partner/ executive chef Robbin Haas, who also takes the helm at Encantada at the American Visionary Arts Museum and Birroteca in Hampden.

BTW, Birroteca has a new assistant manager — Chris Santiago — who previously worked at Baldwin’s Station. NickelTaphouse.com Sotto Sopra Restaurant in Mt. Vernon will present “Broadway Night” on Sunday, June 4 at 6 p.m. Featured performers from the Baltimore Men’s Chorus will perform songs from top Broadway musicals — and attendees are encouraged to dress as their favorite show characters. The cost is a $10 cover charge plus dinner selections from Sotto Sopra’s a la carte Italian menu. Reservations required.

SottoSopraInc.com

Open for Biz The owners of La Cuchara opened a new seafood restaurant in Riverside called Minnow. Menu items include cheddar biscuits

Ron and Gail Furman of Max’s Taphouse in Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood.

with black garlic, rice noodles with poached veggies, and Maryland lump crab toast.

MinnowBaltimore.com Hometown boy and Food Network star Duff Goldman opened a new Charm City Cakes on President Street in Harbor East.

CharmCityCakes.com Cilantro, the fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant in Owings Mills, opened a downtown location at 30 Light Street. CilantroMD.com

Coming Soon The owners of Liberatore’s restaurant will open their eighth restaurant in the spot previously owned by Maple Lawn Grill in Howard County. The new 180-seat Lib’s Grill will offer steaks, burgers, and seafood. The family operates

five Liberatore’s, Liquid Lib’s wine bar in Timonium, and a Lib’s Grill in White Marsh. The new 5,900 square-foot spot will feature a large outdoor seating area.

A new restaurant — Amber — will open in Locust Point this fall as part of the Anthem House apartment project. Located at 900 East Fort Avenue, the 2,000 squarefoot spot will seat 100. The name is an homage to the color of coffee and beer. Amber will serve coffee from Ceremony Coffee in Annapolis and local and regional craft beers.

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.

Tasty bytes at foodservicemonthly.com 16 | JUNE 2017

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BALTI-MORE Dara Bunjon

Cypriana: A True Taste of Cypress

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Canterbury-Johns Hopkins ypriana started in University neighborhood. the early 1990s as a What’s on the menu? small, tow-behind Cypriana features food cart business authentic small plates serving falafel on pita from Cyprus and around at the corner of Light the Mediterranean Sea, Street and Water Street including Greek, Italian, in downtown Baltimore.

Middle Eastern, and Head chef Maria Kaimakis Turkish items and flavors. and her husband Vassos Husband Vassos takes on the frontYiannouris eventually took their business indoors as a small restaurant of-the-house management and chef Maria brings the foods of Cypress focusing on the lunch trade…

— and beyond — to life. Diners can and later into the food court at the order traditional kabobs, University of Maryland stuffed grape leaves, Medical Center. The CYPRIANA and grilled eggplant, to couple now serves food 105 W. 39TH STREET be sure. But how about specialties from Cyprus BALTIMORE dishes like Keoftedes and around the region in a 410-837-7482 — traditional Cyprus new, full-service, 150-seat CYPRIANA.COM beef meatballs — and restaurant in the Tuscany-

WHAT’S ON THE MENU? CYPRIANA FEATURES AUTHENTIC SMALL PLATES FROM CYPRUS AND AROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, INCLUDING GREEK, ITALIAN, MIDDLE EASTERN AND TURKISH FLAVORS.

Halloumi, a semi-hard grilled cheese native to Cyprus. On Sundays, there is a “bottomless brunch,” with an unlimited selection of house-made small plates and breakfast cocktails.

In the photo (below), the couple stands in front of a fig tree that is growing inside the restaurant, alongside stacks of wood for a wood burning stove. Cypriana’s lucky diners can experience true Cypriot food … with a great atmosphere, too!

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.

Chef Maria Kaimakis and her husband Vassos Yiannouris foodservicemonthly

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JUNE 2017 | 17

ASSOCIATION NEWS RAM Marshall Weston

RAM 2017 Stars of the Restaurant Industry Award Winners Announced

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ith more than 600 members in attendance, the Restaurant Association of Maryland announced the winners of its 63rd Annual Stars of the Restaurant Industry Awards. The gala celebration and awards presentation took place Sunday, April 30 at the Baltimore Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore. Over thirty-five thousand votes were cast to decide the favorite Maryland restaurants and industry professionals.

“The Gala is our opportunity to honor and give recognition to elite restaurants across the state. We are fortunate to have such a diverse group of restaurants to choose from who are dedicated to their customers, their community, and their employees,” said Marshall Weston, President and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland.

successful businesses support local communities by creating jobs and financially supporting non-profit groups, schools, scouts, and youth sports teams.

• AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar, Columbia • Blackwall Hitch, Annapolis • Glory Days Grill, Six Md. locations

customers. Awardees have all been in business for at least 20 years.

• The Bowman Restaurant, Parkville • The Brewer’s Art, Baltimore • Chat-N-Chew Restaurant, McCoole • Ellicott Mills Brewing Company, Ellicott City • Minato Sushi Bar, Baltimore

2017 Restaurateur of the Year

Award Winners and Honorees

Maryland Hospitality Hall of Honor 2017 Inductees Celebrating its 17th anniversary, the Maryland Hospitality Hall of Honor was created to recognize those restaurants in Maryland that embody the spirit of the hospitality industry based on their longevity and overall contributions to their

McCormick Cornerstone of the Industry Award Awarded to the companies that best illustrate how restaurants are the cornerstone of the economy and their community. These

McCormick Cornerstone of the Industry Award winners

Hall of Honor awardees 2017, left to right: Alex and Austin Tran, Minato Sushi Bar; Tim Kenzski and Rick Winter, Ellicott Mills Brewing Co.; Tom Marsh, Chat-n-Chew Restaurant; and Anne Marie and Steve Diffenderffer, The Bowman Restaurant 18 | JUNE 2017

John Liberatore, Restaurateur of the Year

Presented by the Maryland Restaurant & Hospitality Self Insurance Fund A restaurant owner who shows originality, offers quality customer service, demonstrates success in the eyes of his/her fellow operators, and demonstrates leadership on behalf of

Brigitte Bledsoe, Chef of the Year

Craft Brew Program of the Year winner — The White Oak Tavern

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the foodservice industry.

• John Liberatore, Liberatore’s Ristorante & Catering

of food, and exhibits ongoing commitment to the community.

• Brigitte Bledsoe, Miss Shirley’s Café

2017 Allied Member of the Year

2017 Craft Brew Program of the Year

An industry supplier company that goes above and beyond to serve the foodservice industry, demonstrates leadership, and is recognized for outstanding service and quality products.

• Business & Commercial Ventures, Represented by Jerry Blumenthal

Presented by Evolution Craft Brewing Co. An establishment that is recognized for its craft beer selection and features a menu and staff that are knowledgeable and passionate about the world of craft beers.

• The White Oak Tavern, Ellicott City

2017 Chef of the Year

A new establishment opened in Maryland in the past two years that exhibits a top-notch menu, impeccable service, and amazing atmosphere.

• Slice New York Pizza, Baltimore

Presented by Oracle An executive chef who demonstrates consistent standards of excellence, serves as an inspiration to other foodservice professionals, displays dedication to the artistry

2017 Favorite New Restaurant

2017 Favorite Restaurant A trendy spot or an old favorite that you return to time and time again.

• Mission BBQ, 14 Md. locations

2017 Favorite Bar or Tavern The watering hole you frequent where the drinks are great, and the bartenders are beyond compare.

• Harborside Bar & Grill, Ocean City

2017 Heart of the Industry Award A staff member who goes above and beyond to keep the restaurant running smoothly and exemplifies dependability, teamwork, and dedication to the restaurant industry.

• Garret Hadel, Bartender at Jimmy’s Famous Seafood

The Brice & Shirley Phillips Lifetime Achievement Award This award is given to the person who exemplifies sound business principles and impeccable character while dedicating his or her career to the betterment of the restaurant and foodservice industry.

• Peter Plamondon Sr., Roy Rogers restaurants

Eddie Dopkin First Course Award, Honoring Entrepreneurship in Hospitality Presented by Miss Shirley’s Café and The Classic Catering People The Dopkin family created this $5,000 scholarship to celebrate the life and memory of Eddie Dopkin, founder and visionary behind the award-winning Miss Shirley’s Café and a partner with The Classic Catering People.

• Elisheva Goldenberg, Stratford University

2017 ProStart Student of the Year This award is given to the high school student who dedicates himor herself to pursuing a career in the foodservice industry. The awardee has excellent grades, takes the time for extra-curricular activities, and is a leader in the classroom.

• Kyle Schwartz, Northeast High School Slice New York Pizza, Favorite New Restaurant winner

Garret Hadel, Heart of the Industry Award winner, left, with Marshall Weston

2017 Wine & Beverage Program of the Year An establishment that is distinguished by the quality, diversity, clarity, and value of its beverage program.

• Dry 85, Annapolis

2017 ProStart Teacher of the Year This award is given to the high school culinary arts or restaurant management teacher who empowers and inspires students to pursue a career in the hospitality industry while holding students to a high standard.

• Jeffrey Smith, Sollers Point Technical High School

The Otto Schellhase Award

Peter Plamondon Sr, The Brice & Shirley Phillips Lifetime Acheivement Award recipient, surrounded by his family

foodservicemonthly

An individual of sterling character who has made numerous contributions to RAM and the Education Foundation.

• Maria Vaccaro, Vaccaro’s Italian Pastry Shop

The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On

JUNE 2017 | 19

photos: Scott Suchman

BY LISA KEATHLEY

S

iren…

The word itself conjures mythological nymphs, allure and seduction, and mystical calls to the sea. It is, of course, the name of a new DC restaurant that opened in late April: Siren by Robert Wiedmaier. Wiedmaier is joined in this newest venture by partners Brian McBride and John Critchley. And they definitely are a trio, with each having a key role in the operation. Brian McBride actually came up with the name, Wiedmaier says. “This is a seafood restaurant, and seafood is feminine, so we needed a name that would reflect that.” McBride adds, “we thought about mermaids and the ‘siren song’ reference from the Eric Clapton song. Siren is kinda hot and kinda fun, just what we want the restaurant to be.”

20 | JUNE 2017

SIREN

BY ROBERT WIEDMAIER

What makes this trio work?

All three have worked in chefhotels, including Kimpton, the Ritz, The Park Hyatt, and The Four Seasons. The setting for Siren is the boutique hotel, The Darcy, on Rhode Island Ave. “Fifty years ago, most hotels had top chefs,” Wiedmaier says. “For a time, we got away from that, and now more and more boutique hotels are coming back to the idea of a chef-hotel because it works for both parties.”

The name Robert Wiedmaier needs no introduction, of course, but let’s have a quick review anyway! Born in Germany to a Belgian father and California mother, he was steeped from the beginning in fresh food from local German and Belgian markets, along with hunting and fishing in local fields and waterways. Once he decided on a culinary career, he stayed with it, and even today,

cannot believe his success. “I barely got out of high school,” he jokes.

“I never thought as a pot washer that one day I would employ 700 people!” But he does, at restaurants such as Mussel Bar & Grille (in Arlington, Bethesda, and Baltimore), Wildwood Kitchen, Villain & Saint, and Lock 72 Kitchen & Bar.

Treating staff like family Marcel’s, named for Wiedmaier’s older son, opened in 1999 and consistently wins top awards and ratings for fine DC dining. Brasserie Beck is named for younger son Beck, a 14-year-old soccer player.

Marcel is 18 and off to NYU to study jazz. In fact, he often plays jazz at Marcel’s and now, on weekends, at Siren. Dad is very proud of both and says he learned to be a better chef and restaurateur because of his sons and his wife (“my rock”) Polly. “I’d been a tough guy for years,” he says,

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“yelling at young cooks for things like too much salt, or overcooking, or slicing something wrong.”

Once his sons came along, he says he realized that he had to become a coach and parent to his staff. “These are someone’s children, too, and they need nurturing and a positive environment just like my own kids do.” He shares this as a piece of advice to others in the business.

“You have to be mature in how you treat your staff.” He notes that this is especially true when starting a new restaurant. “When everything is new, you are painting a picture of how you want it to be. Everyone has to understand the culture and how we want things done.” With a threeminute deadline 100 times a day for every dish, “I’m delighted if they get it 98 percent right!” he exclaims.

From the ground up Wiedmaier’s co-visionary in the foodservicemonthly

photos: Scott Suchman

creation of Siren is Brian McBride, chef and RW Restaurant Group partner. “My involvement was at the ground level,” he says. “I designed the restaurant, worked with various purveyors to get the look we wanted, did the hiring, and now here we are!” McBride gained his knowledge about restaurants — and seafood in particular — from working around the world. “In Southeast Asia, seafood was king, and I was able to see so many styles and ways to prep food.” He collected knowledge by watching and working with chefs in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other Asian capitals. ‘You could work for 40 years and still not learn all the techniques to cook seafood!” he says.

In London, McBride learned traditional French cuisine. That, combined with Asian fusion cooking, defined the cooking style he brought to the Melrose, the signature restaurant at the Park foodservicemonthly

Hyatt, where, for 20 years, he was executive chef. He launched Blue Duck Tavern in 2006 and, in 2011, joined the RW Restaurant Group with his long-time friend Robert Wiedmaier. McBride sees Siren as a “fun place on the high end.

Ingredients are not cheap. Good fish is expensive. Great oysters are expensive. You can have caviar and champagne for dessert here if that’s what you want!” In fact, one of the offerings is a caviar tasting plate with caviar cookies — black & white, macaron, and lindzer.

And Critchley makes three The two chef-partners hired their third Siren teammate in John Critchley. “John is the glue,” Wiedmaier exclaims. “He is a culinary delight. Certain people just get it. John just gets it!” Wiedmaier met Critchley in Miami, where Critchley worked for Kimpton.

“John is a natural fit,” Wiedmaier says. “He comes from a school of thinking and creativity where you can eat off the floor!”

Critchley grew up on seafood on Boston’s south shore, eating it, fishing for it, and cooking it. “I’ve been in kitchens since I was 13,” he says. And, over his years, he has developed a healthy respect for cooking from the sea. In Miami, “I had 40 species of fish on the menu.” Instead of flying in salmon and halibut from the north, he used fish from nearby Florida waters in order to source locally. His hope is to procure extremely fresh seafood from around the world from well-managed areas so diners can continue to have it on the menu.

“Seafood is difficult to manage,” he notes. “It’s the only wild protein on any menu. That’s what gives it the distinct flavor. When there’s wind and rain — and no fishing

The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On

— for a week, we have to turn to other sources. I’m happy being in a kitchen where we are focusing 100 percent on seasonal, fresh sourcing of seafood.”

The menu item Critchley cites as his favorite? Well, there’s not just one. “I love serving raw fish,” he says. “Maybe the fluke Tiradito (a raw fish dish like ceviche, heavily influenced by Japanese sashimi.) Or maybe a favorite is the Japanese sea urchin with blue crab custard or the big eye tuna served with wakame seaweed.

The Siren kitchen is small and nimble so Critchley can create whatever seafood windfalls happen to be delivered that day. And they will continue to fine-tune each and every day. When Wiedmaier thought the Siren crab cake wasn’t quite “grooving,” he asked for new thinking, and voila, a better crab cake with a new twist was created SIREN cont. on page 23 JUNE 2017 | 21

FOOD SMARTS Juliet Bodinetz

Sanitizing Basics … For Real

A

ny food establishment owner or manager knows that the key to being successful is to keep your establishment free of pests, clean, and for cooking and prep areas, sanitized. Do you have to sanitize your whole building? No. If food is not touching it, then you don’t have to sanitize it. Cleaning is the process of removing food and soil from a surface. Sanitizing is reducing the number of pathogens to a safe level. Sanitizing destroys 99.99% of pathogens, to be precise.

Sanitizing steps …

According to the Food and Drug Administration, sanitizing includes

four steps: wash, rinse, sanitize, and air dry.

However, truthfully, in all my years of working in restaurants, I never followed those four steps.

Instead, I would reach for the cloth — that must always be kept submerged in the sanitizer solution — and clean and sanitize in a one-go method. I always translated these four steps to washing dishes by hand using the three compartment sinks. You do need to clean the surface before you sanitize a surface regardless of whether you are doing the one-step, clean–sanitize method or following the four recommended FDA steps. This ensures that there is no dirt, food, or grease in the

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way, which could act as a barrier to allowing the sanitizer to do its job, which is to sanitize/kill pathogens on a surface.

Sanitizing can be done with chemicals or with heat in the form of hot water — 171°F submerged or in contact for 30 seconds. The three most common chemical sanitizers are: chlorine-based, quaternary ammonia (quats), and iodine based. The key is: You have to follow the manufacturer’s directions to the letter. The factors that will influence how well your sanitizer does its job are: Concentration: Use too little, and it’s not working. Use too much, and it can leave a harmful toxic residue.

Water temperature: If the water is too cold, the chemical solution won’t activate. Too warm, and it can neutralize or become corrosive.

Contact time: Let’s say the directions require 30 seconds of contact time in the third compartment sanitizing sink.

This means 30 seconds; 10 or 20 seconds will not kill the pathogens.

However, leaving pots and pans in the sanitizing solution for too long can corrode your cooking utensils.

Several of my students left their cooking gear in the third sanitizing sink all day and came back to find holes in their pots and pans!

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After you make the sanitizing solution properly, please, please, please test it using a test strip/ test kit! I can’t emphasize this enough. Your dishwashers will test the solution in the third compartment sink after they make it, but do they think of testing it afterwards? I honestly can’t find a standard answer to how often you should test your sanitizer solution.

My recommendation is that your employees should test it every hour or so. I have read that the sanitizer solution should be tested at least

The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On

twice a day. Recognize that if the solution looks cloudy, it’s probably worth it to just change the solution.

In real life, your health inspectors will always march straight to the dish-room area to test the sanitizing solution in the third sink. They will write you up if it is not at the right concentration. Don’t forget: if you use more than one chemical sanitizer, purchase the corresponding test kit.

Not to mention the buckets …

Let’s talk about your buckets of sanitizer solution. Employees need to test the solution in the buckets after making it. Your health inspectors might test the buckets, too. I recommend that your employees change out the buckets of sanitizer solution at least every shift (every 2-4 hours). Ideally, you want your containers of sanitizer solution to be close to the work area so employees will use it, but you wouldn’t want the solution to be next to the food or up on a high shelf because it will contaminate the food and work area should it spill. Putting the sanitizer solution up on a shelf above your employees is also dangerous as it can spill into their eyes and faces. Ideally, place your sanitizing solution buckets underneath your work area on a shelf (not on the floor). If you put sanitizer solution in a spray bottle, please remember to label the bottle clearly with the chemical name.

When should you clean and sanitize a surface that touches food?

• Before and after using that surface.

• When changing from one food item — especially raw meat — to an item that will not be cooked.

• Constant use working with same food and same equipment: I recommend every two hours but certainly no less than every four hours.

FOOD SMARTS cont. on page 23 foodservicemonthly

ASSOCIATION NEWS OCHMRA Susan L. Jones

New Officers at the Helm of OCHMRA

A

pproximately 230 OCHMRA members gathered for the annual installation of officers and board directors at Harrison’s Harbor Watch. Will Lynch of the Commander Hotel was installed as the new president, Gary Figgs of Seacrets was installed as 1st vice president, and Tom Tawney of Cayman Suites will serve as the 2nd vice president. Shawn Harman of Fishtales/Bahia Marina continues as secretary-treasurer.

The three-year-term board directors include Ryan Wilde of BEST Motels, Spencer Byrd of Courtyard by Marriott, and Dave Robinson of Boardwalk Hotel Group. Two-year directors include Danelle Amos of the Beach Walk Hotel, Karen Tomasello of Sello’s Italian Oven, and Steve “Chief” Hoffman of 28th St.

FOOD SMARTS cont. from page 22 • If a worker is interrupted or distracted during the job, and there is any chance that the work area got contaminated during the interruption.

Absolute bottom line: I recommend that you teach all your staff how to use test strips to confirm they have made the sanitizer solution properly.

SIREN cont. from page 21 the very next day. Critchley adds, “It’s great to be able to pull from three brains. If we can think of it, I can make it!” Critchley sees cooking as art. “The best part of being a chef or an artist is that you can change your mind! You listen to your customers and go in different directions if it’s not going where you think it should.”

Three is definitely not a crowd Critchley sums up the threesome very well. “The reason Brian and Robert and I get along is that after 25 or more years, we each have the foodservicemonthly

Pit-n-Pub. One-year directors are Spiro Buas of OCRooms, Rebecca Taylor of Captain’s Table, and Patrick Staib of Harrison Group.

Outgoing president Mark Elman, of the Clarion Fontainebleau Hotel, was presented with a plaque in appreciation of his hard work and dedication as HMRA president.

Caryl Cardenas of Park Place Hotel and Brian Mushrush, formerly of Phillips, received certificates of appreciation for their service to the board. The evening’s festivities also featured the presentation of the Bank of Ocean City Tres Lynch Scholarship to Wor-Wic Culinary HRM student Jason Nestor.

OC Inaugural Film Festival Long known for t-shirts and

taffy, Ocean City is now offering a welcome addition to cater to cultural arts visitors. Over the winter, the Art League of Ocean City partnered with a local student who will be graduating from Towson University’s communications program. Together, they have developed the inaugural OC Film Festival. This four-day event is slated for June 8 through 11, and it already has over 700 entries!

Four locations around town will host the films. For complete info, check out viewing options at www. ocmdfilmfestival.com.

A place to please every palate Several new restaurants are opening this summer, and — with some of the best memories made

over a meal — make sure you plan your trip to the beach. Rare & Rye, a whiskey and wine bar with a unique menu, opened its doors on May 12.

Buxy’s Salty Dog proprietor, Doug Buxbaum, is opening a fast-casual spot next door called Dry Dock 28.

Over the winter, the 28th Street Pit-n-Pub expanded with a second location, Northside Pit-n-Pub, in the north end of OC. Another expansion comes from the guys at Tequila Mockingbird. They are opening a second spot in West OC. Lots of mouth-watering local seafood comes straight from the boats to the plate, and, with a delightfully diverse cuisine, there are oodles of options to please your palette. Check out the dining options at www.ocvisitor.

JULIET BODINETZ is the executive director of Bilingual Hospitality Training Solutions with more than 30 years industry and training experience. Her team of instructors’ specialty is food safety, alcohol training and ServSafe training in both English and Spanish; and writing HACCP Plans in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. metro area. www.bilingualhospitality.com, juliet@ bilingualhospitality.com or 443-838-7561.

For latest food safety tips, become a fan on Facebook or Twitter: @BHTS

same drive we had going into this.”

Their shared goal is to be the best seafood restaurant in the DC area, with great service, and the freshest product so people remember the experience. “It will take time,” Wiedmaier says. “We will have hiccups. But the thoughtfulness behind the cuisine is there. We share the goal of creating a truly unique seafood celebration for our guests.”

And so far, this trio of restaurant experts is off to a very good start.

And perhaps — just perhaps — if you enter the place and use your imagination, you might just hear that siren song…a little bit mysterious, alluring, and mythical, as well.

The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On

JUNE 2017 | 23

RAR RESTAURANT ACTIVITY REPORT

CURRENT REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS, LEASES SIGNED, OWNERSHIP CHANGES AND BUSINESS BROKERAGE ACTIVITY Editor’s note: The Restaurant Activity Report (RAR) is a lead summary. The information is supplied to readers of Foodservice Monthly by the RAR and the RAR is solely responsible for its content and accuracy. The list is edited for space.

CHIKO Danny Lee 423 8th Street, SE Washington DC 20003 2017 danny@mandudc.com 202-588-1540 A new eatery called Chiko is expected to open at 423 8th St SE in Washington, DC. The eatery is still in the very early stages but owners hope to open by late 2017. The menu will serve Asian cuisine with full ABC. Contact number listed 202-588-1540 is for Danny Lee, the owner at Mandu. The best way to reach Danny is via email at danny@mandudc.com.

Fufills All Maryland Health Department Requirements Recommended by: Coastal Sunbelt Produce, Baltimore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Foodservice Monthly, MICROS, PFG, RAMW & SAVAL

SEOULSPICE Eric Shin 4300 Hartwick Road College Park MD 20740 202-792-8879 An employee at Seoulspice confirmed the owner would be opening a new 2,000 sqft location at 4300 Hartwick Rd. in College Park, Md. The menu serves Korean cuisine with ABC. Contact number listed 202-792-8879 is for the original location.

AMBER Gino Kozera 900 Ease Fort Avenue Baltimore MD 21230 888-472-5549 A new eatery called Amber is expected to open by late June 2017 in the new apartment complex Anthem House at 900 East Fort Ave in Baltimore, Md. The 100-seat restaurant will serve upscale American cuisine with full ABC. Contact number listed 888-472-5549 is for Anthem House.

PIES & PINTS 2035 W. Broad Street Richmond VA 23220 304-342-7437 piesandpints.net A new location of Pies & Pints is coming to 2035 W. Broad Street in Richmond, Va. The restaurant’s menu typically features about 20 types of specialty pizzas available in two sizes, plus sandwiches, salads, appetizers and more than 30 craft beers on tap. In addition, the new location is slated to open by late 2017. Contact number 304-342-7437 is for West Virginia location.

THE DAILY KITCHEN AND BAR RESTAURANT Jared Golden W. Broad Street Henrico VA 23233 804-243-8990 thedailykitchenandbar.com A second location of The Daily Kitchen and Bar will be opening at the GreenGate development on West Broad in Richmond, Va. The restaurant serves a variety of dishes ranging from vegan to paleo. In addition, the restaurant is slated to open July 2017. Contact number 804-3428990 is for original location at 2934 W. Cary Street in Richmond, Virginia 23221.

LUTHER BURGER Ian Kelley 1931 Huguenot Road Bon Air VA 23235 804-728-1932 www.sugarshackdonuts.com A new restaurant called Luther Burger will open at 1931 Huguenot Road in Bon Air, Va. The restaurant will serve burgers made from locally sourced meat as well as and veggie and turkey burgers on brioche buns. It will also serve waffle fries with nine types of seasoning, kids’ meals and a rotating list of beer and wine. A June opening is expected. Contact number 804-728-1932 is for Sugar Shack donuts in Bon Air, Va. which shares the same owner.

THE CUSTARD STAND Angie Cowger 200 Wal Street Summersville WV 26651 304-369-0001 www.custardstand.com Angie and Dee Cowger plan to open a new The Custard Stand late May 2017 at 200 Wal Street, Summersville, WV. The Custard Stand is well known for its chili. The menu will consist of hot dogs, ice cream, hamburgers.

No reproduction without express written permission under penalty of law. Published by Restaurant Activity Report, PO Box 201, Willow Springs, NC27592; Office: 919-346-0444; Toll Free: 888-246-0551; Fax: 919-882-8199; www. restaurantactivityreport.com

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.

ADVERTISER INDEX Acme Paper & Supply..............................15 Alto-Hartley ............................................11 Barter Systems.......................................23 Bilingual Hospitality Training Solutions......24 BME.......................................................17

24 | JUNE 2017

ECOLAB .................................................11 Hearn Kirkwood........................................ 6 H&S Bakery............................................C3 Itek Construction + Consulting .................. 3 Martin Bamberger................................... 22 Metropolitan Meat Seafood Poultry .........C4 The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On

RAMEF .................................................. 24 Restaurant Depot......................................9 Sandalye,ci............................................... 1 Soft Stuff................................................C2 Tech 24..................................................13

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