Foodservice Monthly

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Volume 17, No. 10 ■ December 2018/January 2019

FSM's 2018 Foodservice Leader of the Year Centrolina’s Executive Chef and Owner Amy Brandwein

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Cover photo by Greg Powers

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Volume 17, No. 10 ■ December 2018/January 2019 Silver Communications Publisher

December 2018/January 2019

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Lisa Keathley Managing Editor lisafoodmag@gmail.com Lisa Silber Sales Manager lisa@foodservicemonthly.com Electronic Ink Design & Production fsm@eink.net

News & Information

Columns

Advertiser Index ……………………………………………………………………24 Association News OCHMRA by Susan L. Jones ……………………………19 Association News RAM by Marshall Weston …………………………………21 Association News RAMW by Kathy Hollinger ……………………………… 3 Association News VRLTA by Eric Terry ………………………………………… 7 FSM News ……………………………………………………………………………16 Photo Gallery / Performance Food Group Show ……………………………23 Photo Gallery / Saval Slicing Center Opening ………………………………24

About Town by Lisa Keathley & Celeste McCall …………………………… 4

In the Spotlight

Modern Business Solutions by Henry Pertman ……………………………12

FSM’s 2018 Foodservice Leader Amy Brandwein

by Lisa Keathley; Cover photo: Greg Powers………………………………… 8

Whining ’N Dining by Randi Rom ………………………………………………22

Balti-MORE by Dara Bunjon……………………………………………………… 6 Bits & Bites by Lisa Keathley …………………………………………………… 2 Bob Brown Says by Bob Brown …………………………………………………11 Culinary Correspondent by Celeste McCall …………………………………10 Food Smarts by Juliet Bodinetz …………………………………………………20 Insurance...Plus! by Thomas Carroll/Heather Keogh ……………………14 Local Cooks by Alexandra Greeley ……………………………………………15 The Latest Dish by Linda Roth …………………………………………………18

Contributing Writers Kathy Hollinger Randi Rom Susan Jones Linda Roth Celeste McCall Eric Terry Henry Pertman Marshall Weston Contact phone: 703-471-7339 email: lisa@foodservicemonthly.com fax: 866-961-4980 web: www.foodservicemonthly.com

Juliet Bodinetz Bob Brown Dara Bunjon Alexandra Greeley

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.

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DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 1

BITS & BITES | Lisa Keathley

Seedy Nutty Finds a New Home in SW Baltimore

The Food Project

Some of the proud new makers of Seedy Nutty In July 2017, FSM ran a story on UEmpower of Maryland and “The Food Project” — a program to bring culinary skills, restaurant job opportunities, sustainable food sources, and mentorship to impoverished youth from what is Maryland’s poorest zip code. The story began with these words: “If you are a child in the southwest Baltimore community of Carrollton Ridge, just a few blocks west of the Inner Harbor, chances are you live in poverty. Almost 43 percent do. Chances are you do not have a job. Unemployment is 13.8 percent compared to the Maryland average of 5.5 percent. Chances are you may not graduate from high school. Only 67 percent ever get that far, meaning a third of your friends will never graduate from high school. Almost half the households in this part of Baltimore have incomes under $25,000. That’s per year.”

At the time of the article, The Food Project and its executive 2 | DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

director Michelle Suazo had a major goal — to procure space for the culinary program. The local Samuel F. B. Morse Elementary School, with a kitchen and cafeteria, was closing.

What better way to use the closing school than to reopen its kitchen for use by The Food Project? Baltimore City leadership agreed, and the repurposed facility is now being used for classes in cooking and nutrition, restaurant development, food production, and urban farming.

That’s part one of the story…

Part two involves FSM’s October 2017 issue and a story entitled, “Was I Nuts?” In the article, my dear friend and former Voice of America colleague Rosanne Skirble chronicled the birth and successful launch of a food product she named “Seedy Nutty.” From an Israeli cousin’s recipe using peanuts, pecans, and pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds, Rosanne developed a small business to bake, package,

and sell the bark-like snack food.

She sold it at local farm markets, the Silver Spring Whole Foods, the American Film Institute (AFI) concession stand, and several other venues, where it almost literally flew off the shelves. Seedy Nutty packages and shaker jars were even shipped to the South Pole where hungry NOAA scientists devoured them.

However, this was supposed to be a retirement project!

As Rosanne noted in her article, “My journey to retirement has left me with a business that turns out is a lot of hard work, online, in the kitchen, delivering orders, and showing up for demos and special events. It’s possible that I have sown the seeds for another entrepreneur who can take Seedy Nutty from its sweet spot among locals to a broader market looking for a healthier way to snack. I am also considering gifting Seedy Nutty to a non-profit that is a good fit.”

Enter the matchmaker…

Gifting Seedy Nutty. Hmmmm, I thought. Could The Food Project be that “good fit” Rosanne might be looking for? Seedy Nutty has the advantage of being relatively easy to make — just five ingredients,

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basically. It is super healthy. It already had a fan base, and it has lots of growth potential. The Food Project kids could have fun making it. More importantly, they could experience even more success learning to market and promote it.

Thinking there might be a match, I e-connected Michelle and Rosanne.

They met. And met. And met some more. Within months, they began writing a memorandum of understanding to gift Seedy Nutty to The Food Project. And the Seedy Nutty production program of The Food Project got underway. (Just call me Yentl!)

So what’s happening now?

“Since it is an existing business,” says Rosanne, “the young bakers will have to do what I did in the three years that I ran the business — bake, bag, market, demo, and a zillion other things.”

“Seedy Nutty will be run as a social enterprise within The Food Project,” notes Michelle. The day in late November when I called her for updates, she said the kids had just made 11 cases of Seedy Nutty for Whole Foods in Silver Spring, AFI, and Guerrilla Vending. Eleven cases — that’s 112 packages! Other vendors have just ordered Seedy Nutty, too, including Under Armour, for its Harbor East store, and Center Stage, Baltimore’s largest producing theater.

And the kids? Well, look at their proud faces! With a little matchmaking magic and Michelle’s support, Rosanne’s generous Seedy Nutty gift has found a home that promises to bring joy, skills, and profit to a deserving group of Baltimore kids.

Learn more about The Food Project at: http://uempowerofmd. org/the-food-project/. foodservicemonthly

ASSOCIATION NEWS RAMW | Kathy E. Hollinger

Educated Eats Honors Visionary Women On a beautiful evening in November, three incredible D.C. women were honored for their dedication and leadership in the areas of workforce development, community support, and job training across the region. The scene was D.C.’s RPM Italian Restaurant, as Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s education foundation, Educated Eats, announced its 2018 Educated Eats Culinary Visionary Awards.

Founded in 2004, Educated Eats is committed to promoting the restaurant and foodservice industry as a career of unlimited opportunity for youth and for those looking to enter the industry.

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The Visionary Award The Educated Eats Board of Directors created a Visionary Award to honor those who have demonstrated dedication and leadership in culinary education and training, community education, and workforce development in Washington D.C. area’s food and hospitality industry. Each year, the Board chooses honorees in three categories who exemplify these qualities: Corporate Stewardship, Culinary Industry, and Technical Job Training.

David Claypool, Kalorama Photography

ASSOCIATION NEWS RAMW cont. page 17 (L-R) Honorees Iris Wilson, Ris Lacoste, and Donna Cooper, and RAMW's Kathy Hollinger

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DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 3

ABOUT TOWN | Lisa Keathley & Celeste McCall

DMV’s Black Restaurant Week Restaurateurs in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia joined forces for a week in November to celebrate Black Restaurant Week.

More than three dozen restaurants, bars, coffee shops and catering companies participated in the event, including Ben’s Chili Bowl, The Caged Bird, Halfsmoke, Hen Quarter, and Matchbox Vintage Pizza Bistro. The focus of the week was to showcase the work of African-American restaurant and hospitality operators and interest the next generation in pursuing careers in the restaurant industry. According to the latest National Restaurant Association research, AfricanAmericans and blacks make up only eight percent of the industry’s restaurant owners and managers.

The November event was the brainchild of bar consultant Andra “AJ” Johnson, restaurateur Furard Tate, and Georgetown University professor Erinn Tucker. During a follow-up phone conversation with FSM, Dr. Tucker said they were thrilled with the week’s success.

“People traveled here from all over.

We did not expect this!” Another success indicator, she said, was that reservations went up at several participating restaurants due to publicity and exposure.

Dr. Tucker pointed out some of the event’s highlights, including a “She-Chef” event, featuring a panel discussion about women in the culinary industry, and a “Master Mixologist Cocktail Competition,” which showcased DMV talent.

The highlight, she said, was a 4 | DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

business conference where attendees could discuss such subjects as entrepreneurship, financing, running a business, and reimagining workforce culture.

To continue the discussions, the group is planning quarterly programming with members and the public. In February, Dr. Tucker said, there are plans for a workshop highlighting mental, spiritual, and financial wellness. In May, the theme will be continuing education, followed by a travel event in August paring up black chefs and mixologists from the DMV with professionals in other regions.

“We are overly thrilled by the participation by restaurants, local governments, and the restaurant community,” Dr. Tucker said. “We are definitely going to make this an annual event in November, in same time frame. Stay tuned because it will be an annual thing!” For more information, go to: https://www. dmvbrw.com/.

Chilean Chefs Challenge Eight Washington area chefs and four mixologists tested their skills in November as foodies sipped and noshed at Restaurant Association of Washington’s fifth annual Chilean Chefs Challenge.

The Embassy of Chile, ProChile, RAMW, and various sponsors hosted the festive event at the National Restaurant Association headquarters in downtown Washington. As they sampled small plates crafted from Chilean ingredients, seven judges and many of the guests voted for

Keon Green, KTG Works

D.C. Black Restaurant Week organizers (l-r) Furard Tate, Dr. Erinn Tucker, and Andra "AJ" Johnson their favorites. The challenge was to create a dish or drink using the best ingredients from Chile. The winners are shown in the box at right.

Among other creations were salmon sashimi (Kaz Okochi, Kaz Sushi Bistro); mussels escoveche (Brandon Ingenito, City Winery); salmon with spicy rice (chef Ron Goodman, Ivy City Smokehouse); and spicy mussels (Pablo Catalan, Cuba Libre). Chilean wines flowed generously.

Dominating the party space was a long table heaped with Chilean agricultural products, including fruits, nuts, berries, grapes, olive oil, and grains. Attendees also viewed a striking video of Chile and heard comments from RAMW President and CEO Kathy Hollinger and the Embassy of Chile’s new Commercial Attache of Economic Development.

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JUDGES FOOD CHOICE: Executive Chef Jonathan Dearden (Radiator): Glacier Aji Amarillo spiced salmon

JUDGES COCKTAIL CHOICE: Mixologist Peter Grimm (Equinox): Pisco Pomada, made with Waqar Pisco, ginger, turmeric, and lime

PEOPLES FOOD CHOICE: Ype Von Hengst (Silver): Patagonian ribeye with cilantro sauce, oregano, corn, and white beans

PEOPLES COCKTAIL CHOICE: Jo-Jo Valenzuela (Barkeep Consulting): Gobernador Otoño with El Gobernador Pisco, pomegranate, ginger beer, and bitters

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DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 5

BALTI-MORE | Dara Bunjon

Gypsy’s “Truckstaurant” Rolls into Hampden/Woodberry

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Seasoned chefs Annmarie Langton and Tom Looney have created a unique new eatery that is part restaurant and part food truck. The food truck holds the kitchen for this “truckstaurant,” while a large converted commercial garage serves as the restaurant and bar, seating about 90. Both chefs made their culinary presence known early on with their Canton restaurant, Helen’s Garden, and currently with their awardwinning Gypsy Queen food trucks.

The cuisine is street food, ranging

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from Thai peanut noodles and Bourbon Street chicken po’ boys to their “you-have-to-get” Gypsy Queen crab cake in a waffle cone with Old Bay and garlic french fries with aioli sauce. Libations are abundant — craft cocktails, beer, and wine will whet your whistle. Open Tuesdays through Sundays.

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.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS VRLTA | Eric D. Terry

Amazon is Coming to Town

By now, everyone has heard that Amazon HQ2 ½ is coming to the Crystal City area of Arlington, Virginia. Twenty-five thousand high paying jobs are sure to change the landscape of Crystal City and beyond. What should the restaurant industry expect? It should be a big plus for the restaurant scene, and here is why.

Years ago, when Dell, AMD, IBM,

and other companies set up shop in Austin, Texas, the Austin restaurant scene was primarily BBQ and TexMex restaurants. Fine dining just wasn’t around. Fast forward to today, and Austin boasts one of the nation’s best restaurant environments.

World-class sushi and other eclectic restaurants thrive there. What was created were numerous spin-off companies set up by the famous “Dellionairs,” as Dell executives were called. Major hotels were built, several with 1,000 rooms or more.

Austin is still booming!

What, then, is the prediction for Arlington and Crystal City?

The new Amazon hires will want a lot more than just subs at their

desks. They will have money to spend, and restaurants that cater to deliver tastes, craft beverages, and other unique offerings will thrive.

There will likely be some restaurant opportunities within the complex itself and many possibilities beyond, with a workforce that will live not only in Arlington, but in Alexandria, Fairfax County, the District, and even further out. That doesn’t even account for the new Virginia Tech Innovation Campus. Restaurants should be thinking how their establishments might fit into this new landscape.

In the coming months, there will be a series of town hall meetings with involved economic developers,

business leaders, and VRLTA. Plan to attend and learn all you can about what is coming and the opportunities that are available.

Just because your restaurant has been successful doesn’t mean it will be when the new “residents” come to town. Think about renovating, expanding, or even reorganizing to meet the market. For some, it will be time to sell. For others, it will be a time to expand and grow. The important thing is to think outside your box to take advantage of what’s to come.

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

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DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 7

COVER STORY | Lisa Keathley

Breaking the Norms

Centrolina’s Amy Brandwein

Amy Brandwein Executive Chef/Owner Caitlin Dysart Executive Pastry Chef Angela Duran General Manager

For a woman to do so is very different. There are really very different standards.”

8 | DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

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my Brandwein started her career in politics, as many in the D.C. area do. “I was around politics all my life,” she says. “My mom was a Congressional staffer, and I worked on many political campaigns. I went to college for political science and started my career in public affairs as a legislative and PAC aide for Emily’s List to help elect more women to office.”

Brandwein learned many lessons from her early career in political affairs. But one of the most important lessons was from her “major feminist” mom, who told her, “Do what you want to do, no matter what the NORM might be.”

The other important takeaway… …was that politics was not what fed her soul. “I spent a good deal of time as a kid and through college working in foodservice. I worked in various different operational positions

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and found I was more interested in food as time went on. The Food Network was new, and I thought it was interesting, practicing and cooking for friends. I even thought I wanted to open a pizza shop.”

But before she did anything in the food business, the fledgeling cook realized she needed to learn more about the art of cooking. “So I quit my job and went to culinary school.

I figured the worst that would happen was that I would learn to cook, and I could always go back to political work!”

Needless to say, Amy Brandwein has never gone back into politics.

Her first professional kitchen job was an internship with Chef Roberto Donna at Galileo. “I started as a culinary intern and spent the next six years there, first in the pastry department. Then I was on the hot side of the line and worked in all the different stations — line cook, sous chef, and finally executive chef.” foodservicemonthly

But it wasn’t always easy As Brandwein notes, “This was 2005. It was pretty unusual for a woman, especially in an Italian or French restaurant, trying to get everyone comfortable with me.”

Though she says it didn’t bother her at the time, she was usually thought of as Donna’s sidekick. “If I were a guy,” she notes, “I would have been considered the executive chef, but as a woman, I was seen more as his assistant.”

Getting promoted over her peers was also difficult. “The other employees were used to certain things, and they weren’t used to ME!” she exclaims. “At the end of the day, I worked as hard or harder than anyone so my work ethic could not be questioned. I tried to be kind, be very organized, and get everyone to feel we were succeeding together.”

The beginning was especially hard, she says, “because I was learning how to be an EC. If I was angry, it was different from a guy being angry. If a guy says something cross, it’s okay. For a woman to do so is very different. There are really very different standards.”

After Galileo closed, Chef Brandwein went with Donna to Bebo Trattoria in Arlington for the next two years as chef de cuisine. “I think when I was at Bebo, opening and running a new restaurant — and getting a 2.5 star review — added to my reputation of doing hard tasks and providing consistent quality and innovation in my food.”

Puttin’ on the Ritz Two years at the Ritz Carlton hotel came next. “I learned the politics of hospitality and the operations of a hotel.” And, once again, she was a pioneer. “At the Ritz, it was very unusual for a woman to head a restaurant,” she notes. “In that culture, there were very few women.

Very few. Like almost zero.” When she asked how many other women were in similar EC positions, she couldn’t get an answer. “It was kind of a bold move for them, making me the face of the restaurant. Risky and bold!” foodservicemonthly

After the Ritz, Chef Brandwein launched Casa Nonna, the BLT Restaurant Group’s first Italian concept in D.C. About six months before it was going to close, she had an epiphany. “I didn’t want to open another restaurant for anyone else. I didn’t want to bounce around anymore."

Centrolina

Mercato E Osteria 974 Palmer Alley, Washington, D.C. 20001 202-898-2426; ciao@centrolinadc.com

Money, money, money Getting early money for the new endeavor, however, was not easy. “I had to start from scratch. I had to formulate a company, get the capital raised, and take care of all the legal issues. I had a lot of meetings to try to secure over a million dollars to be able to sign a lease. It was a long process, and it was really hard.

It was just me during the summer, me during the winter, just me plugging along. It was hard not to be discouraged. I thought I might not make it.”

But make it, she has...

After almost four years, Chef Brandwein got the backing she needed and opened Centrolina in June 2015. Why that name?

“Centro” because of the restaurant’s location in the center of D.C. “The ending, ‘lina,’ gave it a feminine edge.” Right before the opening, she could finally turn her attention to what she loves best — developing and cooking Italian food. “Quite frankly, I did not spend one second thinking about the menu and what I was going to make. So a couple weeks before, I thought about items I might like. I cooked what I felt like cooking when the restaurant opened. It was very ad hoc. There was no plan.”

Luckily…

“It went really well!” she exclaims.

“From the beginning, things went really well, and it’s gotten better and better. People like the idea that things would be good and delicious.

Sometimes a menu item is brand new, sometimes not, but you’re always going to get a delicious meal.”

Centrolina opened to a 2.5 star

review in the Washington Post.

And it just got a third star and a #3 ranking from food critic Tom Sietsema in his 2018 Fall Dining Guide, which Chef Brandwein describes as a “team effort and a huge accomplishment.” Centrolina was ranked #41 on Washingtonian’s 2018 list of the Top 100 Very Best Restaurants and was chosen as one of the 25 Best Italian Restaurants in America by Thrillist in October. “It’s wild!” says the chef.

This past June, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington selected Chef Brandwein as its 2018 Chef of the Year. In 2017, she was accepted to the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program. And for the last two years, 2017 and 2018, JBF judges have chosen Chef Brandwein as a finalist for Best Chef: MidAtlantic. “I think the most important is the JBF nomination,” she says. “To be recognized by peers with such an honor is massive.”

Day to day, though… …Chef Brandwein continues to be inventive in her kitchen and the associated market, or mercato, which sells the Italian products she uses and loves. She has always researched and cooked Italian, but one thing that sets her dishes apart is her emphasis on seasonal fresh vegetables and herbs. She is in partnership with DC Urban Green, a cooperative urban farm that grows vegetables for local residents. “Most have never seen a farm, and I think it really important for kids to see foods growing. I’m the wholesale

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David Claypool

Amy Brandwein (m) celebrates her 2018 Chef of the Year win with RAMW’s Kathy Hollinger (l) and David Moran client, and I buy whatever they are growing every week. It’s been a great experience and a totally positive force for eating and community.”

Chef Brandwein leads a team made up of mostly women, including the GM, beverage manager, and pastry chef. Was this purposeful? “I hired Angie (Angela Duran) as GM first because I felt I needed to be able to direct traffic without any ego involvement. I was looking for a smooth process where I could say where I wanted to go, and she could see that. Women were attracted to working with us. It was a fit, but it wasn’t on purpose at all!

It just happened. I wanted a reboot with new and different people, and I didn’t want to do what I did before.”

To say that Amy Brandwein has broken norms is, frankly, an understatement. “I do have women who are with me now. I ask them, ‘What made you interested in Centrolina?’ ‘YOU, they answer.’ I tell the story because it hopefully influences others who might be on the fence about a culinary career and starting a restaurant. I tell the story because I hope it helps somebody else somehow.”

DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 9

CULINARY CORRESPONDENT | Celeste McCall

Restaurateur Lives the American Dream

Celeste McCall

Henry Mendoza, of Capitol Hill's La Plaza, pours a signature margarita

Henry Mendoza is living the American dream, even though, as he points out, it’s not so easy these days. Born 48 years ago in San Miguel, El Salvador, Mendoza journeyed to the United States seeking a better future. Although he was only 15, he traveled by himself, speaking almost no English.

“For a while, I lived in Mexico, washing cars in the street,” he recalled as we sat in his Capitol Hill restaurant, La Plaza. After he arrived in the Washington area, he washed dishes in Adams Morgan

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

restaurants, then worked in several Capitol Hill restaurants as a busboy, food runner, and other odd jobs. One of those restaurants was Barracks Row favorite, Las Placitas.

“My dream… …was to own a restaurant,” Mendoza said. “I saved my money.” Finally, in February, 2003, La Plaza was born.” That was 15 years ago, and La Plaza is still going strong, in spite of stiff competition from nearby Latino eateries. A few years ago, Mendoza operated a short-lived taverna in the old Caffe Italiano space at 1129 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, next to Frager’s Hardware, which burned down a few years ago. That block is now being converted into luxury condos. Frager’s, a neighborhood institution, reopened nearby.

Mendoza also owned a restaurant in Maryland, but when he had to choose venues, he decided to focus on Capitol Hill. “People are used to seeing me here,” he explained. As for his food, “I serve food the way I would like to be served.”

The most popular dish…

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…at the lively, 90-seat La Plaza?

“El Cuscatleca, a typical plate of Salvadoran specialties: pupusa, yucca, platanos, tamale, beans, and yellow rice. “If you don’t eat pupusas, you’re not Salvadoran,” Mendoza declared with a chuckle.

Other popular dishes on his TexMex Salvadoran menu: platters of sizzling fajitas, camarones de la diablo (spicy shrimp), grilled salmon, several chicken dishes, tortilla soup, and a recent addition,

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“Henry’s paella.” Plus, of course, beer, wine, and pitchers of frosty margaritas.

Mendoza learned some cooking from his mother at home, but he gained most of his culinary experience here in the United States. Mendoza purchases La Plaza’s ingredients from Restaurant Depot in Alexandria and from Cuscatlan grocery (Hyattsville).

La Plaza, which employs about 10 people, does 50 to 60 covers a day.

Always open Unlike many restaurants which close on major holidays, La Plaza continues its tradition of serving lunch and dinner on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. “Even on holidays, people are looking for food,” he explained. Sometimes, the kitchen will deep-fry holiday turkeys.

I asked Mendoza, a naturalized American citizen, how he addresses some of the antiimmigrant sentiment. “I’ve been in the United States for 30 years,” he responded. “Today, you have to fight for the American dream.

Twenty years from now, I hope the next generation won’t have to fight for it like I have.” If he had it to do over, would he come to the United States again? “Yes,” he says emphatically. “No matter what.”

La Plaza Restaurant is located at 629 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, on Capitol Hill. For more information, call 202-546-9512.

CELESTE MCCALL is a Washington, D.C. food and travel writer. Contact her at 202547-5024 or by email at cmccall20003@ gmail.com.

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BOB BROWN SAYS | Bob Brown

Be a Service Star with Words That Sell A simple twist of words leads to a pocketful of cash and a boatload of loyal guests.

 Relationship hello: Ineffective: “Hello. I’m Jamie, and I’ll be your waiter tonight.”

Best practice: “Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Brown. Welcome to Aqueous. And thanks for choosing us to celebrate your 10th anniversary.”

Benefits and strategy: Guests size you up in 10 seconds. Welcome with the time of day and name of restaurant. Thank guests for their patience and dial up preferences.

Warm and authentic opens the door.

 Front end beverages: 1. Bottled Water Ineffective: “Would you like still, sparkling, or tap?” Tap means free.

Best practice: “If you enjoy bottled water, we offer Aqua Panna still and San Pellegrino sparkling.”

Benefits and strategy: Brand-name waters evoke an image. This verbiage jumped sales from five bottles to three cases a day at Seven at the Grand Cayman Ritz Carlton.

2. Wine Ineffective: “May I interest you in wine?” guarantees the “No, we’re fine for now” blow-off.

Best practice: “Our list offers 56 wines listed by varietal. An excellent full-bodied red is Frank Family Cabernet, with black currant flavors.”

Benefits and strategy: When you

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explain how your list works and suggest high-brand recognition wines with brain stickers like “black currant,” it establishes credibility.

Selling wine is the easiest way to boost checks.

3. Cocktails Ineffective: “May I start you off with a cocktail?” lacks finesse.

Best practice: “Chelsea, our bartender from Sydney, makes a great Tito’s Martini.”

Benefits and strategy: Names, places, and brands penetrate the wall of listening-resistant patrons. They’re no longer deciding if they want a drink…but which kind.

4. Beer Ineffective: “May I get you a beer?”

Best practice: “We offer an excellent selection of craft beers. Local IPA standouts are Revival Fanny and Boomsauce. Please let me offer a few tastes.”

Benefits and strategy: Guests lean toward local brews. Offering tastes seals the deal. But always be fluent with the usual suspects: Heineken, Becks, and Samuel Adams.

 Guided tour: Ineffective: “Look over the menu, and I’ll be back with your drinks to answer questions” leaves guests to decide safe and cheap.

Best practice: • Allow me a few moments to describe a few great things from our menu.

• On the upper left-hand side, our cheeseboard with locally sourced

This verbiage jumped sales from five bottles to three cases a day at Seven at the Grand Cayman Ritz Carlton. cheeses accented with bacon jam is great for sharing.

• From small plates, don’t miss our Chesapeake Soft Shell Crab.

• A great mid-course is Shepard’s Greens, a mix of lettuces with herb buttermilk dressing.

• From entrées, I recommend crispy skinned walleye from the Great Lakes.

Benefits and strategy: When you say, “Please allow me a few moments to tell you about a couple of great things,” it tells guests you’ll be brief and offer insider suggestions. When you guide guests, you enlighten and design a meal — inspiring guests to order more.

 Grand finale: Ineffective: “Did you save room for dessert?” gets “No I’m full, on a diet, and out of room.”

Best practice: • For the grand finale, we have an excellent selection of desserts and cordials.

• If you have a passion for chocolate, try our Verona Chocolate Mousse or Apple Galette.

• A standout dessert wine is Graham’s Six Grapes Ruby Port or a snifter of Gran Marnier.

• We also offer an excellent Jameson Irish Coffee.

Benefits and strategy: Be bold when heading to home base. Add 30 to

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60 bucks to your check by grouping desserts, after-dinner drinks, and specialty coffees. Asking “Did you save room?” reminds guests they’re full. All it takes is one person to order a dessert to give fellow guests permission to buy.

 Relationship goodbye: Ineffective: “Thank you, and have a great night” lacks connection.

Best practice: “Mrs. Brown, thank you for choosing us to celebrate your husband’s birthday. I’m glad you enjoyed the Frank Family Cabernet with your rib eye steak.

Have a great weekend at the Wades Point Inn on the Eastern Shore.

Again, I’m Jennifer, and please ask for me the next time you’re here.

Benefits and strategy: No one listens to generic goodbyes. Gently mention your suggestions that they enjoyed to remind them you’re first class. Incorporate personalized information and warmth to ensure a repeat visit.

BOB BROWN works with such hospitality icons as Disney, Hilton, Morton’s of Chicago, Nordstrom, Olive Garden, and Ritz-Carlton and internationally with the prestigious 7-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. In 2017, he was the top-rated at the Nightclub & Bar Show and ranked #1 at National Restaurant Show.

Contact Bob at 571-246-2944 ©Bob Brown Service Solutions 2016. www. bobbrownss.com.

DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 11

MODERN BUSINESS SOLUTIONS | Henry Pertman

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and How to Make Every Year Better Hi everyone! With the start of 2019 right around the corner, a new year begs the question, “How can you make your new year happier than this year?” Most of us would agree that there are three things beyond the important ones — family, health, and maintaining meaningful relationships — that make for a happier new year: • Improving guest relationships • Making more money • Improving the quality of your life So, I am going to break down these three areas for you and offer some thoughts on how to accomplish these goals utilizing technology. Remember, one size DOES NOT fit all…so keep reading and get the proper mindset for these ideas, so you can mold them to your own benefit.

Improving guest relationships: First, understand that you have two kinds of guests: the obvious external guests and the internal guests. Internal guests are just as important to keep happy, right? You cannot do it all yourself. You need to make great relationships with your managers and staff, which will make them do better with the external guests! So, both are equally important.

How do we accomplish these goals? Get your technology in order, so that your employees are happier, see that you care, and become more 12 | DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

efficient for the benefit of your guests. Upgrade your processes. Get your POS up to speed. The money spent to make sure the programming is friendly, efficient, current, accurate, and utilized properly will pay for itself over and over and over. Frustrations with your POS that spill into conversations among servers, cashiers, and cooks sound like bickering — and guests hear it and sense that it’s part of a larger problem.

If you need to upgrade your POS completely, then just do it. You get a new phone every couple of years and spend substantial amounts of money monthly for such things as cable, electricity, and real estate fees, but many in this business put off improving the technology that runs, or should run, every aspect of the business. Consider mobile devices, secure pay-at-the-table payment methods, cloud-based analytics, and guest-facing online ordering.

Technologies keep on improving, and you need to do so as well.

Making more money: Be mindful, if you do No. 1 above, then you will have happier employees and more frequent guests, which translates into…

MORE MONEY. Now the mentoring part: you must INVEST in your business. This is often confused with spending, which does not have the return on investment, or ROI. Understand the difference and embrace the ROI!

Here are a few other “more money” considerations: * Social Media — invest in someone who can help you navigate, utilize, and maximize this import tool. It is too important to underutilize. * Replace those printers in your kitchen with screens. Ask anyone who uses them. This will provide more money in your pocket because labor costs go down (generally this will pay for a whole new system), food quality is improved, waste and food costs are are reduced, mistakes are infrequent, and table turns are improved. What else do you need to know? Quite the ROI! * Stop counting on those reports you have been looking at for so many years. Invest in cloud-based analytical tools. How will it make you more money? How about employee efficiencies so that your check averages start going up and up? Shrink goes down because the reports expose the areas of loss and allow you to be more profitable!

You get alerts on your phone when a closed check is opened or an employee (think expensive cook) is approaching overtime. It is all about controlling costs and creating efficiencies.

Improving the quality of your life: Remember the three MOST important things I mentioned in the top of this article: family, health, and maintaining meaningful relationships? Technology can help

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with all three. * Family — Family time is what your family wants and needs from you. Without belaboring the point, the smarter you work using technology and the advances technology brings, the more time you will have for family! * Health — You will be mentally and physically happier when the technology helps you work fewer hours, be smarter with better information and peace of mind, and avoid having to be on site to see and analyze every problem. You will have made your guests happier, your employees happier, and you have time to go to the gym or watch your kids grow up. * Maintaining meaningful relationships — with your guests, with your employees, with your family, and with your health.

Technology is a part of our lives, our children’s lives, and our guests’ lives. They live it and, for the most part, they love it.

I am happy to mentor in virtually any aspect of your businesses. Trust that I’m increasing your focus by helping you run a better, more profitable, and more successful business. Enjoy your holidays, and see you next year!

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

410.276.7254 | www.hsbakery.com | 601 South Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD 21231

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DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 13

INSURANCE... PLUS! | Thomas Carroll and Heather Keogh

Workers’ Compensation:

“To Submit or Not to Submit — That is the Question” After partnering with many business owners in a risk management capacity, we have seen a consistent theme of uncertainty on the best course of action when an employee is injured. Of course, the goal is always to prevent the injury, but even in the best managed facilities, accidents happen. This article will focus on three types of claims — minor first aid, medical only, and indemnity/lost time claims — and how each can impact the overall cost of the workers’ compensation program.

First aid: In the restaurant world, many of the most common minor injuries require first aid treatment as the exclusive remedy. (For details, please check OSHA’s website for a full list of first aid definitions.) Root cause analysis advises us that most minor injuries are caused by the failure to follow established safety procedures, usually as a result of time pressures to deliver prepared food as expected.

With many minor injuries, outside medical treatment may not be necessary, so would it be appropriate to report these incidents to your workers’ compensation carrier? The 14 | DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

answer is yes, and for a couple of good reasons: 1. It will begin the statute of limitations for the injured employee (the statute of limitations for workers' compensation claims in Maryland is two years from the date of the accident that caused the injury); and 2. It should trigger the post-accident investigation procedures outlined within your organization. In many cases, these minor incidents could help identify a trend, with any single incident having the potential to be serious.

Medical vs. indemnity/ lost time claims: Next, let’s speak about situations where the injury is more serious and goes beyond what is considered first aid by OSHA. How these losses are handled by both the business owner and the insurance carrier can have very different outcomes on future premiums and your experience modification. Nearly every dollar paid out under a workers’ compensation claim will have some direct impact on your experience modification; however,

every dollar spent isn’t treated equally within the modification formula. Two of the most common types of workers’ compensation claim payments are indemnity and medical costs associated with the claim. Admittedly, there may be less you can do to control the medical costs. However, you do have some control on the indemnity side, especially dollars spent toward lost wages. In fact, when there is a medical-only claim without any indemnity payments, the claim dollars spent are greatly reduced within the formula, having a much smaller impact on your experience modification.

You may be asking yourself, “How can I keep my claims medical only?”

Let’s consider the two below options: 1. Continue wages in full 2. Return-to-work / light duty programs If the employee doesn’t lose any wages, either because s/he didn’t need to miss time, or the employer decided to continue wages during the absence or by offering a return to work option, the claim would remain medical only and have little effect on the business owner’s

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experience modification. There are numerous other benefits when a company is willing to implement a return-to-work program beyond the possible cut to insurance costs.

Achieving truly exceptional safety within an organization requires dedication and commitment at all levels, allowing for a partnership to develop between management and employees. The ultimate goal is to create a safety-first environment, keeping your employees safe and allowing your business to take full advantage of what is actually controllable. Reaching the lowest possible modification, known as the “minimum modification,” is only one of many positive outcomes to follow.

DII is here to help our clients by providing guidance on a number of risk reduction strategies. We use a proprietary process to analyze your past experience and develop specific plans to lower your experience modification.

THOMAS CARROLL is President and CEO of Diversified Insurance Industries, Inc., an insurance brokerage in Hunt Valley, Maryland. HEATHER KEOGH is a DII Vice President, with an Associate in Commercial Underwriting Professional designation. foodservicemonthly

LOCAL COOKS | Alexandra Greeley

Profile: Annie Boutin King Chances are great that many D.C. metro area foodies have dined at the luxurious four-star, five-diamond Ritz-Carlton hotel located in the West End district of Washington. It is also likely that many have enjoyed the magnificent food offered at its catered events. Who is heading up the social catering of this most

elegant destination? Annie Boutin King!

“My background is knowing how to cook and entertain,” she said.

“I was born French, and that will always be a natural thing. My mom and my grandmother were very instrumental in teaching me what I know. In France, you learn by

eating. You want to reproduce what you were raised eating, and you end up eating well.”

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Vive la France Boutin King describes the west coast of France where she was born as “the garden of France.” She noted, “The weather there always has lots of rain and sun, so all crops grow well, and we have tons of good food.” She added that even the cattle herds were large and well fed, and that fishermen brought in abundant fresh seafood, as well. Even vegetable crops were profuse. Thus, eating well was a commonplace occurrence. She did not know how food-fortunate she was until she moved to the United States.

With that background…

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year at the Music Center, which is reminiscent of the Kennedy Center.

“It was very different than working in a hotel,” she said. “I had the privilege to help plan the Oscars gala, and I got to know Wolfgang Puck. I also became the secretary of the local French culinary club, comprised of French chefs. I did lots of events with so many chefs.”

…it is not surprising that Boutin King ended up with a food-based career. Her first location was in Los Angeles, where she briefly worked for the French American Chamber of Commerce. At a lunch one day, she met the Vice President of Food & Beverage of the Biltmore Hotel, Bernard Jacoupy. He wanted to hire a French woman to assist him. She demonstrated that she knew how to cook and pair meals with the right wines, and, as a result, she started handling the private dining room of the four-star restaurant, Bernard’s.

Boutin King eventually moved to the catering department, selling larger events and galas. “I learned a lot from Bernard,” she added.

Boutin King then worked for a The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On

When her family decided to move to D.C., Boutin King got a call from her long-time friend Michel Richard, who was also moving to D.C. to run Citronelle in Georgetown.

He wanted her to work for him, but she ended up staying in the hotel business. She also developed friendships with other local culinary luminaries, including Eric Ripert, Roberto Donna, Yannick Cam, Eric Zeibold, and Marcel’s owner, Robert Wiedmaier. “I frequently stop by Marcel’s,” she said, “so I can see my buddies.”

Perhaps one of her most memorable achievements in Los Angeles was creating Les Dames d’Escoffier’s LA chapter with Kora Kroep (Citrus) and Lisa Ehrlich (formerly Trotter). Les Dames d’Escoffier is an international society of professional women in the fine food, fine wines, and hospitality world. “When we started the chapter in 1992 in Los Angeles, we did a party for 100 prospective members at Judy Zeigler’s home. She did a fabulous reception, and in the 1980s and 1990s, L. A. was booming with restaurants!”

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.

DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 15

FSM NEWS | Lisa Keathley

Congratulations Paul Saval!

Paul Saval, owner and CEO of Saval Foods Corporation, was inducted into the Maryland Retailers Association Food Hall of Fame in mid-November, based on his many years of service as a leader in the food industry. “I feel honored and humbled to receive this award among so many great colleagues,” he said at a ceremony at Martin’s West in Baltimore. Paul Saval joined the family business in 1983 and was named president in 1999. The company now employs over 250 people in its two components — Saval Foodservice and Deli Brands of America. In fact, Deli Brands has just opened a new slicing facility, warehouse, and transportation hub in Baltimore County, expanding the company’s slicing capabilities and capacity. (See photos on page 24.)

Paul Saval serves on several boards, including the International Food Distributors Association, the Premier Food Distributors of America, and the Children’s Cancer Foundation. He holds a BS from the University of Maryland, a law degree from the University of Baltimore, and an MBA from Loyola College.

Wonderful honor…well deserved!

Need holiday workers?

Maybe this company can help.

Snag Work is an on-demand mobile platform providing front and back 16 | DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

of house staff to employers in need.

Founded in Richmond in 2016 and introduced to the D.C. metro area in early 2018, Snag Work is helping businesses fill open shifts in an average time of less than five minutes. Workers have the advantage of choosing shifts that match their schedules. Businesses can find qualified workers, often at the last minute and under tight deadlines. Workers and employers rate one another, which holds both parties accountable.

So, how does Snag Work…work?

Job seekers sign up and have to pass a rigorous background check and interviewing process to use the platform. Once approved, they can post their availability and receive alerts when a business posts a shift. Several DMV restaurants and catering companies have used Snag Work to fill their needs, including Neighborhood Restaurant Group, DCity Smokehouse, Das Ethiopian, and Cava. Dave McKlveen, VP of People & Culture at Cava, said, “Snag Work has been a great partner for us in D.C. as we've been able to find compassionate, talented team members who are excited about supporting our mission and our business. In fact, our first position at Cava was filled in just 25 seconds!”

Find out more at: http://snag.work/ business/.

Tips for Tots In 2006, Corlie Brice, had an inspirational idea. A bartender at The Greene Turtle in Salisbury, Md., she arrived at work and noticed a sign on a neighboring business, designating it as a Toys for Tots drop-off site. She decided to use whatever tips she took in during her shift to purchase toys for the program. She enlisted her fellow employees and publicized her intentions to guests coming into the restaurant. That evening netted tip donations of $700 and was dubbed “Tips for Tots.”

On December 12, The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille® will feature its 13th annual “Tips for

Tots” initiative. Employees at the chain’s 44 participating locations will donate 100 percent of the tips they earn to Toys for Tots across communities in Maryland, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. As of last year, the chain and its generous employees and guests have raised almost $422,000. This is a good tip, indeed!

Christine Ha/Facebook

Lighting the Way Chef Christine Hà has never let her severe vision loss stop her. The season three winner of Gordon Ramsey’s MasterChef, she has cohosted a cooking show on Canada’s Accessible Media, Inc. (AMI-TV), is in process of opening a Vietnamese gastropub, “The Blind Goat,” in Houston, and has traveled around the world to give TED talks about her life experiences as a blind cook.

On December 5, Chef Ha was the featured guest at Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind’s first-ever “Lighting the Way” gala, held at the Embassy of France. She shared her amazing story, provided a cooking demonstration, and collaborated with Café Descartes, the embassy’s in-house caterer, to offer a gourmet plated dinner.

The goal of the event was to promote braille literacy and technology programs for children who are blind or visually impaired.

Chef Ha said, “After losing my vision, I soon realized I was not truly literate as a visually impaired individual unless I knew how to read braille. I am proud to have

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since learned braille and enjoy reading novels every day. It is an honor to be part of the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind’s event to raise money for braille literacy.” Now THAT is truly lighting the way.

Bottoms up to the Bay — a bottle and a buck at a time!

MurLarkey Distilled Spirits has partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) to stage its first ever “Bottoms Up to the Bay” campaign. The distillery is donating one dollar per bottle sold through December 31 to help fund CBF’s environmental advocacy, education and awareness building, and bay cleanup programs.

MurLarkey CEO Tom Murray noted, “Our team felt strongly about giving back to this part of our community and found an amazing partner in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to help preserve this natural wonder.” The CBF’s Taryn Dwan said, “We’re happy to partner with businesses such as MurLarkey that step up to help improve the environment of the Bay.” Those wanting to help (and enjoy at the same time) can purchase MurLarkey bottles at select Virginia ABC stores, Maryland Total Wine & More locations, and at the distillery in Bristow, Va.

Pizza Paradiso opens #5, plus a can for a can!

Pizzera Paradiso has opened its fifth location in Washington, D.C.’s Spring Valley neighborhood at 4850 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Credited with introducing the Washington area to Neapolitan-style pizza more than 25 years ago, chef and owner Ruth Gresser’s latest eatery will boast a D.C.-centric beer and cider list from beverage director Drew McCormick. Eric Gronning of Gronning Architects designed the 179-seat restaurant, including the largest outdoor space of all the pizzeria’s locations.

As part of the opening, the Spring

FSM NEWS cont. page 24 foodservicemonthly

ASSOCIATION NEWS RAMW cont. from page 3

In corporate stewardship…

Educated Eats recognized Donna Cooper and Pepco, an Exelon Company, for their involvement in the Workforce Investment Council in D.C. and as leaders who oversee the Center for Energy Workforce Development and The Energy Providers Coalition for Education. In partnership with The Precisionists, Inc., Pepco collaborated on a new program that creates new positions for autistic adults to carry out project based work for Pepco and others. For several years, Pepco has also been a dedicated supporter and sponsor of Educated Eats’ activities and the Frans Hagen Scholarship Program.

The culinary honoree…

The Washington Post’s Michelle Jaconi joined the Educated Eats program that night to help honor Culinary Industry honoree Chef Ris Lacoste of RIS for her many impactful years as a hospitality leader, a teacher in her own kitchens, and a mentor to so many.

Ris is an involved and dedicated member on many boards including RAMW, The Smithsonian Museum of American History’s Kitchen Cabinet, and Fresh Farm Markets, and she was a long-time board member of DC Central Kitchen, to name just a few.

Supporting culinary job training…

The final Educated Eats honoree of the evening was Iris Wilson, in recognition of her more than twenty years as a culinary education and hospitality leader with D.C. Public Schools, supporting college and

career education programs as an advocate for culinary education and hospitality training in the District’s high schools. Educated Eats Chairman of the Board, Greg Casten, presented the award to Iris, and noted that she has been instrumental in founding, funding, empowering, and guiding a number of education programs including many focused on culinary arts. Along with the late Frans Hagen, Wilson helped get the first commercial kitchen for students built in Theodore Roosevelt High School, over a decade ago.

These days, Wilson has her hands more than full with the rejuvenated ProStart program that was re-launched in D.C. this fall in partnership with RAMW. Nearly 300 students are currently enrolled in the two-year comprehensive curriculum at three D.C. schools — Theodore Roosevelt High School and Roosevelt STAY (Ward 4) and Ballou High School (Ward 8). The program includes hospitality business training, an internship/mentorship program with local restaurants, and scholarships for seniors.

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A great night for all…

The evening’s celebrations included an incredible four-course dinner from RPM Italian, including Chefs Gabe Thompson and Massimo Vicidomini, with D.C.-based food and travel writer Nevin Martell hosting the ceremonies as emcee.

The event was made possible in part by support from sponsors Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group, Aramark, Republic National Distributing Company, and Trade Center Management Associates.

KATHY E. HOLLINGER is president and CEO, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW).

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DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 17

THE LATEST DISH | Linda Roth

Adams Morgan is Popping! early Q2 2019 opening is targeted.

A new beer hall called The Berliner is slated to open where Malmaison was at 3401 Water Street, NW in Georgetown, brought to you by the owners of Café Bonaparte in Georgetown and Lapis Bistro in Adams Morgan. Chef Mike O’Brien, previously of Owen’s Ordinary in North Bethesda, is behind the carnivore lovers menu: house-made sausages, bratwurst, schnitzel, and pretzels – plus 24 beer tap lines.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon

Chef Russell Jones The south end of 18th Street, where Jack Rose Dining Saloon is, will transform in early Q1 2019 into a new 5,500-square-foot place called Imperial. It will feature a dining room and bar on the main floor, a rooftop bar and garden, along with a bigger (75-seat) Dram & Grain on the lower level. Owner Bill Thomas hired former Jack Rose chef, Russell Jones, to command the kitchen.

Lunch and brunch will be added to the dinner and happy hour offered next door. Bill will up his game with Imperial’s vintage spirits program, complementing Jack Rose’s 2,500 whiskey varieties.

Also in Adams Morgan, a Mexican restaurant called Taquito de Ojo will open at 2443 18th Street, NW where Rumba Café used to be. A late Q1 2019 opening is targeted.

Georgetown’s Rosewood Hotel will soon have a new restaurant, CUT by Wolfgang Puck, replacing The Grill Room. It will feature steaks and offer a full menu of seafood, as well.

Executive Chef Andrew Skala has worked at other locations of CUT and Puck’s flagship Spago. Puck’s restaurant group will also take over F&B operations for the Rye Bar (lobby lounge) and the rooftop, which has opened to the public. An 18 | DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

Quick hits MacMillan Whisky Room, plans to open in Edens Mosaic District in Q2 2019, offering a lot of whiskey choices to go with a full menu.

From the folks who brought you The Spot, RyuKai plans to open at Mosaic Center in Q3 2019, serving Japanese BBQ and soba noodle dishes.

The Hilton brothers plan to open Parc Bistro, also in Q3 2019.

Hanumanh, a Laotian restaurant, will open at 1604 7th Street, NW in Shaw. It is named for a divine monkey god in both Buddhism and Hinduism. Chef/owners Seng Luangrath and Bobby Pradachith own Thip Khao in Columbia Heights and Padaek in Falls Church.

Rango’s, a Tex-Mex restaurant, is opening at 1934 Old Gallows Road in Tysons, where Paladar Kitchen & Rum Bar used to be. It’s owned by the folks who brought you Guapo’s.

It will seat 250, with outdoor patios.

Kwame Onwuachi opened Philly Wing Fry within Whole Foods in Navy Yard. It’s Kwame’s take on fastcasual cheesesteaks, chicken wings, and waffle fries.

Chef updates Vincent Torres is chef de cuisine at the newly opened High Street Cafe in Georgetown at the corner of Wisconsin and N Streets, NW where Paolo’s used to be. It’s owned

by Manny Iguina, who used to own Mio’s near MacPherson Square. The menu features Hispanic-inspired American classics.

Turkish chef, Ercan Sahin, was promoted to executive chef at Ottoman Taverna in Mount Vernon Triangle. Ibrahim Kelesabdioglu, also from Turkey, is now serving as sous chef. John Conway, formerly of The Old Brogue Irish Pub in Great Falls, was named executive chef at Red’s Table in Reston. Dave Weir, formerly of Bread Furst in D.C., is now pastry chef at Red’s Table. Both are natives of Ireland.

Walter Elias is the chef de cuisine at Le Kon in Clarendon where Park Lane used to be. Previously, he was at Kapnos. Monica Lee was named beverage director at Katsuya Fukushima’s local ramen restaurants: Daikaya, Haikan, Bantam King, and Hatoba in Navy Yard. Expect her interpretations of Japanese sake, shochu, and whiskies.

Ch-ch-changes Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant owner Alemayehu “Alex” Abebe has been renovating his restaurant in Shaw, expanding it from 69 to 110 seats. He will also open a new Chercher restaurant and coffeehouse near the Courthouse Metro stop in Arlington by Q1 2019. It will seat 100 diners inside and 55 on the patio. Alex also plans to open a 60-seat Columbia Heights location at 3608 14th Street, NW in Q1 2019. The plan is to build a central commissary to maintain quality control across the brand.

It’s all Greek! Alex Alevras of GRK plans to partner with Chef Argiro Barbarigou of Greece to open a fine dining restaurant in D.C.’s West End, at 1118 23rd Street, NW in Eastbanc’s Westlight condo building.

Papadopoulos Properties represents them.

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Denizens Beer Company is building a second location (the first in Silver Spring) in the Riverdale Park Station development near Hyattsville. It’s expected to open Q2 2019, with CEO and co-owner Emily Bruno, her wife and chief brand officer Julie Verratti, and chief beer officer Jeff Ramirez. They are the only majority woman- and minority-owned brewery in Maryland.

True Food Kitchen is slated to open its third area location at Ballston Quarter, previously referred to as Ballston Common Mall. Other restaurants in the mall include: Ted's Bulletin, Punch Bowl Social, and Quarter Market, a food hall concept that will feature Bartaco, The Local Oyster oyster bar, a sandwich shop called French Exit from Gravitas owner Matt Baker, and Sloppy Mama's BBQ stand.

Meanwhile, a new food hall called A Taste of Urbanspace has replaced Isabella Eatery at Tysons Galleria.

Participating restaurants from the D.C. area include: Thip Khao (where Arroz was), Donburi (where Yona was), Ice Cream Jubilee (where Retro Creamery was), Andy’s Pizza (where Graffiato was), and Stomping Ground (where Non-Fiction Coffee was). It plans to be open for holiday shopping. The biggest change is the new signage and an emphasis on a communal dining experience.

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. foodservicemonthly

ASSOCIATION NEWS OCHMRA | Susan L. Jones

Sip, Sample & Source at the OCHMRA Trade Expo March 3 & 4!

As Ocean City businesses go into winter hibernation, the OCHMRA does the complete opposite. Since 1974, OCHMRA has worked feverishly in the winter to bring together all aspects of its annual trade show. Hospitality buyers and sellers will meet up at the Ocean City Convention Center on March 3 and 4, 2019. “We have several new exhibitors offering some really innovative products,” noted Event Sales Manager Liz Walk. By attending the Trade Expo, operators can discover the latest products while sipping, sampling, and sourcing their way through 400 exhibits. Specialty workshops are in the final planning stages and will cover topics such as labor law, creating marketing with curbside appeal, and using digital footprints to find customers.

Master Chef Shaun O’Neale is back by popular demand and will be cooking up some fun on the Culinary Showcase Stage. In addition to the Culinary Stage, the Ballroom has a couple of new additions for the Trade Expo’s 45th anniversary.

A 1959 three-wheeled mini-truck that was converted into a vintage mobile prosecco van and craft beer bar, known as the “Bubbles-n-Brew” truck, will serve as the anchor in the upstairs room. Local artists Jamie and Ali Jacobs, owners of TC Studios, will also be in the Ballroom with a new “Paint-n-sip” experience during the Expo.

If you are a seller and would like to reach the hospitality buyers, there are still booths available. Go to oceancitytradeexpo.com or call us at 410-289-6733.

Crab Tank on the Choptank This year’s Maryland Travel and Tourism Summit held an inaugural competition called “Crab Tank on the Choptank,” which mimicked ABC’s Shark Tank. The goal of the foodservicemonthly

event, held in mid-November in Cambridge, Md., was for competitors to pitch ideas to increase overnight stays in Maryland. Nine competitors vied for the chance to win $50,000 in Maryland Tourism marketing funds.

The winner was a cooperative group made up of Eastern Shore destination marketing officers.

They pitched an idea they called “Chase the Blue Crab Trail” — a travel itinerary that will transport visitors from the Bay Bridge across the Delmarva peninsula to Ocean City, Maryland. While focusing on celebrating, learning about, and savoring the blue crab, travelers can enjoy authentic experiences as they cross through Eastern Shore counties. For example, they can taste Blue Crab stout at Fin City Brewing Company, nibble on old crab bacon from Gilbert’s Provision’s in Berlin, and feel a crab in the touch tanks at the Delmarva Discovery Museum in Pocomoke City or at the Assateague Island Visitor Center. Sounds like fun!

name. Additionally, the American Hotel & Lodging Association has taken up the issue and is working with the Department of Commerce and the Federal Trade Commission, which is the enforcement side. It is important that contracts are read prior to being signed. If your pictures are copyrighted and used on other sites, then the FTC can assist.

Roundtable discussions also focused on the increase in both hotel rooms and restaurant seats and the need for a concerted effort to create the demand to fill the inventory.

Everyone agreed that spending more money on advertising may not be the best way to increase demand.

One segment which could provide

the desired increase in family visitors and has a real opportunity for growth is sports tourism. Finally, the town’s budget was discussed, along with the need to create new revenue streams.

Revenue sources which the Mayor and Council have debated include a property tax, parking fees, and a room tax. Of those three options, everyone agreed a room tax was the easiest target. Finally, the labor issue was brought up and the need to protect the J1 Summer Work Travel program. Most likely, this issue will resurface at the MD Legislature over the winter. Stay tuned!

SUSAN JONES is executive director of the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association.

Owner GM Roundtable Recap Paramount to the OCHMRA are the three C’s — connect, communicate, and collaborate.

Recently, owners and managers gathered to do just that. One topic which received lots of discussion was the practice of OTAs (online travel agencies) bidding on independent hotel names. This practice puts OTA websites above the official hotel website on search engines and continues to confuse visitors who think they have booked on the actual hotel website. When visitors have reservation issues, they often blame the hotel and not the OTA. Currently, the Association is working with a trademark attorney to address the issue; it is imperative that independent businesses protect their

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DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 19

FOOD SMARTS | Juliet Bodinetz

So Many Recalls — Is Our Food Less Safe?…For Real

A

friend of mine recently got a call about a Duncan Hines cake mix that she had bought at her local grocery store.

She was advised to go check her cupboards and to throw away the packaged cake mix, if she still had it on her shelf due to potential contamination with salmonella. My friend exclaimed at the fact that the grocery store had her contact information and knew that she had purchased the cake mix. She commented, “Nothing now is safe to eat. Long gone are the days of eating raw cookie dough and licking the beaters when mum used to make us cake.”

Then, just before Thanksgiving, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned consumers to not eat romaine lettuce in any form, due to potential contamination from a particularly dangerous type of E. coli bacteria.

“Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick,” the CDC said in a food safety alert. Earlier in the year, five people died in another outbreak involving contaminated romaine from Arizona’s Yuma Valley. The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service also recalled turkey products linked to a salmonella outbreak, and there have been recalls of chicken and beef products, as well.

So, is our food less safe?

In 2017, there were 456 food recalls, down from 764 in 2016.

Food safety regulators are recalling almost twice as many foods as they were 10 years ago. A food recall is generally voluntary and is initiated by the manufacturer or distributor to protect the public from products that could cause health issues, including food-borne illnesses. The intention is to remove the product from the food chain before a problem can result.

20 | DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

According to CDC, food-borne illnesses affect an estimated 48 million people each year, which equates to one in six people. These illnesses result in about 128,000 hospitalizations and about 3,000 deaths annually. Looking at the numbers, protecting food and keeping it safe is a big deal.

Food is recalled for three main reasons: Physical contamination — the presence of a foreign object in the food Biological contamination — for example, salmonella in the dry cake mix Undeclared allergens — such as eggs or nuts that are not listed on the label

The number one cause for recalls?

Undeclared allergens. Out of a total of 456 food recalls last year, almost half (218) were due to undeclared allergens. This means that one of the “big 8” allergens (wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish) was not listed on the label as an ingredient. This can be due to shared production lines that are improperly sanitized or a breakdown in procedures where allergens are supposed to be segregated. The ingredients sourced from a distributer can also be contaminated, leading to further recalls downstream. The highest numbers of undeclared allergens were: milk (110), egg (35), soy (28), almond (19), and peanut (18).

Next most prevalent are the recalls for biological contamination. This is the presence of a pathogen in the food. There were 108 recalls caused

by Listeria contamination in 2017, with cheese being the biggest source.

There were 24 salmonella related recalls involving a wide variety of foods, including potato chips and salami. E Coli was to blame for 14 recalls, most of which were linked to

beef products. Physical contaminants, the foreign objects found in food, caused 42 recalls last year, with plastic and metal pieces being most problematic.

How does the recall process work?

A food recall is a preventive measure and occurs when there is reason to believe that a food may cause consumers harm. Sometimes, the company discovers a problem and recalls a product on its own.

Other times, a company recalls a product after the FDA raises concerns and generally following a facility inspection. The CDC and other watchdog reporting systems may indicate a problem, leading to a recall. For each situation, it is the FDA’s role to oversee a company's strategy and assess the adequacy of the recall. It is unusual for the FDA to request a recall. Generally, the company initiates it or is encouraged by the FDA to do so.

However, some food-borne illness outbreaks do not even lead to a recall. That was the case with romaine lettuce from Yuma Valley.

Since the lettuce was not sourced from one particular or individual company, a public warning was issued, but no recall resulted. A recall for food from an entire growing region does not happen — it has to be company specific.

Once the FDA is aware of the problem, it alerts the public about the potential problem. Once a product recall is issued, stores are required to remove the product from their shelves. The stores/distributors are also beginning to alert consumers directly, as in the case of my friend.

Companies whose products have been recalled must reach out to their distributors and make them aware of the recall, and both the FSIS and FDA check that recalled products have been pulled from store shelves.

If your operation gets word that a

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product you use has been recalled, the first thing to do is separate it from the rest of your inventory and label it “recalled — do not use.” Then follow the manufacturer’s or distributer’s instructions as to what to do with the product.

What’s the bottom line?

Is the food supply less safe than it used to be? Is it true that “nothing is safe to eat anymore,” as my friend suggested?

While the rise in high-profile food recalls in recent years may be a concern, it doesn't necessarily mean that U.S. food safety is declining. Companies are getting more aggressive in issuing voluntary recalls, while public health officials are getting better at reporting and tracing food-borne illness and sources of contamination.

Additionally, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and new technology have allowed for problems to be discovered more quickly and companies to act faster to remove a product from the food supply. The FDA and CDC monitor reports and data for outbreak signs or patterns across the country. FSMA, signed into law in 2011, gives the FDA the power to mandate a recall when companies fail to pull their food products voluntarily.

So, no, our food supply is not more unsafe. We are just getting better at detecting problems and being proactive in keeping consumers from getting sick.

JULIET BODINETZ is the executive director of Bilingual Hospitality Training Solutions and has over 30 years industry and training experience. She and her team of instructors specialize in food safety, alcohol training, and ServSafe training in English or in Spanish, and in 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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Oysters, always a Taste of Maryland treat

A True Taste of Maryland The Restaurant Association of Maryland’s 29th Annual Taste of Maryland Legislative Reception is coming up on Monday, January 21. Held at the Hotel Annapolis (formerly the Loews Annapolis Hotel), this yearly affair gathers local restaurateurs and hospitality professionals, as well as Maryland lawmakers, to offer a platform for discussing the year’s upcoming legislation.

The event begins with an exclusive legislative preview, hosted

by RAM’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Melvin Thompson. The preview outlines the impending decisions that are on the forecast for our industry and offers insight on foodservicemonthly

how to potentially counteract these outcomes. This important session is directly followed by a delicious tasting reception featuring dozens of restaurants representing nearly every county in the state, as well as an open bar and samples from Maryland wineries and breweries.

This event continues to be an unprecedented opportunity to make an impact in our industry. To learn more about this event or to get involved, visit marylandrestaurants. com/taste. Tickets to attend are $75.00 each and will go on sale mid December.

MARSHALL WESTON is the president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, & joyous holiday season.

Thank you to all of our partners for your continued support.

www.acmepaper.com 800.462.5812 Toll Free 410.792.2333 Baltimore 301.953.3131 Washington SERVING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY FOR OVER 70 YEARS

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DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 21

WHINING ’N DINING | Randi Rom

Delish Holiday Gifts that Celebrate Baltimore and Maryland!

Give the gift of food this holiday season.

What better way to show your love than by presenting family and friends with the best that Baltimore and Maryland have to offer? And if your loved ones live out of state, these tasty treats will put smiles on their faces. #shoplocal.

Goetze’s Bullseyes and Cowtales If you like caramel, don’t miss this!

What’s a bullseye? A chewy caramel wrapped around a cream center. Cow Tales are similar but in the form of a long, thin cylinder of soft caramel with a cream center. Yummy in any shape! https://store.goetzecandy.com/storefront. aspx.

Tin ‘o Bergers Cookies https://www.bergercookies.com/.

Rheb’s Candies Chocolate Crabs and Peanut Brittle https://rhebs.com/.

Candy Kitchen Salt Water Taffy and Fudge — from downy oshun, Hon! https://candykitchen.com/.

Jimmy’s Famous Seafood Crab Cakes Regular and gluten free! https://www.jimmysfamousseafood.com/.

The Candy Store Chocolate Gelt (light and dark) and Dried Fruits and Nuts http://www.thecandystoreonline.com/.

Smith Island Cakes — Maryland’s official state dessert!

Order the original chocolate, 15-layer

Open for biz…

If you’re looking to get-your-Pokeon, Poke Bowl opened a new location on Light Street in Federal Hill. There are also Poke Bowls in Cockeysville, Lutherville, Bel Air, and on North Calvert Street downtown, with a sixth spot slated to open in Owings Mills.

Check out the sushi burritos! http:// www.pokebowlmd.com/.

MOM’s Organic Market opened a 22 | DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

cake or the new red velvet cake bites, https://smithislandcake.com. Sidenote: The company sends cakes to those serving in the military via its Treats for Troops program. For more info, email: treatsfortroops@smithislandcake.com.

Especially cool gift idea! Food52 Genius Desserts Cookbook Have you heard about Food 52? It’s an online kitchen and home community where you can get great recipes AND they have a hotline if you have baking questions! Food52 has released its second cookbook, Genius Desserts: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Bake. This baking bible features recipes for the most talked-about desserts, from more than 100 celebrated chefs and experts. Sections include magic potions, fruits dressed, bread into dessert, and make aheads. LOVE! www.penguinrandomhouse.com/ books/552515/food52-genius-desserts.

new concept, MOM’s Bake Shop, next to the market at Yorkridge Shopping Center in Timonium. Menu offerings include organic vegetarian and vegan sandwiches, raw juices, muffins, and house-made organic breads. https:// momsorganicmarket.com/.

L’Eau de Vie Organic Brasserie, a casual bar and restaurant, opened in the space formerly occupied by the Inn at The Black Olive.

Healthy selections include paninis, sandwiches, salads, plates, and smoothies. https://organicbrasserie. com/.

Two new restaurants opened in The Crestridge Center in Cockeysville, a 53,000-square-foot commercial office and retail space. The eateries will support 50 full and part-time employees. One is Pat’s Select Pizza | Grill, a family-friendly, fast-casual restaurant specializing in brick oven pizza and signature flatbreads. The other is Asian Garden, which features Chinese, Japanese, and Thai food, as well as a full line of sushi. https:// www.patsselect.com/home and http:// www.asiangardensushi.com/.

Clarksville has a new food hall —The Common Kitchen. The marketplace features eleven culinary artisans including Namaste Foodie (Indian street food), Koshary by Misteka (Egyptian food), Smokin’ on the Bayou (BBQ), and Trifecto (coffee and juice bar). http:// thecommonkitchen.com/.

What’s happening…

GDL Italian by Giada, Chef Giada De Laurentiis’ restaurant at Horseshoe Casino, introduced a weekend brunch menu.

And…Gordon Ramsay Steak in Horseshoe Casino Baltimore received a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award, one of only four Baltimore restaurants to receive a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award this year. The award recognizes national restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine, and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers. https://www. caesars.com/horseshoe-baltimore/ restaurants.

Heavy Seas Beer announced the release of 23 Anniversary Ale, a triple IPA to celebrate the brewery’s 23rd year of brewing craft beer in Baltimore. http://www.hsbeer.com/.

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Sam’s Canterbury Café, located in Baltimore’s Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood, launched a new menu and a revamped look. Sam’s provides meaningful employment for adults on the autism spectrum who work alongside the rest of this dedicated team. https://samscanterburycafe. com/.

Coming soon Former NFL player Anthony Walters and his wife Kait are slated to open the first Clean Juice® franchise location in Maryland at McHenry Row downtown (just off Key Highway), in the space formerly occupied by Ruby 8 Sushi. The concept specializes in açaí bowls, smoothies, and juices using 100 percent organic produce. Look for a January 2019 opening date. https:// www.cleanjuice.com/.

Lyfe Café, a healthy food restaurant (think veggie plates, juices, and salads), is slated to open early next year at The Shops at Kenilworth.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner offerings will incorporate ingredients that promote physical and mental wellness. The 1,788-square-foot cafe will be located next to Wilkes & Riley on the ground level of the

WHINING ‘N DINING cont. page 24 foodservicemonthly

DIDN'T WE SEE YOU AT ... | Performance Food Group Show, November 6, Martin’s West

foodservicemonthly

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Photos by Lisa Silber

DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | 23

DIDN'T WE SEE YOU AT ... |

WHINING ‘N DINING

Saval Slicing Center Opening, November 12, Baltimore

cont. from page 22

Photos by Steven Silber

recently renovated Towson shopping plaza at 800 Kenilworth Drive in Towson. https://patch.com/maryland/ towson/lyfe-caf.

Cool news!

Four Seasons Hotel in Harbor East has transformed its fifth floor Harbor Terrace into a temporary rooftop skating rink. Guests can enjoy spiced apple cider, fire-roasted chestnuts, and cocoa. The skating rink will be open Thursdays and Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m., through Sunday, January 6, 2019. https://www.fourseasons.com/ baltimore/.

Last but not least…

It’s that time of year, people! Here are a few of my favorite things….

Harmony Bakery in Hampden, a dedicated, gluten-free restaurant,

FSM NEWS

cont. from page 16 Valley location will participate in the restaurant group’s annual “Give A Can, Get A Can” holiday fundraising drive. Guests who bring in a canned good food item will receive a can of beer in return. The December 17 fundraiser at the new eatery benefits Martha’s Table.

Let them eat…pie?

Are you a pie fan? If so, these events are for you! On Sunday, December 16 (2:00 to 3:00 p.m.), Buttercream Bakeshop will welcome award-winning author and journalist, Cathy Barrow, in celebration of her latest book, Pie Squared, Irresistibly Easy Sweet &

offers salads, sandwiches, and the best gluten-free bagels...anywhere!

But I’m seriously addicted to the chocolate, chocolate cake, and cupcakes. http://harmonybakery.net/.

The Milton Inn is one of my all-time fave restaurants. I live for the “Cowboy Steak” (18 oz!) with colossal, lump crabmeat in garlic butter. And the “Truffle Torte” made of flourless chocolate cake is todie-for. Superior food, service, and ambience — it just doesn’t get better than this! https://miltoninn.com/ Cured and 18th & 21st, two new restaurants housed under one roof in Columbia, is…sooo good. I love the roasted bone marrow at Cured and the whole roasted bronzino at 18th & 21st. And FYI, if you’re going to a concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion, you can park free in the restaurants’ lot, which is 350 yards from the main stage. https://www. cured1821.com/.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2019!

Savory Slab Pie. The bakery’s owners, Tiffany MacIsaac and her partner Alex Mudry-Till, will bring the pages of the guest-of-honor’s latest work to life with such treats as kale mushroom pie and grand mocha pie. Barrow is a cooking teacher, food preservation expert, and author of the “BRING IT” column in The Washington Post’s food section. This event is free and open to the public.

For a more hands-on experience, pie enthusiasts and recreational bakers alike may buy tickets for a “Slab Pie Workshop” hosted by Barrow, MacIsaac, and Mudry-Till on Monday, December 17 (6:30 to 8:30 p.m.). This opportunity to learn directly from these pie pros will feature tips, tricks, and techniques for perfecting slab pies. Voilà! Easy as…pie!

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 ............................................................. 21 Barter ....................................................................... 17 Bi-Lingual Hospitality .............................................. 21 Ecolab ........................................................................ 6

24 | DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

H M Wagner ............................................................... 5 H & S Bakery........................................................... 13 Itek Construction..................................................... 10 Martin Bamberger .................................................. 17 Maryland Department. of Agriculture .....Back Cover Oceana....................................................................... 1 OCHMRA .................................................................... 7

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Performance Foodservice ............ Inside Back Cover RAM EF .................................................................... 19 Restaurant Depot ..................................................... 3 Saval Food Service .......................Inside Front Cover Tech 24 Construction ............................................. 15

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