Restaurant Inc. Spring 2015 by Performance & Reinhart Foodservice Publications

from

our farmers´ hands

to yours

VOL

03,

ISSUE

SPRING

2015

$5.99

Truffle Blue Cheese Pizza Find this recipe and more on page 61

IN OUR COMMUNITIES

PITTSBURGH

CITY OF CHAMPIONS p. 10

R E S TA U R A N T I N C

Get Your Slice of the Pie

p. 52

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p. 95

Give your menu a Mexican twist with this trendy pizza. p. 58

ISSUE 01: 2015

center stage

Your Operation

Fresh produce is taking

SPRING CLEAN

IT’S ALL ABOUT MOM

Make Mother’s Day a boom for business p. 36

Pizza recipes for breakfast, lunch & dinner!

EVERYTHING PIZZA

Trends, Dough 101, Equipment, Beer Pairings & More! p. 52–76

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LETTER FROM REINHART

As we head into the Spring season, it’s a perfect time for us to renew our commitment to helping your business thrive in 2015. Over the last five years, I’ve worked closely with many of our customers across the nation, and one thing remains clear: At Reinhart®, we deliver more than just cases. We consistently provide you with solutions, innovations, ideas, and value-added services, and that includes Restaurant Inc. As Reinhart’s new President and COO, it is with great pride that I share with you the latest issue of our industryleading publication. After all, this magazine’s mission — like our organization as a whole — is to provide you with the tools and solutions to help your business prosper. Each one of our 5,000 employees strives to deliver exceptional quality service and value on a daily basis. Our tagline is “Get It Right From Us.” And it’s more relevant than ever that we deliver that brand promise, so that we can help you be more successful. Restaurant Inc isn't just like any other magazine about the glory of food. It’s a robust collection of content, examining every nook and cranny that makes a difference in the success and failure of an operation. How to make your restaurant more

popular among foodies, how to better market your business for Mother’s Day, how to create leftover packaging that’s a hit among patrons, and a deep dive into pizza, all have a place in this latest issue. Throughout 2015 and beyond, we’ll continue to fill this publication with trending topics, food inspiration and best practices meant to move your business forward. After all, your success is our number one priority. And that’s why this magazine is about you — not us. By working together, we forge relationships that bring mutual success and sustained, long-term growth. Together, we become better and stronger. I’m looking forward to continuing our first-class partnership with you. From our sales team to our drivers at the point-of-delivery, together we will continue to be your advocate and help you navigate an ever-challenging business environment. Thank you for your support, and enjoy the Spring issue of Restaurant Inc. Sincerely,

Jeff King Reinhart President & Chief Operating Officer

2 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2015

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PFI14-2

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Chesapeake Crab Cake Minis, Salt & CP eh pe ps ae pr eCaaklea mCar ar ib, VCeagkee t aMr ii na ins ,P So tasl tt i c&k e r s , Pd ee cp ap de er nCt aCl ar m a ba rPi ,r eVt ez ge el st aarni adn mPoortes.t i c k e r s , decadent Crab Pretzels and more. PH I L L I P S F O O D S E R V I C E . C O M PH I L L I P S F O O D S E R V I C E . C O M

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Fresh produce is the cornerstone of any good menu. Markon First Crop, Ready-Set-Serve, and Markon Essentials fruit and vegetable products give you the versatility to create colorful, ﬂavor-packed recipes. This visually impressive salad will delight your customers—arrange cubes of avocado, melon, Mozzarella, and tomato, then serve with fresh greens. Be inspired at markon.com.

Join Markon’s online community today and enrich your knowledge and connections. Browse: markon.com Learn: mobile app Connect: social media

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 08 Quick Bites 10 In Our Communities Pittsburgh ... City of Champions 25 Become More Relevant To Foodies 28 Hispanically Speaking 36 It's All About Mom 38 Can I Yelp You? 40 Snap Chat: Food Photography & Styling

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Cronert COPY EDITOR Sophia Venetos

44 Analyze That FDA Rules on Menu Labeling

ART DIRECTION & LEAD DESIGNER Jenn Bushman DESIGNER Drew Frigo

48 Celeb Chefs & Their 'Cheaper' Restaurants

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dan Coha & Jill Buckner, KC Kratt ADVERTISING SALES

52 Food Fight: Pizza: The Next New Frontier

Christin Doyle ADVERTISING INFORMATION:

65 Pie in the Sky Pizza Toppings

For rates/media kit, contact Christin at cdoyle@rfsdelivers.com. CONTRIBUTING EDITORS/WRITERS

66 #1 Topping for Pizza: Mozzarella Cheese Takes the Cake

Min Casey, Mary Daggett, Mindy Kolof, Audarshia Townsend, Ari Bendersky

Reinhart® Foodservice, L.L.C. welcomes letters and comments. Mail should be directed to: Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C., Attn: Marketing, 6250 N. River Road, Suite 9000, Rosemont, IL 60018 or magazine@rfsdelivers.com

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photo by Dan Coha

Cover Image | Dan Coha

70 Cousins on the Pizza Family Tree 72 Thick, Thin or Stuffed – Give Your Pizza the Best Crust

©2015 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The trademarks depicted herein are trademarks S (registered P R I N G 2 or 0 1otherwise) 5 R F S D of E Ltheir I V E respective R S . C O Mowners. 5

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TOC co n t in u e d

73 PIZZA DOUGH 101 74 The Great American Pizza Evolution 83 The Rise of Ethnic Mashup Cuisine

Beve r a g e A r t icle s 76 Tips for Pairing Hot Pizza with Craft Beer 78 Summer Cocktails Go Simple, Back to the Basics 80 Growing Up Craft Brews and their Masters Come of Age 82 Craft Brewmakers Say 'Yes We Can'

86 Renew Your Menu with ... Spring Produce 88 Seasonal Eats Offer Beneficial Treats 92 All Wrapped Up 95 Spring Clean Your Inventory 96 Get Smart Mobile Pay Technology 98 Sustainability is Everyone’s Business 100 Call Me Pardner 104 To Your Health … Healthcare Foodservice 106 Calendar of Events Upcoming Food Shows 108 Sneak Peek Great Places in Tidewater Region 110 | 111 Operator Index | Ad Index

112 Commodities Tracking

6 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 2, 2015

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SPRING 2015 RFSDELIVERS.COM 7

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T R E N D I N G

N O W

QB Quick Bites for Your Brain

Before we dive into all the goods of this issue, here’s a look at what’s going on in foodie culture as we speak!

Five Diﬀerent Dishes,

One Unique Ingredient SHISHITO PEPPERS One trend that is quickly catching fire at restaurants throughout the country, and not just traditional Japenese stops, is shishito peppers. What really makes this Asian pepper variety stand out is that though their flavor is typically mild, there is a chance that you'll get a rare spicy treat. Many chefs take to blistering the skin on Shishitos, but as you can see from this list, there are many different ways to tap this ingredient for your menu.

Bamboo Sushi in Portland, Oregon

CHARGRILLED SHISHITO PEPPERS Tossed w/miso butter & bacon, topped w/bonito flakes

$6 Linger Denver in Denver

CRISPY CHEESE & ROASTED SHISHITO PEPPERS With cheddar curds & orange-habanero jam

For Your

Smartphone

RESERVE: An app that functions as a diner’s personal dining concierge and makes the dining experience better for restaurants and diners. Similar to Open Table, Reserve allows diners to book a table from a list of restaurants and charge the meal directly to their saved credit card. SWIPELY: Swipely gives operators an easy way to reduce credit card processing fees, and use the data captured from their POS and customers’ credit cards to better market their business. NextME: An app that allows guests to put their name on a restaurant’s list and then check on their place in line via text as well as get an approximation on their remaining wait time.

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Interested in recommending a book, app or Twitter account? Email us magazine@rfsdelivers.com with your suggestion.

3/17/15 9:52 AM

The Firehouse Inn: “A Place Where Comfort, Service and Hospitality Reside”

Becomes First National U.S. Franchise to earn REAL Certification The United States Healthful Food Council announced in January that Taziki’s Mediterranean Café is the first national franchise to earn the Responsible Epicurean and Agricultural Leadership (REAL) Certification. To achieve the seal, restaurants must commit to food excellence, holistic nutrition and environmental stewardship. Specifically, they must maximize vegetable and fruit consumption, use whole grains and offer fresh, seasonal and local ingredients, among a number of other criteria. Taziki's first location opened 17 years ago, and has grown to 40 locations across 11 states. Find out more about the REAL Certification at eatreal.org.

We’re excited to share that Reinhart® customer, Firehouse Inn, was recently featured on TLC’s "Hotel Showdown". The program features four hotels going head-to-head for a $25,000 prize, as the hotel owners spend a night in one another's establishments judging them and awarding points for their stays. The Firehouse Inn is truly unique, with history and nostalgia permeating its venue from top to bottom. Filled a variety of items related to firefighters, a bright red door and subway tiles, this place is not to be missed when you’re staying in western North Carolina.

Lexx Lexington, MA

Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Louisville, KY

JEFF RUBY'S JEWEL

CRAB & SHISHITO PEPPER TAPA

Chili Rubbed Dry Aged Bone-In Rib w/Cipollini Onions & Shishito Peppers

Lump crab meat, blistered shishito peppers, citrus juice, citrus zest, evoo, smoked sea salt

$64

$14

Loló San Francisco

MEXICAN BENEDICT EGGS 2 eggs over fried organic corn gorditas, refried beans, creamy poblano sauce, fried shishito peppers

$11

For Your Nightstand

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I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

PITTSBURGH ... by Mary Daggett

City of Champions

ittsburgh is often referred to as the “City of Champions.” This term, of course, refers to the sports prowess of its trifecta of storied teams: the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins. It could just as easily represent the champions of industry who left their indelible mark on the city — Andrew Carnegie and his steel empire; early foodie H. J. Heinz and his 57 Varieties; inventor and electrical engineering pioneer George Westinghouse, and many others.

Pittsburgh began as a frontier fort at the confluence of the Monongahela and the Allegheny rivers. They come together beautifully to form the city’s dynamic downtown, known as the Golden Triangle. Eventually, Pittsburgh would become the industrial center for our growing nation. It was at the forefront of the steel, electricity and glass industries in the second half of the 19th century and for much of the 20th. The 19th century also saw an influx of immigrants from Germany, Ireland, Poland, Italy and many other European countries. As happened in many cities at the time, these immigrants would open ethnic restaurants in their neighborhoods replicating the cuisines of native homelands. Pittsburgh is no different. Pittsburgh’s oldest continuously operating restaurant is thought by many to be The Original Oyster House. It opened in 1870 on the site of the Bear Tavern, circa 1827. Located in the heart of downtown in Market Square, it has been designated a historic landmark. In 1870, oysters sold here for a penny each and beer was 10 cents a glass. Louis “Silver Dollar Louie” Americus was the proprietor from 1916 to 1970. The fifth and

current proprietor, Louis Grippo, was reportedly kicked out of the place, and vowed to purchase it, which he did in 1970. Another oldie but goodie is Mitchell’s Restaurant, which dates to 1906. Greek immigrant Constantinos Micholopoulos picked the name “Mitchell” out of the Pittsburgh phone book because it was way easier to spell and remember than his own. His grandson continues the operation today. Hyeholde, which dates from 1938, was constructed in a cornfield literally by hand, by William Kryskill and his wife. Built to resemble a castle, it boasts four acres of gardens, lawns and stone paths. It took the couple seven years to construct the country inn. Pat Foy purchased Hyeholde, and turned it into a sophisticated operation with an elaborate menu and fine wine list. Hyeholde came full circle when the Kryskill’s daughter Barbara and her husband, Quentin McKenna, repurchased it in 1991. Today, it remains a destination for Pittsburghers in search of a special occasion dinner, wedding or celebration.

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THE STRIP & RESTAURANT ROW – Foodie Heaven in Pittsburgh Today, the high tech, robotics, healthcare, biomedical technology, nuclear engineering and tourism industries have ensured the city’s vitality. A vibrant, expanding restaurant scene thrives, especially in areas such as The Strip and Restaurant Row. While many ethnic restaurants remain in neighborhoods such as Bloomfield, which is Pittsburgh’s Little Italy, the dining scene trends toward locally grown produce and sustainable ingredients from the Western Pennsylvania region. The Strip garnered its name from the strip of land it occupies along the Allegheny River bordering downtown. Ethnic grocers, meat markets, fish mongers, food vendors and restaurants galore can all be found along these streets, as the aroma of freshly baked bread and freshly brewed coffee waft through the air.

Restaurant Row runs the length of Grandview Avenue, atop Mt. Washington. Elegant fine dining establishments and a gorgeous view of downtown Pittsburgh from above entice diners here. The Burgh Bits and Bites Food Tour and the twice-annual Taste of Pittsburgh invite food lovers to partake in the broad culinary spectrum offered across the city. An easy drive from Pittsburgh, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is nestled in the Laurel Highlands. It boasts Lautrec restaurant, which has garnered both the coveted Forbes Five-Star and the AAA Five-Diamond ratings. On the following pages, join us as we explore a number of Pittsburgh-area restaurants that reflect the city’s vibrant restaurant scene and make sure to bring your appetite.

Photo courtesy of VisitPittsburgh

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OUR

COMMUNITIES 1.

Plaza Azteca Holy Guacamole! by Mary Daggett

Diners at Plaza Azteca know that the guacamole is fresh because it’s made right before their eyes. “Our server wheels a cart tableside with avocados and all of the optional ingredients,” said General Manager Edy Barahona. “Our guests can choose what they want in it and just how spicy they’d like it. We use a traditional stone bowl from Mexico, called a ‘molcajete,’ which really does make a difference in the authentic flavor.” Lots of restaurants claim to be authentic, but this one walks the walk. Even the salsas and tortillas are handmade from scratch in the kitchen. Plaza Azteca was founded in 1994, in Virginia Beach, by two gentlemen from Jalisco, Mexico. There are now 48 locations in five states (Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Connecticut). The one in Pittsburgh will celebrate its first year in business in May. “We have been well-received here in Pittsburgh,” Barahona said. “Our customers are the most important thing. We take the time to prepare their food just to their liking. For example, if they aren’t sure how hot they’d like their salsa, the server will bring three different variations to the table for them to taste. If one thing sets us apart, it is our quality. We buy the freshest, best ingredients that we can find. Also, our portions are generous. Nobody leaves hungry.”

The menu is extensive. In addition to sizzling fajitas, burritos, enchiladas and quesadillas, steak and seafood lovers will not be disappointed. Molcajete Azteca is labeled as a traditional feast for all. The hot stone bowls are filled with rib-eye steak, chicken, shrimp, poblano peppers, onions, chunks of pineapple and homemade salsa, topped with cheese and served with jasmine rice, beans and flour tortillas. Pescado Azteca marries shredded Mahi-Mahi fillet with fresh grilled shrimp, mushrooms, spinach and roasted peppers in white wine sauce. The OMG Nachos showcase a tempting mixture of chicken, chorizo sausage and bacon. There are actually 25 different Margaritas from which to choose.

plazaazteca.com

"We buy the freshest, best ingredients that we can find. Also, our portions are generous. Nobody leaves hungry.” Barahona is a native of Honduras and has been with the company for seven years. “Our employees are well taken care of. Happy employees are good for business. You don’t have to be from Mexico to work here. Everyone is well-trained and understands that our goal is to satisfy every customer with authentic food and excellent service.”

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Bartram House Bakery & Cafe All in the Family 3.

by Ari Bendersky

It’s often said the kitchen is the heart of a home. After all, it’s in that cozy hub where family and friends can gather to cook, create and commiserate on the day's happenings. There's no better way to describe the birth of Bartram House Bakery & Café, a collection of three locations in and around Pittsburgh, with the newest opening its doors last year in a historic building on the city’s South Side. Bartram House, opened by Tim Warne and his wife, Denise, in January 2008, really owes its roots to the wholesale bakery Warne's parents started in the early 70s. What began as a small business has turned into three locations with about 60 employees, including the couple's three kids.

bartramhousebakery.com

Despite its growth, the business has always found that its success has been dependent on its core values: staying true to their artisan roots and ensuring their customers' satisfaction. "We want to make sure we control the quality and image of our brand and products," Warne said. "We have wonderful customers who appreciate the quality of not only the products, but also the atmosphere." That atmosphere, while always cozy and packed, has a more urban feeling with exposed brick walls "recycled from old tenements in the city" and concrete flooring.

— donuts, Danishes, muffins, cinnamon rolls, croissants, pain au chocolat and their signature 6-inch cakes — that truly keep guests coming back. They also do a lot of pickup catering, offering everything from sandwich and burrito trays to fruit platters for parties, office meetings and more — pretty much what their customers want, they'll make. "We're very careful to listen to sales," Warne said. "You can't force people to buy what you want to make and sell. So we've put a lot of product out to the public and have analyzed what sells and what doesn't. What does, we make. We make it the best we can with the best ingredients." That attitude to make people happy extends into the community. Every day, Bartram House's team packs up the leftover food from the day and donates it to local shelters and senior homes. Sure, there's the business reason for not wanting to sell day-old product to customers, but it really comes down to giving back. "There are people in our country who starve every day and we give them food," Warne said. "It's something we can do for our community. I believe in taking care of our own. Let's help out a little bit."

"We have wonderful customers who appreciate the quality of not only the products, but also the atmosphere."

Warne said that as soon as the doors open at all three locations, the line never slows. Guests come in at breakfast for everything from gigantic omelets filled with fresh mushrooms, spinach and bacon to Warne's favorite crab cake eggs Benedict. Through lunch and dinner, customers shuffle through for Reuben and California club sandwiches, Mediterranean salmon salads and Greek grilled chicken wraps. But it's the 100 varieties of baked goods

Running three locations and being on call 24 hours a day can take a toll on someone, but Warne said he wouldn't trade it for anything. And for as hard as he works, Warne said his wife works even harder, but they both love it. Every operator should be so lucky.

1. Sliders at Plaza Azteca. 2. The Piña Loka is not to be missed. 3. Raspberry Ganache Tart. 4. The exterior of Bartram House.

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COMMUNITIES

Pamela’s Diner

Award-Winning Breakfast Fit for a President & First Lady by Audarshia Townsend

Gail Klingensmith describes her first encounter with President Barack Obama as “life changing.” It was during the 2008 presidential primaries when the then-U.S. senator from Illinois dined at her iconic Pittsburgh diner with Michelle Obama and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II. “It was the biggest thing that had ever happened to me,” recalls Klingensmith, whose award-winning Pamela’s Diner has received all sorts of accolades and awards for its breakfast offerings. The Obamas noshed on the restaurant’s biggest sellers, Pamela’s famous crepe hotcakes (created by co-owner Pamela Cohen) and a side of Lyonnaise home fries. Klingensmith adds that Cohen personally cooked for them, which impressed the power couple enough that they invited the owners to serve as guest chefs at the White House. They were, in fact, only second to celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who was the first to serve as guest chef in the Obama White House. But long before the presidential acclaim, Pamela’s Diner and its five offshoots, which include a Peruvian café and Jewish bistro, had garnered much respect and recognition from fans and the media. Since opening the first store in 1980, they’ve won scores of “best breakfast awards” from the likes of Food Network magazine, USA Today and local media outlets. Klingensmith credits their success and longevity to a number of factors, from hard work and dedication to keeping their businesses fresh by listening to others. “One of the things we picked up early on is that you’re only as good as the people you’re surrounded by: your staff and customers,” she says. “Pam was the cook and I was the waitress at the first restaurant … We have managers at all the stores now, but up until 1995, Pam and I tried to do it all ourselves.

“Thinking you can do it all by yourself is the biggest mistake because you will have no life. Because we have such great support people (managers, accountants, etc.), we have been successful. The most important part is that I have a wonderful partner in Pam Cohen. She is a foodie and I am the operations.” Klingensmith also credits loyalty to their employees as essential to the restaurants’ success because when employees are happy they work harder, and with pride and ownership. The restaurants offer health care benefits and a 401K plan to employees. “We have a lot of staff that has been with us since the beginning,” she says. “A few of those people have managed our restaurants, and we have helped them along the way.” pamelasdiner.com

Klingensmith believes in keeping the businesses fresh — she listens to younger staffers about what’s “hot”— but at the same time she maintains that it’s important to “stick with what you know.” That’s why she mostly handles the breakfast fare at the Pamela’s Diner locations, while others run the show at the Jewish-inspired Nu Bistro and Peruvian-focused La Feria. “We all bring something different to the table,” she adds. “Do what you do best and don’t try to be everything for everybody. Just because you’re a restaurant doesn’t mean you have to do all three meals. … It doesn’t have to be fancy to be good. I can make you a grilled cheese that you’re going to love. Tomorrow when you come back to have it again it will taste exactly the same. Consistency is what we’ve been doing for 35 years.”

"When you come back to have it again it will taste exactly the same. Consistency is what we’ve been doing for 35 years.”

2. 1. A look inside Pamela's Diner. 2. Breakfast is served. 3. A hearty morning meal. 4. The exterior of Bob's Diner.

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Bob’s Diner, Pittsburgh It's all about the Bacon! by Mary Daggett

Listening to Bob Marshall talk about his love for diners conjures up visions of a famous Norman Rockwell painting. Growing up, Bob loved to sit at the counter with his dad, and watch the soda jerk mixing a milkshake or the cooks flipping burgers. He enjoyed the camaraderie and friendly service. He also developed an early passion for cooking, which he learned at his mother’s side.

home and comfort — the friendly atmosphere, the smells, the sounds, the family culture. That’s what I love about diners. It’s nostalgia, mixed with good food, and friendly chatter. Plus, there’s no dress code.”

"It's Nostalgia, mixed with good food, and friendly chatter. Plus, there's no dress code."

eatatbobsdiner.com

After climbing the corporate ladder for many years — and seeking out diners as he traveled the country on business — Marshall decided in1999 to open his very own eatery, and named it Bob’s Diner. Fastforward to 2015, and Marshall has developed his own little diner dynasty, with locations in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.

It’s All about the Bacon ... and Eggs, Pancakes, Meatloaf, Stuffed Pork Chops and Root Beer Floats “I owe my success to serving great bacon,” Marshall said. “Actually, while I do insist upon good bacon, I have always chosen my locations carefully. Food has to be the first point; friendly, prompt service is second; then location. Folks in Pennsylvania grew up with diners. They bring back memories of

Bob’s Diner serves breakfast all day long, and Bob Marshall has been known to give people a dollar bill, just for eating an entire stack of pancakes. Other diner mainstays on the menu include corned beef hash, countryfried steak, liver and onions, burgers and fries and milkshakes. Marshall has made many friends in the Pittsburgh area since he opened that first diner. He makes sure each guest feels as welcome as he and his dad did years ago. He passed his passion for food on to his daughter, Claire, who is a registered dietician and health coach for UPMC. The duo stars in their own radio show each week, “The Bob’s Diner Show” on KQV Radio. “We chat about food, nutrition and the local dining scene. Listeners enjoy the show, and Claire and I get the chance to connect each week.”

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COMMUNITIES

Fine Dining Without an Attitude 1.

at Andora and Toscana by Mindy Kolof

As Pittsburgh’s steel and stone culture gradually evolved to encompass hightech and start-ups, the dining landscape likewise changed, carving a clear path to success for restaurateur Greg McFarlane. With a thorough understanding of the new generation’s penchant for going upscale without fuss, and a deep respect for the city’s heritage, McFarlane has delivered to the marketplace four restaurants that fully embrace and celebrate Pittsburgh pride, with more on the way.

with a laid-back vibe; sophisticated, but not stuffy; historical, with completely modern amenities. It worked, according to McFarlane: “You can come in wearing jeans, a T-shirt and flip flops, and be seated next to an executive in a business suit ordering a $200 bottle of wine. Everybody feels comfortable here.” That was important to McFarlane, who explains: “We took over a mom-and-pop restaurant and when those customers came in to check us out, we wanted them to feel at home, too.”

When McFarlane first opened Andora in 1999, he aimed to bring fine dining to Pittsburgh in a relaxed and casual setting. Now, with two additional restaurants open, Andora has become such a trusted brand in Pittsburgh that McFarlane has successfully launched a new concept, Toscana Brick Oven and Market.

Andora specializes in steaks, seafood and soups made from scratch, with fresh ingredients — the restaurant’s signature jumbo lump crabcakes, baked and served with red onion caper sauce, have become legendary in the area. The new 100-seat Toscana Brick Oven Restaurant and Market concept adheres to the brand’s successful concepts, but with an Italian spin, featuring made-from-scratch pizza in their own wood-burning ovens, and plates piled high with homemade pasta and meatballs.

"We pride ourselves on providing homegrown, personalized and exceptional service." “We are successful because we become part of the neighborhoods we are in — we take existing historical venues, such as an 18th century farmhouse, and make them part of the local scene,” explains McFarlane. He’s justly proud of Andora’s rep for memorable outdoor dining in a city with a fairly brief al fresco season. “We’ve created a real oasis; a patio with fountains, music, a gas fire pit and cafe-style lighting. You can’t believe you’re sitting in the middle of a busy Pittsburgh neighborhood.” Andora was first on the scene in Pittsburgh to convert a fine dining experience to a welcoming neighborhood environment

andorarestaurant.com

Serving the “New Pittsburgh,” the Toscana Market also presents highquality prepared foods to go for the community’s younger, upscale and mobile population. “With the area expanding so quickly, we wanted to make it easy for people to take home the same foods we offer at Toscana.” The convenience store format features coolers with the restaurant’s signature lasagnas, meatballs and salads, ready to grab-and-go. McFarlane plans to add two more Toscana restaurants to the market in 2015, and a concept he describes as “an upscale diner with a liquor license.” He explains: “We pride ourselves on providing homegrown, personalized and exceptional service that our Pittsburgh neighbors appreciate. Ensuring everyone leaves happy is paramount to us.”

2. 1. A delicious meal at Toscana Brick Oven. 2. A light summer salad to enjoy. 3. Wings and onion rings. 4. The tropical exterior of Dee Jay's. 5. Dee Jay's famous ribs.

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Dee Jay's BBQ Ribs & Grille Smokin’ Hot Ribs by Mary Daggett

4. deejaysribs.com

Baby back ribs are smokin’ hot at Dee Jay's BBQ Ribs & Grille — to the tune of 25,000 pounds a month. What began in 1980 as a 60-seat momand-pop operation in a converted car wash has burgeoned into the place for ribs in the Pittsburgh area. “President Bill Clinton loves our BBQ ribs. We’ve served countless governors and senators, famous athletes from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates and Penquins and people from all walks of life who are looking for a good dining experience,” said owner Dewey Guida.

Eleven years ago, the Guidas decided to expand in an effort to alleviate the long lines and wait times for their loyal customers. They built a 6,000 square foot, 210-seat place at a local shopping center 20 miles south of Pittsburgh, in Weirton, West Virginia (near Wheeling). Guess what? There’s still a tropical theme, baby back ribs and a long line and wait times from one to two hours. On weekends, Dee Jay’s turns 1,200 to 1,300 covers. There is also a “to-go” window for customer convenience.

Guida, a member of the board of directors of the National Restaurant Association, was a builder before he and wife Karen embarked on careers in foodservice. “It’s hard for us to believe, but this year we’re celebrating 35 years in this business.” The first 24 years were spent at the

WHAT’S THEIR SECRET?

"We offer folks great food, a good value, a nice clean place to dine and a serious commitment to customer service." converted car wash, which had just 60 seats. “We love the tropics, so in the beginning, we decided to incorporate a tropical theme, which was rare back then in this area. Once we developed our winning ribs recipe, there was no turning back.”

“Our secret is our ribs, and our rib recipe really is a secret,” Guida said. It took a lot of trial and error and TLC to develop just the right blend of ingredients, which involves flavor from hickory. “The rest is simple: We offer folks great food, a good value, a nice clean place to dine and a serious commitment to customer service. We are engaged in the community, and active with social media. We get excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. We’re very proud of where we are and what we do. We have a wonderful team of 85 employees.” In addition to Dewey and Karen, the operation includes their son Michael, who is general manager, and Joseph, who develops products for the menu.

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COMMUNITIES

Quaker Steak & Lube 1.

Revving Up For Hot Wings & A Good Time by Audarshia Townsend

George Warren and Gary Meszaros opened the first Quaker Steak & Lube® — or “The Lube,” as it’s affectionately called — in 1974. The original location was a converted gas station in Sharon, Pa., and its biggest draw was the “cook-your-own-steak” option. By 1976, the owners had dropped that feature in favor of focusing mainly on Buffalo wings accompanied by signature sauces, including original BBQ and intensely hot (New additions include dusted chipotle BBQ, dusted island jerk and Sriracha-inspired). What sets the chain apart from its competitors, apart from the fact that consumers now have a choice of 25 sauces, is that the family-friendly restaurants are motor themed, and decorated with vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles. During the early 1980s, Katy Malaniak joined the company because it looked like a fun place to work. “I guess initially it was the availability of jobs as a teenager,” she says, “but I found out that I really loved the people and the ever-changing atmosphere.” Today Malaniak boasts more than 30 years with The Lube, and she’s risen through the ranks to become the chain’s senior director of food & beverage. She credits the chain’s dedication to its core theme as one of many reasons why it’s so successful and continues to expand. The privately held company boasts more than 60 locations, including venues in Canada. The majority of locations are freestanding, in service stationstyle buildings, with old-fashioned gasoline pumps and large neon signs

encouraging customers to “EAT.” The interiors are divided into several rooms, each with an atmosphere of its own created by memorabilia and full-size classic vehicles suspended from the ceiling and walls. Themed rooms include “Thunder Alley” with racing cars, the “’Vette VVVroom” with Corvettes, and a “Handle Bar” biker bar with motorcycles hanging overhead, big-screen televisions and barstools fashioned from aluminum wheels. Each location also includes a retail store called the Body Shop, where the chain’s retail sauces, T-shirts, hats and other merchandise are sold. The typical unit also incorporates a family-friendly game room, a brickyard outdoor patio with a full-service bar and seating for approximately 100 customers.

thelube.com

Malaniak says the company’s big on promotions, and her favorites are those that are all-inclusive. “We have a couple that are super-successful,” she continues. “One is our Tuesday all-you-can-eat wing night, which attracts people from all age groups, but for the younger crowd, it’s a social event. Our other successful promotion is our ‘bike night’ events we do in the parking lot in the summer. It’s a great crowd of people and attracts both riders and non-riders.” But no matter how great the concept, food or location, Malaniak has learned the greatest lesson of all during her 30 years in the restaurant business: “Treat your staff like GOLD; they are the key to your success.”

"The chain’s dedication to its core theme is one of many reasons why it’s so successful and continues to expand."

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Hog Father's BBQ Old Fashioned BBQ Created the Northeast Style by Ari Bendersky

You have Texas-style, St. Louis and Kansas City, Memphis and North Carolina, but Northeast-style barbecue? If you ask Frank Puskarich, who started Hog Father's Old Fashioned BBQ with his wife, Kathleen, in 2007, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Before opening Hog Father's, Puskarich spent many years working with a number of restaurant groups, including Chi Chi's, Chili's, Steak and Ale and Papa John's, where he was a managing partner for 15 years. Then he and Kathleen got the itch to do their own thing and barbecue was their muse. "There was nothing going on in the Pittsburgh area as far as barbecue," he said. "And I love barbecue. I just love ribs and barbecue chicken."

hogfathersbbq.com

Puskarich teamed up with German-born chef Josef Karst to create some singular recipes, especially the sauce. The pair tasted and tested numerous concoctions until they landed their own recipe, which Puskarich now has created and packed by a local vendor for use in the Hog Father's kitchens. It was the birth of Puskarich's Northeast style. "The barbecue style is sticky, sweet ... you find yourself licking your fingers," he said. "It's tangy with a little spice to it. You don't have to be a barbecue connoisseur to love it. You can be and you'd love it, but if you're apprehensive to eating barbecue, this will turn you into a lover."

This is the case with not only locals, but also a bunch of Texas imports. Right around the time Hog Father's opened in 2007, a number of natural gas excavation companies, like Halliburton and Range Resources, set up shop around Pittsburgh and needed on-site catering at the hydraulic fracturing, a.k.a. fracking, sites. Puskarich was more than happy to oblige. "That was like an act of god that the natural gas and my barbecue concept merged at the same time," he said. "When I opened, they showed up. It's been seven years now. Those Texas boys say this is the closest thing they've found to Texas barbecue."

Puskarich opened that first Hog Father's location in Washington, Pa., about 20 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. Today there are five Hog Father's locations across Pennsylvania, which also serve their large catering business that accounts for about 50 percent of the company's overall sales. Puskarich said he's currently testing a Southwest barbecue and grill concept and has added Southern and Tex-Mex items, like quesadillas, enchiladas and nachos to the Hog Father's in-house and catering menus. And he tests it out at the dig sites by adding those new items to the "frack" menu. "I survey these guys weekly on their thoughts on food," he said, adding that if they're ordering the same type of food two to three times a week, he must be on to something so he adds it to the menu. Listening to his customers and acting upon their likes is a critical part of Puskarich’s success. But even though people enjoy those Mexican-styled dishes, barbecue is really the restaurant’s bread and butter. On average, Hog Father's goes through about 1,300 pounds of brisket, 800 pounds of pulled pork and 1,000 racks of ribs each month. They have annual revenues around $4.2 million — not bad for five locations with 80 employees and about 50 seats each. The business can easily scale and Frank said he hopes to franchise, but not just to anyone. "I have had several requests for franchises; so far, I've turned down everybody," he said. "For what I've built so far, I am not going to be careless on who I bring into the fold as an operator themselves." Until then, he continues to oversee daily business, visiting two or three stores each day to check on the operations and staff and mingle with the customers. "We're on a firstname basis with as many people as we can be," Puskarich said. "We sit down and spend a few minutes with people at their tables. We treat everyone like they're our best buddies." Well, there's nothing like having all your friends come over for a daily dinner party — especially when they pick up the tab.

1. Deliciously hot wings at Quaker Steak & Lube. 2. Tacos to satisfy your palate. 3. Old fashioned BBQ done right at Hog Father's. 4. The exterior of Hog Father's. 5. Hard at work in the kitchen.

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‘Less is Better’ Means Big Business for Restaurant Holdings

by Mindy Kolof

Restaurateur Nick Koustis offers a straightforward recipe for stunning success: keep the menu simple, with finely honed choices that are fresh, creative and casually priced; insist on personal and engaging service; and provide a casually elegant, experiential ambience to appeal to Pittsburgh’s younger generations. While this culinary entrepreneur clearly knows how to build on a name — the popular Ditka Restaurants are also lodged under his Restaurant Holdings’ umbrella — it’s the hometown approach to serving Pittsburgh’s appetite for a memorable culinary experience that’s cemented his and partner Pat McDonell’s reputation. By evolving with the city and staying on the cutting edge of culinary trends, they’ve grown their brand into a multilocation, million-dollar business. All operations adhere to an important concept they call Value of the Person, a practice applied from the CEO down to the dishwasher and everyone in between, that places the highest priority on ensuring each employee is treated with love, dignity and respect. All restaurants in the group are committed to menus that feature quality ingredients at a comfortable price, starting with carefully sourced products that must meet very high standards. “With all of our restaurants, our intent is that less is better,” explains Koustis. “Too many restaurants start off with a specific cuisine and brand, and as they expand they grow their menu too much and too quickly, resulting in a watering down effect because they are trying to offer too many things. We have a very disciplined approach. There are 28 items on the menu and we want to keep it at that; every time a new item is added, one comes off.”

The well-honed approach also allows Koustis to target menus to local tastes. To continue to differentiate their eateries in a landscape burgeoning with popular chain restaurant choices, Koustis insists on creating an experience for the customer with exceptional service delivered in a cozy, home-like setting. “All our servers are required to complete a two-week formalized training to guarantee we present a well-educated waitperson who really understands the food and beverages, and also knows the right time to make upselling suggestions to customers,” Koustis explains. “Situational service” is taught, requiring servers to quickly assess their customer scenario and vary their approach accordingly … four ladies at a monthly get-together may want to engage with the waiter and discuss specials, but keep the chatter to a minimum with the four businesspeople deep in conversation, he advises.

Atria’s Restaurant:

“With all of our restaurants, our intent is that less is better, every time a new item is added, one comes off.” 2.

More than 75 years of brand strength The name Atria’s has been well known in South Pittsburgh since the 1930s; first as a grocery store, then transitioning into a beloved neighborhood watering hole. Rather than make numerous changes, current owners Pat and Nancy McDonnell, who purchased Atria’s in 1999 from the original owner, decided instead to build on the brand’s strength. The upscale dinner house has expanded to include eight locations over the years. The slightly older, over 45 crowd, has made comfort foods like chicken parmesan and a signature pot roast nacho dish consistent best sellers.

1. Patio dining at Atria's. 2. Atria's in McMurray, PA. 3. A hot starter at Juniper Grill. 4. Fill your belly with a stellar meal.

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Everything is sourced for quality, says Koustis, from fresh fish, to specially cut steaks, to fresh produce from local vendors. One of the most hotly anticipated promotions each year is the Oktoberfest celebration, courtesy of an Atria classically-trained chef from Germany, who introduced traditional entrees such as “Paprika Handel,” “Jagerschnitzel” and “Ofenfrische Schweinshaxe” to diners, beginning in 1999. “It’s the equivalent of inserting a whole German restaurant menu into Atria’s, and all are authentic, family recipes,” says Koustis. Although tradition calls for an end to Oktoberfest by the first Sunday of the month, at Atria’s the popular dishes are served through the end of October.

junipergrill.com

The restaurant’s catering arm extends its reach to area galas and receptions, and as exclusive caterer to the National Aviary on Pittsburgh’s historic North Side, billed proudly as the country’s only independent indoor nonprofit zoo dedicated to birds. This menu too draws on the operation’s deep Pittsburgh roots, with hometown favorites like four cheese vegetable lasagna, rotisserie chicken Florentine, spaghetti and meatballs, and “The Pittsburgher:” classic pierogies, grilled kielbasa and wine sauerkraut with caramelized onions.

Juniper Grill: Wood-fired grilling and ‘a touch of cowboy’

strong and stayed strong, he says, boosted by stellar word-of-mouth recommendations. Their growing local footprint is earned by consistently delivering on the principles that built Atria’s brand equity — exceptional service, fresh, high-quality food and targeted menus — while forging a unique identity all its own. Incorporating a wood-fired grill into the kitchen dynamic means foods are infused with a unique campfire flavor, and also add a much soughtafter range of gluten-free choices to the menu. The southwest influence is reflected in bold choices everywhere on the menu, with fresh guacamole; a top-selling spicy shrimp flatbread appetizer; slow cooked brisket, marinated for 24 hours and then smoked overnight for another 12 hours; and the number one dish — fish tacos with bang bang sauce, mango salsa, drunken black beans and rice. Research into beverage options revealed a previously untapped market for tequila, sparking Koustis to offer 16 varieties of the sipping kind on any given night, along with a signature margarita made purely from scratch using fresh, hand-squeezed juices. Non-tequila drinkers enjoy a constantly rotating selection of hard-to-find, local craft beers kept on tap and an extensive list of wines by bottle or glass. It’s all about giving customers choices, says Koustis, and he’s about to expand those choices with a third Juniper Grill underway in Pittsburgh.

Restaurant Holdings’ newest concept, Juniper Grill, targets the growing Millennial demographic with an upscale lodge-like atmosphere and “a touch of cowboy cuisine,” says Koustis. The restaurant opened

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COMMUNITIES

Angelo’s Restaurant 1.

Three Generations of Italian Heritage & Family Recipes

by Audarshia Townsend

Angelo and Giacomina, the firstgeneration Passalacquas, knew they had a good thing going at their little tavern just outside of Washington, Pa., when news quickly spread that they were serving real Italian spaghetti and authentic Italian bread to customers. This wasn’t a regular occurrence back in 1939, so this husband-and-wife duo gained a pretty substantial following. So much, in fact, that they were inspired to name the little tavern The West Chestnut Spaghetti Inn to gain an even larger audience. During that 69 years at the original location, the menu expanded to offer a full range of Italian dishes, the restaurant was remodeled, the next generations took over, and the name was changed to Angelo’s Restaurant to honor its patriarch. Current owner Michael Passalacqua, who took over the business from his father, Silvio, eventually moved the restaurant in 2008 to a larger venue located only a mile away from the original building. While he’s retained his grandparents’ vision of serving home-style Italian fare in a familyfriendly setting, he’s also updated the menu to reflect the times and changing tastes of customers. He says that he started adding more regional fare to the menu during the 1980s. From chicken Marsala and veal Piccata to original recipes created by his sister, the changes have helped Angelo’s stay competitive with newer operators. “It’s been an evolution,” says Passalacqua. “You either innovate or you die.” Mixed in with those newer dishes are original entrées and accompaniments from close family members. The creamy Italian dressing was developed by his Aunt Carmelina in the early 1960s and

remains the most popular dressing on the menu. His chef-trained sister, Tonne, created Pasta-Lacqua in the 1980s. It consists of fresh green beans and tomatoes, sautéed with garlic, white wine and Romano cheese, tossed over fettuccine. A host of additional original dishes may be found on the menus, but what’s most important to Passalacqua is that these comfort-food favorites are served in a setting that feels like someone’s home. “We treat our guests like guests in our home,” he stresses, “with that warmth and care you’d invite someone over your home for dinner. We’ve also never, ever, ever skimped on quality. We cook everything to order — stocks, soups, sauces, meatballs.” The house-made products extend to desserts, which include 18 different flavors of gelato, pastries and cakes.

He believes that his dedication to highquality ingredients justifies the menu prices, which range from $12 to $33 for entrées. “I believe that our product is a value at the price that it is,” he says. “We do no sort of deals and never have.” And finally, Passalacqua doles out solid advice on how to achieve longevity: “I am a very big believer in inventory, and weekly profit and loss statements. In this business, your inventory, your money is perishable product. If you don’t have a system for perishable product, you will be at the mercy at anyone who works for you. Systems are the secret to running a restaurant. You don’t see anyone who owns a McDonald’s restaurant making the fries. They are behind the scenes and they have tight fiscal control. It’s all got to be managed, and managed well.”

angelosrestaurant.com 1. An Italian feast for the family. 2. Roasted veggies to start the meal. 3. Brews on a hot summer day. 4. The beautiful exterior of The Church Brew Works. 5. The elegant, spacious interior of the converted church.

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The Church Brew Works

Say a Prayer For Beer | Going Strong After Nearly 20 Years by Ari Bendersky

The idea of making a date to go to church and get a pint of beer may not seem, well, kosher. But that's exactly the point Sean Casey had in mind when he bought the former church in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood nearly 20 years ago to open The Church Brew Works. Some people thought putting a brewpub in a mostly blue-collar area was crazy, but Casey had a vision.

He saw potential in the rougher neighborhood, so he married his love of beer and food with his interest in architecture, opened CBW and has never looked back. That vision has paid off as people come from all over for the award-winning beer and inventive fare. "When we opened, Pittsburgh was a meat and potatoes town. We did untraditional pierogies — duck and goat cheese; bison and black bean — we became famous for rattlesnake pierogies. It's great for PR." Executive chef Jason Marrone, who has been with CBW from the beginning, has always included unique items, like bison burgers and vegan options to attract adventurous eaters and to ensure that all diners, no matter their diet, had something to eat. Casey also forages for chanterelle mushrooms that Marrone uses in soups and stews. Church Brew Works also offers more traditional fare like beer-steamed mussels; a BBQ pulled pork sandwich; Southwest chicken wrap; grilled salmon with roasted red pepper smashed potatoes; wood-fired brick oven pizzas; and grilled pork porterhouse steak — even a gluten-free menu — that continues to bring in the crowds. "You combine this with the beer making and that adds up" to a successful restaurant," Casey said.

churchbrew.com

And he owes much of his success to their beer. CBW produces 25 different

beers each year, some are standard draughts like the Pipe Organ Pale Ale, the ThunderHop IPA, the lightly effervescent Celestial Gold and the dark-style Pious Munk Dunkel, the last two both of which earned high honors at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival. They also brew specialty beers with interesting ingredients like peppers from their on-site garden or a molé stout. They'll barrel age a number of beers and also age some in Champagne-style bottles for up to six months. "We make beers for our tastes and try to make session beers that are drinkable," Casey said. "We focus on the quality, doing it right and letting the beer age out." They craft it all in an on-site brewery, which lights up when that sun shines in through the stained glass midday. "At 11 a.m. the sun hammers the rose window and shines on the entire church, especially up where the brewery is," Casey said. "It's a cool feeling to be in there when it's all lit up." Today, that 8,000-square-foot transformed church with oak-finished plywood and a 51-foot ceiling at its highest peak, attracts upwards of 150,000 people annually. Even though business continued to be strong, over the years Casey realized the need to continually improve. "We constantly reinvest in the place," he said. "In this business, it's easy to stagnate or get complacent." Every so often, Casey will close CBW on Mondays over the course of six weeks to do necessary construction or add new paint to the walls to keep things bright and fresh. They ripped out part of the parking lot to put in a flower-lined paved walkway and even have started growing herbs and vegetables in an on-site garden to use in the kitchen. Talk about local and sustainable! 

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With more than 100 years of bakery experience, CSM Bakery Solutions offers a portfolio of innovative products, ingredients and services for foodservice operators, retailers and distributors. Our sweet goods include everything from traditional cookies, muffins and fruit fillings to on-trend offerings such as cake truffles and dessert brownie “fries.”

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HOW YOUR BUSINESS

Can Become More Relevant

To Foodies by Audarshia Townsend

Sneaky Tips To Get Enthusiasts In Your Door, Focusing On Success For Mom & Pops Everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a foodie if you scroll through Instagram, Pinterest and other photo-dependent social networking sites. But how can an operator, especially one thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been around for several decades, start to bring in those younger food enthusiasts through the door? Most operators agree that it takes more than a few dashes of creativity and innovation. We chatted with a number of restaurateurs to get some of their sneakiest tips for bringing in chow connoisseurs.

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n 2007, restaurateur Randy Essig made his food more accessible by publishing a seafood-focused cookbook based on the menu from his Naples, Fla. restaurant. It’s also based on the philosophy he lives by at Randy's Fishmarket Restaurant that “successful cooking doesn’t rely on complicated recipes and exotic ingredients … all you need are patience, an unhurried approach, and most important of all, fresh ingredients.” Those who buy the cookbook are encouraged to visit the restaurant’s fish market to shop for seafood, which, of course, is delivered fresh daily. They’ll find everything highlighted in the recipes, from Gulf shrimp found in the crispy coconut shrimp and gumbo entrées to alligator made into deep-fried gator bites. Essig even takes time to list recipes for all his sauces, including orange horseradish marmalade, BBQ and marinara. His enthusiasm to encourage diners to become more interactive with the food they’re consuming has made his restaurant more popular than ever in its 15 years. And, as more consumers jump on the “foodie” bandwagon, his relatable cookbook proves to be one of many ingenious methods to drive more customers into his venue.

This is important because not every chef and/or restaurateur is lucky enough to have a major television presence like Rick Bayless, Bobby Flay or Mario Batali, so “they must play to their strengths,” says Bar Pastoral partner Greg O'Neill. “There are plenty of things that you can do to stimulate your creativity, but I am a big believer of staying true to yourself.” With his cheese-and-charcuterie-focused restaurant based in Chicago’s trendy Lakeview neighborhood, O'Neill is quite aware that the competition is stiff. That’s why he travels extensively to gain as much knowledge as possible about the restaurant’s specialties and uses that to garner more diners. “We do things at our bistro that speak directly to our patrons,” says O'Neill. “We leverage our cheese pedigree or our wine and charcuterie program. We highlight that, but show people that we do more than that. We’re doing sweet and savory dishes where the star of the dinner is the cheese.” O’Neill is also an avid user of social media, and he and his staff are constantly communicating through Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter with beautiful images of seasonal dishes, signature entrées and other goings-on at the restaurant. He believes that his participation has helped reap the attention of local and national media, which in turn, has brought even the most discerning customers to Bar Pastoral.

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ared Van Camp and his Element Collective partners have many tricks up their sleeves to get foodies into their Chicago restaurants such as Nellcôte, Old Town Social and Leghorn. Many of the tactics make sense, particularly because “the general public is more educated (about food) than they were five, 10 or 15 years ago.”

“We’ve continually gotten recognized by different media outlets as a great neighborhood establishment,” he says. “We really work hard to leverage our position with social media by showing photos of beautiful food. A lot of people respond to visual stimuli, so we post as many photos of food as possible. We try to keep it simple, yet compelling.” He does warn colleagues to not go overboard on updates so that the audience doesn’t get burned out on photos, tweets, etc., but it’s important to take ownership. “We encourage our staffers to also take photos and post them. Sometimes businesses rely on people who are not close enough to the operation, and that’s the wrong thing to do. When you’re telling the story, you should do it yourself,” he advises. Jared Van Camp and his Element Collective partners have many tricks up their sleeves to get foodies into their Chicago restaurants such as Nellcôte, Old Town Social and Leghorn. Many of the tactics make sense, particularly because “the general public is more educated (about food) than they were five, 10 or 15 years ago,” says Van Camp.

is fast food.” At his fast-casual chicken shop Leghorn, Van Camp’s staff butchers whole chickens in-house and makes everything from scratch, including biscuits. The flour used for pasta and pastries at the Italian-inspired Nellcôte is milled fresh every day in the kitchen. And when he opened Old Town Social in 2009, the restaurant was groundbreaking because it was the first in the city legally certified to cure its own charcuterie. “The regular person is far more aware of techniques and wants to know what he’s eating and how to do what he’s getting in a restaurant,” says Van Camp. He adds that because many food enthusiasts are familiar with the biggest names —and under-the-radar stars — in the business, Element Collective collaborates with out-of-town chefs on a regular basis. “A guest chef coming into town doing a dinner and promoting his cookbook is a great way to get guests into the restaurant,” he says. “For whatever reason, you may not be able to get to that chef’s restaurant, so this a great way to highlight these chefs and garner new fans for us (at the same time).” 

“They want more,” he stresses. “That’s why we don’t slack on the quality of ingredients or techniques just because it

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Hispanically Speaking By Min Casey

Already the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest minority group, the Hispanic population continues to grow. This diverse group, with buying power of $1.5 trillion, includes those of many backgrounds and to think of them as a single entity can be a mistake for restaurants looking to welcome them at the table.

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arold “Lefty” Encarnacion opened Millie’s International Market in Columbus, Georgia, partly as a foodcentered survival strategy. When he and his wife, Millie, moved to the area, they had to send away to New York for the ingredients used to make traditional Puerto Rican dishes that are a rich part of their cultural heritage.

In 1986, they opened the market, which has grown to include a restaurant at which he prepares foods of their homeland and beyond. “We like to say it’s Caribbean food. Puerto Rican for sure, but a lot of influences from other islands,” Encarnacion says. “It is definitely Hispanic food but not at all like Mexican food as so many people automatically think. It’s a world apart, very different.” And indeed, that’s an essential truth about Hispanic food and, by extension, the burgeoning Hispanic demographic group. Already the largest minority population in the United States with an estimated population of 54 million, the numbers are projected to continue growing at a pace exceeding that of the general U.S. population. By 2050, it is estimated that the total U.S. population will be 23% of Hispanic origin, up from the present 17%. Implications are far-ranging and touch on many aspects, including restaurant business. Understanding the trends, traits and unique behaviors of the Hispanic market is far from simple and yet for restaurant operators, it can be critical. Gerry Fernandez, founder and president of the Minneapolis-based Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA), an organization dedicated to demonstrating the economic benefits of a multicultural approach, says Hispanic can be a confusing word.

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“You can’t think of the Hispanic demographic as one group or treat them that way,” he says. “Of course it includes Mexican — that’s the largest group — but it also counts Cubans, Salvadorans, Puerto Ricans and Columbians. And that’s just for starters. Within each group are significant cultural differences. To lump all of them together doesn’t work, especially with food preferences.” Even Encarnacion found himself surprised at the diversity within the Hispanic population. “When Millie’s opened is when I realized how many different groups we could serve. There are a lot of Hispanics here in the tri-city area but they’re spread out so you maybe don’t realize it,” Encarnacion explains. “At least 18 or 20 distinct populations come and even that is changing. We are starting to see a lot more Africans and Haitians. For each group, there are differences and we try to cater to them all in the best way we can. We’re all Latinos but we also are different.” The tri-city area, which includes Columbus, is estimated to have a Hispanic population of around 12,000, with about 600 restaurants in the area to serve them.

SOCIAL LEADERS

Conventional wisdom, backed up by data, indicates that Hispanic diners as a whole are most likely to select quick-service restaurants when dining out. According to the Rosemont, Ill.-based NPD Group, more than 80% of Hispanics’ restaurant visits take place at QSRs such as Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A and Arby’s. But, in fact, that is not significantly higher than the U.S. population at large, with about 78% of restaurant visits taking place in the QSR segment. The larger truth is that fast-food chains, led by McDonald’s, dominate the restaurant landscape for all demographic groups. Carlos Santiago, research director for the Fairfax, Va.based Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) and founder of the Santiago Solutions Group, warns against having tunnel vision when examining dining-out patterns. “It’s a misconception that Hispanics only shop at Walmart and eat at Taco Bell. Especially

Facts 2 Just the

Increase in U.S. Hispanic population between 2012 and 2013.

MILLION

Hispanics living in the United States

1.1 MILLION Number of Hispanics added to the U.S. population in the 12months between July 2012 and 2013; this represents just under half of the total number of people added to the nation’s population in that timeframe.

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after the recession, there is a large number, about 15 million, of what we describe as Upscale Hispanics (with household incomes of $50,000 to $100,000) who love to dine out at trendy restaurants,” he says. He also adds that it is a growing segment well populated by young consumers; the median age of Hispanics is about 10 years younger than it is for nonHispanics. Often they are secondor third-generation, easily able to switch between their cultural background and American experiences. “They have cultural duality and inhabit both worlds very well,” Santiago notes. This upscale group is reported to account for $500 billion of total Hispanic spending of 41.5 trillion. Jumping up to the casual dining segment, the AHAA study showed that Hispanics visit that segment more often than upscale non-Hispanics. Of a list of restaurants including

Applebee’s, Outback, Black Angus, Macaroni Grill and Red Lobster, 90% of Upscale Hispanics dined at one of them versus 82% of non-Hispanics. A common trait in the Hispanic population is a highly social nature, one that embraces extended families and large circles of friends, according to Santiago. He says that makes the group tailor-made for dining out. “Marketers and restaurant owners need to pay attention to what drives Hispanics to particular restaurants. The AHAA Upscale Hispanic Report research shows that this group looks for trendy restaurants that are new and in style. Hispanics love to be the first to discover something and then tell their friends about it. They gravitate to places that have strong energy, a certain volume and liveliness. They go out in groups. For them it’s a very social experience,” he says.

% Those of Hispanic origin identified as having a Mexican background;

9.4% are Puerto Rican, 3.8% Salvadoran, 3.7% Cuban, 3.1% Dominican and 2.3% Guatemalan. The remainder are of other Central American, South American or Hispanic/Latino origin.

128.8 MILLION

Projected Hispanic population by 2060, representing 31% of the total population.

Hispanics who are age 18 or under.

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BF O UO D S & I B EN V EE R AS G SE Hispanics are shown to be heavier users of apps and social media platforms than are other demographic groups. Pew Research Center data shows that fully 80% of Hispanic adults use social media; that exceeds both non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans, which respectively have usage of 70% and 75%. In the Pew study, about two-thirds of Hispanics reported using sites such as Facebook and Twitter. As reported on NPR, “Social media represents the most powerful

medium Latinos have ever had to find their voice and harness their growing strength socially, economically and politically.” Santiago concurs. “Social media are a big way for them to learn about the hot new restaurants,” he says. “And then they are quick to post about it, let their social friends know where they have been and what they recommend — or don’t recommend. They want to be first with the trend.”

The Welcome Mat Gerry Fernandez, president of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance has sound advice for operators when it comes to bringing in Hispanic patrons. “Follow the money; it’s definitely there. Hispanics have a lot of buying power. From a business perspective it makes sense to connect with them,” he says. He and Carlos Santiago, research chairman of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, offer suggestions to jump-start the process and ensure that operations are welcoming to the Hispanic population. • If you feel Hispanics are out there but your restaurant isn’t reaching them, reach out to a respected leader in the Hispanic civic, social or religious community. Let them know about your restaurant and seek their input about attracting more business. • From street fairs to sports teams and concerts, support events in which Hispanic participate. “It demonstrates that you really do care,” says Fernandez. • Build your Hispanic cultural I.Q. to learn more about overarching likes, dislikes and behaviors. • Make sure your restaurant environment is comfortable and that your staff is trained to provide friendly, welcoming service. With any diner, they should show respect and patience. • If there are televisions on premises, have the right things on the screen. Santiago says that “If there is a huge soccer match going on, the TV probably should show it. But like everyone, Hispanics follow other sports. It shouldn’t be all soccer.” • Fernandez and others note that with strong family ties in the Hispanic community, dining out often includes multiple generations. Have seating options to accommodate larger groups and staff them appropriately so service is seamless.

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• Explore handles or hooks: Is there a radio or television personality, a blogger or columnist who is known within the Hispanic community? If so, invite them to the restaurant and make that connection. • It is helpful to have someone on staff who is fluent in Spanish. Depending on your customer base, you also may wish to have translated versions of the menu available. • Stock the right selection of condiments and spices, including several hot sauces. • Ensure that your website is up to date and visually appealing. Based on the high degree of acceptance within the Hispanic population for social platforms, consider how your restaurant uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Pinterest; make sure messaging is relevant, lively and inclusive.

• Above all, says Fernandez, “Authenticity is key. People have a sense of when they are being treated fairly and genuinely.”

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Encarnacion agrees. “I didn’t have money for marketing the restaurant. I’ve built my business through word of mouth and that has been helped along by Facebook. Hispanics by and large are much more tech savvy than other groups. They connect via the web and that has been my outreach, a way to grow.”

MONEY ON THE TABLA?

With a mini empire of six restaurants scattered across several of Chicago’s trendy north-side neighborhoods, Josh Rutherford, a founding partner of 4 Star Restaurant Group, says that business is very good, with each home-grown concept in the portfolio attracting its own audience. The success makes him confident that he and his three partners are ready to take on the downtown area with two new restaurants scheduled to open this year. When asked how 4 Star markets to the city’s approximately 2 million Hispanics, his answer is concise and on point. “Honestly, we don’t become that specific in our outreach efforts. We’re a little more broad than that in our approach,” he explains, adding that marketing efforts set sights on everyone in the neighborhoods in which their restaurants operate, not on specific groups. “We have our defined sense of hospitality and service and believe that it will make anyone who comes to our restaurants feel welcome and well taken care of, like they belong here.” Given the growing size and power of the Hispanic population, Rutherford may be missing out on an important opportunity. The MFHA’s Fernandez says not necessarily. “If restaurant operators do a good study of the demographics of the area where they operate, they will see immediately what their customer base looks like. It may not make business sense to aim for a market that isn’t really there. But if the market is there, it is worth cultivating.” Rutherford says that each of the 4 Star restaurants reflects the area in which they are located — highly gentrified urban locales that have a heavy concentration of singles and young families. In other words, the restaurants are in neighborhoods with lots of highly coveted restaurant patrons. “Anecdotally, without research to back it up, we definitely see Hispanics visiting our restaurants. Our environment is very comfortable for them. In terms of growth, it’s important that we connect with Hispanics. They’re an important and growing demographic, very much part of our future.” The MFHA’s Fernandez agrees. “If you look at the numbers, you immediately see why this group matters to restaurants now, but especially in the future. When the total

U.S. population is 30% Hispanic as it's on trend toward reaching (by 2050), those businesses that are laying the groundwork now are the ones that will cater to the group, earn and benefit from their brand loyalty.”

MENU MATTERS

Harold Encarnacion of Millie’s International Market in Columbus, Georgia believes that part of his restaurant’s success is due to its authenticity. “We are a Caribbean restaurant and are very true to that. We built a menu around Puerto Rican classics like roast pork, steak and stewed chicken. When we make beans, they are firm, whole beans in a sauce, different from Mexican refried beans. The way we use spice is very different, too. We add spice to make our food flavorful, not to make it spicy or hot,” he says. That’s not to say that he is inattentive to the Mexican customer base. “My partners and I were just talking about how we’re seeing more Mexicans here. Sure, they eat rice and beans our way, or our pork chops, but we always want to make sure that we have the right things for them. We have to make sure they leave happy,” he explains. “And if that means more Mexican food, we can do that.” The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies’ Santiago says that non-Hispanic restaurants can successfully attract Hispanic diners without having to change their menus. “You might want to have several hot sauces so they can add them to their steak or spaghetti but regular menu items are just as appealing to them as to anyone else.” Gerry Fernandez of the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance agrees. “You don’t have to serve different food to attract Hispanic diners. But be prepared to learn their likes and dislikes. If you can make them comfortable with environment, service and food, they’re there for life.” n SPRING 2015 RFSDELIVERS.COM 33

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It’s A l

o ut b A

ns, o i ot m pro e a t h rig can b e y ss th a e n n D i pla er’s us b u r o h If y Mot on fo ky ers d o n e b iB

ince many moms tend to take care of the kids, the pets, and, well, the entire household the other 364 days of the year, making Mother’s Day special is in pretty much everyone’s best interest. And that means your restaurant needs to stand out if you want mom’s family to make that reservation with you on her special day, and more importantly, keep them coming back. One idea is a specialty item for mom. For example, Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen in Winter Park, Fla. creates the special vanilla rose latte for moms. It’s made with Tucano espresso, steamed milk, vanilla syrup, rose water and simple syrup. It’s then topped with heart-shaped latte art and rose petals. It’s such a hit with customers that people ask for it year round, according to Barnie’s marketing coordinator Adam Singleton. That’s a surefire way to maintain a loyal base of moms. While getting an extraordinary coffee drink can perk up the day, Mother’s Day really tends to revolve around brunch — and great brunch specials. If you want to draw in a big crowd, and land some repeat customers, start by promoting the holiday early and make sure it is, in fact, special.

Ar By

“Mother’s Day is an opportunity for our restaurants that serve brunch to pull people away from their normal brunch schedule,” said Kevin Boehm, coowner of Chicago’s Boka Restaurant Group, which owns spots Perennial Virant and GT Fish & Oyster that both offer brunch. “We market it through Open Table, which has a Mother’s Day icon on their front page. You can write a little about what you’re doing. We also use social media and flyers in the restaurants.” Adding special touches like a complimentary glass of Champagne or rosé wine for mom, as well as free valet parking, also help to drive people in, as Easy Bistro & Bar in Chattanooga, Tenn. has seen. Easy Bistro starts promoting Mother’s Day just after Easter so as to not take away from their Easter brunch promotions. They use Facebook posts to entice guests to reserve early, but they also use Instagram to showcase their offerings. “We post a feminine, vintage-style photo in relation to Mother’s Day and will focus on a cocktail or menu item description,” said Easy Bistro co-owner Amanda Niel. “We rarely

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make any sort of post on social media without a photo. We want to stand out and having just verbiage is not enough to grab anyone’s attention anymore.” As you can imagine, social media plays a large role in any promotion and many restaurants have set up accounts with all the big sites to convert moms to steadfast customers. Texas-based Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, which owns and operates nearly 50 locations of their three brands — Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, Del Frisco’s Grille and Sullivan’s Steakhouse — around the country, uses a few different platforms for promotions. “While the meat of our message often appears on Facebook, Twitter is where guests can truly get a sense of the restaurants’ atmospheres through playful content and real dialogue with followers,” said Lisa Kislak, vice president of marketing for Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group. Another way Sullivan’s encourages repeat customers following Mother’s Day is to offer guests a coupon with their bill. “We’ve seen most success in Sullivan’s restaurants as returned guests will utilize bounce-back cards valid through Father’s Day,” Kislak said.

Passing out flyers and tapping into local media offers another outlet to get your Mother’s Day messaging out to the community. Dina Magdovitz, an account executive at Uproar PR, works with Tex-Mex spot Cocina 214 near Orlando throughout the year. For Mother’s Day, they’ve offered a free piece of their award-winning tres leches cake to moms and to get the word out, will invite local media to the restaurant to sample the cake and take photos ahead of the holiday. “That got us some interesting editorial in newspapers and blogs.” While brunch is the more popular meal, don’t think you can’t spoil mom with a nice dinner. “We’ve found that dinner serves nicely for a Mother’s Day date,” Niel said. “We are the only upscale restaurant in Chattanooga that is open for Sunday dinner, meaning that special occasion holidays really work out nicely for us.” Maybe other restaurants should take a page from their playbook. n

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OB PU E S R IA TN I E O SN SS

Can I

Yelp You?

How restaurants utilize social media to protect their image By Ari Bendersky

ince the rise of social media, it seems like everyone feels they can and should voice their opinion — especially when it comes to food. There was a time when only official critics or restaurant reviewers for large media outlets would lay down the law when it came to doling out opinions on service, ambiance and, of course, the quality of food. But now, everyone is a critic.

With sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor and Open Table, word of what goes on inside restaurants and bars can spread lightning fast. As a service provider, whether you’re an owner, chef, server, bartender or host, you now have an additional job to monitor all those places where people can talk about you — good and bad. But when it comes to responding, think about how you want to handle that before pushing enter or send.

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“The key to social media is to definitely respond,” said Kevin Boehm, co-owner of Chicago’s Boka Restaurant Group (BRG), which owns a number of restaurants including hot spots Girl and the Goat, GT Fish & Oyster and the Michelin-starred Boka. “If you’re ever going to respond though, it has to be done with sensitivity and don’t get into arguments on social media.” There have been many occasions where a chef or restaurant owner has replied to a negative Yelp review

another chance. “We thank them for their feedback and maybe explain what may have happened,” Schatzman said. “When we reach out personally, people are surprised and appreciate it.” Boehm said his team looks at various sites, including Yelp and Open Table, daily and will respond directly to people who have posted both positive and negative reviews. “Both of these forums give you ways to respond to people,” he said. “It’s about responding in the right

“We use Twitter less as a company platform, it’s more about the personality of the individual people.” – Kevin Boehm, Boka Restaurant Group

and it has backfired. Even the 2014 movie “Chef” starring Jon Favreau as the titular chef, demonstrated what could happen when a chef gets into a Twitter feud with a prominent critic: The chef’s vitriol directed at the critic went viral after the chef thought he was sending a direct message, but instead sent it to his public timeline. The downside: the tweet subsequently got retweeted countless times. The upside: his follower count exploded. In reality, however, when it comes to customer service, you want to respond privately, according to Mike Schatzman, who owns Chicago’s Union Sushi and The Franklin Room restaurants. “We refrain from responding online because it isn’t as personal,” he said. “We don’t like engaging in online wars because when you’re speaking from the heart it’s more personal directly, but can be interpreted the wrong way online. We do it the old fashioned way: via phone or email.” Both Schatzman’s and Boehm’s teams monitor all the social platforms to see what people are saying about their restaurants. If a customer had a negative experience, they can follow up and remedy the situation. Schatzman said they used to respond online, but found they would sometimes experience backlash. Instead, they’ll have weekly meetings to discuss online chatter and in some cases will even send a customer a gift certificate to encourage them to give the restaurant

way: being apologetic, being empathetic, inviting them back in, being able to be introspective and say, ‘Maybe we did screw up,’ especially if you see things that have been repeated a few times. If you read in a week that your restaurant is too loud, maybe it’s too loud.” That exact thing happened after they opened GT Fish & Oyster. Many people complained both online and in person about the noise. How did BRG respond? They invested in quality padding and other tools to help absorb the sound and it made a big difference to reduce the noise level. Being on social media isn’t just about squashing a negative experience. The Boka Group encourages its chef partners like Stephanie Izard, Giuseppe Tentori and Lee Wolen to set up their own Twitter account to engage with fans and have a dialogue. “We use Twitter less as a company platform,” Boehm said. “It’s more about the personality of the individual people.” He also said they use Instagram to showcase food they’re dishing up. “The key is whatever we put out there should be good photography.” Because if the food you promote doesn’t look good, why would anyone come in? It’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words — and with people shouting all over social media, that can easily be much more. n

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Snap Chat: by Mindy Kolof | Photography by Jill Buckner

The buildup. Stylist Susan Hevey carefully arranges cooked bacon atop the partially baked pizza crust. Moisture control is a delicate balance: bacon is best used un-drained to add glistening appeal, while the tomato sauce is placed on paper towels to extract extra liquid and prevent it from spreading messily.

icture perfect. People eat with their eyes first; the bedrock philosophy that’s built the careers of our panel of talented food photographers and stylists.

If you’re determined to create a menu that’s good enough to eat, start with these pros who have been making perfect shots from behind, in front, over and even under the plate, for decades. Food photographer, prop stylist and food stylist bring a set of formidable skills to ensure that your offerings look every bit as appetizing on laminated paper or on a mobile site as they do steaming hot out of the kitchen. Your payoff? As James Beard-awarding winning photographer Jaimie Tiampo says: “The most successful food images are immensely craveable and make you want to lick the screen or page. Great food photography can trigger hunger and spark an upsell, improve overall customer perceptions and inspire the staff.” Dan Coha, the veteran Chicago photographer whose work inspires Restaurant, Inc.’s “Food Fight” features, concurs: “If it makes readers

Angling for the shot. Photographer Dan Coha brings the deconstructed concept into focus, surrounding the final product with a sampling of its raw ingredients. Contrasting lighting, vibrant colors and artfully arranged garnish are used for a portrait-ready approach.

really look at the page and practically taste it, I’ve done my job!” The first step is to hire a professional with bona fide food photography creds, and ideally, a culinary background. “You want to engage someone who specializes in food, not a wedding photographer who took pictures of the cupcakes,” says Tiampo, who earned degrees from the French Culinary Institute, New York University and the Institute for Culinary Education. Tiampo has his own successful SeeFood Media Company in NYC. “That person will bring a team to capture the best possible images. While they concentrate on great-looking photos, the food stylist focuses on the food looking perfect and the prop stylist sets the tone for each shot. Most important is that everyone on the team has an innate passion for and knowledge of food, how it behaves over time, what steps to take when things go wrong and how to make food look its best. In the hands of an expert team, food images pop and come alive.”

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Behind the Lens with Food’s Sharp Shooters and Smooth Stylists

See page 54 for the final shot & recipe.

Pie Piper. Hevey chooses a pipette to meticulously add cream sauce at the crust’s edges for a fresh-looking ooze … using a brush, she says, would result in a more painted-on appearance.

Most certainly, food photography is not a DIY project. It’s a highly defined specialty, requiring expertise on everything from optimal lighting to the most interesting angles. “What you see through your eye and the camera lens is totally different,” affirms Jenn Bushman, Reinhart’s lead graphic designer. “Anyone who’s taken a picture of a stunning plate of food only to have it look flat and dull on paper has experienced this phenomenon. You need a professional to identify the right lighting, depth of field, what to blur and what to keep in focus.” Start with the Workbook, www.workbook.com, an online portal listing the industry’s leading commercial photographers, advises Jeff Kauck, a well-respected lens man whose two decades of achievement place him firmly in that category. A James Beard nominee for his work on "The Spiaggia Cookbook" and Clio award winner, Kauck understands the intangible but very real value of finding a collaborator who shares your vision. “Contact two or three

In the stylist’s toolbox: Pipettes for extracting liquid or adding a drizzle, water bottle with needle nose tips, q-tips, tweezers, spatulas, scissors, glue gun, knives, miniature spoons, steamer, torch lamp (to make cheese bubble and melt), a variety of oils and browning agents, and always, a good hand lotion.

photographers with experience in the food industry and describe your project, see if you click … because when it comes to the real magic in the room, it’s about creating something better than the food, it’s about creating a connection.” That’s why it’s essential to do some soul-searching as to your brand’s message to consumers well before contacting a photographer. “Take a step back,” advises Kauck, “simplify your categories, identify your strengths and your challenges. Consider your restaurant’s look and feel, and search for a photographer who can best represent your assets visually.” While tight operating budgets many not leave much money on the table, going the least expensive route may not paint the right picture. “There’s a tendency among chefs to shoot photos straight down because that requires the fewest amount of props and there are no angles to consider, but that’s not necessarily the finest way to present your food,” explains Kauck. “There’s a lot of strategy

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The big picture. Photoshop has completely transformed his art for the better, says Coha, enabling him to adjust exposure, change angles and shapes, and clearly see even the smallest imperfections while still in active shooting mode. Round plate with layers of ingredients not quite working? Coha changes it up with a rectangular board, and partially filled beverage glasses for a different feel.

involved in shooting food, to quickly show the differences between menu items in terms of size, ingredients, accompaniments.” So you’ll see pizza sliced cold to show long strands of unbreakable cheese, and pancakes shot from the bottom up to portray their circular dimensions. As advertising people know, “food sells best the way it looks as you put it in your mouth,” says Kauck. Affectionately termed the “hero shot,” it’s the goal of food photographers, who have seen its meaning change by decade, traveling a similar trajectory to the country’s shifting palates. In the 1960s and 1970s, the focus was set to fine artistry and perfect settings, but it was “too pretty and unapproachable,” describes Kauck. A natural evolution occurred, leading to today’s more realistic photography, cranked up for craveability. “A crumb or a smear can make the difference between a good or a great shot,” says Tiampo. “Natural lighting is a huge part of this.” Props too reflect the newer emphasis on home, local, and comfort, with a rustic feel edging out the perennially popular white-on-white. “It’s all about the appetite appeal,” says Coha, “and taking it out of the foodservice setting can lend a real freshness to the images.” It may seem counterintuitive not to shoot onsite for greater realism, but there’s no control over the lighting in a restaurant environment, and the different surfaces, backgrounds and props enabled in a studio can “save the day for an otherwise dull or ugly product.”

A steamy finish. A quick session with the handheld steamer refreshes and rejuvenates the toppings, and lets them settle in as if just out of the oven.

The thorough approach begins weeks before the shoot with preproduction meetings to deconstruct recipes piece by piece, review beverage pairings, shooting angles, and with the prop stylist, every piece of tableware, silverware and napkin to be used. The ingredient list runs long and deep, in quantities sufficient to prepare each recipe three times if needed. "We’re very particular about every item, and we may need to buy at least six different buns to find exactly the right one to feature in a hamburger shot,” maintains Susan Hevey, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef and food stylist. “It’s akin to shooting a TV ad, where weeks of prep and an entire day of shooting are needed to achieve that compelling 30-second spot.” And it’s where a culinary background comes into sharp focus. “You need to respect the fact that food is a living object that changes over time,” says Tiampo. Food stylists understand how to keep refreshing things to ensure pasta noodles aren’t overcooked, herbs don’t look wilted in a matter of minutes, and messy foods like cream pie keep their cool under the hot lights. “We don’t take shortcuts or use ‘fake’ food,” asserts Tiampo. “We may feature dishes meticulously arranged for maximum visual impact, but modern food photography is natural and real.” n

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A CONDENSED HISTORY OF TRUTH – and Consequences – in Food Advertising

t Restaurant Inc, we respect the authenticity and integrity of the food as much as you do, and the glorious illustrations you’ll see in these pages are the real deal. In fact, the famous Campbell’s soup ad of 1968 guarantees it. When a creative team at BBDO, New York used marbles in a bowl of Campbell's vegetable soup to keep the vegetables from sinking to the bottom, a FTC probe followed. Although Campbell Soup Co. agreed to pull the advertising, a group of students who whimsically named themselves SOUP (Students Opposed to Unfair Practices) called for corrective advertising going forward. While the suit was eventually dropped, its impact is still evident today. “Truth in advertising is paramount,” says Tiampo. “We have clients who require us to weigh out every single ingredient in a recipe. If we were to do a soup shoot, our prop stylist would select wide, shallow bowls to help the consumer see the solid ingredients as well as the liquid components.” But full reveal: a dab of oil here, a spoon of Karo syrup there, and a few helpings of acrylic ice cubes are still fair game to help tell the story with mouth-watering appeal. Here’s a peek behind the curtain at how food stylists get their stars ready for close-ups.

• GETTING AHEAD OF THE BEER. A turkey baster is used to control the level of the liquid, stir it up and bring beer to a head before the shot. Stirring salt into the beer to bring more foam to the top of the glass is another technique. • SHINING IN THE SPOTLIGHT. Shrimp is kept plump and moist with periodic sprays from a water bottle, or a discreet layer of oil painted on top. Two tablespoons of Karo syrup in hot water makes for a glistening cheese sauce, continuously painted on to look natural. • POTATO MASH-UP. The fluffy give of mashed potatoes makes it an invaluable player on the set, stuffing cherry and blueberry pies for a tidier look, standing in for ice cream, filling wraps, or plumping up the backs of burgers to station them on the plate.

fresh. Pizza crusts spend just a few minutes in the oven as well … the golden brown, freshly baked look, brushed on courtesy of Kitchen Bouquet, Maillose or other browning agents. • TORTILLA TUNE-UPS. Skin care lotions are sometimes massaged into tortillas so they roll easily and don’t dry out; denture adhesives or super glue ensure a firm stick. • KEEPING IT COOL. Blend up a mixture of powdered sugar, Crisco®, margarine and Karo syrup, add vanilla beans, strawberry jam, cocoa or other coloring and flavors for ice cream without the melt. The melted ice look on glasses? Glycerine, water and a spray bottle. • THE BUBBLE EFFECT. A few drops of clear dish soup in a glass of milk creates authentic looking bubbles along the ridge.

• UNDER COOK AND EASY BAKE. Burgers get the lightly browned treatment and pasta is taken off the stove right before al dente stage, to keep all looking

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Analyze That

By Min Casey

Food and Drug Administration rules on menu labeling requirements have jumped from the talk stage to immediate action. For an estimated 200,000 foodservice locations, nutritional composition of menu items must be posted by December 1. Definitely time to get those recipes in order. DISCLAIMER: This article is meant for general informational purposes. Operators with specific questions should seek counsel.

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“To implement the nutrition labeling provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, the Food and Drug Administration is requiring disclosure of certain nutrition information for standard menu items in certain restaurants and retail food establishments.” And so it begins, the Food and Drug Administration Menu Labeling Rule, a ponderous document as fat as a big-city phone book, filled with what some describe as mind-numbing challenges for the industry and what others say is opportunity to better deliver on changing consumer preferences. Either way, restaurants and similar retail food establishments that are part of a chain of 20 or more locations, doing business under the same name and offering for sale what is substantially the same menu, must fully comply when the December 1, 2015 deadline arrives. (Whether the deadline is extended remains in question at press time. Some believe it should be moved back so that all questions and concerns can be properly addressed.) It will be no easy feat, asking operators to carefully calculate the nutritional makeup of most everything on their menus — burgers and sauces, pilafs, pizzas, burritos, made-to-order sandwiches, strip steaks and coconut-fried shrimp. Combo meals must be calculated and ditto the margaritas and ice-cream sundaes — everything from A to Z. To deliver on the posted counts, cooks must be trained to execute with full consistency to the printed recipes, a task that’s easier said than done. No more adding a tablespoon of oil or salt when the formulation calls for just two teaspoons and woe be to the bartender who pours with a heavy hand; cocktails, too, fall under the rules. And suppliers must be drawn tightly into the process; calculations that are based on an eight-ounce baked potato must closely cleave to that spec. According to the FDA, there is full expectation that the data will always be accurate, with no latitude for lapses in product availability or temporary substitutions.

By the Book Catherine Powers MS, RDN, LD and Cheryl Dolvin MS, RDN were well along in the process of writing Recipe Nutrient Analysis:

Best Practices for Calculated and Chemical Analysis but were waiting for one thing before calling the project complete. As soon as the final FDA rules were published late last year, they combed over all of its minutiae and made sure all aspects of the document were addressed in their new book. “We saw how complicated the analyses are and that there were no resources to help calculate them. We addressed that with the book,” Dolvin says. The book, published by Culinary Nutrition Associates, will be available in April. Find out more at www.fda.gov.

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Exceptions to the Rule, According to the FDA

Not every restaurant operation needs to comply with the FDA rules. As clearly spelled out, chains with fewer than 20 units are exempt, as are schools that are covered by the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program. Food served from transportation vehicles such as airplanes, trains and mobile food trucks also are not covered by the rules. Restaurants whose size requires compliance have some areas in which menu items may fall outside the rules. Specials and seasonal menu items (sold for fewer than 60 days) do not need to have nutritional values available, nor do guest-requested customized menu items. For instance, if a guest asks for extra sauce on a standard sandwich or blue cheese rather than processed American on a burger, the information will not be required.

Following are other examples of foods that fall outside the FDA rules and therefor do not require nutritional analysis: In retail settings such as markets and delis, foods that are sold by weight (such as salads, for instance) are not self-serve and are typically intended for consumption by more than one person. Foods sold in such settings that typically are eaten over the course of several occasions (such as cakes, cookie trays or loaves of bread) or by multiple people also do not need nutritional profiles nor do typical bulk items such as nuts and seeds.

THE POWER TO CHOOSE After watching the chain-restaurant industry grapple with a grab bag of state and local labeling ordinances, Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the Washington D.C.-based National Restaurant Association, welcomes the FDA rules. “The National Restaurant Association strongly believes in the importance of providing nutrition information to consumers to empower them to make the best choices for their dietary needs,” she said in a statement issued in December. “We joined forces with more than 70 public health and stakeholder groups to advocate for a federal nutrition standard so that anyone dining out can have clear, easyto-use nutrition information at the point of ordering — information that is presented in the same way, no matter what part of the country. We believe that the Food and Drug Administration has positively addressed the areas of greatest concern with the proposed regulations and is providing the industry with the ability to implement the law in a way that will most benefit consumers.”

Anita Jones-Mueller, president and CEO of San Diego-based consultancy Healthy Dining, agrees that the FDA rules are good for restaurants as well as for consumers. “For public health, people are more informed and educated than ever. They are inspired to make changes in the way they eat. And after so much time leading up to it, restaurants now have the energy and financial commitment to make it work,” she says. “Everyone will benefit.” Although a mountain of fine print surrounds and further defines the FDA rules, they can be distilled down to three main requirements: • That those establishments covered by the rule disclose calories for all standard menu items. Calories must be clearly indicated on the menu, menu-board, or on signs adjacent to foods on display and self-serve foods that are standard to the menu. On request, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, and protein amounts must also be immediately available to guests.

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B • That these operations post a statement concerning suggested daily caloric intake (“2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary”), with optional statements for menus and menu boards targeted at children. • That restaurants post a statement advising that written nutrition information for standard menu items is available upon request; this deeper dive will specifically require info on calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars, and protein. It can be provided on a counter card, sign, poster, handout, booklet, loose-leaf binder, electronic device such as an iPad or in a menu; however it must be readily available on request.

FATS AND FIGURES With a rangy portfolio of restaurant brands including Olive Garden, Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Roadhouse Grill, Eddie V’s, Bahama Breeze and Yard House, Orlandobased Darden Restaurants has approximately 1,500 units at which it must post calorie counts as per FDA guidelines. Cheryl Dolvin, Senior Director of Health and Wellness, says the process is being completed in-house, a choice that makes sense for the resource-rich company. “We already have standardized recipes to analyze, kitchen teams that are well trained and help provided by our suppliers. It makes sense for us to do it,” she explains, adding that the process is more complicated than just adding up ingredients and doing the math. Dolvin recommends that companies planning to take the task in-house have carefully recorded formulas for all recipes and an accurate nutrition analysis program. Even with that, she says that some recipes will be sent to a laboratory. “It is difficult to get fried foods right; the oil absorption is too hard to calculate,” she advises.

It’s not enough to just post numbers; there must be a reasonable basis for declarations of the nutritional content, says the FDA. Nutrient content can be based on information obtained from databases, cookbooks, laboratory analyses, the Nutrition Facts label and other reasonable means. In addition, a covered establishment must take reasonable steps to ensure that the method of preparation of a standard menu item adheres to the factors on which nutrient values were determined. Darden’s Dolvin expects that there will be some sticker shock when calorie counts hit menus. “Most people will tell you they want this information and I believe they do. But especially with items that are perceived to be healthy, they may be surprised at what they see,” she says. Salads, for instance, often have a healthy halo over them. Dressings, croutons, meat and cheese can add up, however, tossing in the cold hand of reality when calories are posted with them. All Darden concepts are sit-down restaurants and Dolvin notes that for many customers, they aren’t everyday occasions. “They save up so they can enjoy the foods that they come for. But posting the information is the right thing for guests. Those who want it will use it,” she says. Jones-Mueller calls the FDA regulations a win-win all around. “Consumers can get all the information they want while restaurants can look at how it all adds up once the numbers are in. Maybe they will see an opportunity to put together a plan to reduce fat, calories or sodium while not compromising taste, flavor or presentation,” she says. “This will be a big positive for restaurants that handle it well.” n

“Maybe (restaurants) will see an opportunity to put together a plan to reduce fat, calories or sodium while not compromising taste, flavor or presentation. This will be a big positive for restaurants that handle it well.” – Anita Jones-Mueller, CEO, Healthy Dining

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FB O OU D S & I B ENV EE R AS G ES

Celeb Chefs & Their

‘Cheaper’ Restaurants, Half The Price by Audarshia Townsend

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H igh-profile, celebrity chefs have perfected their trademark cuisine styles

to a point that they can afford to do pretty much whatever they want, whether it’s another high-concept restaurant or more approachable fare. Here’s what every operator needs to know about this approach.

Wolfgang Puck simultaneously

It’s located directly across the

concept of the American favorite,”

serves the glitterati at his flagship

street from Girl and the Goat, her

he adds.

Spago Beverly Hills restaurant

award-winning, contemporary

and the masses at Wolfgang Puck

American restaurant that opened

Express, located at almost every

two years prior with Boka

major airport in the country. David

Restaurant Group. Rob Katz, one

Burke’s Primehouse attracts well-

of the original partners with Boka

heeled business types, while his

Restaurant Group, believes that it

Burke in a Box concept targets

was a natural progression to open

weary travelers and shoppers. And

a sequel to GATG.

zoned in focus on the customer. Katz

“We wanted to do a follow-up

and input at both establishments an

restaurant to Girl and the Goat

important component.

while Paul Kahan boasts a Michelin star and several James Beard awards for avec, Blackbird and Publican, you can still get a $3 taco

because we were maxed out on

While the price points of Little Goat are significantly lower than its predecessor, the quality, service, etc. remain the same, according to Katz. As with any successful establishment, there has to be a also credits Izard’s strong presence

“She can be found cooking in both

and $2 whiskey shot at Big Star.

space at the restaurant,” says Katz,

These high-profile chefs have

Fish & Oyster and Momotaro. “We

perfected their trademark cuisine

were at 100 percent capacity. There

styles to a point that they can

was no way to open for lunch, but

afford to do pretty much whatever

we wanted to do it.”

particular with what comes off the

He says that in preparation for the

there. (Because they are) directly

new concept, he, Izard and partner

across the street from one another,

Kevin Boehm traveled extensively

she is back and forth between the

through the South visiting old-

restaurants. She is obsessed with

school diners. “Everyone has some

the quality of both restaurants.”

they want, whether it’s another high-concept restaurant or more approachable fare. In 2012, Bravo’s “Top Chef” season four winner Stephanie Izard jumped in on the trend with the opening of Little Goat Diner in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.

who also owns Boka restaurant, GT

restaurants,” he says. “She will literally get on the line on a regular basis at Little Goat and she does it all the time because she is very line. She is really immersed over

childhood memories of diners, and we wanted to do an updated

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Part of that quality includes the use

While Owen + Alchemy and Leghorn

epiphany for us to use our existing

of local farmers and producers,

are the most inexpensive venues in

relationships with the farmers.”

which help put out the best quality

the group, Van Camp says he set out

products, he says. Katz adds that with

to offer quality he felt was missing

80-plus menu items at Little Goat

from other juice bars and chicken-

and 30-plus items at GATG, she is

focused eateries. Another lesson for

even more challenged with running

operators: Fill in the gaps.

priced venue. He garnered two

“We love fried chicken sandwiches,

shuttered RIA before making his

and the places where we were going

way to the West Coast to open

did not source ethically,” he says.

two successful restaurants in San

the West Loop later this summer.

“(By opening Leghorn), it became a

Diego: the seafood-focused Ironside

way for us to get what we wanted in

Fish & Oyster and casual eatery

Similar to Stephanie Izard, Jared

this great fried chicken sandwich, but

Soda & Swine (a second one opens

Van Camp has his hands full with

from locally sourced chickens that we

this spring). The latter cranks out

restaurant projects. He’s what you’d

butchered in-house.”

signature meatballs, and classic

two successful businesses. But she’s clearly up to the challenge; so much that she’s aiming to open yet a third venue with Boka Restaurant Group in

call a chef’s chef as his profile is high in Chicago’s thriving dining community and beyond. With his first restaurant, Old Town Social, he created the city’s first-ever house-

He had a similar mission and focus as he set out to open Owen + Alchemy. His diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes made him look at what he

Like many chefs, Jason McLeod refuses to sacrifice quality just because he’s operating a lowerMichelin stars at Chicago’s now-

apple pie paired with craft sodas, and McLeod boasts that some staffers work at both restaurants, ensuring great service.

consumed in a healthier manner, and

“The overall feel in terms of guest

that included the products at typical

experience of what they get with

juice bars. He felt that most offered

our staff is the most consistent,”

house for pasta, breads and more.

products with too much fruit juice,

McLeod says. “It’s still friendly,

and he wanted to feature a host of

familiar service, and our aim is to

In 2014, Van Camp and his partners

savory juices with produce from

make customers feel well taken

at Element Collective opened a few

local farms.

care of — no matter how much

made charcuterie program, and at the Italian-focused Nellcôte, he was the first in the country to mill flour in-

additional concepts: Kinmont, the city’s first-ever sustainable seafood restaurant; Owen + Alchemy, a chef-driven juice bar; and Leghorn, a chicken sandwich shop.

“We love putting our own spin on

they’re spending.” 

everything,” he says. “The same

farms where we source from for our

T T

other restaurants we use for our juice bar at Owen + Alchemy. It was an

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on Rich’s® Artisan-Style Dough Ball T4820 - 12 oz Artisan-Style Pizza Dough Ball T4764 - 22 oz Artisan-Style Pizza Dough Ball

Everyone serves pizza. But to keep patrons coming back, your pizza has to be great. And you can make it happen with Rich’s.® We help you find creative ways to discover your edge, then push right past it to pizza nirvana. Learn more at richsfoodservice.com/pizza

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F O O D

B E V E R A G E

the NEXT NEW

FRONTIER by Mindy Kolof

$39

BILLION DOLLAR pizza industry All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes is approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by division. Photos by Dan Coha. Food styling by Susan Barrientos Hevey.

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What’s so new about pizza? 75%

Of pizza is purchased from restaurants.

WOOD-FIRED PIZZAS Fastest-growing pizza concept

42%

of AMERICANS say crust is the most important aspect.

5X/month AMERICANS Eat pizza awayfrom-home

2 out of 3

That’s the great thing about this delectable dish. It may be an oldie, but in this well-established, $39 billion dollar industry, there’s always room for a new idea. A new topping. A new crust or shape. A new concept or pizzeria. Pizza is a staple on most menus across the U.S., and the equalizer among the majority of Americans. After all, it has all the food groups, something for everyone to agree upon. Plus, there are so many ways to slice it up if you know your customer. Unlike any other menu standard, more than 75 percent of Americans purchase their pizzas from a restaurant. With two-thirds of Americans eating pizza every week, there’s nothing but upside for operators. New oven technology that creates a tasty wood-fire-grilled-style pizza in five minutes or less makes it possible for everyone to jump on the pizza bandwagon. For creative restaurant operators, pizza can be a new frontier, again and again. It’s flat and ready for exploration and naming rights, an open canvas waiting for the next in-style topping or spice. While it’s true the vast majority of pizza orders are traditional, with pepperoni and sausage snaring a corner wedge on the market, independent restaurants willing to experiment can grab a slice of consumer heart with the right taste profile. Forty-two percent of consumers say a great pizza starts with a great crust. New crusts and flatbreads open up an entirely new opportunity to score points, up charge and increase sales among foodies. New toppings such as havarti, tenderloin, cotto and kale are also hopping onto more menus. Other creative operators have found new fans with edgy sauces like balsamic glaze, chipotle, buffalo and garlic cream; or nonItalian spices like cilantro, cajun powder or jalapeno that add zest and appeal. With pizza, operators can customize their offering to appeal to vegetarians, farm-to-table loyalists or gluten- and allergen-intolerant. For restaurateurs who know the tastes of their consumer, there are no limits. Are you ready to add your spice to the great pizza debate? In this edition of Food Fight, we explore traditional, trendy and up-and-coming pizza concepts. We’ve taken a look at the unique pies across the nation, deeper dives into cheese and crust, pizza variations and much more. Whether you’re a traditionalist or are looking for the next big thing, we’ll wager that you’ll find something mouthwatering in this edition of Food Fight!

AMERICANS EAT PIZZA every week

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F O O D

B E V E R A G E

DON'T HAVE THESE INGREDIENTS? Replace clams, potatoes and cream sauce with alfredo sauce, roasted chicken

= Chicken Alfredo Pizza

What's Next? De-constructed New England Clam Chowder Pizza Chef Jeff Merry Reinhart® Boston Division Pizza Cost: $4.50 Suggested Menu Price: $14.95 Profit: $10.45

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION [servings: 6]

8 oz

Whole baby clams

2 oz

Diced celery

2 oz

Diced onion

1/2

Russet potato, thin sliced

4 oz

Pork belly, diced and pan fried

8 oz

Cream sauce (see recipe below)

2 sprigs

Fresh thyme

14 oz

Pizza dough ball

CREAM SAUCE

Preheat oven to 450°F. Saute celery, onion and clams. Drain any liquid. Place stretched dough on nonstick baking sheet or pizza stone. Take 4 oz of cream sauce and spread evenly over crust. Take sliced potato and cover crust. Overlapping slices. Evenly spread clam and vegetable mixture over pie. Top with remaining cream sauce and place in oven.

8 oz

Ocean clam juice

Bake for about 12 minutes, remove and top

2 oz

Heavy cream

with pork belly. Continue cooking for about 4

2 Tbsp

White wine

minutes. Remove and slice.

5 Tbsp

Blonde roux

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Trendy Chipotle BBQ Angus Shortrib Pizza w/Mashed Potatoes & Smoked Mozzarella INGREDIENTS 14 oz

Pizza dough ball

6 oz

Cooked Angus short rib

4 oz

Mashed potatoes

8 oz

Smoked mozzarella, diced

2 oz

Chipotle BBQ sauce

PREPARATION [servings: 6] Preheat oven to 450째F. Place stretched dough on a nonstick baking sheet or pizza stone. Spread mashed potatoes evenly around crust. Spread 6 oz of shredded short rib evenly around crust. Top with smoked mozzarella and place in oven. Cook for about 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle chipotle bbq sauce over pizza.

Pizza Cost: $6.90 Suggested Menu Price: $18.95 Profit: $12.05

Traditional Balsamic & Pesto Pizza INGREDIENTS 1 each

14 oz Dough ball

4 oz

Pizza sauce

8 oz

Shredded mozzarella

2 oz

Basil pesto

1 Tbsp

Balsamic glaze

2 Tbsp

Chiffonade of fresh basil

1 sprig

Fresh basil

PREPARATION [servings: 6] Preheat oven to 450째F. Place stretched dough on a nonstick baking pan or pizza stone. Evenly spread pizza sauce over dough. Top with pizza cheese and place in oven for about 12 minutes. Remove, sprinkle chopped basil and pesto sauce. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Garnish with basil.

Pizza Cost: $4.20 Suggested Menu Price: $15.95 Profit: $11.75

TRAD w/ an UPSCALE TWIST? Add pulled roasted duck and roasted fresh figs to fresh mozzarella and balsamic drizzle to give it a more upscale feel.

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes is approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by division.

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F O O D

B E V E R A G E

THE ORIGINAL DEEP DISH The first deep dish pizza was served in 1943 at Chicago's Pizzeria Uno. But there's much debate on who created the original recipe.

Traditional Chicago Style Italian Stuffed Pizza Chef Paul Young Reinhart®

Milwaukee Division

Pizza Cost: $4.50 Suggested Menu Price: $14.95 Profit: $10.45

INGREDIENTS

Pre-heat an oven to 425°F.

12"

Pizza dough crust

In a 10" cake pan add the other Tbsp of oil and

2 Tbsp

Oil olive

using your hands spread the oil evenly to coat.

3 oz

Yellow onion, diced

3 oz

Green pepper, diced

7 oz

Italian beef slice w/ gravy

4 oz

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Place 4 oz of the mozzarella cheese evenly

3 oz

Provolone cheese, sliced

on the bottom, and top with the provolone

1 Tbsp

Kosher salt, coarse

1 1/2 oz

Parmesan cheese, grated

16 oz

Pizza sauce

Take the dough and lay inside of the cake pan crimping the excess dough up the sides.

cheese. Then layer the onions and peppers, and the heated Italian beef. Top that with the remaining 3 oz of the shredded mozzarella. With a ladle, evenly disperse the pizza sauce over the top.

PREPARATION [servings: 6] In a hot sauté pan, add 1Tbsp of the oil and

Place in the oven for approximately 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

add the diced onion and green peppers. Add the kosher salt and sauté for approximately 3 minutes until the vegetables are al dente.

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Trendy

What's Next

Prosciutto Pizza

Thai chicken Pizza

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS Pizza sauce

5 oz

Pesto sauce

4 oz

Thai peanut sauce

1 Tbsp

Caper nonpareille, fancy

1/2 Tbsp

Curry powder

3 oz

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 Tbsp

Honey

2 oz

Goat cheese, crumbles

8 oz

Mozzarella balls (4 Ounce), sliced

1/8 oz

Whole garlic, peeled, fresh, sliced and toasted

1 oz

Green onions, sliced

1 oz

Fresh basil, chiffonade

2-6 oz

Pizza dough sheets

4 oz

Fire roasted red pepper, diced

1 oz

Prosciutto ham

to taste

Green onion, chopped

4 oz 2 oz

PREPARATION [servings: 6] Ladle the pizza sauce into the middle of the dough. spread the sauce evenly, thinly, and out to the 1/2" edge of the pizza. Spread the mozzarella evenly onto the pizza and top with goat cheese crumbles. Top the cheese with the prosciutto, capers, dollops of pesto. Place the Pizza into a 425 degree oven (on a pizza stone,

Breaded chicken tenderloin

PREPARATION [servings: 6] Preheat oven to 375Â°F. Stretch the dough to 14". Spread the peanut sauce evenly on the dough to 1/2" away from the edges. Top with sliced mozzarella balls and diced roasted red pepper, and bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile deep fry the chicken tenders until cooked, and slice into strips. In a warm sautĂŠ pan add the honey and curry. Whisk until thin and thoroughly incorporated. Toss the chicken strips in the curry/honey mixture. Top the Pizza off with the curried chicken strips. Finish the pizza with the chiffonade of basil and sliced green onion

if desired) for approximately 10 minutes or until the pizza is GBD! (Golden brown and delicious). Top with the toasted garlic, green onions and serve.

Pizza Cost: $4.32 Suggested Menu Price: $13.95 Profit: $9.63

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes is approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by division.

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Pizza Cost: $5.99 Suggested Menu Price: $17.95 Profit: $11.96

Need a Little Pizzazz? Kick up your prosciutto by finishing it with a poached egg perched in the middle and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

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F O O D

B E V E R A G E

THAT'S A LOT OF PIZZA! Americans eat on average 100 acres of pizza daily or 350 slices per second, according to statistics from Franchise Disclosure Documents.

Trendy Pollo Mexicana Pizza

INGREDIENTS 3

Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless

Chef Demetrio Marquez

1 tsp

Cumin

Reinhart® New Orleans Division

1 tsp

Chopped cilantro

1 Tbsp

Paprika

1 tsp

Chili flakes

1 tsp

Cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 C

Salsa

Pre-made

Pizza dough or flatbread

Place dough or flatbread on a baking sheet.

1 1/2 C

Black beans puree (fresh or can opt)

Evenly spread some of the puréed black beans

1/2 C

Queso fresco

1/2 C

Oaxaca cheese (similar to Mozzarella)

To Taste (TT)

Shredded lettuce

Guacamole

Pizza Cost: $4.50 Suggested Menu Price: $12.99 Profit: $8.49

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PREPARATION [servings: 6] Add the chicken thighs, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili flakes, cayenne and salsa in a slow cooker. Cover with the lid and turn heat to high and let cook for 5-6 hours until the chicken is easily shredded. Shred the chicken with two forks and set aside. Preheat oven to 450°F.

on top. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until the bread is slightly crisp.

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes is approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by division.

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What's Next?

Traditional

Poblano/Chorizo Flatbread

Rajun Cajun Sausage & Shrimp Pizza

INGREDIENTS Pre-made 1/2 C 1/4 C 2 Tbsp 1.5 Tbsp 1.5 Tbsp 1.5 Tbsp 3 Tbsp 1C ¼C ½C 2 Tbsp

Flatbread Queso Quesadilla Cheese, Grated Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated Salsa Verde Goat Cheese Sour Cream Cream Salsa Verde Queso Fundido Mix Poblano Pepper, Thin Rings, Chorizo, Cooked Chopped Fresh Cilantro

PREPARATION [servings: 4-6] Preheat oven to 500°F and place a baking stone or pizza metal on the lowest rack in the oven. In a mixing bowl combine the Queso Quesadilla and the Monterey Jack cheeses. In a second bowl combine all other ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour mixture over the cheeses and gently combine until blended but chunky. Spread flour over a clean surface (reserving 1 Tbsp for the pizza peel) and roll pizza dough as thinly as possible into a random shape approx. 13” across and place on a floured pizza peel. In the order above, spread all toppings to the edge of the dough. Carefully slide flatbread off of the peel and onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake until crispy and brown around the edges and the top is bubbling.

Pizza Cost: $3.81 Suggested Menu Price: $11.99 Profit: $8.18

Bring More to Your Sauce! Typically pizza sauces have the tomato sauce as the star. But you can enhance the flavor with garlic, onion, basil or oregano. Just don't overdo it.

INGREDIENTS 1 each 1 Tbsp 8 oz 8 oz ½ oz 1 tsp 2 oz 2 oz 2 oz 2 oz 2 1/4 tsp 1 1/2 C 1C 1/4 C

Rich’s® Artisan Dough, 12 oz Extra virgin olive oil Andoullie sausage, diced Small shrimp, peeled and deveined Cajun seasoning Tabasco sauce Celery, minced White onion, chopped Red pepper, chopped Green pepper, chopped Garlic cloves, minced Thyme, dried Pizza sauce Shredded mozzarella cheese Green onions, thinly sliced

PREPARATION [servings: 4-6] Preheat oven to 425°F. Place pizza crust on pizza pan then set aside. Heat the 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the Andoullie sausage and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and cook 3-5 more minutes or until cooked through. Using a tongs, transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside. Add the shrimp, onion, garlic, cajun seasoning, tabasco, celery, green /red bell pepper and thyme to the hot oil and sauté 5 minutes or until shrimp are firm and opaque. Using a tongs, transfer the shrimp to a bowl and set aside. Add pizza sauce and spread on the pizza crust, then top with celery, green pepper, garlic and thyme. Top with cheese, then Andoullie Sausage, shrimp and green onions. Arrange the sausage and shrimp so that they look nice and are evenly distributed. Bake pizza until hot and bubbly, about 10-12 minutes.

Pizza Cost: $11.75 Suggested Menu Price: $23.99 Profit: $12.24

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PIZZA POPULAR Pizza is one of the most common dishes found across U.S. restaurants and is featured on 40% of all menus, according to Food Genius.

Traditional Smoked Buffalo Sausage & Peppers Pizza on Focaccia Crust Chef Lee Sepaniac Culinary Speciatlist, Gourmet Food Group Pizza Cost: $14.09 Suggested Menu Price: $25.99 Profit: $11.90

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INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION [servings: 4-6]

4 oz

Smoked buffalo sausage

2 oz

Ricotta cheese

1 oz

EVOO

3 oz

Sweety drop peppers

Evenly cover the focaccia with the minced

2 oz

Red Dragon cheese

garlic and EVOO.

.5 oz

Dijon microgreens

Top with Sausage and bake for 15 minutes

Minced garlic

at 450 degrees, then top with shaved Ricotta,

Stretch dough into 14 - 16 oz. oval and set on well-oiled heavy duty baking pan.

Sweety Drops, Red Dragon Cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes and then finish with the microgreens.

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes is approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by division.

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What's Next?

Trendy

Truffle Blue Cheese Pizza, Traditional Crust

Truffled Bacon & Eggs Pizza on Flatbread

1 oz

EVOO

1 ea

Flatbread crust

1 oz

Black Truffle Paste

1 oz

White truffle oil

4 oz

Roasted Crimini Mushrooms

3-4

Whole large eggs

2 oz

Chopped Dried Figs

3 oz

Diced and rendered Guanciale

4 oz

Mozzarella and Jack Cheese

2 oz

Truffled gouda

2 oz

Gorgonzola Dolce

.5 oz

Micro upland cress

2 oz

Truffled Gouda

1 oz

Black Truffle Oil

INGREDIENTS

12 oz

ÂŽ

Rich's Artisan Doug Ball Liliac spinach or microgreens

PREPARATION [servings: 4-6] Stretch the dough into a 12-inch round and coat with black truffle paste, roasted mushroom and the chopped dried figs. Bake at 500 degrees for 4 minutes. Remove from oven and add both cheeses, cook an additional 2 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION [servings: 3-4] Brush oil on flatbread and crack the eggs evenly on the crust, bake at 500Â°F for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and add the guanciale and truffled Gouda and bake an additional 2 minutes. Remove from oven and finish with the Micro Upland Cress.

Pizza Cost: $20.15 Suggested Menu Price: $27.99 Profit: $7.84

Remove from oven and finish with lilac spinach and drizzle with black truffle oil.

Pizza Cost: $17.01 Suggested Menu Price: $24.99 Profit: $7.98

Last year, Food Genius reported that gluten-free pizza is offered on 38% of menus that offer gluten-free items. Pizza is the second-most offered gluten-free dish across all menus and meal parts.

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TAKE IT A STEP HIGHER Use a homemade crust and sauce base and top with queso Chihuahua. To take it even further, add savory additions such as chorizo, spicy black bean burger crumble.

K12 & Healthcare Southwest Sunset Pizza Cassie Kerr, MS, RD, CD Reinhart® Corporate Dietitian

Yield: 96 servings Serving Size: 1 square (4x6-inch) Portion Cost: $0.86

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INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

Pre-prepared whole grain mozzarella pizza squares, frozen

12 C

Sweet potato fries

¼C

Ground cumin

Dried oregano leaves

12 C

Red bell peppers, pre-diced

CHILD NUTRITION MEAL CONTRIBUTION 2 oz

equivalent meat alternate

2 oz

equivalent grains

1/4 C

red/orange vegetable

1/8 C

starchy vegetable

Preheat oven to 400°F. Evenly distribute sweet potato fries on sheet pans in a single layer. Sprinkle cumin and oregano over fries. Bake at 400°F for no more than 10 min. Remove fries from oven and let cool. Rough chop fries diagonally to make about 1 inch pieces. Top pizza with diced red bell peppers and fry pieces. Bake pizza in conventional oven at 400°F for 17-20 minutes. Serve: 1 square (4x6-inch)

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes is approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by division.

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E X T R A

Dried Salami & Cheese Flatbread w/ Mixed Greens Recipe provided by Rich's®

INGREDIENTS 1 ea

Flatbread

1 Tbsp

Olive oil

Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, & granulated garlic

2 Tbsp

Pizza sauce

2 ½ oz

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 ½ oz

Dried salami, sliced thin

½ oz

Sliced pepperoncini

1 oz

Mixed field greens dressed w/ Italian dressing

Garnish

Grana Padano cheese, shaved

PREPARATION Place flatbread on pizza screen, brush with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Spread sauce on flatbread, then distribute mozzarella cheese evenly over sauce and top with salami, and pepperoncini. Bake in 400°F oven until cheese is melted, and flatbread is crisp. Remove from oven, top with dressed field greens, and shaved Grana Padano Cheese. Serve warm.

Grilled Whole Wheat Pizza w/Fresh Tomato, Basil & Ricotta Cheese Recipe provided by Rich's

INGREDIENTS 4 pieces

Rich’s 7” Whole Wheat Sheeted Pizza Dough

4 Tbsp

Olive Oils

Sprinkle

Kosher Salt

Sprinkle

Fresh Ground Pepper

Fresh, Ripe Tomatoes, sliced

12 oz

Ricotta Cheese

12 ea

Fresh Basil Leaves

PREPARATION Thaw Pizza Dough as per instructions on box. Pre-heat grill or charbroiler to medium hot. Stretch dough to approximately 9”. Brush both sides of dough with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pizza dough on grill and grill 2-3 minutes or until dough begins to brown. Turn dough over, top with sliced tomato, and dots of ricotta cheese, close cover on grill, or cover pizza with an aluminum pan, and cook about 3-4 minutes until tomato is warm, and ricotta melts.

R E C I P E S

Distribute 1 oz. of crumbled blue cheese over flatbread. Fan pears in 2 rows on flat bread. Distribute 3 oz of crumbled blue cheese over pears. Sprinkle candied walnuts over blue cheese. Bake in 375°F oven until cheese is melted, and flatbread is heated through. Serve warm.

Asian Pork Pizza Recipe provided by Rich's

INGREDIENTS 7”

Rich's Sheeted Pizza Dough

8 oz

Rich's Eastern Marinade Pork BBQ

1 tsp

Asian Chili Sauce

1 tsp

Sesame Oil

2 Tbsp

Soy Sauce

4 tsp

Minors Korean Chili Sauce

Roasted Pear Flatbread w/ Smoked Blue Cheese & Candied Walnuts

3 tsp

Minors Sesame Sauce

½ oz

Fresh Field Greens

INGREDIENTS

Mix pork, chili sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, and 4 Tbsp of Minors Sauce. Spread remaining Minors Sauce on pizza dough, and distribute pork mixture evenly over pizza.

Remove pizza from grill, and top with fresh basil leaves. Cut, and serve.

Recipe provided by Rich's

1 ea

Flatbread

2 ea

Medium Sized Pears

4 oz

Smoked Blue Cheese

1 oz

Candied Walnuts

1 Tbsp

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

PREPARATION Peel and core pears. Roast in 375°F oven until just soft. Cool, and thinly slice.

Soy Vinaigrette (to dress Greens) Sprinkle

Sesamee Seeds

PREPARATION Stretch pizza dough into rectangular pizza pan. Mix Minors sauces together and reserve.

Bake in a 400°F Convection Oven for 12-15 minutes. Make soy vinaigrette by mixing olive oil, soy sauce, and seasoned rice wine vinegar to taste. Toss field greens lightly with vinaigrette. When pizza is done, top with field greens and sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish.

Place flatbread on a pizza screen, and brush with olive oil, and season with kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper.

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consistency

creativity

With Wisconsin Cheese, you get the complete package. Consistency. And creativity—as in creative menu incorporation, on-trend application ideas, recipes, research and more—all designed to help you stand out from the crowd. For more reasons why you should choose Wisconsin cheese, visit WisconsinCheeseFoodservice.com.

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 

Pizza toppings don't have to end with cheese and pepperoni — even if prices spike. by Ari Bendersky

There's no question: Americans love pizza. Each year, we each eat approximately 46 slices from nearly 70,000 pizzerias across the country, which collectively sell about $35 billion in pizza or about three billion pies, according to the National Association of Pizzeria Operators (NAPO). That's a lot of cheddar, er, mozzarella. With so many people eating pizza, how do you keep things interesting? Yes, cheese, pepperoni and sausage are the most common toppings. But why stop there? Especially when the price of cheese continues to rise, it’s more important than ever for large and small operators to experiment with toppings. After all, the more exotic the pie, the more leeway you have on charging a premium price. Pizza chefs have experimented with different toppings for decades and some work better than others. No really, grilled octopus is not the next hot pizza trend — at least not yet. But you can take risks in the kitchen that may pay off, quite literally, too. Parlor Pizza, a relative newcomer to the Chicago pizza scene, offers a large selection of pizzas and a couple on their brunch menu — Eggs Benedict ($12) and the Salmon Cream Cheese ($14) pizzas — might make you scratch your head. But don't scratch too hard. "The eggs Benedict … that one was kind of scary," said Colin Beauvais, executive sous chef of Parlor's wood fire division. "It was either going to be a raving success or a total failure, but it worked." Beauvais said they've also experimented with a mac and cheese pizza and even a duck prosciutto with blueberry sauce, but because the wood-fired oven temps hover around 800 degrees, the mac and cheese would get goopy and not stay on the crust and the sugar in the blueberry sauce "just burned black as night," he said. "Fine tuning comes along with seeing what does and doesn't work." While more pizza joints experiment with different ingredients, one place many won't compromise on is cheese. Having the right cheese, whether that's mozzarella, parmesan or even creamy burrata, can make or break a pizza. "As a pizza restaurant, cheese is our main commodity from an ingredient perspective, so that will always be present on our menu," said Adam Cummins, president, Chicago and South Florida Blaze Pizza franchisee, which owns eight locations of the L.A.-based Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza chain. As a commodity, sometimes cheese prices rise steadily, but as an operator, it’s critical to do your research to understand what cheese works best for your pies. "Blaze is uncompromising when it comes to quality so searching for a 'less expensive' cheese isn't an option," Cummins said. To get around rising costs, however, both Blaze and Parlor agree having a good relationship with vendors and farmers can help keep prices steady. "A strong relationship with our suppliers enables us to look at creative ways to maintain quality, but manage costs when the opportunity rises," Cummins said. Beauvais uses Italian-imported buffalo mozzarella on a couple of pizzas and would never want to compromise. But if prices soared to a point that made it unfeasible to buy, he said they could make an easy, short-term switch. "We might just use regular mozzarella instead of the buffalo," he said. "It's not inferior. It's just different." When it comes to rising prices on your prime ingredients, get your creative juices flowing, experiment and never comprise on quality. 

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What’s the #1 Topping for Pizza Pie?

Mozzarella Cheese Takes the Cake by Mary Daggett

According to Technomic’s MenuMonitor, mozzarella cheese is the hands-down favorite pizza topping. Check out your local pizzeria, and chances are most of the pies are crowned with it. Here’s a list of the cheese varieties most often appearing on pizza menus in the United States: . Mozzarella

. Cheddar

. Ricotta

. Provolone

. Parmesan

. Romano

. Feta

. Blue

. Fresh Mozzarella

.� Gorgozola

As the early pizza makers in Naples discovered, cheese is a natural for pizza. Mozzarella and its cousin Provolone fall into the Pasta Filata cheese category which means that after the milk is turned into curds, the curds are dipped in hot water, then stretched and kneaded into parallel strands. This allows them to melt easily and gives the characteristic stretch that we look for on our pizza. Enterprising pizza chefs have discovered scores of other cheese varieties that deliver big, bold flavors or just the right creamy comfort-food texture to their pies. The hundreds of hand-crafted artisanal cheeses being produced in the United States today can transform pizza from mundane to magnificent. Consider trying and testing innovative pairing combinations with your staff. Just imagine:

• Appeal to your vegetarian patrons with wafer-thin fingerling potato and Roma tomato slices, fresh spinach chiffonade, minced fresh chives and a liberal sprinkling of Asiago cheese atop a whole wheat crust.

• Impress diners with an Eastern Indian-inspired pie. Top flatbread with chicken chunks laced with tikka masala spices, cilantro and Paneer cheese.

• Add delightful whimsy to your children’s menu. Start with individual rounds of dough; top with tomato sauce. Create clown faces, using sliced olives for eyes, a pepperoni slice as the nose, an upside-down green pepper slice as the frowning mouth and shredded Colby cheese for the hairdo.

• Take pizza upscale: Top dough with Wagyu beef tenderloin strips, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.

• Tempt your guests with dessert pizza. Top a cookie crust with sweetened creamy Mascarpone cheese. Add a healthful arrangement of fresh fruits, such as sliced Mozzarella’s na me stems strawberries, blueberries and from the Italian verb black raspberries. Sprinkle “mozzare,” mea ni ng “to with crunchy pine nuts.  cut off,”

Cheese Fact

from the action of cutting the ch eese curd into smalle r, easierto-use pieces.

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“Cheese — Milk’s Leap Toward Immortality” (Clifton Fadiman)

Ever wonder how milk took that incredible leap to become cheese? Food historians suspect that cheese, like many other wonderful things, was discovered by accident. Milk was probably put into an animal-hide flask for consumption on a journey. The rennet (a complex of enzymes) naturally present in the animal hide caused the milk to coagulate into curds. Somebody was hungry enough to taste it, and, voila!

Any Way You Slice it, These Are Pizza Picks You Can’t Resist by Mindy Kolof Get your oven mitt on these tools of the trade, from basics to the latest gadgets, and notch up your pizza’s potential in less time than it takes to say “Mama Mia!”

THE BASICS:

ROCKIN’ AND ROLLING, STONES PIZZA STONES: Rock the pizza crust with stones that ensure your pie dough bakes evenly at a steady temperature for a crisply delicious finish … woodburning brick oven stove not required. Our picks are made of cordierite, a lead-free fire brick material meant to last. PIZZA PEELS: The most efficient and authentic way to carefully work with pizza ovens from a safe distance is with a long-handled peel. Two great choices: the all-wood “Paesano Collection” (in six sizes), for an old-school look, feel and strength; and aluminum peels with wood handles (in three sizes) for lower-volume operations and smaller pizzas. A seasoned Paesano peel multi-tasks well as a wall décor for creating a nostalgic pizzeria ambiance.

ROLLING PINS: Each ball of pizza dough has a certain feel and personality and nothing puts you more in touch with your inner pizzeria chef than working with the dough and the rolling pin to craft the best crust. Choose from three different styles of rolling pin to complement your dough handling methods. The French rolling pin, made of hardwood and tapered at both ends, sans handles, 20-inches long. Go traditional and opt for the hardwood rolling pin, with handles, available in five different sizes. For heavy-duty commercial use, the aluminum rolling pin is our top choice, more moisture resistant, durable and dishwasher safe.

For Dough Masters:

RISE TO THE TOP!

PIZZA DOUGH BOX: Keep a supply of dough balls ready for the big rush in these stackable, easy-to-clean polycarbonate boxes that keep your dough from crusting and add storage life. 

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Pizza Indulgence

Pizza Consumption

22% 3.4 x CONSUMERS

say pizza occasions are inﬂuenced by health & FEWER DINERS ARE asking for healthier pizzas.

Ovens Matter consumers agree that brick ovens and wood-ﬁred pizza TASTES BETTER than electric oven pizza.

per month* A SLIGHT DECREASE from 3.6 x per month in 2012.

Quality Ingredients

84%

say fresh toppings are IMPORTANT in creating a good pizza.

Delivery

F D

is a STRONG DRIVER of repeat patronage & loyalty than either fast service or low prices.

p A

23% don’t use this service

Ordering

VIA COMPUTER MOBILE DEVICE & APP HAS INCREASED among consumers aged 35-44 since 2012.

Source: Technomic Pizza Consumer Report 2014

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Phone Ordering is DOWN

55% VS. 64% IN 2012.

[ADVERTORIAL]

3/17/15 9:55 AM

Pizza Occasion Drivers • CRAVINGS • AFFORDABILITY • CONVENIENCE

Fast-Casual Dining

55% consumers

purchase pizza AT LEAST MONTHLY*.

55%

order cheese pizza or build their own pizza with 1 - 2 toppings. CONSUMERS ARE LOOKING FOR

VARIETY & QUALITY

Offer non-traditional pizza ingredients, such as mushroom sauce, provolone, steak and pineapple. Emphasize pizza quality through hand-tossed, artisian pizza preparations and different crust offerings.

*CONSUMERS AGED 18-34 • Report eating pizza more than 4 X PER MONTH • The largest group of WEEKLY FAST-CASUAL DINERS [ADVERTORIAL]

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by Mary Daggett

here are lots of pizza relatives trying to make a name for themselves to keep up with their famous cousin. Calzones and Strombolis are two who bear a striking family resemblance. Some people think they are identical twins, but there are specific ways to tell the two apart.

A calzone is made with the same traditional (or trendy) ingredients as the pizza pie. The crust dough is formed into a round shape, the other ingredients are layered atop one half of the dough, and the other dough half is folded over to form a large turnover, which looks like a half-moon. Calzones are natives of Naples, Italy, just like their famous pizza cousin. The Italian word “calzone” translates to pant leg or stocking.

Strombolis are also made with ingredients similar to pizza. The crust dough is formed into a round shape, the rest of the ingredients are scattered down the center or across the entire dough, after which the whole thing is rolled up from one side to the other, into an oblong shape that resembles a submarine or large, chubby cigar. The only “Stromboli” you’ll likely find in Italy is an actual island of that name off the north coast of Sicily. Food historians maintain that the edible Stromboli was born in Philadelphia in 1950, the creation of Nazzareno Romano, proprietor of Romano’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria.

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Operators are finding lots of ways to capitalize on pizza’s popularity without installing woodburning ovens or perfecting the overhead dough toss. A little creativity can transform readily available products into instant pizza crusts. For example, try these ideas:

• FLATBREADS are available in an assortment of on-trend flavors, and make an excellent, convenient pizza base for your customers’ favorite toppings. • FLOUR AND CORN TORTILLAS topped with hot peppers, black beans, shredded meat and Mexican-style cheeses deliver a quick Tex-Mex pizza option. • PITA BREAD is the perfect base for a Middle Eastern interpretation.

• BAGELS sliced horizontally make a hearty, sturdy base for appetizer pizzas or small-plate offerings. • PUFF PASTRY is an impressive, upscale carrier for savory or sweet pizzas. • PANCAKES/WAFFLES are a great base for breakfast pizza. • GIANT SUGAR COOKIES smothered with Nutella and sprinkled with chopped nuts, crushed candy bars, shredded coconut and other goodies make a tempting dessert pizza. 

• LAVOSH/CRACKER BREAD provides an instant wafer-thin crust.

MEAT TOPPINGS THAT SET YOUR PIZZA APART. You count on Villa Frizzoni to help protect your reputation with consistent, convenient, authentic, flavorful, fully cooked meat products.

LETS GET STARTED: 1.800.654.1152 OR BURKECORP.COM

HAND-PINCHED STYLE® Italian Sausage, Sweet Mild, Coarse-Ground

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Thick, Thin or Stuffed –

Give Your Pizza the Best Crust You Can Muster by Mary Daggett

Whether thin as a cracker, an inch thick or stuffed with cheese, a great crust is the foundation of a great pizza. While pizza purists still insist upon their regional preferences — thincrust in New York; deep-dish in Chicago — most people enjoy spicing up their pizza enjoyment with a little variety. Back in old Napoli, pizza was peasant food, as hard-working folks and resourceful cooks devised it as a fast and flavorful way to use up extra bread dough, leftover tomato sauce and scraps of cheese. Today, pizza seems to have come full-circle, as is evidenced by the wide popularity of the Neapolitanstyle pizza — homage to those resourceful citizens of Naples. Many operators are replicating this rustic pizza and have installed wood-burning pizza ovens — much to the delight of their patrons. Temperatures in these ovens reach about 900 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in a crispy yet chewy crust with delectable air bubbles, and less time in the oven. Another OldWorld-style pie gaining momentum is the Roman pizza, with a wafer-thin crust.

It’s All about the Dough The basic ingredients of pizza dough — flour, yeast, water, salt and olive oil — have remained pretty much the same over the centuries. Techniques, types of flour and trendy dough flavorings have, more recently added interest and variety to pizza crust. Major pizza chains are constantly reinventing pizza crust to satisfy customers’ cravings. Several years ago, the stuffed crust was all the rage — with the outer rim of crust wrapped around a surprise, such as Mozzarella cheese or sausage links. Pretzel crust is a current sensation, along with flavored crusts utilizing trendy flavor boosts from bacon, honey sriracha, fiery red pepper flakes, sesame and flax seeds and toasted cheeses.

More and more operators who want to produce a more healthful pizza are experimenting with dough, utilizing flours other than the traditional white bread flour, including: • 100% WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR (rich in antioxidants, fiber and overall nutrient content) • SEMOLINA (milled from hard durum wheat; high in gluten) • ANCIENT GRAIN FLOURS (combinations of grains such as spelt, amaranth, millet, sorghum, quinoa and others).

What’s Up with Tossing the Dough? Pizza chefs who toss and spin their dough above their heads aren’t just showing off their dough-handling skills. This Old-World custom of tossing dough into the air and catching it on the back of clenched hands is a technique that incorporates air into the dough as it is hand-stretched into a round shape without the use of a pizza pan. This tossing ensures a light, airy crust that is more tender and crisper, with a similar appearance to authentic, rustic pizzas made in Italy. Instructional pizza tossing videos can be found online. Keep in mind that the technique takes a bit of practice on the part of your pizza chef, but imagine the oohs and aahs as your customers delight in watching their pizza being handcrafted from scratch, right before their eyes. n

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PIzzA DOUGH 101 You can't serve a quality pizza without a quality crust. You can't serve a quality pizza without a quality crust. Afer all, consumers agree that the consistency and texture of a pizza's crust is more important than the sauce or cheese for creating a good pizza, according to the 2012 Technomic Pizza Consumer Trend Report. At Rich's®, our commitment to pizza has helped us become the leading national supplier of frozen doughs, crusts and flatbread. We offer a full line of high-quality, operator-friendly products that truly distinguish us from the competition and enable you to serve great-tasting pizza that your customers will love. Below you'll find a breakdown of the various doughs we offer customers and what differentiates each from the other.*

BAKED FLATBREAD & FOCACCIA

| Flatbreads are more than just a hot trend among consumers – they’re flat out better when it comes to delivering profitability across every menu and day part. Rich’s Baked Flatbreads feature specialized ingredients and our gentle baking process. Each variety has raised toasted bubbles on top with medium brown grill marks on the bottom for an authentic appearance. Simply thaw and prepare any way you like: sandwiches, pizza, appetizers, even dessert.

Pizza Dough Balls

| For more than 25 years Rich’s has been the preferred choice for classic Americanstyle pizza dough balls. [Delivered in pre-portioned sizes/weights] these dough balls are all about convenience, quality and versatility. Ideal for foodservice operations with labor to manage dough and perfect for creating customized crusts: thick, thin or raised edge.

Proof & Bake Sheeted Pizza Dough

| Rich’s Proof & Bake Sheeted Pizza Dough is the industry

standard for fresh baked pizza without all the scaling, dividing, rounding, and stretching required with dough balls. Just thaw overnight, bring to room temperature and top any way you like. Ideal for consistently great pizza, as well as a variety of unique menu applications like calzones, Stromboli and bread sticks.

Fresh ‘N Ready® Oven Rising Sheeted Pizza Dough

| Unlike other Freezer-to-Oven products that are processed and rise in the plant, Rich’s Fresh ‘N Ready is a unique sheeted pizza dough that rises and develops its characteristics in the oven while it bakes. Because it is a raw dough, Fresh ‘N Ready delivers the eating qualities of a fresh dough pizza with no traditional handling required. Enjoy the operational flexibility this product offers, including staging at room temperature, in the cooler, top and bake right from the freezer, or thaw and use as a dough for menu variations!

PAR-BAKED PIZZA CRUSTS

| Rich’s Par-Baked Pizza Crusts are perfect for busy kitchens that take pride in serving delicious pizza on a flavorful crust — even without the expertise or time to manage dough. A tasteful combination of the finest ingredients and unique baking technology, Rich’s Par-Baked Pizza Crusts are available in the most popular sizes and shapes. Just top, bake and serve.

Ask your reinhart ® sales consultant for more information on Rich's dough. *Source: Rich Products Corporation

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The Great American Pizza Evolution by Mary Daggett

hen pizza hit our shores, it was love at first bite. This delicious Italian beauty spread like wildfire from coast to coast. It’s no surprise, because how many people do you know who don’t love these savory pies? Once chefs and restaurateurs grew accustomed to the classic Italian pie, American ingenuity and our indomitable sense of adventure came into play. Operators started monkeying around with the flavors, shapes, crusts and ingredients until a fullfledged pizza evolution took place.

PIES ARE SQUARED Chicago, perhaps in an effort to differentiate itself from New York pies, began the deep-dish craze at Pizzeria Uno in 1943. The square-shaped pizza supposedly was first introduced in Detroit in the late 40s as a Sicilian-style pie, and larger rectangular pizzas soon appeared on the menu horizon. Heart-shaped pizzas soon appeared everywhere for Valentine’s Day. And recently, coneshaped pies were introduced -- in which the crust is formed into a conical shape with pizza ingredients dropped inside and the whole deal is eaten by hand like an ice cream cone.

Los Angeles CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN – The Club Pizza features Nueske’s® applewood-smoked bacon, roasted chicken, avocado slices, arugula, basil and romaine tossed with lemon-pepper mayonnaise BERRI’S KITCHEN – Signature Lobster Pizza, lobster-infused pink sauce, shrimp and Mozzarella

Boston FIGS BY TODD ENGLISH – Fig and Prosciutto, crisp rosemary crust, fig and balsamic jam, Gorgonzola cheese and prosciutto

New Orleans MONDO – Iconic chef Susan Spicer pairs Bosc pears, prosciutto, Teleme cheese (semi-soft, similar to Brie), goat cheese and arugula

Portland PIZZA MARIA – Wood-fired crust is topped with Brussels sprouts, guanciale (hog jowls), Provolone, and anchovy vinaigrette

Miami GOURMET PIZZA AND REGIONAL PREFERENCES In 1985, a radical upstart called California Pizza Kitchen opened a little shop in Beverly Hills serving gourmet pizzas that soon put California on the U.S. pizza map, and all hell broke loose with a pizza ingredient free-for-all. Regional preferences have come into play and today, one can find the most unusual and bizarre pizzas imaginable across the land. Here are some tantalizing on-trend examples:

LUCALI – Transplanted Brooklyn fave serves up a sweetie pie — Nutella® dessert pizza

Atlanta UNCLE MADDIO’S PIZZA JOINT – Steak & Blue Pizza, with grilled Angus steak, Blue cheese crumbles, Mozzarella, olive oil, Roma tomatoes, garlic, spinach, fresh basil and a balsamic glaze.

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Cleveland RASCAL HOUSE – Pizza ala Greco, white pizza with a blend of Feta and Parmesan, topped with Kalamata olives, brushed with a blend of garlic and olive oils

Denver HOPS & PIE – Artisan Pie of the Month stars braised pork shoulder, bourbon-laced cranberries, garlicky spinach, parsnip puree and Brie cheese

New York DANNY MEYER’S MARTA – Funghi, a white pie on a cracker-thin crust, with Fontina cheese, roasted chanterelle and hen-of-thewoods mushrooms, red onion, thyme and lemon

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Seattle TOM DOUGLAS’S SERIOUS PIE – Soft eggs, smoked prosciutto, Pecorino Sardo and arugula

San Diego ZIA GOURMET PIZZA – The Eggplant, featuring oven roasted eggplant, scallions, tomatoes, herbs, garlic, cranberries, and Mozzarella, drizzled with yogurt sauce

Lahaina, Ha w a i i HONU – House-made ahi tuna sausage, San Marzano tomato sauce, Nicoise olives, Mozzarella cheese and fennel pollen 

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Tips for Pairing Hot Pizza with Craft Beer Chatting with the Cicerone By Audarshia Townsend

Michael McAvena fancies himself as somewhat of a pizza connoisseur. He loves it extra thin, with thoughtful ingredients such as mortadella, freshly squeezed lemon juice and arugula, and he seeks out magnificent pies when he’s on the road for business. By day, McAvena operates as a certified cicerone, or beer sommelier, and during nightfall he relishes the best pizzas from coast to coast. What he’s observed at many Italianfocused eateries is that traditionally, there is more focus on pairing pizzas with wine than craft beers. More recently, however, he’s noticed a slight shift from the norm as more industry professionals acquire knowledge about craft beers. For McAvena, who served as the founding beer director at James Beard recipient and beerfocused Publican restaurant in Chicago, this shift makes sense as beer and pizza contain some of the same ingredients, making the match quite compatible. “At the end of the day, you’re talking about pairing food and beer, so the pairing really isn’t that difficult,” explains McAvena, who won Star Chefs’ sommelier award in 2011.

“Add to that the fact that beer contains the exact same ingredient as pizza crust — wheat. Beer is pretty much bread, liquid bread.” He prefers pairing pizzas with beers containing a high level of wheat because they tend to have low bitterness. For example, he explains, a white pizza topped with lemon, arugula and anchovies goes well with Gose, an old-style German beer that is a slightly sour, sweet beer with a touch of coriander and salt. According to McAvena, Gose is enjoying a mini-revival among beer enthusiasts because breweries like Chicago’s Off Color Brewing specialize in it. As far as pizza, McAvena’s favorite styles are thin-crust, Neapolitan and wood-fired topped with red sauce. They allow for him to indulge in the rich, yet carefully curated toppings. And that also gives him an opportunity to be more adventurous with his beer pairings. “I always want to be playful,” he confesses. “It would be fun to try something with higher level acidity such as lambic, Berliner and Flemish sour. Cider is also a great way to play off the acidity and balance. I typically stay away from IPAs and

big black styles (because those become too overwhelming).” When it comes to traditional Chicago-style, deep-dish pies, he recommends avoiding beers that are “over-roasted, over-bitter and over-hopped.” “You want to stay with things that play well with deep flavors and lots of ingredients … especially with more salty things. As dishes become more salty it helps with the pairing.” McAvena’s recommendations are seemingly endless when it concerns beer and pizza pairings, but they’re at their most valuable when those pairings become interactive for diners. He suggests that restaurateurs think outside of the box in order to pique their interest: • Upsell craft beers by creating a pizza that will complement its flavors. • Team up with a local craft brewery for a tour, beer tasting and pizzas that pair well. • Use beer-enhanced pizza toppings such as saison-infused mortadella or cheese. 

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craveable

C raf t Yo u r Le g acy.™

CAFEFULLY CRAFTED

DISHES DESERVE T H E O R I G I NA L CRAFT BEER

B AT T E R E D

SIDES.

craftsmanship

RFS# 60854 Brew City ® Beer B attered Thin Cut Onion Rings

Since creating the original beer battered fries and appetizers more than two decades ago, we've continuously poured our hearts—and 100% craft brewed American pale ale—into a variety of products that complement your most prized dishes. Watch our story and find menu inspiration at BrewCityLegacy.com/Reinhart

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by Audarshia Townsend

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EXPECT CUSTOM-DESIGNED ICE, SHRUBS MORE THIS SEASON No doubt about it, the cocktail craze is far from finished. While the trends of kooky concoctions and flavored spirits appear to be finally losing ground, the art of mixology is hitting its highest peak. Take a look around the bar at any craft cocktail-focused restaurant or lounge, and you’ll see what we mean. Market-fresh ingredients beyond the typical limes, mint and lemons line the counter. You’ll also encounter little bottles filled with honey, freshly squeezed juices and other goodies everywhere. And, of course, a number of small-batch and artisan spirits shows up on menus in classic and contemporary cocktails. This summer, as tipples are expected to be more inventive than ever, experts say that they will also be cleaner, simpler and easier to drink. For Caroline Galzin, co-owner/beverage director of Fifty First Kitchen & Bar in the up-and-coming Nashville neighborhood of The Nations, one of her biggest focuses is to stay microseasonal. She credits that advantage to the large, on-premise garden at the restaurant. “We will have a large bounty of produce,” says Galzin, who owns the 50-seat, American contemporary restaurant with husband and chef Tony. “We will be trying to pull as much as we can from the garden. The thing is that we might get strawberries for only a month, so we have to take advantage and use them wisely.” She also plans to use the Italian herbal liqueur amaro in many summer cocktails this season. “Amaros are perfect because they have low alcohol content and are the perfect thing to sip all afternoon. It’s not just for after dinner anymore,” she says. Though the restaurant is American-focused, the Galzins plan to showcase tiki-inspired elixirs all summer as an excuse to show off Tony’s vast collection of tiki glassware and memorabilia. She says the cocktails are fun and summery, and as long as they’re prepared with fresh ingredients and premium rum, they will never go out of style. “Everyone’s doing classic cocktails, but tiki cocktails are still hot and not going away anytime soon,” she adds. “Everyone’s getting excited about rums, especially those you can drink like a cognac when they are aged. Rum is the spirit that everyone’s gravitated towards.”

1 oz 1 oz .75 oz .5 oz .25 oz 1 dash

Roca Patron silver tequila Fino sherry Fresh grapefruit juice Fresh lime juice Agave syrup * Orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wedge. * Equal parts agave and hot water, stirred until dissolved

But in the end, she stresses, bartenders must keep cocktails as simple as possible to assure happy guests and a solid bottom line. “We all want to serve our guests something that is innovating and exciting, but we are trying to run a business. When you’re creating a cocktail program, it is important to keep your bottom line in mind. It’s easier to make them quickly and delicious and efficient. People cannot be waiting 20 minutes for a drink. “I think that a lot of your restaurants cocktail programs will go back to basics because it shouldn’t take that many steps to make a great cocktail. (At Fifty First Kitchen & Bar), we’re keeping it simple and concentrating on high quality products.” On the East Coast, New York bartender John McCartney aims to keep sippers simple for summer. He plans to elevate the process with mixology techniques dating back to the 17th century. Shrubs, for example, originated in England and consist of a fruit liqueur typically made with rum or brandy mixed with sugar and the juice of citrus fruit. McCartney works at the Prohibition-style cocktail lounge Bathtub Gin and craft cocktail bar Cedar where he has the freedom to put new spins on the classics. For the summer, he plans to switch out citrus fruit for the tartness of raspberries and tropical, tangy flavors of fresh pineapples. “It’s a way to have the fruit without it going bad,” he explains. Other big trends he’s looking forward to include extremely dry Sherries in drinks such as a Margarita-inspired El Jerez cocktail (“It’s the type of thing you make by the pitcher”), vintage punches (“[Bartenders] are looking back at punches because it was the classic way to drink for large groups.”) and, of course, customdesigned ice. “People have gotten geekier about ice. I even have a friend who buys ice from an ice sculptor,” McCartney says. “Perfect ice is such a beautiful thing. Most craft bars use Kold-Draft ice because the ice cube quality is so noticeably different. You can taste the difference of the cocktail on the ice. It’s a very different (drinking) experience when you have good ice.” 

6 oz 6 oz 4.5 oz 3 oz 1 ½ oz 6 dashes

Roca Patron silver tequila Fino sherry Fresh grapefruit juice Fresh lime juice Agave syrup * Orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in glass pitcher with ice. Add 6 ounces club soda and 6 lime wheels and stir until well-combined. Serve in glasses with additional ice and lime wedge garnish.

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Growing Up Craft Brews and Their Masters Come of Age By Mindy Kolof

Raise your glass, can, bottle or growler to the next wave of sophisticated suds. There’s no containing Americas’ thirst for the effervescent art of craft beer.

Think of it as the “Boyhood” movie, with brews taking their star turn. Evolving from childhood, when basement brewers cheerfully disrupted the established flow to become a startling different top beverage choice, craft beers are moving steadily up the growth curve. Entrepreneurs who launched brands on the thinnest of shoestrings, powered by nothing more than a heartfelt tale of origin and a passion for the brew, are entering adolescence – more experienced, better reasoned, but with a strong sense of adventurous rebellion underlying it all. “These companies are now taking on significant debt, and are accountable for commitments made to their employees,” explains Patrick Gould, certified cicerone (beer expert) with Windy City Distributing. “Many are now queuing up to produce in larger capacities; they’re developing full-blown branding and marketing plans, and overall, paying much more attention to the business side.” Ah, the kids, they do grow up. In keeping with the new level of sophistication, ultra-premium craft beer is poised to elevate the market with more nuanced flavors, high alcohol content and a well-tended legacy. There’s a proven track record from Belgian forebears, who were first to tap into the potential to treat beer as a high-end product, and not the blue-collar relative of wine and liquor. “It’s a real curated experience, right down to the specific branded glass,” says Gould, “and customers genuinely appreciate the amount of research and time it takes to make beers of this caliber.”

Already on the ultra-premium bandwagon is Perennial Artisan Ales in St. Louis, MO, creating the unexpected with rye barrelaged Imperial Mint Chocolate Stout, which spent 14 months aging in Rye barrels, and a wild yeast-fermented Saison aged on Missouri wine grapes in French oak wine barrels. Across the country, in Orange County, CA, former law student Patrick Brue is parlaying his brew obsession into offerings unique even among the restless palate set: sweet potato pie, Thai food, and freshly picked lavender all make their way into the Bruery’s highly imaginative beers. Also still pushing the flavor envelope are sour beers, another specialty of the Bruery, which recently launched its Bruery Terreux line, and making several appearances in collector’s editions at the Penrose Brewery in Geneva, IL. Limited edition collections, made for a single-use or time only, are also fueling the upscaling of beer trend, intentionally creating scarcity to drive a brand’s sales. Cautions Gould: “These are tough to maintain because each release must be of the highest possible caliber. Anything less, any inconsistency in offerings, can be very damaging to a brand staking its reputation on this.” Finally, the session is far from over; in fact it’s just beginning as IPAs (India Pale Ales) step up with lower alcohol-by-volume brands, ideal for sampling two or three glasses. Quicker to make, and very approachable, entire new brands are being launched around session IPAs, says Gould. 

Every Beer Has Its Tale Brands that bring it all to the table, according to our leading cicerones, include:

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Is it Cider’s Year to Break Big? The explosion of fruit flavors has ignited the hard cider market, and both Gould and Ashby agree that 2015 could very well be the year this beverage grabs its fair share of the market. Bearing witness were the more than 400 industry folks who packed CiderCon in Chicago this winter, impassioned standard-bearers for the newest craft darling. Defying easy categorization — does it belong with beers or wine coolers or hard lemonades? — cider doesn’t care which side of the aisle it’s found on, as long as it keeps the current title of ‘fastest growing segment of the beverage industry.’ Its trajectory is almost identical to its hipster craft beer cousin, offering the same strong sense of story, brand, locality and a history stemming back to America’s colonial days. Add to that a very approachable flavor profile, and naturally gluten-free bragging rights. Advises Ashby: “Bars and restaurants definitely want to consider having a cider option on the menu as a great alternative to beer. They range from really dry to really sweet, with lots of variety.” In a sure sign of acceptance, the major players are already making a run at the cider market, like Boston Beer’s Angry Orchard cider, one of its fastest-selling brands. Angry Orchard is joined by a slew of local makers and orchardists who are on the brink of stardom. There’s Vander Mill in Michigan, whose owner went “all in on transforming a touristy cider mill to a producer of strong alcoholic cider that’s going gangbusters,” says Gould. Also in Michigan is the “godfather of organic,” JK’s Scrumpy Cider, pressed from apples grown fresh on his farm, and blended each year to taste from memory, according to Gould. In Salem, Oregon, Wandering Aengus Ciderworks offers a line of more traditional, locally sourced apple, pear and cherry hard ciders, and a small-batch artisanal product made from rare heirloom apples pressed just once a year. Representing just one percent of the alcoholic beverage category, cider’s full-court press predicts significant growth ahead. Already boasting double-digit volume growth in 2014, according to Technomic, analysts estimate $2 billion in retail sales by 2020. 

To find out more about these breweies go to: reyesbeveragegroup.com

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Craft Beermakers Say

‘Yes We Can’ By Mindy Kolof

emember the 12-ounce beer can? Sure you do, because it never really went away, but was thoroughly trumped in recent years by the sleek elegance of glass bottles. Don’t be too quick to kick this can to the curb though. The humble vessel is making a steady comeback even among sophisticated craft beer devotees. There are good reasons to keep the tops popping, chief among them the proven superiority of sealed aluminum in maintaining beer’s integrity. “The can will always be one of the best vessels for beer because it protects against the two sworn enemies — light and oxygen,” says Chris Ashby, Chicago Beverage Systems. The scientific explanation: beers made with traditional hops contain isomerized alpha acids, which produce a potent, skunky sulfur compound when exposed to strong light, while exposure to oxygen causes the beer to decompose too quickly. Both can make a good beer go bad, and glass bottles can’t deliver the same protective power as a can, which functions like a mini-keg, keeping light and oxygen well away from the beer inside. Brown glass can screen out damaging ultraviolet light, green glass offers less protection, and clear glass offers almost none, while bottle caps can’t seal out oxygen as efficiently as a sealed can, according to the Brewers’ Association. As for the tinny flavor that was part of the pre-craft beer experience — it’s no more than a metallic memory now, as modern cans are completely lined, allowing no raw metal to touch the beer. “Huge advances in canning technology over the years have erased the stigma of the product inside being of lesser quality, and now some of the largest, most respected craft brewers in the country are using cans,” says Patrick Gould, Windy City Distributing. A better sustainability story and greater efficiencies in storing and shipping all boost the can’s rising profile. With growing popularity comes innovation, and that means the traditional 12-ounce isn’t the only one leading the pack. Both Colorado’s Oskar Blues Brewery, staking claim to America’s first craft beer in a can, and Brooklyn’s Sixpoint Brewery have gone all in on the can, with size varieties and unique packaging. Oskar Blues ramps it up with a 19.2-ounce offering, while Sixpoint reinvented the 12-ounce in slim, stackable cans, with ample room for the company’s distinctive imagery and quotable ‘beer is culture’ tagline. Also lining the shelves are 32-oz.

cans, 24-ounce “Tall Boy” cans, 16-ounce pint sizers, and at the other end of the spectrum, 8-ounce cans, ideal for beer sessions and healthminded imbibers. There’s no shortage of brews behind glass, though, as bottles still command more than half of the craft beer market. “The consumer perceives it as a fancier drinking experience,” says Gould. Sizes and shapes run the gamut, from 12- and 16-ounce long-neck and heritagestyle bottles, to 22-ounce and 750ml champagne styles that typically house specialty beers with higher ABV and complex flavor profiles. Limited edition beers are frequently bottled for maximum swank appeal, and let’s face it, “there will always be a segment who prefers bottles,” says Ashby. Also finding its voice are growlers, capturing everything most valued by the Millennials who fueled the craft beer phenom from the start — fresh, pure products delivered in a completely sustainable way. These 64-ounce glass jugs are filled right at the pub or restaurant tap, sealed with wax or plastic shrink wrap, and taken home and enjoyed by the customer within 72 hours. Throwbacks to the days of glass milk bottle delivery, refills are offered when growlers and their owners return them to their original brewmaster. Even the sturdy keg is rolling out some novel new ways to get the beer from point A to point B with one-way kegs. Heineken’s Brewlock, for example, moves from traditional steel half barrel to a recyclable plastic keg that no longer needs to make return trips across the ocean; and Key Keg, entering the U.S. market with its own lightweight alternative to a steel keg. So what’s next, beer in a bag? Actually yes … look for the brand-new Synek System, a countertop appliance that chills and pressurizes reinforced bags of beer dispensed through a chamber. Launched early in 2015, the ‘Keurig for beer’ may prove an interesting competitor to the growler, topping it with a 30-day shelf life for up to 128 ounces of beer. With a heftier price tag of $299, however, Gould views it as more of a gift item. “It’s a significant investment for the casual home drinker, but if you want to try some of brands on tap only available in a brew pub, it’s a cool way to enjoy the experience.” 

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Ethnic Mashup Cuisine F O O D

The Rise of

B E V E R A G E

Merging Global Fares Adds Variety & Spice By Audarshia Townsend

hen I briefly moved to New York in the

mid-1990s, one of my most memorable experiences was dining at an East Village eatery specializing in Cuban and Chinese cuisine.

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An oversized, colorful Chinese dragon loomed over diners’ heads as lively Latin music boomed throughout the space. The menu, of course, showcased the best of both cuisines, from spicy egg rolls to arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) filled with exotic Asian vegetables. It’s called ethnic mashup or fusion and 20 years later, it continues to thrive and expand in all forms across the country. At Booty’s Street Food in New Orleans, owners Nick Vivion and Kevin Farrell showcase one of the more extreme examples of ethnic mashup. As a former travel journalist, Vivion and his culinary team jet across the globe on a regular basis to explore the best of street food. Booty’s food and cocktail menus change often, so an ideal way for diners to experience the cuisine is through the tasting menus. They’ll be able to graze on Nigerian blackeyed pea fritters, Korean dumplings, shrimp tacos from Tijuana, Mexico, and more in one sitting. What sets

the restaurant apart from most mashups is that for months at a time, Booty’s chefs will cook in different locations, thereby gaining firsthand knowledge and experience of the cuisine. While Booty’s was born out of a love for travel and the exploration of international cuisine, Chicago-based Fogo 2 Go was based on the owners’ personal experiences and childhood memories. It’s owned by husband-and-wife team Brad and Daniela Kollars, and the concept is Brazilian-andItalian inspired. Their first date occurred at a similar restaurant in São Paulo, Brazil, which is home to hundreds of pizzerias and trattorias. According to the couple, millions of Italian descendants call Brazil home with the majority residing in São Paulo. Fogo 2 Go’s concept may be a common sighting in São Paulo, but in Chicago — which is also home to hundreds of

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Italian restaurants — it’s unique. The menu features traditional Italian meat and vegetarian pizzas, all made in a 600-degree brick oven, but also specialty Brazilian pies. The Brazilian-born Daniela has taken many of her Italian-born grandfather’s recipes to develop a number of signature pizzas that all contain his “secret” red sauce and topped with Catupiry cheese that’s imported from Brazil. Sometimes it takes up to a month for the Catupiry cheese to arrive to the restaurant, but it’s worth it, says a manager, adding that the Brazilian pizzas are in much demand. Customers’ first visit to the venue also allows them to explore the rest of the menu, which includes Brazilian charbroiled chicken, Brazilian-style empanadas filled with chicken and mashed potatoes, and kibe (a Brazilian/Lebanese treat filled with ground beef, bulgur wheat and spices). The well-loved Mexican cuisine takes many forms, from Rick Bayless’ Michelin-starred sensation Topolobampo to the fast-casual chain Chipotle. At Tijuana Picnic, a New York newcomer that opened last fall, the focus is chef-driven Mexican fare amped with Asian flavors.

Ensuring its authenticity is established restaurateur Huy Chi Le, who owns the restaurant with partners Jon Neidich and Jean-Marc Houmard, and Mexican chef Alex Lopez. Lopez has worked extensively with Asian and Latin cuisines. Tijuana Picnic, as its name suggests, is whimsical, and price points are considerably lower than the group’s French-Vietnamese restaurant Indochine and New American/ Nordic-inspired Acme. Owners say the casual Tijuana Picnic was created to appeal to younger audiences eager for adventurous eating in a lounge-like setting. Large plates such as a coconut-marinated pork chop accompanied by Thai spice chimichurri sauce are served family style, while pinchos arrive as skewers filled with meat and Asian accents like kimchi and green yuzo kosho. There’s a tremendous amount of range and creativity fueling the ethnic mashup restaurant scene today. And the sky’s the limit for operators going forward. n

Fogo 2 Go, has developed a number of signature pizzas topped with Catupiry cheese imported from Brazil.

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Renew Your Menu

w/the Freshness of Spring Produce

by Mary Daggett

MOREL MUSHROOMS Highly prized for their intense earthly flavor. This conical shaped, honeycombed surface fungi is suitable for stuffing and is ideal for sauces and stews.

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hat do unusual fruits, vegetables and afternoon naps have in common? Most children dislike them and adults look forward to them with pleasure. Springtime is in full swing, and your customers will be looking to sample the precious bounty that has been napping over the long winter. As the earth renews itself, such masterpieces as Morel mushrooms, watercress and tender baby lettuces make their perennial debut.

The seasonal delicacies our ancestors plucked in the wild will soon be available at local farmer’s markets and from purveyors. From ramps to rhubarb, there are many trendy showoffs that can rejuvenate your spring appetizer, soup, salad, side dish, entrée and dessert fare. Read on for creative takes on produce for spring menu planning.

fresh spring rhubarb to make cherry/ rhubarb jam. Cherries are a major late spring crop in Door County, and Kaniff uses

FIDDLER’S GREEN

GOOD EARTH

AN ADVENTURER’S OASIS, Washington Island, WI

Edina & Roseville, MN

Washington Island is a pristine oasis in Lake Michigan, just off the tip of the Door County Peninsula. With about 650 yearround residents, winters here are long and lonely. However, Spring brings an abundance of wild edibles and tourists who want to eat them. Kate Kaniff is chef/proprietress of Fiddler’s Green – An Adventurer’s Oasis, and is said to turn out some of the best food on the island. “I really love hunting for Morels every spring,” Kaniff said. “After a quick dip in water to evict any woodland creatures, I sauté them in butter and sprinkle with a little salt. I pick wild asparagus, and steam it for a few minutes. It’s so tender.” Kaniff relates that the island grows fiddle-head ferns and ramps in proliferation. “Islanders use the fern shoots in salads and ramps are used in everything from potato/ramp soup to ramp pesto.” [Editor's note: Ramps are perennial wild leeks with strong, garlicky odor and pronounced onion flavor.] Kaniff uses

them in compotes and chutneys. “I was a commercial fisherman in Alaska, and I feature a Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Wellington, for which cherry chutney is the perfect accompaniment.”

Founders of Good Earth believe that we all have a direct connection with the planet. Seasonality and sustainability are big deals here. Good Earth is part of the Parasole Family of Restaurants, with nine different concepts. Parasole executive chef is Tim McKee, named the 2009 James Beard Best Midwest Chef. Tuan Nguyen, a native of Vietnam, is corporate chef and culinary operations manager at Good Earth. “We change our menu four times a year, but specials each month highlight what’s in season,” he said. “This spring, we will feature watercress in salads and toss into stew at the end of the cooking process — just until it’s slightly wilted. We also use watercress in our Roasted Beet Salad, which features red and yellow beets, sunflower sprouts, caramelized pecans and goat cheese, dressed with an orange vinaigrette. Broccoli rabe will appear in salads and in a stir-fry side dish. We will also use ramps to lend strong flavor to stir fries, and new English peas will be used in soups and purees.”

LOCAL 360 Seattle, WA The menu at Local 360 in downtown Seattle reads like a “Who’s Who of Sustainability in the Pacific Northwest.” Virtually everything (except for coffee, tea, lemons and limes) is sourced within a 360mile radius of the city. “In terms of spring produce, we have foragers and harvesters who access produce that we cannot obtain any other time of year,” said Executive Chef Stew Navarre. One vegetable that only grows in the swampy wetlands of the Pacific coastal United States is Miner’s Lettuce. It’s similar to mache, and Local 360 uses it in salads and as a garnish. It can also be sautéed, and it’s similar to spinach in flavor. [Editor’s note: Miner’s Lettuce [Claytonia Perfoliata] derived its name from the fact that Gold Rush miners ate it to benefit from its Vitamin C content, which warded off scurvy.] “Our foragers also collect sea beans, which are an ocean succulent indigenous to coastal areas,” said Chef Navarre. “They have a great salty flavor, and we serve them pickled, sautéed or raw. And, of course, I can’t wait to get Morel mushrooms. We pipe a chicken mousse laced with bacon into larger Morels, then roast them. Smaller Morels are tossed into a tagliatelle pasta dish along with new English peas and house-made Mascarpone cheese.” n

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F O O D

B E V E R A G E

by Ari Bendersky

s restaurant trends go, "local and sustainable" has been on everyone's minds and lips for a number of years now. And with good reason. We all know the importance of cooking and eating in-season produce. Come spring, gorgeous produce like asparagus, peas, fava beans and rhubarb hit the markets and start popping up in new dishes on menus around the country. This doesn't mean you need to completely overhaul your entire menu to account for

seasonal fruit, vegetables, spices and herbs also offer diners numerous health benefits. "When you're eating what's most fresh and in season, you're getting the most nutrients in their best state," said Registered Dietitian Holley Grainger, a nationally recognized nutrition and lifestyle expert and the former food and nutrition editor of CookingLight.com. She says it's important to provide a range of produce encompassing a variety of colors. Why? "Not only are you dazzling the eyes, you are providing a wealth of vitamins, minerals

these seasonal ingredients, but adding a few signature items, or

and fiber," she added. Different fruits and vegetables contain

nightly specials, can help showcase these exciting ingredients.

different vitamins and minerals." So what do you need to look for?

Not only will it help keep things fresh for your customers but

We break it down for you.

Cooking with green, white or purple asparagus adds more than color and flavor to a dish. Asparagus contains fiber, folic acid and potassium as well as vitamins A, B6, C, E and K. It also contains glutathione, which acts as a detoxifier to attack carcinogens in the body, and the amino acid asparagine, which helps increase urine production to remove unwanted toxins from the body. SUGGESTED USES: Add to breakfast in omelets or frittatas; add to risotto; pan sautĂŠ cut-up asparagus and chicken breast to set atop penne pasta; throw it on the grill next to a filet or New York strip.

For as small as they are, fava beans are quite the little powerhouse. The beans, also known as broad beans (mostly across the pond in the U.K.), are a good source of fiber and folate. Even more, favas are a good source of lean protein, have no cholesterol and contain vitamin B6, vitamin K, thiamin, potassium, zinc, iron, magnesium and manganese. SUGGESTED USES: Make spaghetti with favas, peas and Parmesan cheese; salad with favas, corn, red onion, feta cheese and vinaigrette; fava soup; seared scallops with fava bean puree. 88 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 2, 2015

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In theory you can get strawberries all year, but using them when they're fresh is truly the best. Gorgeous strawberries look and taste great in a dish, but they also have an incredible amount of nutrients. Strawberries contain anthocyanins [source: http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/030314p20.shtml], naturally occurring compounds that help give the fruit its vibrant red color and can also help prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer. Strawberries are anti-inflammatory [source: http://nutrition.about.com/od/What-Are-Healthy-Foods/ss/17-Anti-InflammatoryFoods_13.htm#step-heading] and, due to high amounts of vitamin C, are an antioxidant, too. SUGGESTED USES: Add to a breakfast smoothie; fresh spring fruit salad; balsamic strawberries atop vanilla bean ice cream; strawberry shortcake

What pastry chef doesn't love making fresh rhubarb pie? The tartness inside a rustic crust signals the height of spring and summer is around the corner. It's more than delicious. Rhubarb, however you make it, offers calcium, vitamin K, lutein (great for skin and eye health), antioxidants, called stilbenes, and a naphthalene glucoside, which can help fight cancer-causing free radicals [source: http://www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11197344]. Just be sure to remove the leaves before cooking; they can be poisonous. SUGGESTED USES: Strawberry-rhubarb pie; rhubarb-cranberry tart with a crumbly crust; grilled pork chop topped with rhubarb compote.

Who knew that knobby little root could offer such goodness? Spicy ginger has many benefits: It has been shown to curb nausea and motion sickness, acts as an anti-inflammatory (especially in relation to osteoarthritis) and studies have shown it may aid in lowering cholesterol and preventing blood clots to treat heart disease. With all these benefits, you wonder why you're not cooking with it all the time! [source: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/ginger] SUGGESTED USES: Stir-fry vegetables with ginger soy sesame sauce; carrot ginger soup; ginger cookies; housemade ginger ale.

Adding mint to a stew or a cocktail truly enhances the flavor profile, but it also helps curb nausea, especially in pregnant women [source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pubmed/23396673]. The antioxidant rosmarinic acid offers anti-inflammatory properties [source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15630183] that help reduce seasonal allergies, which is great for spring! SUGGESTED USES: Grilled lamb chops with mint yogurt; watermelon-cucumbertomato salad with fresh mint and feta cheese; mint chocolate chip ice cream; grilled asparagus topped with fresh mint and lemon. ď Ž

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FF OO OO DD && BB EE VV EE RR AA GG EE Coconut Fried Chicken A classic comfort food, fried chicken gets special treatment here with hints of coconut and lightly pickled cucumbers and carrots.

The American South

Meets East Asia by MARKON 速

The American South is home to the fastest-growing Asian population in North America, so it was only a matter of time before chefs started using the ingredients and techniques of Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam as inspiration for new and exciting dishes. Although distant in miles, the two regions have much in common in terms of ingredients and flavor profiles. Crunchy pickled vegetables, crispy fried meats, and nutritious greens. On-trend for both health and flavor reasons, this fusion style will continue to gain traction this spring and summer.

[ADVERTORIAL]

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Open-Faced Naan Sandwich

 Add shaved coconut to fried chicken batter for a dish popular in both parts of the world; give the recipe balance by serving a side of Korean-style, rice-wine pickled Markon First Crop (MFC) Carrots and Cucumbers.

 Cornmeal fried shrimp and sweet potatoes are classic Southern ingredients—lend Chinese notes by substituting collard greens with gai lan or choy sum that have been sautéed with Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Peeled Garlic and fresh ginger.

 Pickle RSS Washed & Trimmed Green and Flowering Kale; serve this vibrant, healthy side dish with spare ribs basted in spicy Korean gochujang barbecue sauce.

 Both parts of the world serve pickled vegetables like cabbage, cucumbers, okra, onions, and radishes to cut richer, fattier entrées such as barbecued and fried meats. In the South the side dish is called chow chow, in Japan it’s tsukemono, in Korea it’s kimchi, and in Vietnam it’s do chua.

 The cuisine of India is another fast-rising trend. Offer a South-Meets-Asia chicken sandwich by stuffing naan bread with tandoori chicken chunks, crunchy RSS Super Slaw, tangy yogurt, and pickled beets and radishes.

 Give the New Orleans poor boy sandwich a makeover with Thai accents like pickled cucumbers, radishes, and fresh cilantro. 

Top Indian naan bread with crunchy slaw, pickled turnips, juicy tomatoes, refreshing mint, and tender tandoori chicken.

Pickled Green and Purple Kale

The bitter notes of this fermented side dish pair well with rich Southern classics like barbecue meats, macaroni and cheese, and fried chicken.

Pickled Veggies

Pickled vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, jalapeno peppers, cucumbers, and string beans are healthy, flavorpacked appetizers.

Shrimp Poor Boy Sliders

Scan the QR code for these great recipes and more! These mini sandwiches are piled high with shrimp, cucumbers, onions, and radish slaw.

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O P E R A T I O N S

sey in Ca By M

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hether it’s used for carryout containers or a solution for leftovers, packaging is a vital commodity in restaurants, answering diners’ call for convenience, protecting food and communicating brand image. Increasingly, the effect on the environment also is a factor.

Doggie bags and take-out containers are nearly ubiquitous fixtures in restaurants. Packaging very much reflects how Americans integrate the restaurant industry into their lifestyles. Portion sizes, often more than enough for just one meal, are stashed into containers with the assumption that they will be eaten some point down the road. Even if the food is tossed after a few days in the fridge, doggie bags somehow seem to ease guilt over food waste. And take-out, which represents a substantial percentage of total meals thanks to the quickservice sector, continues to gain vigor as the convenience widely appreciated by consumers. In a survey conducted last year, the National Restaurant Association reported that 40% of surveyed diners said there was not enough take-out food in their lives.

“Since there has to be packaging, the question for all operators becomes ‘what kind is best?’", Oshman says. To best answer that, he suggests thinking about where the customer most likely takes the packaging. If, as they often do in fast-casual, they consume it on premise, food can be presented with minimal wrapping, perhaps a reusable plastic basket or tray with disposable liner. This, Oshman says, trumps boxes and containers that often envelop foods that make only a short trip from counter to table. In corporate dining where diners stay in the facility but eat at their desks, a composting program can be implemented and compostable food packaging used. Leftover food also is compostable so nothing needs to be separated — everything can be chucked in the same place, a program that Oshman says is in place at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash.

“People are more concerned about the contents. If someone gets home and their sandwich is cold, they’re not going to forgive it because the packaging was eco-friendly.” – Josh Rutherford, 4 Star Restaurant Group

Mixed in with all of this ease and convenience is a lot of packaging, 3.2 million tons in fact, up 700% in 30 years, according to the Boston-based Green Restaurant Association. Less than 1% of it was actually recycled, the GRA adds, a statistic that leaves much room for improvement. In an ideal world, Michael Oshman, GRA founder and CEO, says that there would be no packaging. Although he is quick to acknowledge that’s never going to happen. Regardless, there are ways for all segments of the industry to significantly decrease the volume of consumer food packaging that ends up in landfill while still maintaining the integrity of the food — temperature, structure and texture.

THE VAST WASTELAND

Those are, perhaps, the best-case scenarios. Beyond that, millions of carryout meals end up in homes, offices or public places where consumers direct the packaging disposal. That, Oshman says, is where the real challenge lies. “Many types of paper, cardboard and plastic packaging that the industry has access to are relatively benign. Some are made from 100% recycled materials, or with post-consumer waste,” he notes. Josh Rutherford, a founding partner of the Chicagobased 4 Star Restaurant Group, says that the main drivers in their packaging choices have changed over the past several years. “It used to be that we didn’t have many requests for meals to go. Then, cost and

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O P E R A T I O N S ease of use led our purchasing,” he says. Now, with the group’s six restaurants all handling more take-out meals, functionality jumped to the fore. “We started to look at classier, more heat-retentive solutions. It took a lot of trials to find the right ones,” he says. “At this point, we look at packaging that is eco-friendly and is right for the food.” Rutherford gives props to the industry’s suppliers. “A lot of packaging companies recognize a need before we do. We get the solution before there’s a problem.” What’s right at 4 Star’s Smoke Daddy barbecue restaurant doesn’t work for their other upscale casual concepts. “We tried different things at Smoke Daddy but got so many complaints. For ribs, you really need Styrofoam,” Rutherford says, adding that for most guests, food quality ultimately trumps all. “People are more concerned about the contents. If someone gets home and their sandwich is cold, they’re not going to forgive it because the packaging was eco-friendly. It’s the last thing they’ll consider.”

Goin g Greener Consumers are wary about the many claims businesses make. To build trust, make sure what you say is absolutely true. • Avoid empty and meaningless claims. If your menu says the packaging is eco-friendly, go one step further and note that it is “Our carry-out packaging now contains 35% less plastic” or that “Straws are 100% compostable.” • Do periodic status checks on whether products are recyclable or compostable. To be labelled as such, certain standards must be met. Bags and plastic bottles can’t be labelled as recyclable unless 60% of communities across the country can recycle them through local programs. To be listed as compostable, it must be so in home composters. • Resist the “more is better” temptation. Use only enough packaging to protect and transport food properly. • Michael Oshman of the GRA says to put green practices in place in the back of the house to realize another kind of green. “Recycle glass, cardboard and aluminum and you absolutely should save money.”

CHECKING IN, TAKING OUT

At first glance, hotel properties may not appear to have a big need for carryout packaging but Sean Curry, executive chef at the Hilton Chicago Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center, says changes are afoot. “You’re starting to see that some hotels are closing the room service department. Instead, they offer a market or café in the lobby area where guests can pick up meals to take back to their rooms,” he says, adding that many guests prefer such options to calling and waiting for the wheeled-in meal to arrive from room service. From catering and boxed golf lunches to doggie bags and carry-out meals, the many facets of a hotel’s foodservice department make packaging an important decision. “You want to have the right one,” Curry says. “Not something inferior.” He admits to approaching the topic with two values that can at times sound contradictory. “I’m very farm to table

• Sean Curry of the Hilton Chicago Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center says that if you keep doing everything the same way, you sustain the problem. “When you take a green initiative you have to sell it and sell it hard. If you engage someone’s emotions, you’ll get their buy-in.”

with my ideals so we want to have compostable and biodegradable packaging that fits that model. And we also have to meet customer expectations for how well the packaging suits the food. Some of the biodegradable lines don’t hold hot food all that well and if they do there’s often a catch — they cost a lot more,” Curry says, adding that he is ever-mindful of how important it is to find the right balance. “I’m not a crusader but I do what I can. People will remember the good things you do and when they think about coming back, it may be enough to tip them over the edge in a good way.” 

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O P E R A T I O N S

Spring Cleaning Your Inventory Gives You a Fresh Start by Ari Bendersky

aving a walk-in cooler or dry goods storage room in your restaurant that's fully stocked with freezer-burned meat or nearly expired ingredients is a kitchen nightmare. Just ask Gordon Ramsay. Everyone needs to take a regular assessment of their inventory — mainly so you don't run out of food, wine or supplies to keep your restaurant or bar running. But every so often it makes sense to do a deep clean. And what better time than spring for a proper spring cleaning? This doesn't necessarily mean tossing out good food, but using your product in creative ways to help it move before that expiration date hits. We’ve gathered a a number of inventory management tips from industry folks to help you stay a step ahead for the year.

ORDERING "We try and purchase just what we need for menu usage at the beginning of the season because prices are usually high as soon as the products are available. As the season goes on, and prices begin to ease, we start buying more and working on preservation of some items." – Erik Niel, executive chef/owner, Easy Bistro & Bar Chattanooga, Tenn. "We change the menu daily, which allows us to constantly address the issue of excess when dealing with perishable products. Employing this practice allows us to continually manage our inventory." – Travis Grimes, executive chef, Husk Charleston, S.C. "When your menu changes, so do many dry and fresh ingredients. Keeping a large inventory of dry goods leaves you with overage and the chance for it to become stale or go bad." – Kevin Nashan, chef/owner, Sidney Street Cafe and The Peacemaker Lobster & Crab, St. Louis.

STORAGE "We find, as a group, that the more you have in house the more you waste. We try to keep things as tight and day-to-day as possible with supplies and food. We know if it's too lean, we'll sacrifice quality if we run out. We try to set a good level that's achievable, that's lean and tight. We want the freshest product so we don't waste and it's best for our guests." – Tim Hockett, divisional chef partner, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Chicago (restaurants: M Burger, Wow Bao, Tallboy Taco, Nacional 27, Frankie's Pizza By the Slice)

"During the spring and summer, we preserve many vegetables during their peak. We use these pickles and jams during the winter to help support us during the slimmer growing season. We approach cured meats in the same way." – Travis Grimes, Husk. "To manage your inventory you have to know what you have. I'm a big believer that cardboard boxes are the worst storage containers. You can't see through them, which means that product doesn't get properly moved and rotated. I prefer clear, plastic containers that can be labeled and seen through." – Erik Niel, Easy Bistro & Bar

ROTATING STOCK & MOVING PRODUCT "As with any restaurant, perishability of food and beverage is a huge part of inventory management. This is especially true with our premium micro-roasted coffees. In the café, we have 'Feature of the Day' micro-roast coffee. This gives us the opportunity to move inventory that is close to expiration and also to share new, premium coffees." – Rick Stewart, Director of Café Operations, Barnie's CoffeeKitchen, Winter Park, Fla. "One of our best tools for limiting unnecessary build up is staff meal. We have a stash of stuff in our dry storage, cooler and freezer that is specifically for staff, and whoever is assigned to cook for the staff knows that's what they use first. It may not be sold, but when the staff is happy, guests will be happy." – Erik Niel, Easy Bistro & Bar "Staying fresh and local forces a chef to routinely be on top on his or her product and minimizing the risk of product going bad, stolen or lost." – Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe and The Peacemaker Lobster & Crab.

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hile cell phones have been around for almost two decades, the last few years have seen a boom of innovation in the tech space. It all starts with

the smartphone, which has revolutionized communications technology with an operating system that enables it to perform functions similar to a computer. Smartphone user can access the internet at their fingertips and navigate across many different applications (apps) that they download to the device.

and Tabbed Out. There are others as well. For example, Open Table, the ubiquitous online reservation service, now offers mobile payment capability as well. But are operators fully taking advantage of all this tech? More are starting to. For example, last fall, Panera Bread announced integration with Apple Pay, which simplifies the check-out process for cashiers and makes the Panera retail experience faster and more convenient for customers. “We’re proud to be one of the first retailers to accept Apple Pay using iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch,” said Blaine Hurst, the Panera

FINGERS DO THE TALKING

Chief Technology and Transformation Officer. “For us, it’s a

One smartphone capability that promises to have maximum

natural extension of Panera 2.0, which brings together digital

impact on the foodservice industry is called mobile pay,

ordering, multiple payment options and improved operational

which takes customer-facing technology to the next level.

processes to deliver an enhanced guest experience.” Panera

Restaurants that offer mobile payment capability enable

guests simply hold their devices near the contactless readers

customers to order what they want on the menu, and then

at checkout, while keeping a finger on Touch ID to make a

GET SMART! Mobile Payment Takes Customer-Facing

Technology to Next Level by Mary Daggett

pay their bill right from their smartphones, without waiting

payment. They can also order ahead and have their order

for a server to take their order or present them with their bill.

ready for pick-up or delivery.

The process is fast, easy and secure. Credit and debit card

Chipotle also recently began offering this capability to their

information is stored within the app, and can be changed whenever the smartphone owner designates. When a

customers with Apple Pay. Sweet Green utilizes Level Up. The Pump Room in Chicago uses Open Table’s mobile payment

restaurant purchase is made, the device account number and

app. As this phenomenon gains momentum, more and more

a transaction-specific security code are used to process the

of your customers will request mobile payment. It may not

payment. According to these providers, the customer’s actual

be appropriate for your operation at this moment, but it’s

credit or debit card numbers are not shared or transmitted,

certainly worth your time in investigating the technology.

which can lead to a more secure process.

Your distributor sales consultant is a good place to start. You

Some of the players at the forefront of mobile payment

do not want to be caught snoozing in the customer-facing

technology are Apple Pay, Level Up, Dash, Square, PayPal

technology department. n

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The Proliferation of the Smartphone Keeping up with the Millennials According to Nielsen, over 71 percent of Americans over 18 years of age own a smartphone. That percentage jumps to 85 in the case of millennials (aka Generation Y, born after 1980), the demographic that has literally grown up online.

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v e E r y s i o y n t e’s i l i B ab

ss ine us

Sus ta in

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by Mary Daggett

We’re all citizens of Earth. This third rock from the sun may not be the most significant orb in the vast cosmos, but it’s only home we have. As such, in recent years more people have renewed their commitment to this planet and our own future generations. 98 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 2, 2015

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INTELLIGENT RESTAURANT DESIGN IS A CRITICAL FACTOR

The word often used today to describe this responsibility is sustainability. While sustainability means different things to different people, most often its definition includes three key elements: the planet itself, economics, and society. And sustainability is no stranger in the restaurant industry. After all, operators don’t have to be environmental experts to make a difference. When you think about it, ecology and economics go hand in hand. When we reuse, recycle and renew, we are helping to save the planet and its natural resources, while at the same time affecting our own economic well-being. We are perceived by society to be good corporate citizens. Sustainability pays big dividends all around. From using local and seasonal produce to waste management to community involvement, there are a number of ways for operators to be environmentally responsible. For the purposes of this piece, we’re going to tackle tips for how you can design a sustainable brickand-mortar establishment.

SUSTAINABILITY

According to the U. S. Department of Energy, the United States spends about $200 billion to power commercial buildings annually. It is estimated that lighting alone accounts for nearly $40 billion a year. The very nature of the foodservice industry necessitates an enormous need for power. Many restaurants are open for extended hours each day, which means the lights are on. Customers come and go, allowing cold air in and valuable heat to escape in winter and vice versa in warm months. The coolers and freezers, exhaust fans, ovens and ranges, dishwashers, ice machines and beverage dispensers all must be powered day in and day out. n

Sustainable, intelligent restaurant design is a critical factor for operators. Conservation measures add up to big savings, both in terms of money and reduction in fossil fuel depletion. Your menu is another important element in fostering sustainability, saving money and maintaining the natural balance. Here are some effective practices to consider: • Obtain advice from HVAC professionals on ways to ensure that your heating and cooling systems are working at peak efficiency. • When replacing appliances, look for models that meet Energy Star® standards. • Install energy efficient lighting fixtures and light bulbs. • Maintain all equipment in good working order to ensure peak performance. • Recycle your paper, glass and plastic refuse according to local requirements. • Use environmentally friendly cleaning supplies. • Install metering faucets and toilets to save water when replacing plumbing fixtures. • Switch from paper towels to accelerated hand dryers in restrooms. The annual cost savings is considerable, and this measure eliminates adding paper waste to landfills while saving trees. • Donate used fryer oil to companies that convert it into biodiesel fuel. • Review your menu on a regular basis to weed out items that do not give a good return on your energy investment or that use ingredients not produced responsibly. • Use only sustainable seafood on your menu. • Eliminate food waste by participating in local food bank efforts to feed the needy.

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O P E R A T I O N S

Call Me

Pardner Retooling Your Menu with Maximum Cred Starts with the Right Distributor by Mindy Kolof

ollaboration is king of this era, and likely to reign for many millenniums hereafter because the truth is â&#x20AC;Ś it works. The concept of the whole being more than the sum of its parts has been solidly proven in almost every arena, with the creative culinary craft ranking high on the list. So when you find a foodservice distributor who combines the artistic sensibility of a gastronome with the exacting eye of an accountant, savor your victory. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s precisely what you need to thrive.

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Restaurant Inc shares the stories of a small town bar and grill operator and a chef at a little-known suburban gem whose partnerships with their distributor meant much more than getting cases delivered on time — although that happened without fail. The connection clicked, ideas flowed and menu magic was made.

Hydeout Bar & Grill,

Poplar Grove, IL

A bar and grill operator in rural northern Illinois turns to his long time distributor for help with a menu overhaul.

The 411 Nick Nebiu, his brother and three cousins teamed up to open the Hydeout in April 2011, building on the family’s outstanding local reputation — just a mile down the road, his father and uncle had been serving up hearty meals at their Boone County Family Restaurant since 1982. The community had grown, says Nick, and a bar and grill was a logical dining evolution. From the start, Hydeout’s signature burgers (“everyone loves them” proudly maintains Nick), pizza and Friday night fish fries were hits at the pub, comfortably housing 110 diners when fully packed.

The Challenge

The mix of customers, throughout the age demographic, was an ideal ‘problem’ for a restaurateur, yet appealing to all age groups posed its own set of issues. Jalapeno poppers for the restless youngling? Pastrami sandwiches for the lunchtime crowd? Different types of burgers for everyone else? “Customers made suggestions, and it was time to make a change to the menu,” reveals Nick. In the four years since opening, a few new offerings had been added, but this time, more of a major redo was in order, with reboots needed on appetizers, sandwiches and dinner items. Business was good, but Nick knew fresh new items would make it even better. “We met with Chef Paul several times and he picked our minds to see what we were looking for before we had actual product tastings,” says Nick.

tasters and decision makers, while the calamari needed an extra bit of crunch (Panko breadcrumbs made it happen). “Their price point was also very low and I advised them not to be worried about charging more and still remaining competitive.” On the menu: Mussels, wonton wrapped mozzarella sticks and calamari steaks, fried or grilled, with more to come.

Paul’s Solution

Nick says

“They wanted to differentiate themselves, and I brought a slew of fresh new choices to the tasting, well beyond hamburger.” Mussels, prepared in multiple ways, were among the novel items that intrigued the group of chief

“We’ve been with Reinhart® a long time because of their commitment to helping us improve our business. Chef Paul listens, discusses and creates dishes that work.”

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Martini’s on Main,

Algonquin, IL

A trusted collaboration and friendship with their distributor helps put this small suburban steakhouse and bar on the Chicago area dining map.

The 411 Martini’s on Main, an American steakhouse featuring chef Matt Lucas’ unique, eclectic offerings, has been making a name for itself out in the far-flung suburb of Algonquin, located 40 miles northwest of Chicago’s heated dining scene. The restaurant, affectionately shortened to the acronym MOM’s by regulars, does brisk, reservations-only business Thursday through Saturday nights, and has become a destination eatery known for out-of-the-box gourmet food you’d expect to find downtown, not in a cozy 60-seater (in summer months, the outdoor patio doubles the patron count).

The Challenge How does a former furniture salesman with no formal culinary training, working in a kitchen so small he literally stands in one spot and turns in circles, turn out 300 incredibly inventive dinner and appetizer specials each year? Matt’s unshakeable commitment to constantly learning and trying new things is unquestionably the main reason. But his collaborative friendship with Chef Paul has also helped fuel Matt’s culinary adventures, from molecular cooking to grilled melons to kangaroo steaks … yes, kangaroo from Australia, sourced by Reinhart Direct’s gourmet foodservice group. “It was pretty popular,” says Matt, “especially when I explained to customers that it tasted like venison.”

On the Menu Over the three years since Matt and Paul became culinary kindred spirits, Martini’s on Main has offered wild boar ribs and shanks, wagyu beef, finger limes (also from Australia), kalettes, and fiddleheads on flatbread. One of Matt’s favorites finds was tapioca maltodextrin, the molecular cooking ingredient that allows him to play alchemist in the kitchen, transforming fatty ingredients into powders. He’s used it for powdered olive oil and in a rockin’ caramel apple martini, but arguably his best play was last January for the cheeky “Fat Elvis” dessert prepared in honor of the legendary rocker’s birthday. Made from a peanut butter torte, caramelized bananas and Matt’s powdered peanut butter, it was a bona fide hit.

Matt says “Other distributors just sell cases. Paul will advise me as to what to buy, but what’s highly unusual is he’ll also tell me what not to buy. I can’t call other salesman and ask if they have any recommendations as to how to prepare snapper that I’m putting on special tonight. With Paul, that’s exactly what I’ll do and he’ll always have some great ideas to try.” 102 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 2, 2015

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Chef,

collaborator, distribution partner, friend. For Reinhart®’s Chef Paul, the sales follow.

Paul Young arrived at Reinhart in 2012 armed with years of experience in the culinary trenches, and a uniquely helpful stint as an improv comedian at Chicago’s Second City. A Le Cordon Bleu-Orlando graduate, he worked as cooking instructor, sauté cook and executive sous chef in Chicago and Milwaukee, and spent some time in the spotlight as a contestant on season 6 of "The Next Food Network Star". Hired as part of Reinhart’s sales force, Paul’s consultative style and passion for all things culinary made him a natural member of the team at his customers’ kitchens, revamping menus, advising on specials, rolling up his sleeves and preparing recipes. That last piece is what really makes a distributor valuable.

“Other distributors bring customers into their fully decked out test kitchens and demo recipes on very sophisticated, high-tech equipment,” he says. “Nothing wrong with that, and it can definitely result in some great recipes. Our concept, though, is to develop new menu ideas with customers at their site, using their own equipment, so they’ll know exactly how to prepare it and how it will turn out.” And if something needs to be improvised on the spot … let’s just call that Paul’s specialty of the house. n

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Ongoing Look at the Business of Healthcare Foodservice

TO YOUR HEALTH …

H E A L T H C A R E

he power of food to provide an experience of pure pleasure is well documented throughout the pages of Restaurant, Inc. What we haven’t explored, until now, is the critical role food plays in sustaining the sick, comforting the anxious and nurturing the elderly. We invite you to learn more as we debut this new column, dedicated to covering the changing face of healthcare foodservice. The emphasis on great food that helps customers live their healthiest lives genuinely mirrors our country’s emerging culinary preferences. It’s an evolution that will touch every one of us, at every life stage, and we’ll keep you informed on the latest developments in this important segment. In this issue, we examine how professional chefs have come to dominate the hospital dining landscape over the last two decades. Next time, we’ll show you how senior living facilities are undergoing an equally dramatic shift, fueled by residents who place satisfaction with dining services at the top of their priority list. Let us know how the convergence of health, wellness and fine cuisine is occurring in your community and we’ll share it in future columns. Wishing you good health, and of course, good eating, Restaurant Inc Editorial Staff

THE DOCTOR WILL FEED YOU NOW A new hunger for all things healthy from hospital cafeteria to patient tray by Mindy Kolof

It began with 24-hour patient room service. Then, a shift to fresh and local ingredients. Scratch cooking, homemade sauces followed. Chefs became less nutritionist, more five-star. Hospital cafes are considered dining destinations in their own right. Welcome to the quietly impactful revolution, happening at a hospital near you. Restaurant, Inc. talked with two well-regarded professionals at the frontlines, who have borne witness to and played their own key roles in the transformation of foodservice in the healthcare space. Eric Eisenberg, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, ran the acclaimed restaurant Relais in the Seattle area, recognized by Gourmet Magazine as one of America’s Top Tables, before accepting a position as Swedish Medical Center’s executive chef in 2004. He recognized early on the opportunity to ply his skills and make his mark in a completely different setting and by 2008, Chef Magazine named him one of the Top 5 chefs in the country for his work. For Laura Watson, past president of the Association for Healthcare Foodservice and a clinical dietitian who oversees foodservice operations for all 22 hospitals at the internationally recognized Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, it’s been immensely satisfying to see her profession gain culinary respect, even acclaim, over her two decades of experience. Both share their thoughts on how the industry is poised to break into phase two of simultaneously delighting and educating a new group of discriminating diners, and why the knowledge exchange between industries will ultimately benefit us all.

Q: WHAT IS DRAWING EXPERIENCED CHEFS TO THE VERY DIFFERENT WORLD OF HEALTHCARE FOODSERVICE? ERIC: For me, Swedish Medical’s excellent reputation was integral to my decision. This was the first hospital to deliver a 24-hour-a-day patient menu. Kris Schroeder (now the Administrative Director of Support Services at the hospital) brought the entire concept of room service to healthcare. On a personal note, I was also looking for more normalcy in my working life that would enable me to spend time with my family.

LAURA: We’ve come so far since I started in this industry 20 years ago; being a chef today in healthcare is the norm rather than the exception. We’re no longer the brunt of jokes about bad food, but are very sophisticated in our culinary offerings, and the creativity and innovation of executive chefs are the key to our success.

Q: AS ONE OF THE EARLY ENTRANTS INTO THIS INDUSTRY, ERIC, WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE IN SHIFTING THE FOCUS TO A CULINARY ONE? ERIC: I was the first chef hired at Swedish Medical; they had many cooks who came from dietetics, and others with catering experience for the retail side, but no actual chefs. The menus, therefore, were driven by registered dietitians and the clinical team, and foods were chosen for their therapeutic value, not from a culinary perspective. We standardized the patient menu across all the hospitals, and it’s comprised entirely of scratch-made foods. There were 36 different dietary menus when I started,

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and we eliminated more than a dozen, and now include choices from the general diet even on the therapeutic menus. There’s no longer a huge disparity between the two types of menus. On the retail side, we moved away from the standard-cycle menu and focused on more seasonal ingredients, smaller batch cooking and fresh scratch versus value-added items when it makes sense.

for better ones. For instance, instead of using ground beef, bread crumbs and ketchup for meat loaf, we use a blend of turkey and beef, oats and diced vegetables that provides the same comfort, in a healthier way. Mac and cheese went from frozen to scratch made with four cheeses and fresh milk. Visitors to our Café 1910 may notice there are no soft drinks or deep-fat fryers, but what they’ll find instead is wood-fired oven pizza, a wok station and grill, and fresh, made-to-order salads.

Q: WHAT WERE THE RESULTS IN TERMS OF PATIENT SATISFACTION?

LAURA: Small incremental changes can add up over time, and we work

ERIC: We’ve always had great ratings around patient satisfaction, so it takes a lot to move the needle … at Swedish, it’s not a matter of inches but millimeters. We’ve noted much more patient enthusiasm and involvement in ordering their meals, and have received excellent feedback about the types of food we offer.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE CHANGES YOU’VE SEEN IN HEALTHCARE FOODSERVICE OVER THE LAST DECADE? ERIC: Room service has become the status quo. If you don’t have it, you’re looking to enter into it. It’s not as clearly defined as at the beginning, which was ordering at any time of day; now there are dozens of variations. I’ve also seen our entire industry become competitive, bringing to the table the same types of foods you’d see in restaurants in any market. There’s a whole movement of chefs trying to develop a new definition of what it means to have food in a hospital, and there are very few limitations, resulting in lots of people doing great work.

to provide the information that people need to make these choices. We post our menu boards in the café, and by smartphone app, so customers can easily up their daily nutritionals and be accountable for their health. Hopefully it gives them the tools and awareness to take with them wherever they go. Our LiVeWell plates show how to compose a meal with smaller portions of protein and starch, and vegetables a larger part. We introduce new vegetables and grains that patrons might not normally consider and create recipe cards for a visual look at what a healthy meal should look like.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MORE UNEXPECTED ITEMS ON YOUR MENU? ERIC: Our Mediterranean plate with hummus, olives, roasted veggies, tzatziki, and pita wouldn’t have appeared on a patient tray even a few years ago. Our banh mi sandwich and other southeast Asian flavors are popular, with white bean ragout as a side. All our soups are made from scratch, including lentil and chunky tomato bisque. We also have many more vegetarian items to feed the growing numbers of flexitarians.

LAURA: The addition of executive chefs is the biggest thing to happen in healthcare foodservice, bringing great new ideas for sophisticated palates. At Intermountain, we have six executive chefs (who represent each region) who meet and set the direction for menu and recipe development.

Q: WHAT INDICATIONS DO YOU SEE THAT THIS MOVEMENT IS GROWING? ERIC: More chefs are signing on at hospitals, and they are going into high leadership roles such as foodservice director. Previously the only avenue to that job was as a registered dietitian. But many chefs have learned healthcare now, and we have both elements of experience to offer.

Q: WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST REWARDING ABOUT WORKING IN HEALTHCARE FOODSERVICE? LAURA: This is an exciting time for foodservice and nutrition. Everyone wants to know how they can be healthier, and it’s up to us to engage our communities. For example, we recently developed a 1,900-squarefoot organic community garden at Park City Hospital, free and open to the public. When people can see, feel and pick their own tomatoes, corn, squash, berries and apples, it becomes much more meaningful to include these in your meals. This is especially true for underserved communities, where fresh, organic produce carries too high a price to purchase regularly.

ERIC: What we do in healthcare goes so far beyond people saying they ate in the coolest place on Yelp or putting up a picture on ways. When we hold health fairs, our executive chefs are always Instagram. When people receive a plate of food from us, when the most popular guests to appear. We were able to create the dome gets lifted, for just a minute, they’re transported an ongoing spot on our local tv station featuring our away from their current situation of lying in a hospital executive chefs, who demo how to pull a meal together bed. We need to do our very best to make sure we are *Watch Chef Josh quickly with fresh, healthy foods.* delivering the whole experience, the very best, most Taylor, LDS Hospital, positive one we can. n whip up a Waldorf

LAURA: Chefs are bringing awareness to the community in so many

Q: HOW DO YOU POSITION HEALTHY CHOICES IN AN APPEALING, EDUCATIONAL WAY?

Chicken Salad Wrap

ERIC: People still want to be offered foods that comfort, but we swap out traditional ingredients

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Future Events for Foodies Tri State BBQ Festival 2015 Houston County Farm Center Dothan, AL 04/10/15-04/11/15

Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis, MN 05/16/15-05/17/15

The Festival of Chocolate 2015

2015 NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show 速

2015 NYC Hot Sauce Expo

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

Museum of Science & Industry Tampa, FL 04/18/15-04/19/15

Brooklyn Expo Center New York City 04/25/15-04/26/15

McCormick Place Convention Center Chicago, IL 05/16/15-05/19/15

Atlanta, GA 05/29/15-06/01/15

Food Safety Summit Expo & Conference

Vintage Indiana Wine & Food Festival

Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, MD 04/28/15-04/30/15

Indianapolis, IN 06/06/15

Beer, Bourbon & Bbq Festival

The National Festival of Breads

Symphony Park at Southpark Mall Charlotte, NC 05/09/15

Hilton Garden Inn Convention Center Manhattan, KS 06/13/15

International Biscuit Festival Knoxville, TN 05/14/15-05/16/15

REINHART 速 FOOD SHOWS LA CROSSE DIVISION

CEDAR RAPIDS DIVISION

BOWLING GREEN DIVISION

MARQUETTE DIVISION

La Crosse Center, La Crosse, WI 4/19/15 - 4/20/15

Holiday Inn/Sloan Convention Center 4/20/15 - 4/21/15

SHAWANO DIVISION

ShopKo Hall, Green Bay, WI 4/21/15

Coralville Marriott, Coralville, IA 4/28/2015

Lakeview Arena, Marquette, MI 5/13/2015

PITTSBURGH/ EPA DIVISION

Heinz Field Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 5/11/2015

SHREVEPORT DIVISION

Diamond Jacks Resort & Casino Bossier City, LA 4/16/15

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SUMMER SNEAK PEEK

e’re heading out East this Summer, hitting up Virginia and some hot spots in North Carolina to get a taste for what success looks like for operators across this region. From delicious diners that have beckoned vacationers for decades to local hometown favorites, this culinary tour is sure to be a blast. The best part of this journey is that all of these restaurants are unique and successful in their own ways, and we’re looking forward to digging into the key facets of their accomplishments.

Great Places in the

If you’d like to contribute or be considered for content in the Summer issue or subsequent issues, email Team Reinhart at magazine@rfsdelivers.com.

TIDEWATER REGION: VIRGINIA & NORTH CAROLINA

THE PLACES LISTED ARE JUST A FEW WE HAVE OUR EYES ON FOR THE SUMMER ISSUE:

YNOT Pizza

Pollard's Chicken

Mediterranean Deli

Tony DiSilvestro, founder of Ynot Pizza & Italian Cuisine, considers it a personal mission to ensure everyone enjoys his hand-tossed pizza and other world-class traditional Italian dishes. For more than 20 years, Tony’s name has been above every Ynot location and on every box ready for pickup and delivery. “Ynot” is Tony spelled backwards, and has been a family nickname for him since spelling his name that way on a first grade paper.

For decades, Pollard’s has been offering quality homestyle food at reasonable prices in Hampton Roads. The restaurants offer delicious southern fried chicken, homestyle macaroni & cheese, greens, desserts and much more. Pollard’s was the “Best of Hampton Roads” Gold Winner voted by The VirginianPilot readers for 21 years straight. The restaurant also won Gracious Living’s Taste Test as the “Best Fried Chicken” (2011).

Serving Mediterranean and Greek food in downtown Chapel Hill since 1992. Mediterranean Deli uses only the freshest ingredients to create mouthwatering dishes. The restaurant offers over 50 authentic, freshly prepared Middle-Eastern and Greek dishes every day, along with homemade pita baked fresh every morning using local, unbleached organic, kosher flour.

To see more go to: ynotpizza.com

To see more go to: pollardschicken.com

Egg Bistro

Chanello's Pizza

Red Monkey

Egg Bistro is an independently owned neighborhood bistro that provides fresh, innovative food in a hip, family environment. Everyone on our staff is wholeheartedly committed to providing the best food and service possible. Visitors delight in a variety of menu items from breakfast favorites, salads and sandwiches to burgers.

Chanello's Pizza is a VA favorite for delicious pizzas, subs, and wings. It’s locally owned and operated so that means diners get the personalized service they deserve. Quality, tradition and excellence are the hallmarks of Chanello's Pizza.

Enjoy fantastic local food, craft brews, and an occasional banana cocktail. The tavern combines the feel of raw elements with classic vintage décor and playful lighting. The Red Monkey welcomes patrons with lunch, dinner and in between. Awesome cocktails, local and regional craft beers and gastro pub recipes you won't find anywhere else.

Several Virginia Locations

Two Virginia Locations

To see more go to: theeggbistro.com

Several Virginia Locations

To see more go to: chanellospizza.com

Chapel Hill, NC

To see more go to: mediterraneandeli.com

Raleigh, NC

To see more go to: redmonkeytavern.com

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O P E R A T O R

I N D E X

Andora Restaurant

Dee Jay's BBQ Ribs & Grille

Husk

Multiple Locations - Pennsylvania www.andorarestaurant.com [pg. 16]

Weirton, WV www.deejaysribs.com [pg. 17]

Charleston, SC www.huskrestaurant.com [pg. 95]

Angelo’s Restaurant

Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group

Hydeout Bar & Grill

Washington, PA angelosrestaurant.com [pg. 22]

Southlake, TX dfrg.com [pg. 37]

Poplar Grove, IL [pg. 101]

Atria’s Restaurant

Easy Bistro & Bar

Intermountain Healthcare

Multiple Locations - Pennsylvania www.atrias.com [pg. 20]

Chattanooga, TN www.easybistro.com [pg. 36/95]

Multiple Locations - United States intermountainhealthcare.org [pg. 104]

Bamboo Sushi

Fiddler’s Green

Ironside Fish & Oyster

Multiple Locations - Portland, OR bamboosushi.com [pg. 8]

Washington Island, WI washingtonislandfiddlersgreen.com [pg. 87]

San Diego, CA 92101 www.ironsidefishandoyster.com [pg. 50]

Barnie's CoffeeKitchen

Fifty First Kitchen & Bar

Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

Multiple Locations - Florida barniescoffeekitchen.com [pg. 36]

Nashville, TN www.51nashville.com [pg. 79]

Louisville, KY 40202 www.jeffruby.com [pg. 9]

Bartram House Bakery & Café

The Firehouse Inn

Juniper Grill

Multiple Locations - Pittsburgh, PA www.bartramhousebakery.com [pg. 13]

Rutherfordton, NC www.thefirehouseinn.com [pg. 9]

Chicago, IL www.kinmontrestaurant.com [pg. 21]

Bar Pastoral

Fogo 2 Go

Kinmont

Chicago, IL www.pastoralartisan.com/bar-pastoral [pg. 26]

Chicago, IL www.fogo2go.com [pg. 84]

Western Springs, IL www.vierestaurant.com [pg. 50]

Bathtub Gin

The Franklin Room

Leghorn Chicken

New York, NY bathtubginnyc.com [pg. 79]

Chicago, IL www.franklinroom.com [pg. 39]

Chicago, IL www.leghornchicken.com [pg. 27/50]

Blaze Pizza

Girl and the Goat

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc.

Multiple Locations - United States www.blazepizza.com [pg. 65]

Chicago, IL www.girlandthegoat.com [pg. 49/50]

Chicago, IL www.leye.com [pg. 95]

Bob’s Diner

Good Earth

Lexx Restaurant

Multiple Locations - Pennsylvania eatatbobsdiner.com [pg. 16]

Multiple Locations - Minnesota www.goodearthmn.com [pg. 87]

Lexington, MA lexxrestaurant.com [pg. 9]

Booty’s Street Food

GT Fish & Oyster

Linger

New Orleans, LA bootysnola.com [pg. 84]

Chicago, IL gtoyster.com [pg. 36/39/49]

Denver, CO lingerdenver.com [pg. 8]

The Church Brew Works

Hilton Chicago Oak Brook

Little Goat

Pittsburgh, PA www.churchbrew.com [pg. 23]

Oak Brook, IL www.oakbrookhillsresortchicago.com [pg. 94]

Chicago, IL www.littlegoatchicago.com [pg. 49/50]

Cocina 214

Hog Father's BBQ

Local 360

Winter Park, FL [pg. 37]

Washington, PA hogfathersbbq.com [pg. 19]

Seattle, WA www.local360.org [pg. 87]

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Loló

Parlor Pizza Bar

Smoke Daddy

San Francisco, CA www.lolosf.com [pg. 9]

Chicago, Illinois www.parlorchicago.com [pg. 65]

Chicago, IL www.thesmokedaddy.com [pg. 94]

Martini’s on Main

The Peacemaker Lobster & Crab

Soda & Swine

Algonquin, IL www.martinisonmain.com [pg. 102]

St. Louis, MO peacemakerstl.com [pg. 95]

San Diego, CA sodaandswine.com [pg. 50]

Millie’s International Market

Perennial Virant

Swedish Medical Center

Columbus, GA www.milliesinternationalmarket.com [pg. 29]

Chicago, IL www.perennialchicago.com [pg. 36]

Multiple Locations - Washington www.swedish.org [pg. 104]

Momotaro

Plaza Azteca

Taziki's Mediterranean Café

Chicago, IL www.momotarochicago.com [pg. 49]

Multiple Locations - United States www.plazaazteca.com [pg. 12]

Multiple Locations - United States tazikiscafe.com [pg. 9]

Nellcôte

The Publican

Tijuana Picnic

Chicago, IL www.nellcoterestaurant.com [pg. 27/50]

Chicago, IL thepublicanrestaurant.com [pg. 49/76]

New York, NY www.tijuana-picnic.com [pg. 85]

Old Town Social

Quaker Steak & Lube®

Toscana Market

Chicago, IL www.oldtownsocial.com [pg. 27/50]

Multiple Locations - United States thelube.com [pg. 18]

Pittsburgh, PA www.toscanabrickoven.com [pg. 16]

Owen + Alchemy

Randy's Fishmarket Restaurant

Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar

Chicago, IL www.owenandalchemy.com [pg. 50]

Naples, FL randysfishmarketrestaurant.com [pg. 26]

Chicago, IL www.eatatunion.com [pg. 39]

Pamela’s Diner

Sidney Street Cafe

Multiple Locations - Pennsylvania www.pamelasdiner.com [pg. 14]

St. Louis, MO sidneystreetcafe.com [pg. 95]

A D V E R T I S E R

I N D E X

Sugar Foods Corporation

Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

Markon

Markon®

Rich's

PepsiCo Inc. - Frito Lay

CSM Bakery Solutions

Burke

Gourmet Foodservice Group

Avocados from Mexico

Dole®

Schreiber® Foods

www.sugarfoods.com [pg. 03] www.markon.com [pg. 04]

www.csmbakerysolutions.com [pg. 24] www.theamazingavocado.com [pg. 34-35]

Rich's®

www.richsfoodservice.com/pizza [pg. 51]

www.wisconsincheesefoodservice.com [pg. 64] www.richsfoodservice.com/pizza [pg. 68-69] www.burkecorp.com [pg. 71] www.dolefoodservice.com [pg. 75]

www.markon.com [pg. 90-91] www.pepsico.com [pg. 103]

www.gourmetfoodservicegrouprfs.com [pg. 107]

www.schreiberfoods.com [pg. 109]

McCain® - Brew City®

www.brewcitylegacy.com/reinhart [pg. 77]

Advertising Information: For rates and media kit, contact Christin Doyle at cdoyle@rfsdelivers.com. When contacting our advertisers, please mention you saw their ads here. ©2015 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The trademarks depicted herein are trademarks (registered or otherwise) of their respective owners. SPRING 2015 RFSDELIVERS.COM 111

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C O M M O D I T I E S

COMMODITIES TRACKING

LIVESTOCK

SOFTS

GRAINS

Keep your ear to the ground with commodity pricing, as it dictates food costs. Below are select prices to help readers keep track. Prices as of March 10, 2015.*

description

units

price

contract

CBOT Corn

USD/bu.

387.50

May 15

CBOT Wheat

USD/bu.

484.75

May 15

CBOT Oats

USD/bu.

285.50

May 15

CBOT Rough Rice

USD/cwt

10.55

May 15

CBOT Soybeans

USD/bu.

988.75

May 15

CBOT Soybean Meal

USD/st

333.50

May 15

CBOT Soybean Oil

USD/lb.

30.75

May 15

description

units

price

contract

ICE Cocoa

USD/mt

2,926.00

May 15

ICE Coffee "C"

USD/lb.

136.10

May 15

ICE Sugar #11

USD/lb.

13.17

May 15

ICE Orange Juice Conc

USD/lb.

118.45

May 15

ICE Cotton #2

USD/lb.

62.09

May 15

description

units

price

contract

CME Live Cattle

USD/lb.

153.30

Apr 15

CME Feeder Cattle

USD/lb.

205.73

May 15

CME Lean Hogs

USD/lb.

65.43

Apr 15

*SOURCE: Bloomberg.com

Is there a commodity youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see on the chart? Email magazine@rfsdelivers.com with your suggestion.

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3/17/15 10:28 AM

from

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VOL

03,

ISSUE

SPRING

2015

$5.99

Truffle Blue Cheese Pizza Find this recipe and more on page 61

IN OUR COMMUNITIES

PITTSBURGH

CITY OF CHAMPIONS p. 10

R E S TA U R A N T I N C

Get Your Slice of the Pie

p. 52

the business of food

on menus across the country,

this fresh. Beginning with Good Roots.

RI_Cover_Issue2_2015.indd 1

p. 95

Give your menu a Mexican twist with this trendy pizza. p. 58

ISSUE 01: 2015

center stage

Your Operation

Fresh produce is taking

SPRING CLEAN

IT’S ALL ABOUT MOM

Make Mother’s Day a boom for business p. 36

Pizza recipes for breakfast, lunch & dinner!

EVERYTHING PIZZA

Trends, Dough 101, Equipment, Beer Pairings & More! p. 52–76

3/19/15 11:16 AM